Queen Elizabeth’s Close Friendship with Reverend Billy Graham

Queen Elizabeth II has had many famous visitors, from the Kennedys to former King Edward VIII, but one of the most meaningful guests for the monarch was American evangelical Reverend Billy Graham.

In season two of The Crown, during episode six, the Queen is enthralled while watching Graham's sermon on television with the Queen Mother.

She's so captivated by the young preacher that she later tells Prince Philip, “I think he's rather handsome.”

The Queen invites Graham to give a sermon in Windsor Chapel and then hosts him for lunch at the palace.

They later share a few poignant chats about the Queen's desire to be a simple Christian and her struggles with forgiveness.

In real life, the unlikely pair had a special friendship.

Whenever Graham came to the UK, the Queen would invite him to preach, and when she traveled to the US, she would often visit him.

Graham is regarded as the most influential preacher of the 20th century.

He held popular indoor and outdoor rallies and his sermons were broadcast on radio and television around the world.

“No one in Britain has been more cordial toward us than Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II,” Graham, who is now 99 years old and living in Charlotte, North Carolina, wrote in his autobiography, Just as I am.

“Almost every occasion I have been with her has been in a warm, informal setting, such as a luncheon or dinner either alone or with a few family members or other close friends.”

Graham also shared an anecdote from one of those visits, “I always found her very interested in the Bible and its message.”

After preaching at Windsor one Sunday, he was sitting next to the Queen at lunch.

“I told her I had been undecided until the last minute about my choice of sermon and had almost preached on the healing of the crippled man in John 5.

Her eyes sparkled and she bubbled over with enthusiasm, as she could do on occasion, ‘I wish you had,' she exclaimed, ‘that is my favorite story.'”

As head of the Church of England, the Queen has never hidden her strong Christian faith, but it is rare for royalty to speak openly about their religious beliefs.

She surprised many when she wrote the foreword to the Servant Queen and the Master she serves in February 2016.

“I have been, and remain, very grateful to you for your prayers and to God for his steadfast love,” Queen Elizabeth wrote.

“I have indeed seen his faithfulness.”

Robert Lacey, who is the show's historical consultant and author of The Crown, The Official Companion, tells people that Queen Elizabeth was close to the Rev.

Billy Graham in his prime, inviting him to preach at Windsor whenever he was in Britain, and meeting up with him when she visited the States.

He even helped her with a Christmas broadcast in the 90s.

Her Christian faith is fundamental to her in an old-time evangelical way, deriving from the example of her mother, who knelt at her bedside every night to say her prayers.

It is said that the Queen does the same.

The Queen rarely writes forewords to anything, and the passage offers a glimpse into her beliefs.

In conclusion, Queen Elizabeth II and Reverend Billy Graham shared a unique and special friendship that was based on their mutual Christian faith.

Graham was regarded as the most influential preacher of the 20th century, and whenever he came to the UK, the Queen would invite him to preach.

Similarly, when she traveled to the US, she would often visit him.