The Queen and other members of the Royal Family took part in the annual celebration of Commonwealth Day in a series of events in London.
Commonwealth Day is celebrated on the second Monday in March. The concept first appeared towards the end of the nineteenth century but it was not until 1916 that a day was officially set aside to mark the event.
From 1916, 'Empire Day', as it was then called, was celebrated on 24 May, Queen Victoria's birthday. The name was changed to its present day description in 1958, but the date was not to change until 1966. From that year until 1977, Commonwealth Day was celebrated in June, on the same day as the official birthday of The Queen.
It was in 1977 that heads of government agreed that a date in March would be most appropriate to celebrate Commonwealth Day. As the day is mostly intended to be a children's celebration, it was thought politic to make sure it always fell on a Monday, when the children would be at school.
When The Queen came to the throne in 1952, she continued her father's custom of sending a special message to the youth of the Empire. Since 1965, the message has been delivered on Commonwealth Day and takes the form of a radio broadcast throughout the various Commonwealth countries.
The Queen's message this year touched upon the themes of democracy, national self-determination, individual liberty and human rights. The Queen said that "all these are fundamental to that which binds the Commonwealth together." She also touched upon her visit to Nigeria in 2003, when she attended the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Abuja, before closing:
"Nowhere is freedom perfectly realised - and its enemies are not only those who terrorise and torture. They are also hunger, poverty, disease and ignorance. That is why it is important for the Commonwealth to do all it can to tackle these challenges directly, whether in alleviating poverty or in promoting education and health. It is also essential to strengthen the rule of law, protect democratic freedoms and build strong civil societies.
"I firmly believe that if the Commonwealth is to increase its role as a force for good in the world, strengthening democratic freedoms must remain at the heart of its purpose."
In the afternoon, The Queen, accompanied by The Duke of Edinburgh and The Prince of Wales, attended Observance at Westminster Abbey. This is a service to mark Commonwealth Day and is held every year.
There are representatives from many Commonwealth countries and faiths at the Abbey who come to mark the occasion along with the Royal Family.
Also in attendance were Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu from South Africa, the Prime Minister and Michael Howard, Leader of the Opposition.
Performers included the Westminster City School Drumming Group, Courtney Pine OBE, Juliet Roberts, the National Foundation for Youth Music, The London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Community Music Service, Jason Lal, and the Mighty Zulu Nation.
After the service, The Queen, accompanied by The Duke of Edinburgh and The Prince of Wales, attended a reception at Marlborough House in recognition of Commonwealth Day. In 1959, The Queen donated Marlborough House to the British Government as a Commonwealth Centre. |
