2018 A Service of Celebration for Commonwealth Day

Good afternoon, and welcome to the

Commonwealth Service at a rather

damp Westminster Abbey. This is

going to be another great day in

March. This service is a celebration

of the modern day Commonwealth, its

diversity in the Queen's commitment

to it throughout her long reign.

Inside, the people have been

gathering for a couple of hours and

have been entertained by a Maori

choir who will later on, whilst the

service goes on, will be producing

some absolutely wonderful music. I

think they are taking a breather at

the moment. Largest turnout of the

Royal family, as well, at this

service and there has been for many,

many years. The first appearance at

the Abbey of Meghan Markle ahead of

her wedding to Prince Harry in May

this year. We are seeing now a

procession of 53 flags from 53

nations of the Commonwealth. They

are carried by young representatives

of all those countries and youth is

a real theme today, because the

Commonwealth is young. 60% of the

population under the age of 30. The

order in which the flags are

processed is a microcosm of history,

a record of independence of the

order of the countries joined the

Commonwealth. You can see Britain at

the front. At the back, the most

recent joiners, Rwanda and

Mozambique. Both countries have no

historical ties to the British

Empire. India's represented, of

course. 1.3 million.

course. 1.3 million. So is Nauru,

just over 10,000 people. Gambia is

here as well, be joining the

Commonwealth after a period of

suspension.

Now, Her Majesty the Queen is head

of the Commonwealth and she has been

pivotal in its development and that

is a commitment she first made 70

years ago.

As I speak to you today

from Cape Town, I am six thousand

miles from the country

where I was born.

But I am certainly not

6000 miles from home.

In 1947, Princess Elizabeth revealed

her vision for the future of the

Commonwealth.

If we'll go forward together, we

will be able to make the common

wealth which we all loved so dearly

and even more grand thing.

More

clean, more prosperous, more happy

and a more powerful influence for

good in the world.

Over the past 70

years, the Queen's hopes have been

realised as it's grown. From eight

to 53 independent countries across

six continents, made up of 2.4

billion people, totalling a third of

the world's population. The reason

for its growth is perhaps due to one

of the Commonwealth's founding

values, that all members are equal.

From India, with the largest

population, to the smallest, Nauru

in the Pacific.

The Queen has made more than 200

visits to member countries. Most

recently to Malta for the last

Commonwealth Heads of Government

Meeting in 2015. Other members of

the Royal family travelled the

Commonwealth to promote its values,

such as protecting the environment,

raising awareness of climate change.

It may literally mean the survival

of their countries or the

extinction.

Highlighting the importance of young

people. And increasing access to

health and education.

There a

younger generation coming through

who want to talk about it but there

is still that stigma. So if us

getting tested normalises and makes

a difference, then job well done.

These values will be at the heart of

discussions in London next month,

when the Queen will preside over her

24th heads of government meeting.

Sitting next to me in Westminster

Abbey as someone who can give us the

inside story on the Commonwealth and

is even writing a book on it.

The Daily Mail journalist Robert

Hardman. What happens at these

meetings?

They are very unlike the

average summit on the summit

circuit. That is largely because

they have a family feel. They have

an intimacy that you just don't get

at your average summit. That really

comes down from the Queen herself.

We are going to see that

particularly busy because this is a

summit that is going to be at home.

It is going to be staged both at

Buckingham Palace and Windsor

Castle. It is going to have a very

atmosphere.

And there is something

they have called the leader's

retreat, it's not the sort of thing

you would see at an EU summit.

No,

you certainly wouldn't get them

wandering off in casual clothes,

dispensing with spin doctors and

minders and going into retreat. Some

of them have even, one in Kuala

Lumpur featured a karaoke, much to

the terror of Mrs Thatcher. They do

have this special atmosphere and

this one will be at Windsor Castle.

And Britain was a late substitute?

Yes, the 20 South Commonwealth

summit couldn't take place in the

original location because of a

natural phenomenon. That is why it

will take place in Buckingham Palace

and Windsor and why we will see so

many of the Royal family here today.

Theresa May, will be taking over as,

because of her office, she will be a

very important person at the summit

coming up.

Yes, this will be her

first summit, her first host summit.

Every year, the Commonwealth chooses

a theme and this year the theme,

which Theresa May has already talked

about, is towards a common future.

One of the initiative encourages

communities to come together over a

good lunch. My colleague Sonali Shah

is with two people for whom food is

a real way of life, Chetna Makan and

and Ainsley Harriott.

Yes, two good foodies. Chetna, most

of us know you as a finalist from

the great British I got in 2014 but

we won't know how much food helped

you at menu came to the UK from

India all those years ago.

Yes, it

did. That is the beauty of it, a

perfect way to break barriers and

get people talking. I used to cook

for my colleagues and neighbours and

I found it really easy to connect

with them through that.

Ainslie, you

are involved in the Commonwealth Big

Lunch alongside Chetna. How can all

of us get involved?

