2016: The Queen's 90th Birthday

Good afternoon from Westminster Abbey where a special service

is held every year to celebrate the Commonwealth, the diverse group

of 53 nations that spans almost every corner of the globe.

And on this Commonwealth Day, we also celebrate the Queen's 90th

The service will be the first major ceremonial event of Her Majesty's

She'll be joined here at the Abbey by the Duke of Edinburgh,

the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry.

The Commonwealth has grown significantly during her be reign

and she has always championed it. She comes to the Abbey for this

service every year. It is a very international gathering

as you would expect. For a Commonwealth of 53 nations and it is

also an unusual service for Westminster Abbey because there are

representatives of other faiths who will be taking part and offering

their reflections and their prayers during the course of the service. If

you would like to follow it, you can go to www. Www.. BBC do.

Co/Commonwealth day and download an order of service and follow it

there. The congregation of 2,000 people in the Abbey this afternoon.

1,000 of them young people because the Commonwealth has a very young

population and among the rather young people are schoolchildren who

are here for the service. The Commonwealth youth orchestra will be

performing. They are already playing now and just standing behind them,

the Commonwealth Youth Choir. Well in many ways the Commonwealth

today is the result of decades of dedication by president Queen

herself because from the beginning of her reign she has carefully

nurtured relationships between countries to build this unique

association. God Save The Queen. The young Queen Elizabeth II in 1953,

the year she embarked on her first tour of Commonwealth countries and

overseas territories. She visited among others, Fiji, Sri Lanka,

Australia, and Gibraltar. She spoke of the emerging new model of the

Commonwealth in her Christmas radio broadcast from New Zealand. The

Commonwealth bears no resemblance to the Empires of the past. It is an

entirely new conception built on the highest qualities of the spirit of

man, friendship, loyalty, and the desire for three dom and peace.

The Queen has held the position of Head of the Commonwealth for more

than 60 years. Individual virtue of tolerance and understanding by

virtue of tolerance and understanding, the xwelt has evolved

into 36 nations, spanning the five Continents. She has been

instrumental in bringing together leaders from all over the world in a

spirit of family, and connection. Out of the old empire strange the

Commonwealth family of nations we know today and that too has grown

and changed over the years. Very much in the spirit of a family

gathering. She has moved the Commonwealth forward into a modern

age. It was very nice having everybody here last night. We

enjoyed it very much. Today, the Commonwealth consists of 53 diverse

countries and for more than six decades, the Queen's ability to

connect with people has brought them together.

So of the 53 nations that of part of the Commonwealth today, the Queen

herself has been to almost all of them, 51 out of the 53, a sign of

her commitment over the years. Well, as we wait for Her Majesty to arrive

at the Abbey on this Commonwealth day, I'm joined by Dr Sue Onslow,

senior lecturer at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies. What would you

say the Commonwealth means to the Queen, Sue?

The Commonwealth means an enormous amount to the Queen. It is part, it

is a key part of her life's work. She is Queen of 16 individual

Commonwealth countries as well as being formal head of that

association you referred to. She has been able to travel around the

Commonwealth to enjoy its exuberance, but I think her personal

contribution has been enormous. She has been part of the invisible glue

of this association. Well, we are looking now at some of the

medallists from the last Commonwealth Games in Glasgow,

Isabel Pooley of England, sam man that Kinghorn of Scotland and with

them athletes from the Commonwealth Youth Games.

You were talking about the Queen's role in the Commonwealth, Sue, as if

it was quite personal to her, not just a role she has to do? It is

very personal and she gets a great deal of pleasure from it. She worked

consistently throughout her reign to give substance to this role, it is

not just that she is a symbolic head. There is a symbol now of the

flags of the Commonwealth nations being carried into the Abbey. This

is where you get a true visual sense of the immense reach of this

organisation, the flags are carried in, in the order that nations join

the Commonwealth so at the front the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia,

New Zealand, and then further back, many of the African countries that

became independent in the 1960s in the middle there and then towards

the back, the nations that have joined the Commonwealth more

recently. Some very recently, Sue, which shows the appeal that this

organisation still has. Indeed and there are others that are very much

part of the list of wanting to join, south Sudan, Yemen, Palestine, so

this is an attractive association to those that are still outside it.

