Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom reportedly opposed the legalization of same-sex marriage in England because of her deeply held Christian beliefs, a source told the Daily Mail.
On Sunday, the newspaper published a story claiming that the Queen, who is also head of the Church of England, opposed gay marriage but was in favor of civil partnerships. The source, an unnamed "friend," said the monarch kept her opposition to same-sex marriage private, as she is only permitted to "advise and warn" on the issue.
"It was the 'marriage' thing that she thought was wrong, because marriage ought to be sacrosanct between a man and a woman," said the friend.
The Daily Mail notes that the report is part of its new series titled "The Unknown Queen", which highlights little-known stories of the monarch ahead of her 90th birthday, which falls on April 21.
"Following extensive interviews with courtiers past and present, friends of the queen and family members, we can also reveal one of her most senior former aides believes it was a mistake not to lower the Buckingham Palace flag after Princess Diana's death - and that he is convinced the queen now shares this view," continued the article.
In March of 2014, England and Wales legalized gay marriage, one month after Scotland did the same. Northern Ireland is the only member nation of the U.K. that has not done likewise.
While the story has been disputed by some outlets, the Queen frequently discusses her dedication to her Christian faith, and has credited her long life to God's faithfulness.
As earlier reported by The Gospel Herald, the monarch is set to release a new book on her 90th birthdayentitled "The Servant Queen and the King She Serves."
The book, which focuses on her faith, will be published by combined efforts of the Bible Society, as well as the churches' grow HOPE and the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity.
Excerpts from the book revealed that the Queen talked of her gratefulness to God's steadfast love while she rules over England and for the prayers she receives from the people who support her.
She wrote that she "indeed seen his faithfulness," and notes that she was able become the longest-reigning monarch in British history because of God's love.
"The extent and pace of change has been truly remarkable," wrote the head of the royal family. "We have witnessed triumphs and tragedies," she added.
The Queen also used her annual Christmas message to focus on what she called "the light of the Christian faith." The Queen's speech, delivered on December 25, 2015, topped the Christmas Day television ratings, and was watched by 6.1m people on the BBC and 1.3m on ITV.
"It is true," she said, "that the world has had to confront moments of darkness this year, but the Gospel of John contains a verse of great hope, often read at Christmas carol services: 'The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.'"
She reminded her audience that Christianity's unchanging message "was not one of revenge or violence but simply that we should love one another" and added, "There's an old saying that it is better to light a candle than curse the darkness."
