http://timescolumns.typepad.com/gledhill/2008/02/rowan-round-up.html
[Articles of Faith] 14 Feb 2008--Despite the best efforts of the LamPal staff and the General Synod to pretend Rowan didn't say what they knew perfectly well he had, this story has legs again. According to The Telegraph, which we followed up for later editions, the Queen is anxious now about the Archbishop of Canterbury. She is worried about the "fall-out" from the row. I imagine she fears the authority of his office has been undermined. Which of course it has. And no doubt she's been deluged with emails from bishops in the many Commonwealth countries with large Muslim populations. I did a video vox-pop yesterday of General Synod members about Rowan Williams. The comment of Willesden's Pete Broadbent, first up, might not surprise some of you...
What is significant about this is that it is not the first time HM has been concerned. When the Jeffrey John row broke in 2003, the Archbishop was all for steaming ahead with the appointment of Dr John as Bishop of Reading. Liberals were angry and bewildered when he suddenly backtracked and forced Dr John to withdraw. As a consoltation prize, Dr John became Dean of St Albans. So what could have persuaded this most stubborn of Archbishops, as he was described by Madeleine Bunting (see below) to change his mind? Could it have been pressure then from the Queen? I am given to understand that shortly before the Jeffrey John backtrack, the Archbishop had an audience at Buckingham Palace. He has those regularly of course. But she is also understood to have twice raised the matter of Dr John's Reading appointment with the then Prime Minister, Tony Blair.
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