Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey 2023

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King Charles III, Head of the Commonwealth, and Queen Camilla (wearing Queen Mary’s Russian Sapphire Cluster Brooch) were accompanied by the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, the Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence as they attended the annual Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey on March 13th. The King is the Head of the Commonwealth, and the Commonwealth Service is the largest annual inter-faith gathering in the United Kingdom.

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Upon their arrival at Westminster Abbey, the King and Queen were met by the Dean of Westminster before greeting members of Ngāti Rānana London Māori Club, who performed at the Great West Door ahead of the Commonwealth Service. The service commenced with a procession of Commonwealth member states’ flags, following by the Procession of the Royal Family. 

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The King delivered his Commonwealth Day Message from the Great Pulpit and the service included special musical performances from saxophonist Yolanda Brown, West End stars Roshani Abbey and Nuwan Hugh Perera, and the all-female, Amalgamation Choir, from Cyprus: 

Commonwealth Day was an occasion of particular pride for my beloved Mother, The late Queen – a treasured opportunity to celebrate our Commonwealth family, to whose service she dedicated her long and remarkable life.

In succeeding Her Majesty as Head of the Commonwealth, I draw great strength from her example, together with all that I have learnt from the extraordinary people I have met, throughout the Commonwealth, over so many years.

The Commonwealth has been a constant in my own life, and yet its diversity continues to amaze and inspire me. Its near-boundless potential as a force for good in the world demands our highest ambition; its sheer scale challenges us to unite and be bold.

This week marks the tenth anniversary of the Charter of the Commonwealth, which gives expression to our defining values – peace and justice; tolerance, respect and solidarity; care for our environment, and for the most vulnerable among us.

These are not simply ideals. In each lies an imperative to act, and to make a practical difference in the lives of the 2.6 billion people who call the Commonwealth home.

Whether on climate change and biodiversity loss, youth opportunity and education, global health, or economic co-operation, the Commonwealth can play an indispensable role in the most pressing issues of our time. Ours is an association not just of shared values, but of common purpose and joint 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. Our shared humanity contains such precious diversity of thought, culture, tradition and experience. By listening to each other, we will find so many of the solutions that we seek.

This extraordinary potential, which we hold in common, is more than equal to the challenges we face. It offers us unparalleled strength not merely to face the future, but to build it. Here, the Commonwealth has an incredible opportunity, and responsibility, to create a genuinely durable future – one that offers the kind of prosperity that is in harmony with Nature and that will also secure our unique and only planet for generations to come.

The myriad connections 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 ours be a Commonwealth that not only stands together, but strives together, in restless and practical pursuit of the global common good.

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After the service, the Royal Family met people involved in the service and walked by the Commonwealth Flag Bearers upon departure. Ahead of the reception, the King signed the Commonwealth Charter, a single document outlining the sixteen core values of the association, which the leaders of the Commonwealth have committed to upholding. The charter was signed by Queen Elizabeth II at Marlborough House on Commonwealth Day in 2013.

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In the evening, the King and Queen hosted the Commonwealth Secretary-General, High Commissioners, Foreign Affairs Ministers and other members of the Commonwealth community at Buckingham Palace for the annual Commonwealth Day Reception. The King and Queen met Samoan musicians who performed during the reception, before joining members of the royal family and guests to celebrate Commonwealth Day.

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Queen Camilla wore Queen Mary’s Russian Sapphire Cluster Brooch

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The Princess of Wales wore the Prince of Wales Feathers Brooch and Princess Diana’s Sapphire Earrings.

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The Duchess of Edinburgh wore her Wedding Earrings, which had been designed by Prince Edward.

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