The flags are going to be carried through the Abbey and then they will

be put in their place behind the congregation where they will remain

until the service comes to an end. Well during the service, we will

hear the former UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan who is

from Ghana, a Commonwealth country. He will be speaking during the

service and he is with Ore Oduba now. Good afternoon, thank you very

much. As we saw there, all the flags of the Commonwealth member states

coming past us. I have been joined by a proud began anywayian, Kofi

Annan, it is a pleasure to see you here. It is an honour for you to be

here. Tell us how important it is to you, Commonwealth day and the

Commonwealth itself? The Commonwealth is a unique

organisation, bringing together so many countries and really sharing

something with two billion people, different cultures, different

religions and we embrace purlity and diversity and to celebrate those in

the world of today is absolutely essential and it shouldn't just be

important for the Commonwealth but other groupingings and other

organisations and countries which are outside the Commonwealth. Well,

it is a celebratory day and we were saying before how great it is to see

how many happy children in here as well. Absolutely. Just how important

is it that the Commonwealth is here to maintain relations between

nations and such diverse nations as well? In today's world it is

absolutely essential. Very few countries can tackle the challenges

we have today on their own. You have to work across borders. You have to

work with other countries. It is such an inter-dependant world and we

have no choice and the Commonwealth that brings countries together, not

just the countries, but the citizens of these countries, whether in

sports, or in education, and other areas, it is extremely important and

I think the young people here today are also an expression of the belief

of the future generations in what has been achieved by the

Commonwealth and this is why we need to trust them and encourage them and

encourage them to lead and to build on what we have achieved. They are

the leaders of tomorrow. So it is so exciting to see so many of them here

today. Well, we are looking forward to hearing a reading from you and

I'm sure the sentiments will come across. Kofi Annan, a pleasure to

talk to you. Well, we will be seeing the members

of the Royal Family arriving shortly for the beginning of the service.

Kofi Annan is a man with tremendous experience of negotiation and he can

imagine what a Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting is like. That is

when these countries come together and Sue Onslow, you know what those

are like because you have been to one? I was at Malta last

Novemberment there are formal elements where heads get together to

discuss in close session and they have their informal retreat where

they can compare notes on what is troubling them. The Queen's role is

formally in opening it, but she adds that, that welcome presence to a

Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. What is discussed? When in

terms of the acute concerns of small states in climate change,

radicalisation across societies, last heads of Government meeting

achieved in fact extraordinary outcomes on those two issues. Is the

Commonwealth in a better place than it was a few years ago? There was

criticism for example when Sri Lanka hosted the heads of Government

meeting because of its Human Rights record? That was a controversial

meeting. I would say that the Commonwealth is certainly in a

better place, although its potential for future improvement is certainly

there, it has been criticised for not making enough progress on

democracy and Human Rights so there is room for improvement.

Well there is Ellie Goulding coming into the Abbey now. She is going to

be performing and she told me earlier that she saw this as a very

special occasion, a welcome interlude from a very intense period

because she is in the midst of a World Tour at the moment and in fact

she announced recently that she is going to be taking a break from

music. So we'll hear her perform Sting's Fields Of Gold during the

service. Half of the congregation here are

young people and amongst them are recipients of the Queen's young

leader award. Each year it celebrates 60 exceptional people

from across the Commonwealth. All over the world young volunteers

are transforming their communities. The Commonwealth actually impour we

ares young people. It is a privilege to be one of the 60 people who will

be receiving the award from the Queen. It was something I really

didn't expect. On the island of Malta, 20-year-old

Sara set-up up a social media campaign after her experiences while

wearing a Muslim headscarf. You're walking in the street and people

spit at you and people are like say go back to your own country. I feel

so That is unacceptable. So basically me and my colleagues

decided it is racism and discrimination about general and

then we uploaded pictures with students holding boards spreading

positive members to discuss what really is it meant being a human

being? In Bangladesh Osama developed an online resource to help young

people start their careers. We publish international

scholarship, internship. We are passionate about this. We have

received a huge response from abroad and we have 99,000 representatives.

In Cambridge, 20-year-old Ella realised how teenagers miss out on

important life skills when they become the main carer for their

families. I became a young carer when my mum had her heart attack.

One day everything is normal and everything is fine and everybody is

happy and the next day your whole life changes. I set-up Take the Lead

and it is all about public speaking and interview skills and building

their confidence so that they feel they can do pretty much anything.

Gained confidence. For their exceptional work, 60 young

volunteers including Ella, Osama and Sarah will join a leadership course

at Cambridge University. It is something huge. The fact that you

get to share your thoughts with so many people and to know that they

are interested in what you are trying to promote. I think that's

fantastic. I'm lost for words. And Sara will be giving a Reflection

in the service. Ellie Goulding will be performing. Next to her is Simon

who is a bass from South Africa who will be performing for us. Next to

him, the poet a Tuvalu Doctor Who told me earlier she feels she

carries the concerns of the smaller nations, the Pacific nations here

with her today into the Abbey. The Prime Minister, David Cameron,

is here. He is in his seat now. The congregation are standing up because

the faith processors are stepping into the Abbey now. A special moment

in this service. Special also because this is unusual. In fact,

it's the Lord Mayor who is walking in now.

When we see the faith leaders, it will be symbolic, not just of the

number of faiths represented in the Commonwealth, but also a reflection

of the importance that the Queen places on faith. Sues on low, she

will appreciate the strong representation of different faiths

within this service -- Sue Onslow? Absolutely. The Queen who herself is

a devout Christian and takes her role seriously, she's a great

supporters of multifaith worship, of the different faiths. She feels it

high lites the shared values across the Commonwealth.