Everyone can get

involved because it brings

communities together. The best thing

to do is go online and get all your

information but what the

Commonwealth has done is created

this wonderful opportunity for

people around the globe, 2.5 billion

people, to come together. We a party

here on the June three of June. If

everyone wants to get involved, 9.3

million people got involved last

year. For those of you that thing,

why should I get involved? Do you

realise 83% of people in Britain

would not recognise their neighbours

in a police line up? That is why it

is so important. There is a lot of

loneliness out there and people who

are feeling isolated. This is a

wonderful opportunity on the 3rd of

June to bring all those people

together, regardless of age,

regardless of cultural background to

stop it is about that whole diverse

loving going on and we can do it

through food.

You have put together

a recipe for it, what is your

recipe?

I have chosen the dish

because it is a mix of vegetables

and you eat it with bread, so the

idea is to put it in a big bowl in

the centre of the table and everyone

can take in.

One of my favourite

dishes. Can we do it with some

cheese on toast or a glass of wine

if we need to?

Of course you can.

You can have a little macaroon and a

cup of tea over the fence with your

neighbour. It's about bringing

people together, it really is. I

would love to come to your house!

So

would I, so would I! Food, everyone

thinks is part of the big moments in

our lives but it is those pressures

moments in between also. Thank you

so much.

Thank you. That is a great thought,

those big lunch is coming up. That

is, the Commonwealth Big Lunch one

of a number of events leading up to

the summit of the heads of

government. Robert, another one is

the Commonwealth Fashion Exchange,

which is also going on.

That is

right, Jeremy. We heard how food can

bring people together. A few days

ago at Buckingham Palace there was a

remarkable event showing how fashion

can bring people together. There

were these amazing collections

brought together under one roof,

featuring top fashion designers from

all over the Commonwealth. Also very

small... We see the Duchess of

Cambridge with Anna Wintour of

Vogue.

Big high street names, but at the

same time very small little

producers from other areas, Artisans

and hand-woven crafts coming

together. It represents what the

Commonwealth is about, the very big

and very small, with an emphasis on

youth.

Lots of support, we can see

there, from the Royal family and

celebrities as well.

That is right.

The Commonwealth does bring in VIPs

and celebrities from all over the

world. You see some here today as

well. Other events coming up in the

run up... We have the Queen's young

leaders is another important strand

to this Commonwealth story, another

event that brings together young

people.

Youth is a big theme, the

use of the people in the

Commonwealth and this remarkable

scheme that offers a package of

training, mentoring and networking

for people who get this award. They

get this award from Her Majesty the

Queen.

Yes.

Which must be a big

thrill.

There we see some of last

year's recipients. A project very

much driven by the Queen has. The

idea is to find really inspirational

young people across the Commonwealth

who are already making a difference

in their communities and who may

well one day go on and run their

countries. There we see last year's

remarkable people. A young man from

Bangladesh who had set out a first

aid project that reached out to

thousands of people in disaster

areas. Everyone you talk to has an

extraordinary story, and it has all

been driven by the Queen. In this

case, funded by her diamond Jubilee

trust.

Let's go back to Sonali Shah

with two people taking part in

today's service. Dr Andrew

Bastawrous and Jaspreet Kaur.

You are a guest speaker because he

received funding from the Queen's

trust, tell us about the focus of

your work?

Millions of people across

the Commonwealth are needlessly

blind, four in five who could be

treated with simple treatments. Our

mission is to change that by finding

and linking them to the crack

services.

You believe they can be

easily treated, things we take for

granted in the western world?

For

the majority of people, including

myself, a pair of glasses or a

cataract operation which can be done

in ten minutes for £10.

Trying to

eradicate this preventable blindness

is an ambitious goal. You think a

device attached to a mobile phone

could really help.

Show us that

device. Yes, there's all sorts of

new technologies and this is one

possible way to contribute. By

clicking this device onto a phone to

enable someone to see inside the

eye. A non-healthcare worker can

identify someone in a remote

setting, link them to services such

as our programming Kenya, where

teachers are finding people in

schools and making sure they get

treatment on a timely basis.

You

will be talking more about your work

during the actual service so we look

forward to hearing more about that.

You will be performing your poem,

the Moment, tell us about its

message.

It is a poem about humanity

and togetherness, this idea of what

we can do on an individual basis to

help one another and to help society

in general. I thought today's kind

of the perfect place to share that

message.

I know you are such a huge

believer that the spoken word can be

such a powerful tool and almost not

harnessed enough.

Absolutely. I

think the arts in general, the

creative scene in general is

something we can tap into more. What

I do with poetry is it's an

accessible way for people to talk

about topics perhaps we don't talk

about in other ways, and an

accessible way for people to access

those things. I hope that works

today.

You are in the middle of your

12 month long honeymoon and this is

part of it. Did you know that,

Andrew? We know how important a day

like this is to both of you.

