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| Richard Chartres, the formidable bishop leading Lady Thatcher's funeral | Richard Chartres, the formidable bishop leading Lady Thatcher's funeral |
| (25 days later) | |
| As a choice to lead Lady Thatcher's funeral service the bishop of London – to use his full title, the Right Reverend and Right Honourable Richard Chartres, KCVO – appears on the face of it the safest, most establishment-friendly choice possible. | As a choice to lead Lady Thatcher's funeral service the bishop of London – to use his full title, the Right Reverend and Right Honourable Richard Chartres, KCVO – appears on the face of it the safest, most establishment-friendly choice possible. |
| The 65-year-old, who has occupied the number three role in the church since 1995, is not only close to the Thatcher family but is also a confidant of the royals, a friend of Prince Charles who officiated at Prince William's confirmation and, later, his wedding to Kate Middleton. He is a trustee of Princess Diana's will and a privy councillor, the latter granting him the "right honourable" prefix. | The 65-year-old, who has occupied the number three role in the church since 1995, is not only close to the Thatcher family but is also a confidant of the royals, a friend of Prince Charles who officiated at Prince William's confirmation and, later, his wedding to Kate Middleton. He is a trustee of Princess Diana's will and a privy councillor, the latter granting him the "right honourable" prefix. |
| But when the white-bearded, intellectually formidable cleric rises to give the address at St Paul's, his own diocesan cathedral, some will be anticipating his words with a little nervousness. | But when the white-bearded, intellectually formidable cleric rises to give the address at St Paul's, his own diocesan cathedral, some will be anticipating his words with a little nervousness. |
| For all his insider credentials and generally conservative views, Chartres was at the centre of one of the more bitter church-government rows during Thatcher's prime ministership. In 1982, as Robert Runcie's junior chaplain, Chartres wrote the then archbishop of Canterbury's sermon for the post-Falklands thanksgiving service. | For all his insider credentials and generally conservative views, Chartres was at the centre of one of the more bitter church-government rows during Thatcher's prime ministership. In 1982, as Robert Runcie's junior chaplain, Chartres wrote the then archbishop of Canterbury's sermon for the post-Falklands thanksgiving service. |
| This enraged Thatcher by calling on the congregation to pray for the dead of both sides and criticising "those who stay at home, most violent in their attitudes and untouched in themselves". The words were all the more stinging delivered by Runcie, who was awarded the Military Cross as a tank commander in the second world war. | This enraged Thatcher by calling on the congregation to pray for the dead of both sides and criticising "those who stay at home, most violent in their attitudes and untouched in themselves". The words were all the more stinging delivered by Runcie, who was awarded the Military Cross as a tank commander in the second world war. |
| The controversy anticipated Chartres's own future career. While largely seen as a conservative he has veered into occasionally unexpected views and actions, a habit allies see as honest and freethinking but viewed by some critics as occasionally opportunistic. When St Paul's was fringed by a tented camp of Occupy protesters, Chartres joined a debate with activists about corporate culture and personally delivered a large box of chocolates to them as a Christmas present. | The controversy anticipated Chartres's own future career. While largely seen as a conservative he has veered into occasionally unexpected views and actions, a habit allies see as honest and freethinking but viewed by some critics as occasionally opportunistic. When St Paul's was fringed by a tented camp of Occupy protesters, Chartres joined a debate with activists about corporate culture and personally delivered a large box of chocolates to them as a Christmas present. |
| Chartres's huge confidence, clear talent and seemingly endless high-mindedness – asked in an interview what he did for frivolity he eventually confessed an interest in the history of farming – saw him tipped as a future archbishop of Canterbury. In the end, when Rowan Williams announced his departure from the role, Chartres ruled himself out, reportedly seeing the job as too gruelling at his age. | Chartres's huge confidence, clear talent and seemingly endless high-mindedness – asked in an interview what he did for frivolity he eventually confessed an interest in the history of farming – saw him tipped as a future archbishop of Canterbury. In the end, when Rowan Williams announced his departure from the role, Chartres ruled himself out, reportedly seeing the job as too gruelling at his age. |
| He would have been a distinctive, even controversial head for the Anglican church. Opposed to gay marriage, he last year spoke out strongly against what he termed the "epidemic proportions" of promiscuity and divorce, saying these made society less happy. Yet this is the same person who, in 2006, decided to spend Easter giving lectures on a cruise ship rather than at St Paul's. Unrepentant, Chartres told critics this was his first sabbatical in 33 years. | He would have been a distinctive, even controversial head for the Anglican church. Opposed to gay marriage, he last year spoke out strongly against what he termed the "epidemic proportions" of promiscuity and divorce, saying these made society less happy. Yet this is the same person who, in 2006, decided to spend Easter giving lectures on a cruise ship rather than at St Paul's. Unrepentant, Chartres told critics this was his first sabbatical in 33 years. |
| Married with four children, Chartres attended Hertford grammar school and Trinity College, Cambridge, and briefly taught history before his ordination. In an interview with a vicar, Chartres recounted the faltering start to his church career: "It was the year of the barricades and I arrived in a bowler hat and voted against all 'modernisations'. Some of it was genuine belief, some was immaturity … I took a year or two out working in Sainsbury's and then in forestry before completing my training." | Married with four children, Chartres attended Hertford grammar school and Trinity College, Cambridge, and briefly taught history before his ordination. In an interview with a vicar, Chartres recounted the faltering start to his church career: "It was the year of the barricades and I arrived in a bowler hat and voted against all 'modernisations'. Some of it was genuine belief, some was immaturity … I took a year or two out working in Sainsbury's and then in forestry before completing my training." |
| In the same interview Chartres explained that while his mother was from east London, his father was an Irish Huguenot, whose uncle was a Sinn Féin activist and likely gun runner for Michael Collins. It was this heritage, Chartres said, which decided his university career: "I asked my father and he said: 'Your grandfather went to Trinity.' So I applied. I was in my final year before he told me he had meant Trinity, Dublin." | In the same interview Chartres explained that while his mother was from east London, his father was an Irish Huguenot, whose uncle was a Sinn Féin activist and likely gun runner for Michael Collins. It was this heritage, Chartres said, which decided his university career: "I asked my father and he said: 'Your grandfather went to Trinity.' So I applied. I was in my final year before he told me he had meant Trinity, Dublin." |
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