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with Pope John Paul II on the papal visit to the UK in 1982. Unfortunately, the ‘honeymoon’ period ended soon afterwards when Runcie preached penitence and reconciliation at the Falklands war thanksgiving service, which was wholly against the triumphalist mood of the time. From then on, it was open season for the archbishop in the tabloid press.
Runcie was deeply moved by the kidnap and imprisonment of his special envoy to Lebanon, Terry Waite, from 1987 to 1991 and worked tirelessly to secure his release. For the remainder of his time in office, he maintained a conservative approach to the growing issues of the ordination of women and the Anglican Church’s view on homosexuality. Retiring in 1991, Robert Runcie was created a life peer as Baron Runcie, of Cuddesdon in the County of Oxfordshire. He died in 2000 and is buried in the grounds of St Albans Cathedral. His dry sense of humour was revealed when asked to write the postscript to his biography, which controversially revealed details of his private views on the breakdown of the marriage of the Prince and Princess of Wales. He wrote: ‘I have done my best to die before this book is published. It now seems possible that I may not succeed!’
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