King Charles photographed during the recording of his Commonwealth Day message at Windsor Castle in February.Photo:Royal Household
Royal Household
King Charlesis thanking people across the world for their good wishes amid his cancer treatment.
The King, 75, recorded a special message as representatives from 56 nations gather in London on the eve of Commonwealth Day.
The address will be played at the annual Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey on Monday. It is the 75thanniversary of the Commonwealth – the family of nations, most of which were linked to the U.K. through the British empire. As well as the U.K., Charles is King of 14 of the nations, including Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Unlike last year,Kate Middletonwon’t be part of the contingent. The Princess of Wales, 42, continues her private recovery followingabdominal surgeryin January, and Kensington Palace said she was “unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter.”
King Charles and Queen Camilla in London on February 13.Jordan Pettitt/PA Images via Getty Images
Jordan Pettitt/PA Images via Getty Images
The event will celebrate the global network of 56 countries with the 2024 theme “One Resilient Common Future: Transforming our Commonwealth," and 2,000 guests are expected to attend.
In his address, which will be played at the service on Monday, King Charles makes the link with his own lifetime, as he is as old as the institution.
“It warms my heart to reflect on the way the Commonwealth has been a constant throughout my own life – a precious source of strength, inspiration and pride,” he says.
Urging people to “work together to understand each other’s perspectives, including the inequalities and injustices which still resonate to this day,” he adds that “our diversity is our greatest strength.”
King Charles with Queen Camilla and other members of the royal family, at the Commonwealth Day service in 2023.JORDAN PETTITT/POOL/AFP via Getty
JORDAN PETTITT/POOL/AFP via Getty
“Our diversity means that these challenges affect us all differently and that we experience their impacts in different ways," he says. “Their seriousness, however, is common to each one of us.”
The monarch reflects on the different journeys the more than 50 nations have taken since the beginning of the Commonwealth in 1949. “Last year, The Bahamas celebrated its 50th anniversary of Independence, as Grenada has this year, and Papua New Guinea will next year. Each of these milestones — and many others like them — represent the fulfillment of countless aspirations and the achievement of such remarkable potential.”
“And the Commonwealth’s growth, with new members continuing to join our family of nations, demonstrates clearly that whilst we may not all have a shared history, we have common ambitions for a better future – working together to build resilience and respond to global challenges,” he says.
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Last week, King Charles held audiences at Buckingham Palace, including one with the U.K. finance chief, Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt, and another via video link with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada.
source: people.com
