June 3, 2002	Monday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 21,1423

LONDON, June 2: Britain’s Queen Elizabeth put religion before soccer on Sunday, missing England’s opening World Cup game to attend church on her Golden Jubilee weekend to give thanks for 50 years on the throne.

One of her most loyal subjects — her son Prince Andrew — managed to bring together royalty and football by paying tribute to both his mother and monarch and the “inspirational” England soccer captain David Beckham in an interview.

“She is the most fantastic mother — has been and always will be — and as our monarch we are completely devoted to her,” the prince told BBC television on Sunday.

He praised the queen’s hard work and dedication to the country and pinpointed what he saw as her best quality. “It’s her compassion and understanding for everyone, and that she knows exactly what everybody wants from her,” he said.

Although the queen’s Jubilee celebrations started successfully on Saturday with thousands flocking to Buckingham Palace for a star-studded classical concert, there was no hiding the fact that, on Sunday, soccer was more popular.

Asked in one poll “Which excites you more, the World Cup or the Jubilee?”, 64 percent of Britons chose soccer.

Supporters packed into pubs and bars across the country to watch England take on Sweden in a match whose 1-1 draw left many disappointed, but also relieved not to have lost.

In a move unthinkable in more God-fearing times when the queen took the throne in 1952, the Church of England gave its blessing for clergy to change service times to avoid a clash.

Some clergy wrote special soccer-related hymns and prayers, while at least one hired a big screen for the vicarage lawn so parishioners did not have to choose between God and country.

Even Andrew was taking time out from the Jubilee to make a quick two-day trip to Japan to wish England players well.

The queen’s soccer-loving grandchildren, Princes William and Harry, were said to be disappointed to miss the game, but happy to represent their grandmother at a church service in Swansea, Wales on one of the most momentous weekends of her life.

William delighted crowds as he emerged from the service to shake hands and chat briefly with well-wishers waiting to catch a glimpse of the royals.

The queen’s 50th anniversary celebrations, which continue until Tuesday, have brought a wave of nostalgia in Britain as people look back over the five decades she has ruled, and have also deepened affection for the 76-year-old monarch.

QUEEN’S POPULARITY RECOVERS: A poll in the Mail on Sunday newspaper said she was the most respected figure in Britain, showing that her popularity appears to have recovered strongly from the negative reaction to her perceived coldness after the death of Princess Diana in 1997.— Reuters