The Queen has urged people across the Commonwealth to take ”strength and inspiration” from everything they share as she issued her traditional Commonwealth Day message.
Her Majesty focused on the many achievements of the Commonwealth during her reign, saying it was ”a credit to all who have been involved” that the organisation now ”stands ever taller”.
Describing the Commonwealth as a ”family of nations”, she added her hope that ”we can deepen our resolve to support and serve one another”.
Her Majesty’s message in full reads:
”In this year of my Platinum Jubilee, it has given me pleasure to renew the promise I made in 1947, that my life will always be devoted in service.
Today, it is rewarding to observe a modern, vibrant and connected Commonwealth that combines a wealth of history and tradition with the great social, cultural and technological advances of our time. That the Commonwealth stands ever taller is a credit to all who have been involved.
We are nourished and sustained by our relationships and, throughout my life, I have enjoyed the privilege of hearing what the relationships built across the great reach and diversity of the Commonwealth have meant to people and communities.
Our family of nations continues to be a point of connection, cooperation and friendship. It is a place to come together to pursue common goals and the common good, providing everyone with the opportunity to serve and benefit. In these testing times, it is my hope that you can draw strength and inspiration from what we share, as we work together towards a healthy, sustainable and prosperous future for all.
And on this special day for our family – in a year that will include the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting and the Commonwealth Games – I hope we can deepen our resolve to support and serve one another, and endeavour to ensure the Commonwealth remains an influential force for good in our world for many generations to come.”
The message is signed ‘Elizabeth R’.
The Prince of Wales will lead the Royal Family at the traditional Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey after The Queen decided not to attend. The Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Princess Alexandra will also be present.
"; n.innerHTML = "window._taboola = window._taboola || [];_taboola.push({mode:'thumbnails-a', container:'taboola-below-article-thumbnails', placement:'Below Article Thumbnails', target_type: 'mix'});"; insertAfter(t, e); insertAfter(n, t) }injectWidgetByMarker('tbmarker');