Absolutely. We have been travelling

for six months so far. Honeymoon in,

also working on humanitarian

projects in countries across the

Commonwealth as well, and then we

fly out tomorrow morning to Cape

Town to carry on the journey.

Look

forward to hearing both of your

reflections during the service, good

luck.

Sonali Shah with two very impressive

people. What we are going to see now

is a procession by athletes. One of

the big highlights of the

Commonwealth is always going to be

sport. It is one of those things

that links a lot of countries, and

the Commonwealth Games is coming up

next month in April. We are seeing

faith leaders arriving, as well.

Faith leaders are arriving as well.

The Commonwealth is a very diverse

place. So highly appropriate that

sick faith leaders will be year and

we will hear them saying six prayer

later on.

-- six.

I had guests arriving, you can see

some distinctive headwear, religious

symbols.

I went for a walk around the Abbey

just before the main events of the

day started and there was a

remarkable, relaxed atmosphere. A

lot of young people, more than 700

young people are in the Abbey today.

Coming from schools in Northern

Ireland, Wales, Scotland, the North

East, the North West, the Midlands.

Scouts and youth groups including

from Sri Lanka, Botswana, Singapore,

South Africa. A lot of young people

and that is not accidental. The

theme of this event today includes a

lot to do with young people. Robert?

That is correct and right from the

start the Queen has believed in the

fact that young people are of the

Commonwealth. 60% of them under 30.

Nicola Sturgeon is also here today.

Sitting next to the First Minister

of Wales. Scotland has played an

important part in the Commonwealth

story. It held the last Commonwealth

summit in Edinburgh and has hosted

three Commonwealth Games. The last

was in Glasgow. Jeremy Corbyn there,

Norman Fowler put up Cabinet

minister and important man in the

House of Lords.

Today's service will feature some

music performances, one of

which will be from former

One Direction member Liam Payne,

who is with Sonali now.

Welcome to the Commonwealth Service.

Tell us a bit more about the song

you will perform today.

Today I will

be performing an appropriate

be performing an appropriate song

waiting for the world to change it

up it has some important lyrics. It

has and I think it is appropriate.

As well as having so many fans, and

we know how young the Commonwealth

is, you have also been involved with

the leaders programme.

I went down

to the presentation and it was so

nice to see so many young people

doing these amazing things across

the nations. And that is coming from

the use of that is a really

beautiful thing.

Well the very much

look forward to hearing from you

later.

Not long now before the royal party

start arriving. There is a very big

turnout of senior members of the

Royal Family this year. Of course to

do with the fact that the

Commonwealth Heads of Government

Meeting will be held here in London.

People are talking, getting ready

for what is going to be a think an

important day. There are of course

is the Prime Minister to reason

they.

-- Theresa May.

Very well-behaved children. And

Pamela Stewart will take over the

Commonwealth chair from the Prime

Minister of Malta after the

Commonwealth Heads of Government

Meeting here in London next month.

I think we can see the Minister of

health from Botswana. Botswanan is a

country that is very important in

the campaign against affordable

blindness and we will be hearing

more about that later in the

service. It is the only country in

the world that plans to screen all

children for issues to do with their

site.

-- sight.

The Royal Family now starting to

arrive. The Countess of Wessex, a

very active oil when it comes to the

Commonwealth.

Yes she has been key

to that campaign on avoidable Linus.

Vice patron of the diamond jubilee

trust and she has been out looking

at much of its work. She was in

Bangladesh just a few months ago and

she managed herself to diagnose a

seven-month-old baby with a serious

eye condition and that has now

successfully intruded.

The Duke of

York just coming through the West

door of the Abbey. He was recently

in Australia, and he went to the

Gold Coast whether Commonwealth

Games is to be held next month.

Yes

and he will be holding his own event

in conjunction with the summit. With

young entrepreneurs, a special

Commonwealth event. Earlier we had

the Duchess of Gloucester coming in,

the Duke of Gloucester earlier today

and he is actually in Malawi having

a Commonwealth bid lunch. The

Princess Royal coming in behind the

Duke of York, she is very key to a

lot of what the Royal Family do in

the Commonwealth. The Princess Royal

was just last year in Ghana marking

the 60th anniversary of their

independence.

And the lady in the

blue suit, Baroness Scotland,

Secretary General of the

Commonwealth. As also lined up in

that receiving line the Prime

Minister of Malta. Doctor Joseph

Muscat. He will be giving a reading

later on.

Talking there to the

Queens cousin, Princess Alexandra.

And behind it the Duchess of

Gloucester I think. A very active

participant in a lot of things.

participant in a lot of things.

Lord

Howell of Guildford talking now.

President of the Royal Commonwealth

Society. These are some of the week

movers inside the Commonwealth.

Quite relaxed atmosphere as you can

see. The Prince of Wales. I think he

will be arriving now.

will be arriving now.

The Duke and

Duchess of Cambridge arriving.

