Commonwealth Day was an event of which my beloved Mother, the late Queen, took great pride-a precious occasion to celebrate the Commonwealth family to whose service she devoted her long and distinguished life.
In succeeding Her Majesty as Head of the Commonwealth, I draw great strength from her example, and from all that I have learned from the extraordinary people I have met from across the Commonwealth over so many years.
The Commonwealth has been a constant in my life, and yet its diversity continues to impress and inspire me. Its almost limitless potential as a force for good in the world demands our highest ambition; its vast scale challenges us to unite and be bold.
This week marks the tenth anniversary of the Commonwealth Charter, which gives expression to the values that define us - peace and justice, tolerance, respect and solidarity, care for the environment and for the most vulnerable among us.
These are not just ideals. Implicit in every word is the imperative to act and make a real difference to the lives of the 2.6 billion people who call the Commonwealth home.
Whether it's climate change and biodiversity loss, opportunity and education for young people, global health or economic cooperation, the Commonwealth can play an absolutely essential role in the most pressing issues of our time. Our Commonwealth is a relationship not only of shared values, but of common purpose and common action.
In this we are blessed with the ingenuity and imagination of a third of the world's population, including one and a half billion people under the age of thirty. The community to which we collectively belong contains such a unique diversity of ideas, cultures, traditions and experiences. By listening to each other, we will find many of the solutions we seek.
This extraordinary capacity we have together transcends the challenges we face. It offers us unparalleled strength, not only to face the future, but to build it. Here, the Commonwealth has an incredible opportunity, and responsibility, to create a truly solid future, one that offers prosperity in harmony with Nature and ensures the sustainability of our one and only planet for generations to come.
The myriad interconnections between our nations have sustained and enriched us for more than seven decades. Our commitment to peace, progress and opportunity will sustain us for many more.
Let our Commonwealth be one that not only stands united, but strives united in a sustained and practical pursuit of the global common good.
(Text as sent from the House of Representatives)
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