The Moderator has sent a letter of condolence to King Charles

The Moderator has sent a letter of condolence to King Charles saying he is "deeply saddened to learn of the death of Her Majesty the Queen".

The full text of the letter, which was sent to the King at Clarence House in London by mail on Friday, reads as follows:

Your Majesty, I am deeply saddened to learn of the death of Her Majesty the Queen, and join with the nation in mourning Her loss. I write to express my heartfelt condolences to Your Majesty and all members of the Royal family.

On behalf of the General Assembly, the whole Church gives thanks for Her Majesty's unwavering service during her long and faithful reign. The Queen's selfless dedication to our nation and the wider Commonwealth has been truly inspirational. In the Church of Scotland, we are particularly grateful for Her Majesty's commitment to the life of our Church, both locally and nationally.

In addition, I wish to express my own sympathy; on a personal level I deeply appreciated the time I was able to spend with the Queen last weekend. It was a great honour to be a guest at Balmoral; to receive such gracious hospitality and have the privilege of engaging in conversation with Her Majesty.

I pray that the faith to which Her Majesty gave such excellent witness may offer comfort in this time of bereavement.

I have the honour to be, Your Majesty's most humble and obedient servant,

Rt Rev Dr Iain Greenshields
General Assembly of the Church of Scotland