King Charles issued a powerful message to mark Commonwealth Day (Image: PA)
has hailed the Commonwealth nations for coming together “in the spirit of support and friendship” as he stressed the importance of restoring “the disrupted harmony of our entire planet” in his ‘s 76th anniversary.
In his address to the family of nations, the King highlighted the Commonwealth’s ability to “bring people together” and praised the “untold sacrifice and selflessness” of all those lost during World War 2, as this year marks 80 years since it ended.
Charles said in his message: “In these uncertain times, where it is all too easy to believe that our differences are problems instead of a source of strength and an opportunity for learning, the Commonwealth’s remarkable collection of nations and peoples come together in the spirit of support and, crucially, friendship.”
He added: “On this special anniversary, we remember with particular pride and everlasting gratitude the untold sacrifice and selflessness of so many from around our Family of Nations who gave their lives in that dreadful conflict.
“As we mark this Commonwealth Day together, there is no more important task than to restore the disrupted harmony of our entire planet.
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King Charles’s 2025 Commonwealth Day message – in full
“Last October, leaders from across the Commonwealth came together in Samoa to reaffirm their “belief in the value of the Commonwealth as a trusted forum where diverse voices of our member states, the large and the small, the young and the old, come together as one family.”
“These gatherings are important for helping all Commonwealth nations to tackle the challenges of the day, yet they also play another vital role.
“In these uncertain times, where it is all too easy to believe that our differences are problems instead of a source of strength and an opportunity for learning, the Commonwealth’s remarkable collection of nations and peoples come together in the spirit of support and, crucially, friendship.
“This year, the world reflects on the eightieth anniversary of the end of World War 2.
“More than one-and-a-half million men and women who served during the War came from across the Commonwealth to support the United Kingdom and its allies.
“On this special anniversary, we remember with particular pride and everlasting gratitude the untold sacrifice and selflessness of so many from around our Family of Nations who gave their lives in that dreadful conflict.
“The Commonwealth’s ability to bring together people from all over the world has stood the test of time and remains as ever-important today.
“Leaders recently reiterated the importance of collaboration for peace and human rights, as well as for the restoration of Nature both on land and in the oceans.
“As we mark this Commonwealth Day together, there is no more important task than to restore the disrupted harmony of our entire planet.
“For the sake of our younger generations’ threatened future, I can only hope that the Commonwealth will continue its vital work to restore that harmony.
“CHARLES R.”
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“For the sake of our younger generations’ threatened future, I can only hope that the Commonwealth will continue its vital work to restore that harmony. “
He signed the message with Charles R, with R being an abbreviation for Rex – Latin for King.
The (Monday) after missing it, along with the Princess of Wales, last year due to his cancer treatment.
Charles will be joined by the Prince and Princess of Wales, Princess Anne and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester for the service in Westminster Abbey.
This year’s Commonwealth Day theme is “Together We Thrive”, which celebrates the “enduring spirit of the Commonwealth family”.
The Commonwealth as a whole is a voluntary association of 56 independent nations, almost all of which were formerly under British rule.
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King Charles will attend the Commonwealth Day service on Monday (Image: Getty)
On Monday, the King and Queen will be met by the Dean of Westminster and will greet members of the Shree Muktajeevan Swamibapa Pipe Band (SMSPB), a community band from the world’s first Hindu eco-temple, Shree Swaminarayan Mandir in Kingsbury.
Charles and Camilla will then join the rest of the royals to form a procession and follow the Commonwealth Mace Bearer, three-time Paralympic champion, and two-time world champion in track cycling, Kadeena Cox.
This year, the Commonwealth flag will be carried by Heritage Sanmi Lawal, a Commonwealth Youth Gender & Equality Network member and anti-gender-based violence advocate from Nigeria.
This year’s service will also include special musical performances Masai Cultural Arts team, Britain’s Got Talent 2015 semi-finalists, Braimah and Jeneba Kanneh-Mason, the first Master of The King’s Music, Errollyn Wallen, and Samoan soprano, Aivale Cole and Joan Armatrading.
Before leaving, the royals are expected to meet those involved in the service, the Commonwealth Flag Bearers.
According to Buckingham Palace, guests of honour among the 2,000-strong congregation will include the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Baroness Scotland, the Commonwealth Secretary-General Elect, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, High Commissioners, senior politicians and dignitaries from across the UK and the Commonwealth.
More than 700 school children and Commonwealth Games Athletes, including Sir Chris Hoy and Shanice Beckford-Norton, will also be attending.
The service will be broadcast live from Westminster Abbey on One and iPlayer.