David Hoyle, the Dean of Westminster, will be leading Queen Elizabeth’s funeral service on Monday at the Westminster Abbey. The ceremony will be a “living tradition in action”, the Reverend said.

Authorities have declared September 19 as a holiday in the United Kingdom, with Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral scheduled for the same day. World leaders and diplomats from across the globe are likely to be at the event, including US President Joe Biden.

Also Read: All about St. George’s Chapel, Queen Elizabeth II’s final resting place

Who is David Hoyle?

David Hoyle, who was born in 1957 in Lancashire, is currently serving as the 39th Dean of Westminster. He graduated from Cambridge’s Corpus Christi College in 1980. He pursued a  Bachelor of Arts degree.

According to the University of Cambridge website, David Hoyle’s thesis was titled “Near popery yet no popery: theological debate in Cambridge 1590-1644.”

Six years after completing his studies, David Hoyle joined the Church of England as a deacon. He was later elevated to the position of priest in 1987, according to reports from BBC.

David Hoyle has previously had multiple crucial roles. He worked as a chaplain and fellow of Magdalene College and was also the Dean of Bristol. He was also the director of ministry and canon residentiary at Gloucester Cathedral.

Also Read: King Charles III releases statement ahead of Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral

Hoyle became the Dean of Westminster in 2019, shortly after now-former Dean John Hall announced his retirement. He is responsible for overseeing the spiritual side of Westminster Abbey, according to BBC reports.

“This is an opportunity for us to give thanks for an extraordinary life and an extraordinary achievement, this is an opportunity for us to pray for our new King and for his family in their grief, and this is an opportunity, if you like, for us to give the grief somewhere to go”, David Hoyle told BBC while speaking about Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral.