The Archbishop of Wales has expressed his thanks to the Queen for continuing to uphold the Christian faith in national life.

In an address at the start of the Queen's two-day visit to Wales, Dr Barry Morgan praised the Queen for 'doing God' in public in spite of changing public opinion.

“Over the last 60 years, amidst all the shifting sands of public opinion and different viewpoints, you have regarded the Christian faith as the rock on which you have been able to draw strength and comfort," he said.

"It is a reminder to the rest of us that this country has been shaped by the Christian faith and that that faith is still important in our national life.

“There has been a tendency in our society in recent years to believe that we, as a country, ‘don’t do God in public life’ and as one government minister recently put it ‘Faith has been neglected, undermined and yes even attacked by governments. Religion has tended to be air brushed out of our national life and world view'.

“You have never been ashamed to confess your personal allegiance to Jesus Christ, whatever the prevailing political climate.”

More than 600 people were at Llandaff Cathedral for the service of thanksgiving to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.

The Archbishop also praised the Queen's commitment to serving the nation and her “sheer stamina and determination”.

He said, “With the advent of modern communications, the demand has been to be more visible and available than ever at all kinds of events and places.

"By so doing, individuals from every stratum of society have felt that they mattered, for the monarch, in the words of one person ‘gives a human face to the operations of Government’. She reminds all of us that the ideal of public service is timeless.”