Sporting his new haircut. The

Duchess of course expecting her

third child in April and will become

fifth in line to the throne. As well

as that there is Meghan Markle. A

lot of attention will be on her

today. Wearing that cream coat there

with Prince Harry who she will marry

at St George 's Chapel in Windsor in

May. They're

May. They're looking at dances and

drummers from Ghana. Meghan Markle

having a crash course in all things

British. She has been all over the

country with Prince Harry in recent

weeks, to all parts of the United

Kingdom. Today will be her first

official engagement in the company

of the Queen. And her first

experience of a big state occasion

at Westminster Abbey. The place

where coronations and royal weddings

have taken place. So somewhere that

will feature a great deal in her

married life.

And I would imagine

the Commonwealth is going to also

feature pretty heavily with Prince

had been dashed Prince Harry and

Meghan Markle as well. She has

already said that she looks forward

to doing some visits.

They have both

spoken of the work they look forward

to doing in the Commonwealth, as

with all younger members of the

Royal Family. The Duke of Cambridge

as well, they visited Canada,

Australia and New Zealand with their

young children. And we'll be meeting

the entire Commonwealth diplomatic

corps tonight at Marlborough house.

Thanks to the Queen ambassadors from

the Commonwealth are not even called

ambassadors but High Commissioners

and they will all be invited tonight

along with the Prince of Wales.

Meghan Markle has said some of the

campaigns she has already been

involved with in the past have been

in Commonwealth countries such as

Rwanda. Fairly new member of the

Commonwealth and of course India

which has been in the Commonwealth

for a long time.

The great thing

about Commonwealth, it spans all

continents and all religious faiths.

And that emphasis on use which I

think we'll be on the minds of this

younger generation of the Royal

Family who I now doing a lot of that

oversees work but once upon a time

the Queen would have done.

The Duke

still speaking to Joseph Muscat and

his wife, the Prime Minister of

Malta. The director of the Royal

Commonwealth Society there.

Commonwealth Society there. The Duke

and Duchess of Cambridge have

carried out overseas visits on

behalf of the Queen including

Commonwealth countries, Canada,

Australia and New Zealand.

Australia and New Zealand.

Waiting

for the arrival of the Prince of

Wales and Duchess of Cornwall.

Taking a look at those dancers from

Ghana.

Here they are. Environmental

issues is something the Prince of

Wales is passionate about and of

course that is a big thing for the

Commonwealth.

Over the years the

Commonwealth has reflected and very

much applauded a lot of his

initiatives to do with the

environment. 24 Commonwealth nations

are small island states and very

vulnerable to environmental change.

The Prince attuned to their

concerns. He has visited 43

Commonwealth countries and most

recently Malaysia and Antigua and

Barbuda.

He was out in Asia towards

the end of last year and went to

India as well on that tour. As ever

very much representing the Queen,

supporting her work and at the same

time talking a lot about the core

concerns of the Commonwealth, young

people, environmental problems in

the future.

Her Majesty the Queen

has arrived outside.

FANFARE

Fanfare from the state trumpeters of

the Household Cavalry. The Queen

entering Westminster Abbey. And from

the beginning she has shown a huge

commitment to the Commonwealth and

she seems really to be enjoying

herself already today.

I think that

the Queen you could say is the

Commonwealth. Greeting people that

she meets every year at this event.

An event that she herself has

created. She has not missed a

service since 1986 and only then

because she was on tour at the time

for stop her first footstep abroad

was in the heart of the Commonwealth

when she went to Africa in 1947 with

her father put up she has held this

organisation together. Going from

eight nations to what it is today,

53. People will be well aware that

if not for her this organisation

might not even be here today.

There

is a quote from Winston Churchill

when he was Prime Minister, she was

already the Queen and he said the

monarch is the magic link uniting

are loosely bound but strongly

interwoven Commonwealth. I think

that has deepened over the years.

I

think so. It is often said that she

is the group holding them together.

They are here, next, the national

anthem. The Grenadier Guards.

# God save our gracious Queen.

# Long live our noble Queen.

# God save the Queen.

# Send her victorious.

# Happy and glorious.

# Long to reign over us.

# God save the Queen #.

The processional hymn.

# O praise ye the Lord!

# Praise Him in the height.

# Rejoice in His Word,

ye angels of light.

# Ye heavens, adore Him

by whom ye were made.

# And worship before Him

in brightness arrayed.

# O praise ye the Lord!

# Praise Him upon earth.

# In tuneful accord,

ye sons of new birth.

# Praise Him who hath brought

you His grace from above.

# Praise Him who hath taught

you to sing of His love.

# O praise ye the Lord!

# All things that give sound.

# Each jubilant chord

re-echo around.

# Loud organs, His glory

forth tell in deep tone.

# And sweet harp, the story

of what He hath done.

# O praise ye the Lord!

# Thanksgiving and song.

# To Him be outpoured

all ages along!

# For love in creation,

for Heaven restored.

# For grace of salvation,

O praise ye the Lord!

