The Queen: Church services in Portsmouth and Hampshire will mark the life of Queen Elizabeth II this weekend

On Sunday Portsmouth Cathedral will welcome people from across the city to attend ‘A Service of Commemoration and Thanksgiving for the Life of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’ at 3pm.

The cathedral in Old Portsmouth says the service will be an opportunity for the people of the city and Diocese of Portsmouth to come together and express their affection and gratitude for the late Sovereign.

The Very Rev Anthony Cane, Dean of Portsmouth, said it was for everyone.

‘This is a service for the whole city and region,’ he said. ‘Anyone and everyone is welcome to come together to give thanks and to mark a significant life and to reflect upon what that means. We will have music from across the nation and the Commonwealth which was of significance to the Queen.’

Among the music will be Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s Pie Jesu, as well as We Wait for thy Loving Kindness, O Lord by William McKie; the latter was sung at the Queen’s wedding 75 years ago.

The Dr Cane said he hoped the service would be a balm to people, adding: ‘There is something comforting about coming together and being with others, particularly in the cathedral where people have been coming over the ages for celebrations and times of sadness.’

SEE ALSO: Where books of condolence have been opened

In general people have gravitated towards the cathedral. Dr Cane said: ‘We have had 100s of people coming in the cathedral who have not necessarily been before. People may feel unsure of what to do with themselves at a time like this, and it is a space to reflect. And the Queen herself was a person of faith – people understand her in faith terms, her duty and self-sacrifice and she had her role as governor of the Church of England.’

The cathedral service will be attended by the Deputy Lord-Lieutenant, the Lord Mayor Hugh Mason, Portsmouth City Council leader Gerald Vernon-Jackson, as well as other civic and community leaders.

The Bishop of Portsmouth, The Right Reverend Dr Jonathan Frost, will be preaching at the service on Sunday with the Portsmouth Cathedral Choir singing music drawn from across the nations of the United Kingdom and the

Commonwealth.

Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II last visited the cathedral in 1998 for the Royal Maundy service, and since the announcement of her death people have been visiting the cathedral to pay their respects and sign condolence books – with almost 1,000 entries so far. The cathedral is staying open for extended hours during the National Mourning period from 8am until 7pm each day, and their are prayers on the hour.

Choral Evensong will be held at 5.45pm on the Sunday, and lead into a vigil which will incorporate the national one-minute silence at 8pm.

The cathedral will also be showing the state funeral on for those who wish to watch with other members of the community.

There are other civic services on Sunday. Portsmouth City Council is holding a multi-faith service at Guildhall Square at midday, and individual churches in districts will hold services on Saturday and Sunday.

St Mary’s, Fratton – Saturday, 6pm

St Mary's Church in Fratton is hosting a service of thanksgiving for the life of HM Queen Elizabeth II, for those in the voluntary sector and charities throughout the city, to pay tribute to her devotion and Christian faith, and pray for the new King, the Royal Family and our nation, during this time of mourning. The new National Anthem will be sung. It will be led by Canon Bob White, vicar and King's Chaplain.

St Faith’s, Havant – Sunday, 6.30pm

A similar service will take place in St Faith's Church, Havant, at 6.30pm on September 18. Local Havant dignitaries will be invited to pray for the late Queen and her family, and for our new King. The service will be led by the rector, Canon Tom Kennar, and the Archdeacon of Portsdown, the Ven Jenny Rowley, will preach.

St Peter and St Paul’s, Fareham – Sunday, 3pm

The Mayor, local councillors and community leaders are expected to attend the Osborn Road church. The service will be led by the area dean of Fareham, the Rev Ian Meredith, vicar of Portchester.

Holy Trinity Church, Gosport – Sunday, 6.30pm

Civic dignitaries from the town will attend, including the Mayor of Gosport, Cllr Jamie Hutchinson, councillors, and a representative of the Royal Navy. The preacher will be the Ven Peter Sutton, currently vicar of Greatham, Empshott, and Hawkley with Priors Dean near Petersfield, former Archdeacon of the Isle of Wight and former vicar of St Faith's, Lee-on-the-Solent.

St Peter's Church, Petersfield – Sunday, 4pm

The service of commemoration and thanksgiving for the life of HM Queen Elizabeth will take place at 4pm. It will be followed by Compline at 7.30pm, and then the one-minute national silence at 8pm.