Kofi Annan who we heard from a moment ago is here with his wife.

He'll be speaking later. Here are the faith leaders now processing

into the Abbey. There are members of the Zooastrian

community. Chief Rabbi's representative, the Sikh community.

Buddhist community. Hindu community. The Muslim community. Both the

Jewish reform synagogues and liberal Judaism represented as well, as the

Chief Rabbi's representative. Also other denominations of Christianity.

The methodist church, the church of Scotland, the Coptic Orthodox Church

and Roman Catholic Church and also the Orthodox Church. His emnans

Archbishop Gregorious is here. A strong statement of the breadth of

faith across this very diverse group of nations -- His Emanence.

John Major is with Ore now. I know Sir John you have been

enjoying the music being played around the Abbey today. I have, very

familiar and lovely music. But the Trust, of course, is a Trust set up

to help the Queen's legacy. We asked the Queen what she would prefer as a

legacy and she said two things, both for the Commonwealth, firstly to end

forms of avoidable blindness across the Commonwealth and secondly to

fine and bring forward and help future young leaders. It's an

indication of her great affection for the Commonwealth. Yes. Your

relationship with Her Majesty is a long-standing one. Take us inside

her operation, tell us what it is that makes her work so hard to

maintain the relations between 50 of odd member states? You have to look

at the history of it. When the Queen became Monarch, the Commonwealth was

three or four nations, certainly no more. It's now I think 53. It's a

hugely successful worldwide operation. From very large,

confident, relatively rich nations, to some of the smallest, least

well-off nations in the world. It's a unique mixture. There's never been

anything like it and I don't think there ever could be anything else

like it. The Queen has a great affection for it. Why is it so

important to her? Because for the whole time of her reign, the

Commonwealth's been such an important part, as you say? It's

partly the diversity. The sheer diversity of bringing together so

many nations with so many interests and such a great difference in the

way in which they live. That's something the Queen finds very

attractive. And the fact that she and it have both grown up to be what

it is today during her period as Monarch. I think that makes for a

great affinity between the two, Queen the Commonwealth on one hand

and Her Majesty the Queen on the other hand. Commonwealth Day always

special but extra special this year as we celebrate her 90th year. What

more can you say about Her Majesty, as she continues to drive forward

and lead the Commonwealth? Well, it is quite remarkable isn't it? Most

people, 65, 70, 75, they hang out their boots, hang up their careers

and rest. The Queen at 90 and the Duke a couple of years older, are

still working extraordinarily hard. They have ensured the rest of the

Royal Family do as well. That is a very remarkable example of duty and

I think also of devotion to the Commonwealth.

Remarkable indeed. Many people echoing your sentiments. Pleasure to

talk to you. Thank you. The Queen will be arriving in the

next few minutes with the other members of the Royal Family.

The Duke, and others. Sue, the Queen's marked Commonwealth day by

issuing her message in line with the theme of the Commonwealth this year,

an inclusive Commonwealth. She talks about the importance of accepting

diversity and says it goes far deeper than accepting differences of

face value, far deeper than simply being tolerant? Kofi Annan picked up

on this point when he talked about celebrating diversity and the

interdependent world. For the Queen, the Commonwealth is really identity

politics in the best and most inclusive way. She's used her

Commonwealth Day messages consistently over the years to

emphasise important themes of democracy, human rights and so

inclusivity is a significant point make today.

Particularly important when you make it to a worldwide audience where so

many of these nations are at different stages of the development

of their democracy, different stages of their economic development as

well. Indeed. The Queen herself has said in the past that it's difficult

to take decisions to implement democracy, it can be very hard but

she's been a consistent source of encouragement for that very

progress. She's needed to, because there have

been difficult episodes in the history of this organisation?

Absolutely. There have been some extremely fractious points the

Commonwealth's come close to breaking up. One thing has been

sure, which is that the Queen's consistent on going on subtle and

important support. The congregation are all in their

places. You can see the emphasis of the young people of the Commonwealth

when you look across the congregation. The Queen's young

leaders are here, Adam Bradford and Ella McKenzie among those chosen for

that rather special award. A long tradition of the Queen also,

Sue, talking to the people of the Commonwealth, in fact that famous

vow that she made in 1947, dedicating her life to the service

of the People. She meant the people of the Commonwealth, not just the

United Kingdom? Completely. That famous broadcast from Cape Town in

1947 in fact set out many of the themes that the Queen has made it

her life's work to fulfil. She has driven that forward consistently

over the 60-year period. What would you say it's achieved as an

organisation? The trouble with the Commonwealth, so much of its work is

below the surface, like an iceberg. It has professional and civil

society organisations. Its heads of Government meet every two years,

that's the most visible part of the activities but it's by no means all.

There's the congregation on this beautiful spring day outside the

Abbey and beautiful flowers inside the Abbey as well.