# O praise ye the Lord

On behalf of the Dean and Chapter,

I welcome you warmly to

Westminster Abbey, for our

annual celebration of the

Commonwealth.

This year we look together

Towards a Common Future, in which

all can flourish and become

what we are in the care and

keeping of almighty God.

As we give thanks for our

rich diversity and for

our common humanity,

let us pray together

for peace and unity,

and that we may

offer one another mutual

friendship and support.

First, in the words of Jesus,

let us pray for the coming of

God's kingdom.

Our Father, who art in heaven,

hallowed be thy name;

thy kingdom come; thy will be done;

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those

who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation;

but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom,

the power, and the glory,

for ever and ever.

Amen.

Now with their own special welcome,

the London Maori choir.

CONCH BLOWING.

APPLAUSE

The moment that you realise that

true contentment can be found

when you serve others,

all other desires will seem so small

The moment you see joy

in another beings eyes

because of your own selfless

actions, life starts

to make a lot more sense.

The moment that you begin to act

as the reflection of the visions

you have for a better world,

things will begin to change.

The moment you recognise

your responsibility

for the betterment of others,

you'll see such a beauty in life.

The moment you recognise that

you will make more of an impact

by being righteous than always

being right, rewards

will come and fall into your lap.

The moment you are more

concerned about learning

to love than to be loved,

positive emotions of oceanic

depths will engulf you.

The moment you are more concerned

about understanding others

than being understood,

your mind will truly begin to learn.

The moment that we realise

that our enemies are not

physical flesh and blood yet

they are our thoughts,

peace will begin on conquer.

The moment we overcome

your inner enemies

rather than deflecting on others,

meriment will come find you.

The moment that you learn how

to listen rather than always

try to be heard, you will hear

languages you thought your

mind couldn't fathom.

The moment you realise that life

will always be about mastering

and relearning and conquering

and climbing, your journey

will begin to feel so smooth.

The moment you allow yourself

to believe that we can change this

world for the better,

we will do it.

Because life is but these

moments where we learn,

change, grow and give.

So go live your moments.

Thank you.

Inspiring words from Jaspreet Kaur,

a well deserved applause. Next, a

modern choral anthem.

By the grace given to me I say

to everyone among you not to think

of yourself more highly

than you ought to think,

but to think with sober judgement,

each according to the measure

of faith that God has assigned.

For as in one body we have many

members, and not all the members

have the same function, so we,

who are many, are one body

in Christ, and individually

we are members one of another.

We have gifts that differ according

to the grace given to us: prophecy,

in proportion to faith; ministry,

in ministering; the teacher,

in teaching; the exhorter,

in exhortation; the giver,

in generosity; the leader,

in diligence; the compassionate,

in cheerfulness.

Let love be genuine; hate

what is evil, hold fast

to what is good; love one another

with mutual affection; outdo one

another in showing honour.

Do not lag in zeal, be ardent

in spirit, serve the Lord.

Rejoice in hope, be patient

in suffering, persevere in prayer.

Contribute to the needs

of the saints; extend

hospitality to strangers.

Just below the monument to Isaac

Newton now Liam Payne is going to

sing.

sing. Waiting on the World to

Change.

# Me and all my friends.

# So misunderstood.

# They say we stand for nothing.

# And there's no way we ever could.

# Now we see everything

that's going wrong.

# With the world and

those who lead it.

# We just feel like we

don't have the means.

# To rise above and beat it.

# So we keep waiting.

# Waiting on the world to change.

# We keep on waiting.

# Waiting on the world to change.

# It's hard to beat the system.

# When we're standing at a distance.

# So we keep waiting.

# Waiting on the world to change.

# Now if we had the power.

# To bring our neighbours

home from war.

# They would have never

missed a Christmas.

# No more ribbons on their door.

# And when you trust

your television.

# What you get is what you got.

# Cos when they own the information.

# Oh they can bend it all they want.

# That's why we're waiting.

# Waiting on the world to change.

# We keep on waiting.

# Waiting on the world to change.

# It's not that we don't care.

# We just know that

the fight ain't fair.

# So we keep on waiting.

# Waiting on the world to change.

# Mmm.

# Ooooo.

# Yeah.

# Ooooo.

# Ooooooo.

# Ooooo.

# Yeah.

# That's why we're waiting.

# Waiting on the world to change.

# We keep on waiting.

# Waiting on the world to change.

# One day our generation.

# Is gonna rule the population.

# So we keep on waiting.

# Waiting on the world to change.

# Waiting on the world to change.

# Waiting on the world to change.

# Waiting on the world to change.

#.

APPLAUSE

Mama Philip was 80 years old.

When I first met her in Kenya

she had been blind for 20 years,

and was dependent on her son Philip.

Living an hour's walk

from the nearest road,

she was unable to walk

or cook for herself.

Her family thought she had dementia.

When people lose their eyesight,

they often lose their independence,

their dignity, and their capacity

to be a productive

member of the community.

A healthcare worker

examined Mama Philip

and referred her to our clinic.

