Voices young and old sing praises of Queen Elizabeth II at Napier memorial service

Emily Clarke, a 9-year-old from Napier, at the one-hour civic service of commemoration and thanksgiving held at Waiapu Cathedral, Napier on Monday. Photo / Paul Taylor

Voices young and old joined together to pay respects to Queen Elizabeth II in Napier on Monday afternoon.

About 200 people gathered among the pews of the Waiapu Cathedral to mark the passing of the monarch at 96 years old after a 70-year reign.

The Cathedral's dean, Rev Di Woods, said a large part of the cathedral's existence was being able to offer the community a place to gather in times like these.

"When it comes to a national event, or in this case an international event, it is great for us to be able to say haere mai, come gather here, this is a place that doesn't just belong to us as a church, it is a place that belongs to the community and it's the most suitable place for a service such as this," Woods said.

She said the ceremony was a time for people to pause and reflect on the Queen's life.

The service was led by the Cathedral's dean, Rev Di Woods. Photo / Paul Taylor

"To take that time to stop and pause and be grateful for a character or person who has been inspirational, really," she said.

"She has been exceptional and she deserves tribute for that."

The memorial had music from Cathedral's choir, under the direction of Anthony Tattersall, a waiata from Hukarere School for Girls, and a performance from the Napier Technical Memorial Band directed by Christopher Wilson.