Chosen to reflect all the different colours of the Commonwealth flags. I

was speaking earlier to the lady who was in charge of the National

Association of Flower Arrangers. They have come from all over the

United Kingdom, the colours represent the colours within the

Commonwealth flag and also have been selected to emphasise unity.

Very appropriate on a day like this. It's not just a congregation with a

tremendous age range well beyond what you would normally see in the

Abbey, but also tremendously international. There you see former

Prime Minister Sir John Major and, behind him, the Shadow Foreign

Secretary, Hilary Benn, sitting next to Hugo Squire, Minister of State at

the Foreign Office. Just further along in the choir,

Baroness Scotland, Patricia Scotland, who we will see a lot more

of in the future because she is the next Secretary General of the

Commonwealth. And this is the car that is bringing

the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to the Abbey this afternoon.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry arriving at the

West Gate of the Abbey. They'll be greeted by members of the

clergy led by the Dean of Westminster, the Very Reverend Dr

John Hall who will be leading this afternoon's service.

In recent years, we've seen all three of them visit several

Commonwealth countries, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge went to New

Zealand and Australia, for example, with the young prince George and

they'll be visiting India in April, a significant visit, their first

visit to that country. There the Duke of Cambridge meeting members of

the clergy first of all. And next in the line to meet the

Royal Family, you can see the Secretary General of the

Commonwealth standing in the black coat, Camilla Sharma. He's served

already for two terms. He's a former Indian diplomat, a former High

Commissioner, Indian High Commissioner to London. So this will

be his final Commonwealth Day service as Secretary General.

His wife is there next to him. And the Prime Minister of Malta, the

honable Dr Joseph Muscat, he will be giving one of the readings in the

service today and he's the current Commonwealth chair in office. Malta

hosted the last Commonwealth heads of government meeting that took

place in November last year. The Queen herself attended.

His wife accompanying him here. We also have Lord Howell of

Guildford, President of the Royal Commonwealth Society. They organised

today's service. They've been instrumental in what has gone into

the service. The Director of The Royal Commonwealth Society too.

Greeting the members of the Royal Family as they enter just before the

start of the service. The Duke of Cambridge made a speech

at the Commonwealth Office not that long ago where he said the

Commonwealth stands for the possibility of a community of

nations, people of different races, ethnicities and religions, working

together for humanity's common good. He said, that is why my grandmother

is so committed to the Commonwealth, it stands for an ideal as much as it

does for a reality. The Duchess of Cambridge and also

Prince Harry there. And there's the car bringing the Queen to the Abbey.

She is accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh and the Duke of York is

also going to be attending. A tremendous turn-out outside on this

wonderfully sunny spring afternoon to greet her. We will hear the State

trumpeters in a minute with the fanfare to announce the arrival of

Her Majesty. The Queen is being led into the

Abbey by the Dean of Westminster. She has come here on so many

previous occasions including many Commonwealth Day services. This one

happens to be taking place just ahead of her 90th birthday.

As did the other members of the Royal Family before her, she is

going to be greeted by members of the clergy who will be taking part

in the procession and indeed, in the service itself.

There she is greeting the Prime Minister of Malta. Malta is very

special to her because it is where she lived as a young naval wife for

two years while the Duke was stationed there as a serving Royal

Naval officer. And she will now be taking her place ready for the

procession to begin. # God Save the Queen 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! # 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, # 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 # All things that give sound,

each jubilant chord # reecho around, loud

organs, his glory # forth tell in deep tone,

and sweet harp, the story # Thanksgiving and song

to him be outpoured # For love in creation,

for heaven restored, # for grace of salvation,

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. In a year in which we particularly give thanks for the

90th birthday of Her Majesty, the Queen, Head of the Commonwealth.

This year's theme is an inclusive Commonwealth. So as we give thanks

for our diversity of faiths, and for the variety of resources and

circumstances of our countries, and remembering, but especially at this

time, the people of Fiji after their recent devastating tornado. Let us

pray that we maybe united in one common bond of mutual support and

friendship. First we pray in the words of Jesus for the coming of

God's Kingdom of justice and peace. Our Father, who art in heaven,

hallowed be thy name, come, thy will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven. And forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom,

the power, and the glory, Now one of the Queen's young

leaders, who is from Malta. It is a great honour for me today as

the Queen's young leader to be delivering this reflection. I'm

delighted to witness such a wide representation of different nations

and religions. Today, we celebrate the establishment of a unique and

global community. A community with a strong sense of unity and

inclusivity. A community that cannot strive if there is racism,

xenophobia, hom owe phobia and other divisions of fear and hate between

us. An inclusive Commonwealth champions the values of respect and

understanding, equity and fairness. One cannot embrace these values

without understanding that beyond each of these words lies a long

stugle and for this reason I would like to honour those people who have

lost their lives in the pursuit of dignity and equality, to be achieved

in this world. It is not enough that these values are established in the

Commonwealth charter. Together we must ensure that we bring them to

life by practising them every day of our lives. Every day, I strive to

eliminate racism, xenophobia and discrimination in my community by

promoting an inclusive education, discussing with young people the way

forward, and encouraging dialogue to bridge differences and live in an

inclusive society. We aim to reduce Islamophobia, overcome fears and

eliminate prejudices and judgements, by educating and informing people

about Islam. It has been a challenging year for the Muslim

community because of the rise of violent extremism and terrorist

attacks all over the world. Together, with millions of fellow

Muslims, I condemn such barbaric acts.

I live in Malta, a developed country where I have food, shelter and a

good education. However, I have been the vim of racism, xenophobia

because of my faith. We must not under estimate the power of the

virtual world, especially social media where hatred can be expressed

with impunity. In an effort to address the bad experiences of my

community, my colleague, Naomi and I established a social media campaign

hashtag redefining us. This campaign is intended to raise awareness about

what defines a Maltese person and strives to empower people who have

encountered extremism. Helping them of the best way to confront people

who have xenophobic dialogue. In a Commonwealth that welcomes

everybody, we should strive together to ensure that all human beings have

their fundamental rights respected and that the values of the

Cheltenham Charter are put into practise. This is not a call to

action for young people who form 60% of the Commonwealth's population,

but a call to our leaders also. My experience of advocating for social

inclusion and peace has taught me that change is not a single lecture,

but a long and time-consuming process. However, I have also come

to realise that every single action no matter how small can bring about

positive change. It is time for us to wake up to the realities around

us, to understand the pain that others are going through and the

difference is no longer an option. Support and empowerment and

education are the way forward. We must empower the vulnerable people

in our communities because humanity does not live up to its full

potential when we are divided and not united. Thank you.

APPLAUSE # all ye lands: serve the Lord

with gladness, and come. # And not we ourselves,

we are his people, # Into his gates with thanks-giving,

and into his courts with praise: # Be thankful unto him,

unto him and speak good of his name. # For the Lord is gracious,

his mercy is everlasting. # And his truth endureth

from generation to generation, # Glory be to the Father,

and to the Son. Let's talk about unity

in London's Westminster Abbey. Did you know there's

a London in Kiribati? We're connected by currents

of humanity alliances, allegiances, histories

for the salt in the sea, like the salt in our blood

like the dust of our bones, our return to mud means while 53

flags fly for our countries they're stitched from the

fabric of our unity. It's called the Va in Samoan

philosophy what you do, affects me. What we do, affects

the sea land, wildlife. Nature's model of unity pollinating

from flower to seed bees thrive in hives keeping their queen

unity keeps them alive, keeps them buzzing they're key

to our fruit and vege supplies but parasitic attacks and pesticides

threaten the bees then you and me There's a 'U' and an 'I' in unity

costs the earth and yet it's free. My grandad's from Tuvalu and to be

specific it's plop bang The smallest of our 53 commonwealth

nations the largest in terms Ancestors were guided by sky and sea

trails way before Columbus even What we leave behind,

matters to those who go before we face the future with our backs,

sailing shore to shore we're earning and saving for our common wealth

a common strong body, For the salt in the sea,

like the salt in our blood like the dust of our bones,

our return to mud means saving the ocean, saving the bee means

London's UK seeing London's Kiribati and sharing our thoughts over a cup

of tea for there's a 'U' and an 'I' in unity costs the earth

and yet it's free. APPLAUSE. And now Ellie Goulding who

is going to sing Fields of Gold by Sting.

# You'll remember me when the west wind moves.

# You'll forget the sun in his jealous sky.

# In his arms she fell as her hair came down.

# We'll forget the sun in his jealous sky.

# And there have been some that I've broken.

# But I swear in the days still left.

# And there have been some that I've broken.

# But I swear in the days still left.

# Many years have passed since those summer days.

# See the children run as the sun goes down.

# You'll remember me as the west wind moves.

# You can tell the sun in his jealous sky.

# When we walked in fields of gold #.

APPLAUSE. And now, there's going to be a reading given by the Prime

Minister of Malta, the honable Dr Joseph Muscat.

Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast

to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one

Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit,

serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient

Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.

Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.

Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty,

but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are.

Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble

If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live

The Prime Minister of Malta. Now we are going to hear from the South

African bas who will be singing a traditional song, often sung at

weddings where it's set to bring about good fortune.