When I examined her I realised her

problem was not dementia -

it was cataract, a curable

condition.

And yet, she had lost two

decades of her life.

Sadly her story is not unique.

85 Million people across

the Commonwealth are blind

or have very poor sight.

Four in five unnecessarily

so, like Mama Philip

they have a treatable condition.

I could have been one of them.

I was diagnosed with severe visual

impairment at the age of 12,

but I had access to simple

treatment, a pair of glasses.

I'll never forget the

moment I tried them on.

For the first time,

I saw leaves on trees.

I saw stars in the night sky.

It was breath-taking.

What else had I been missing?

It turned out a lot.

With that simple pair

of glasses my education,

social life and hopes for the future

changed dramatically, in fact,

the entire trajectory

of my life changed.

I knew from a young age

that the opportunities

I had were not universal.

It ignited a fire in me,

which led me to become a doctor,

then an eye surgeon.

In 2012 I left my role in the NHS

and with my wife and our baby son

we moved to Kenya to set up

100 eye clinics.

It was tough.

We'd work day and night examining

and treating everyone we could,

but it soon became clear it

would never be enough.

Something needed to change.

With our team in Kenya,

we began building smartphone apps

and devices that made it possible

for a non-specialist

to measure someone's vision,

see inside their eye and connect

them to the right services.

Our first trial saw 25 teachers

screen 21,000 children,

identifying 900 with visual

impairment in just 9 days.

This work was replicated and refined

in India and then in Botswana,

which is now set to screen and treat

every school child in the country

by 2020 - a world first.

An entire generation

of school children will have

access to good eye health

and all the opportunities it brings.

Advances in technology,

treatment and public

health mean that for most,

poor vision and blindness no longer

need to be a life sentence.

For the first time in human history,

it is within our power to eliminate

avoidable blindness and poor vision,

for everybody, everywhere.

Every country in the Commonwealth

has the opportunity to transform

their citizens' eye health,

in a matter of years,

not generations.

But no country can do this alone.

Our work wouldn't be possible

without collaboration

from our friends and partners

in Kenya, India,

Botswana and beyond.

That is why the Commonwealth

is so important -

we have a shared history,

but more importantly

we have a shared future.

By working together,

we can make that future better

for millions of citizens

across the Commonwealth,

and across the world.

At a time where there

is such focus on division,

vision can unite all of us.

That's why, inspired

by the leadership shown in Botswana

and by the commitment of many

others, leading eye health

organisations and banks

are establishing a $1

Billion Catalyst Fund to enable

all Commonwealth countries to move

towards universal eye health.

The Commonwealth can be an example

to the world of what is possible

when we unite around a cause.

When we do, we will hear

more and more stories

like that of Mama Philip,

the lady who'd been

blind for 20 years.

Her surgery was a success.

She looked years younger,

and was no longer displaying

any signs of dementia.

Later that day we took her home.

We watched the sheer wonder

as she took in her surroundings,

then the anticipation to see faces

that had become voices,

as we arrived,

a man was stood at her

door, expectantly.

After what seemed like an eternity,

she looked intensely at a scene that

looked so familiar yet different

and eventually asked, "Philip,

my son, is that you?"

Moments later they embraced

and the community celebrated.

We can be that community.

More music now from the Portsmouth

gospel choir.

# Don't trouble the water.

# Leave it alone.

# Why don't you.

# Why don't you.

# Let it be.

# Still waters run deep.

# Yes they do.

# Oh.

# Yes.

# Don't trouble the water.

# Oh the troubled water.

# I'm on your side.

# When times get rough.

# And friends just can't be found.

# Like a bridge.

# Like a bridge.

# Just like a bridge

over troubled waters.

# I will lay me down.

# Like a bridge.

# Like a bridge.

# Just like a bridge

over troubled waters.

# I'm gonna lay me down, me down.

# Don't trouble the water.

# Leave it alone.

# Why don't you.

# Why don't you.

# Let it be.

# Still waters run deep.

# Yes they do.

# Oh.

# Yes.

# Don't trouble the water.

# Still waters run deep.

# Oooo.

# Troubled water.

# Ahh.

# Troubled water.

# Ahh.

# Don't trouble the water.

# Don't trouble the water.

# Leave it alone.

# Why don't you.

# Why don't you.

# Let it be.

# Still waters run deep.

# Yes they do.

# Oh.

# Yes.

# Yes they do.

# Oh.

# Yes.

# Yes they do.

# Oh.

# Yes.

From that brilliant performance to a

much more traditional hymn, Lord Of

All Hopefulness.

# Lord of all hopefulness.

# Lord of all joy.

# Whose trust ever childlike no

cares could destroy.

# Be there at our waking

and give us we pray.

