Theologian John Swinton was Chaplain to the Queen in Scotland. He spoke to Life & Faith on the day she died.  

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John Swinton has been many things in his life: Mental Health Nurse, Presbyterian minister, academic and author. He was also Chaplain to the Queen in Scotland, a role his mother was especially proud of! On the morning he was due to come into the CPX studio news came through that Queen Elizabeth II had died.  

We talked about the Queen, her faith, and the role of Chaplain, that John briefly played. What made the death of this 96-year-old woman so profound for so many people? 

This topic led to a broader discussion about the caring professions, and spiritual care as a crucial part of any wholistic approach to true health.  

“... the way you learn how to be a decent person is by looking at decent people. And she always strikes me as a decent person that I have learned a lot from, even though … from a distance until relatively recently.”  

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Explore some of John Swinton’s books: 

 Dementia: Living in the Memories of God. 

• A Graceful Embrace: Theological Reflections on Adopting Children 
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• Finding Jesus in the Storm: The Spiritual Lives of Christians with Mental Health Challenges 
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