# Igqirha lendlela kuthwa nguqongqothwane.

# Igqirha lendlela kuthwa nguqongqothwane.

# Ebeqabel' egqithapha uquongqothwane.

# Ebeqabel' egqithapha ugongqothwane.

# Igqirha lendlela kuthwa nguqongqothwane.

# Igqirha lendlela kuthwa nguqongqothwane.

# Ebeqabel' egqithapha ugongqothwane Ebeqabel' egqithapha ugongqothwane.

# Igqirha lendlela nguqongqothwane Igqirha lendlela kuthwa

# Igqirha lendlela kuthwa nguqongqothwane.

# Igqirha lendlela kuthwa nguqongqothwane.

# Igqirha lendlela nguqongqothwane. ugongqothwane.

# Igqirha lendlela kuthwa nguqongqothwane.

# Ebeqabel' egqithapha ugongqothwane.#

bbc.co.uk APPLAUSE

Now we are going to hear from Kofi Annan with his reflection on

Commonwealth Day. That's a Ghanaian who feels very

much a part of the Commonwealth family. It is both a privilege and a

pleasure to speak here today. The Commonwealth has the unique place

and role within the international community. It harnesses the creative

energy, traditions and values of more than two billion people around

the world. It strongly promotes democracy, good governance, Human Ri

sustainable development. These represent the interdependent pillars

of any fair, healthy and democratic society as there can be no peace

without inclusive development and no development without peace. And no

society can long remain prosperous without rule of law and respect for

Human Rights. As well as building and strengthening invaluable links

between member countries and their citizens, it also provides the

Commonwealth, the Commonwealth also provides practical support from

election monitoring, to promoting trade and security co-operation.

Education, and school and university level is a further area where the

rewards of closer ties and co-operation are ours to seize.

Today, the Commonwealth stands as a confident, modern, multi-cultural

and proudly inclusive organisation. Let me dwell on the word,

"Inclusive" For a moment because it has a central place in the

Commonwealth's founding document. This was the people at its heart, at

the centre and declares that plurality and diversity are the

greatest strengths. It also means that we must constantly strive to

ensure that no child, woman or man is excluded or left behind. These

are enduring principles which not only bind us together as citizens of

the Commonwealth, but are absolutely critical for our collective

ambitions for our world. It has never been more important for the

Commonwealth to stress the bonds of human compassion and solidarity that

unites us across the divides of race and religion, gender and geography.

It is also why I'm so pleased to see the royal Commonwealth society has

brought together so many young people to enjoy this celebration.

They represent the more than one billion young people who will

provide our greatest hope for the future. We must trust and nurture

them in the timeless values of the Commonwealth. We should be confident

that if we provide them with the opportunity, they will continue to

build on what has been achieved. No individual has made a greater

contribution to these achievements than Your Majesty. You have shown an

waivering and steadfast devotion to this grand project. We are greatly

honoured and deeply grateful for your extraordinary commitment to its

people. I would like to express my best wishes to you and your family

in the year in which you celebrate your 90th birthday. Let me conclude

by thanking Secretary-General, Camilla Sharma for his invaluable

service and leadership and welcome his successor Baroness Scotland.

Finally, may I also extend my best wishes to all members of the

Commonwealth. We can go forward in the confidence that history has

shown how much more we can achieve together. Thank you.

APPLAUSE And following that reflection from the former UN

Secretary-General, the congregation will sing the hymn Let All The World

In Every Corner Sing. # Let all the world in every corner

sing, My God and King! # The heavens are not too high,

His praise may thither fly, # The earth is not too low,

His praises there may grow. # Let all the world in every corner

sing, My God and King! # The Church with psalms must shout,

No door can keep them out, # But above all, the heart Must

bear the longest part. # Let all the world in every corner

sing, My God and King!# And now we will hear from some of

those representing different faith communities.

The Lotus Sutra is as if a great cloud arises in the world

This beneficent cloud contains moisture.

It conceals the sun and cools the earth.

Everywhere, equal, and immeasurable the rain pours down

The dry earth is moistened everywhere and the herbs and trees

Out of this cloud the same rain waters these grasses,

He appears in the world as a great cloud which covers

Once appearing in this world he illuminates and explains

the essence of the teachings for the sake of sentient beings.

The Great Seer, the Bhagavat, expounds this to the assembly

of all the heavenly beings and humans.

In the eighth-century BCE Hebrew prophet Isaiah declared,

in days to come, Israel will be the third with Egypt and Assyria,

a blessing in the midst of the earth, whom the God

of the hosts of heaven has blessed, saying, "Blessed be Egypt,

my people, and Assyria, the work of my hands,

Today we are all the children of Egypt, and of Assyria,

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,

and all humanity will be filled with your spirit.

May such a time come soon, and last forever.

Let us walk together, let us sing together,

in togetherness we can understand each

other's minds, thus did the ancient seers

share together to reach their divine ends.

May our intentions come together, may our

hearts become inseperable, may our minds

become as one to truly know one another,

O God, we thank you for these moments of prayer, and for all that

you have given us since we were born, up to this moment.

Make us appreciate what you have given us and inspire us

to use your blessings in a way that would not displease you.You have

You have given us wealth and comfort,

with others, and to dispense comfort to all.

Help us to make our wealth a common wealth, and our common wealth

Bless us with peace, and do not punish us with war.

Bless us with understanding, and do not punish us with ignorance.