# Your bliss in our hearts Lord.

# At the break of the day.

# Lord of all eagerness

# Lord of all faith

# Whose strong hands were skilled

at the plane and the lathe

# Be there at our labours

and give us we pray

# Your strength in our hearts Lord

# At the noon of the day

# Lord of all kindliness

# Lord of all grace

# Your hands swift to welcome

# Your arms to embrace

# Be there at our homing

and give us we pray

# Your love in our hearts Lord

# At the eve of the day

# Lord of all gentleness

# Lord of all calm

# Whose voice is contentment

whose presence is balm

# Be there at our sleeping

and give us we pray

# Your peace in our hearts Lord

# At the end of the day #.

Prayers now from six prayer leaders,

six different faiths.

Gracious God, giver of real hope

and true peace; draw us

all, in our wonderful diversity

of culture, language, and

custom, deeper into your good

purposes for the whole

of your creation.

Help and strengthen us

by your Holy Spirit, as we desire

and commit ourselves to protect

and care for this fragile

planet and each other,

and as we seek a common future

in which mercy and justice reign

and our world resembles more

truly your kingdom of heaven;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

O Thou kind Lord!

Thou hast created

all humanity from the

same stock.

Thou hast decreed that all shall

belong to the same household.

In thy holy presence

they are all thy servants,

and all mankind are sheltered

beneath thy tabernacle;

all have gathered together at thy

table of bounty; all are

illumined through the light

of thy providence.

Thou hast endowed each

and all with talents and faculties,

and all are submerged in the ocean

of thy mercy.

O thou kind Lord!

Unite all.

Let the religions agree

and make the nations one,

so that they may see each other

as one family and the whole

earth as one home.

May they all live together

in perfect harmony.

Eternal God, we pray for the coming

of the day when all your

children will live together in peace

and friendship; when oppression,

discrimination, and prejudice

will be relics of the past.

May that day come soon:

when all men and women

will know and understand

that they are brothers and sisters,

and be united in humble reverence

before you, and in mutual

love and respect.

'How good it is, and how pleasant,

when sisters and brothers

live together in

unity!'

There are many prophets and many

religions, but God is one.

There are many countries,

but the world is one.

There are many races and

ethnicities, but humanity is one.

There are men and women,

but they are equal

as both can think good,

speak good and do good.

We must all strive to improve our

world and overcome evil.

Today is better than yesterday,

and tomorrow will be better

than today, because of our

cumulative goodness.

And good deeds.

God creates.

As we are all children of God,

our cumulative goodness

constantly increases

the power of God.

Evil only destroys;

it cannot create.

Therefore, it is finite

and will come to

an end one day.

O Lord, you are peace.

From you is peace.

You are blessed.

O Sustainer, you are most high.

O one of majesty and nobility,

you created us from one

man and one woman.

Had it been your will

you would have made us

all the same, but you made us

into nations and tribes

so that we may know each other.

O magnificent Creator; enable us

to respect and celebrate

the diversity you have created.

Join together all our hearts

as one; free us from fear,

hunger, disease, and war.

O loving Creator; we ask you to

answer our prayer through your

grace and your mercy, amin.

Almighty God, we pray

for those who face challenges

across the Commonwealth,

and for a safe and prosperous

future that provides hope,

especially for its young people.

In the face of these challenges,

we pray for the courage to entrust

ourselves into your faithful hands,

knowing that this is our

most secure place.

As we gather to pray

for the shared vision

of our diverse family,

we thank you for our

Commonwealth under the faithful

stewardship of Her Majesty

The Queen.

May she, The Royal Family,

and all who share in

this responsibility, be guided

by you, and be rewarded for

their steadfastness and commitment.

Let us now

stand to pledge ourselves afresh

to uphold and serve the values

and fellowship of the Commonwealth.

We affirm that every person

possesses unique worth and dignity.

We affirm our respect for nature,

and that we will be stewards

of the earth by caring for every

part of it, and for it as a whole.

We affirm our belief in justice

for everyone, and peace

between peoples and nations.

Joining together in kinship

and affinity as members of one

worldwide Commonwealth family,

we acknowledge our shared

inheritances, and celebrate

the goodwill and mutual respect

which inspire us to work with one

another towards a common

future that is fairer,

more secure, more prosperous,

and more sustainable

for the good of all.

ALL: We affirm our belief

in the Commonwealth as a force

for good in the world and pledge

ourselves to its service,

now and for the future.

# Guide me O Thou great Redeemer

# Pilgrim through this barren land

# I am weak but Thou art mighty

# Hold me with Thy pow'rful hand

# Bread of heaven

# Bread of heaven

# Feed me till I want no more!

# Want no more

# Feed me till I want no more!

# Open now the crystal fountain

# Whence the healing

stream doth flow

# Let the fire and cloudy pillar

# Lead me all my journey through

# Strong Deliv'rer, strong Deliv'rer

# Be Thou still my

Strength and Shield!

# Strength and shield

# Be Thou still my

Strength and Shield!

# When I tread the verge of Jordan

# Bid my anxious fears subside

# Death of death and

hell's Destruction

# Land me safe on Canaan's side

# Songs of praises

# Songs of praises

# I will ever give to Thee!

# Give to thee

# I will ever give to Thee!

#.

