King Charles calls for harmony in Commonwealth Day message

London, Mar 10 (PTI) Britain’s King Charles III marked Commonwealth Day on Monday with a customary message as the Head of the 56-member organisation, including India, celebrating it as a source of strength and harmony in uncertain times.

With ‘Together We Thrive’ as this year’s theme, the day is intended to unite the 2.7 billion Commonwealth citizens in celebration of their shared values and in pursuit of a common future.

The King’s message forms part of the order of service for the annual commemorative service at Westminster Abbey in London, which brings together members of the royal family and prominent dignitaries as part of a 2,000 strong congregation.

“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,” reads the King’s message.

“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,” he said.

The 76-year-old monarch also referenced the year 2025 marking the eightieth anniversary of the end of World War II.

“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,” he said.

“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,” he added.

Since 1977, Commonwealth Day has been observed every year on the second Monday of March. It also includes a special event at the Commonwealth Memorial Gates at Hyde Park Corner in London, commemorating the sacrifice of the millions of soldiers who fought the World Wars as part of the British Empire’s armed forces.

In her final message for Commonwealth Day before the conclusion of her tenure as Secretary-General at the end of this month, Baroness Patricia Scotland said: “The ties which bind us are not only those of history, language, or institutions, but of something far greater: a shared commitment to the values which anchor us — peace, justice, and sustainable development.

“These values have been tested, again and again, by the challenges of our era, yet they endure, because they are lived and championed by the extraordinary people of our 56 nations.” PTI AK SCY