Forgive us for what we do in your name.

Pardon what we do in the name of your most honourable messengers.

Give us faith, fill our hearts with love and benevolence,

As we gather together in the spirit of the unity and diversity of our

Commonwealth, we give thanks to your Lord for the faithful stewardship of

Her Majesty, the Queen and pray that you continue to grant her and all

who lead with her your blessing, wisdom and support. We thank you

Father for your image and likeness what is equally bestowed upon all

humanity. Remembering all those affected by the current turmoil in

the Middle East and the resulting crisis of displacement across the

world. Those who are unable to live with this dignity, that the hearts

of their oppressors are softened through the realisation and the

value of sacredness of every life and the dignity of all humanity.

# O, clap your hands, all ye people,

# Shout unto God with the voice of triumph.

# For the Lord most high is terrible,

# His a great King over all the earth.

# The Lord with the sound of a trumpet.

# Sing praises to God, sing praises to God,

# Sing praises, sing praises, sing praises,

# Sing praises unto our King, Sing praises,

# The Lord with the sound of a trumpet.

# Sing praises to God, sing praises to God,

# Sing praises, sing praises, sing praises,

# Sing praises unto our King, Sing praises,

Now we'll hear from the Secretary-General of the

Commonwealth, his excellence Camilla Sharma. As Commonwealth

Secretary-General, it's been my privilege in the past eight years to

visit every one of her 53 member states.

I have seen the attraction of the Commonwealth connection, the

exceptional regard that it enjoys and the sense of kinship and

affinity that informs it. There's a bond within the

Commonwealth that sets it apart. Partnership based on shared

Commonwealth values and principles, especially mutual respect, is

treasured. The Commonwealth sets a high premium on being inclusive of

our theme for the year and in being all-embracing and leaving no-one

behind, whether nationally or globally.

The Commonwealth is particularly affirming and encouraging of her

young citizens as nation-builders. The Commonwealth provides avenues

for working together that help the larger family of Commonwealth

organisations. That is unique in its richness and in its contribution and

in its diversity. We are now bound closer together in practical ways in

our shared aspirations. In many different ways and at many different

levels. Ideas and knowledge are shared in the Commonwealth family,

across the globe, in the spirit of goodwill and partnership.

Taking strength from its diversity, the Commonwealth succeeds in

creating common ground on which to stand together in answering the

challenges of our times. Mutual support with respect and

understanding for the dignity and on David Trimble yuetion of all gives

potency to the acclaimed convening power of the Commonwealth.

Globalisation, the digital revolution and interdependence make

us both rapingly compacting but also a colliding world. The strengths of

the Commonwealth were never needed more to assert global outcomes and

Strouss in the richness of her human identities. The creation of the

modern Commonwealth was one of the greatest acts of statesmanship and

collective faith in the 20th century.

It's justified the faith by the whiches Dom and contribution it's

brought to the world we share. Freedom and diversity makes it a

template for the world and gives it its healing touch.

The conviction of the Commonwealth is, and the human community, is

indevisible. All societies, irrespective of size, have an equal

right to A Place In The Sun. The eagle to soar needs all its

feathers. We need to pledge ourselves afresh to uphold an serve

the values of the 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,

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 celebrate this great global good,

the value it adds for all humanity, and the encouragement we each

receive as members of "An Inclusive Commonwealth".

We cherish the spirit of teamwork that inspires us,

and the ties of friendship that enable us to work with one another

towards creating just and peaceful societies,

achieving sustainable and inclusive social progress,

advancing democracy, and building economic resilience

with prosperity in which all citizens can share.

We affirm our belief in the Commonwealth as a force

for good in the world, and pledge ourselves to its service,

Following that collective act of affirmation to the Commonwealth, the

final hymn, Love Divine, All Loves Excelling.

# Love divine, all loves excelling, joy of heaven, to earth come down,

# Fix in us thy humble dwelling, all thy faithful mercies crown!

# Jesus thou art all compassion, pure, unbounded love thou art,

# Visit us with thy salvation, enter every trembling heart.

# Breathe, O breathe thy loving Spirit into every troubled breast!

# Let us all in thee inherit, let us find that second rest.

# Come, Almighty to deliver, let us all thy life receive,

# Suddenly return and never, nevermore thy temples leave.

# Thee we would be always blessing, serve thee as thy hosts above,

# Pray and praise thee without ceasing,

# Finish, then, thy new creation, pure and spotless let us be.

# Let us see thy great salvation perfectly restored in thee,

# From glory into glory, till in heaven we take our place,

# Till we cast our crowns before thee, lost in wonder,

Unto God's gracious mercy and protection

The Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine

upon you, and be gracious unto you.

The Lord lift up the light of his countenance upon you,

and give you peace, and the blessing of God

almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy

Spirit, be among you and remain with you

MUSIC: Allegro Maestoso from Sonata in G Op 28 by Edward Elgar

The Commonwealth flag comes into the centre of the Abbey for the final

procession at the end of this service. It's carried by the vice

chair of the Commonwealth Youth Council. And the Commonwealth mace

is being carried by the Chair of the Commonwealth Youth Council from

Malaysia who told me before the service that, not only did he

consider it a great honour to be carrying the mace, which is only

used on important Commonwealth occasions, but that, as the chair of

the Commonwealth Youth Council and having this role close to the Queen

in this procession, he thinks it's symbolic of the youth of the

Commonwealth, the fact that so many of the citizens of these 53

countries are so young. Dr Sue Onslow has been watching the

service with me and, the Queen's been to many of these Commonwealth

Day services. What did you make of this one?

The Queen has led by example, she's called before for the Commonwealth

to use deeds, as well as words. These were fine words. There is a

positive energy now about the Commonwealth. It needs to put into

practise what Kofi Annan called for in support for human rights and

democracy. A sense of the Commonwealth is a force for good,

those were the words we heard today. Absolutely. As an organisation that

permits people -- promotes people working together, stresses their

humanity and shared values. It's an added organisation in that it makes

people feel better about each other and in today's Dwighteded world,

that's only for the good -- divided world. It's a knew nook association

of states. What do they get out of it, this is a network? Very much a

network. The Commonwealth doesn't have a large development budget, its

heads only meet every couple of years, but it's that very network,

the interconnectedness that we can definitely exploit, particularly in

this digital age. How much does it depend on what the Queen's done and

what younger members of the Royal Family have done in making that

effort to travel to these distant parts of the globe? As the Duke of

Cambridge said, he said he sees the family as an ideal. Its informality

is key, can you ever card. The future of the Commonwealth. What

will the General Secretary bring to the role? A Unique contribution, a

woman, a child of the Commonwealth, born in the Caribbean and educated

and achieved her professional standing here in England. I think

that, as I said, there is a positive energy about the Commonwealth going

forward, but he needs the support of key heads and can't do it all by

herself. The heads of Government. Well, the Queen is nearly at the

door of the Abbey now and is meeting the performers who we met during the

service -- saw during the service, Ellie Goulding she sang after the

service and also sang at the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of

Cambridge. Waiting to greet the Queen is the

lady who delivered the powerful reflection of her experience of

racism in a Commonwealth country and in the presence Sue, of her own

Prime Minister. It was a strong and dignified message and I was watching

Dr Muscat's face as she was delivering it. He was listening

intently. It is a reminder of the battles that some of the

marginalised communities within this Commonwealth feel and how relevant

that theme of an inclusive Commonwealth is. Absolutely, she was

highlighting the day-to-day lived experiences and this was an

extraordinary celebration of inclusivity in the Commonwealth. I

was also struck by the particularly strong contribution from the Muslim

community here which was very pleasing to see. Well sh the Dean of

Westminster is standing with the Queen. He is pointing her in the

direction of the role of honour of civilian war dead from the Second

World War. It is seven leather bound volumes in a case just by the Abbey

door. More than 60,000 civilian fatalities between 1939 and 1945,

their names are listed in the volumes and the Queen has paused to

have a look as she prepares to leave the Abbey. Other members of the

Royal Family are still in that line of people who are saying farewell to

them as they leave at the end of this Commonwealth Day service. The

flags that we saw process out of the Abbey are now outside and they've

lined up behind the choir. We will see them in a moment, but there is

the Queen receiving one of the many bouquets of flowers she will have

had during her reign. And there are members of the choir waiting to

greet her at the end this. James O'Donnell, the organist and master

of the choristers who directed the choir today. He has been presented

to the Queen. She is talking to stop to him for a moment about the

service. The Abbey choristers who played such a special role. At the

end of the line two of the senior choristers are waiting to give Her

Majesty an early birthday present. They are giving her a framed picture

of her horse. It was called Choir Boy and it won the Royal Hunt Cup at

Ascot on 17th June 1953. Rather appropriately Your Winning Choir Boy

it says in that race from 1953. These two boys are in their final

year in the Abbey Choir School. They are 13 and this is their final year

at the Abbey and the last they will be singing in before they leave. Dr

Sue Onslow, this is rather special because it is just before the

Queen's 90th birthday celebrations. There were so many symbols of the

Commonwealth woven throughout the service, the flowers from all over

the Commonwealth, picking up the colours in the Commonwealth flag.

The choice of readings to emphasise the shared values of the different

faiths within the Commonwealth. Dr Sue Onslow from the Institute of

Commonwealth Studies, thank you very much. Thank you.

BELLS PEEL So the Queen is just leaving the

Abbey, this Commonwealth Day Service has come to an end. Other members of

the Royal Family have been here with her. It is the first of the Queen's

90th birthday events. The next will be on her birthday itself, 21st

April when she will be celebrating in Windsor. And there will be a

special programme to mark that occasion here on BBC One. For now,

from Westminster Abbey, goodbye.