God grant to the living grace;

to the departed rest; to the

Church, The Queen, the Commonwealth,

and all mankind, peace

and concord; and to us sinners life

everlasting: and the blessing of God

Almighty, the Father,

the Son, and the

Holy Spirit, be among

you and remain with you always.

Amen.

The service is now ending up another

Commonwealth Day service. Shortly

the Royal party will be moving

slowly towards the doors. Robert is

with me. It seemed to me to be a big

day for the Queen in her calendar.

I

think she will have loved every

minute of the this is an event that

she created herself. It used to be

called observant but now it is

celebration and that came true in

the music and the atmosphere. Many

of those small moments that lifted

it.

We had some contrasts and a bit

of fun as well.

There's always a bit

of fun in this event, quite unlike

any other held in Westminster Abbey

or indeed any cathedral in the UK.

It is why that this event is unique.

Part of the fact is there are so

many children, more than 700. We saw

someone smiling, or even yawning.

You do not know what children are

going to do but that is part of the

fun of it. And the Queen likes to

have a young congregation. She does

not want the full state occasion.

As

ever Queen on this day has issued a

message. Some important points from

that include the Queen saying shared

inheritance help but to overcome

difference. Of course there has been

quite a bit of difference in the

Commonwealth but we do have things

in common so it is diversity rather

than division. And she also spoke of

the positive potential friendly

rivalry and of course that will be

happening in Australia next month.

Absolutely. April we have the

Commonwealth Games and the

Commonwealth summit all actor back.

And Australia is going to be a

fabulous games. The last ones took

place in Glasgow in 2014, a

magnificent games. In 2002 we have

brilliant games in Manchester. That

really convinced the International

Olympic Committee that the UK could

put on an Olympics. So the

Commonwealth Games have a great

future both here and in Australia.

Now the Prince of Wales will be

going over to open the games, a bit

far for the Queen these days. But

there has been talk about Prince

Charles becoming head of the

Commonwealth when his time comes.

Well the headship of the

Commonwealth is not hereditary or

automatic, it never has been. It is

down to the heads of government.

They effectively endorsed the Queen

as head of the Commonwealth and it

will be down to them but frankly

there is no one better placed to

stand in the Queen on occasions like

the opening of the Commonwealth

Games. With the exception of the

Queen and Duke of Edinburgh who

sadly cannot be here today although

I'm sure he will be watching on

television. But apart from them no

one knows the Commonwealth like the

Prince of Wales. All the leaders I

have spoken to or all of the opinion

that he is the perfect man to step

in.

The Queen looking very happy and

now meeting some of those people who

took part in the service. Like Dr

Andrew Bastawrous, and he is the man

who is trying to do all that he can

to eradicate unnecessary blindness.

And that is Jaspreet Kaur who

performed her poem and the message

of that was that small changes can

bring on big differences.

Esther Jessup, the honorary

president of that Maori choir. She

was also singing. And of course Liam

Payne who performed during the

service.

Outside London beckons. A big month

and a half of Commonwealth activity

coming up. The 11-year-old posy

bearer for the Queen. From the

Westminster Bangladeshi Association.

She did not have far to come, local

girl.

girl. A few of the ladies have their

flowers.

flowers. The Queen has had broad

smile on her face through all of

this. The younger generation of the

Royal Family as well speaking to

those who took part in the service.

It is going to the remarkable few

weeks, not just for the Commonwealth

of the Royal Family as well. We have

the Commonwealth Games, the

Commonwealth summit and also a royal

baby and Royal Wedding. It reminds

me of the summer of 2012 and the

Diamond Jubilee. It has been a very

special day for the Queen to have

all her family here at this event

and in many ways it kick-starts what

will be a remarkable few royal

weeks.

The choir there who has ever

did a fabulous job. And behind them

the flag bearers of all the

Commonwealth countries. A lot of

chatter still going on inside the

Abbey. The Duchess of Cambridge

speaking to Liam Payne. I wonder

what they are talking about. There

they are outside.

It is not the end of things for the

Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, since

Harry and Meghan Markle, because

they are going to be meeting some

schoolchildren next. In spite of

that rainfall I think everyone is

leaving with a touch of spring about

them.

This wasn't a solemn state

occasion of the kind

that Westminster Abbey has

witnessed for centuries.

It was a dignified celebration

of an association of very different

states.

And that's appropriate.

The Commonwealth's

strength is its diversity.

Some of that will be on display

in a couple of weeks when

the Commonwealth Games

open in Australia.

After that Commonwealth heads

of government meet here in London.

Those are probably its best

known set piece events.

But it needs to be about more

than sport and summits.

If the Commonwealth's

going to prosper, it needs to agree

shared objectives - and then use

the weight of more than one

third of the world's population

to make this planet better.

After all, at a time when the world

is an uncertain place,

it's good to have friends.