Speech celebrating Commonwealth Day
This morning, it is my great honour and pleasure to read to you The King’s Commonwealth Day message:
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.
I was so delighted last year to welcome Their Majesties, very early in my term, on their first visit to Australia as our King and Queen.
It was wonderful to see the magnificent welcome they received from so many Australians, and also to see their joy in being here.
The King has been coming here since he was a teenager, and his love for this country is deep and genuine.
Also very visible were the seriousness and clarity and passion of his commitment to repairing our relationship with nature, and securing peace and justice between peoples.
He has a global focus, and, as you heard in his message, a heart for the Commonwealth family we celebrate today.
In 2025, Commonwealth Day is an occasion to remember the history we share, but more importantly to celebrate the freedom, diversity, equality and creativity of the family of modern nations we belong to.
In a world of shifting geopolitics, rapidly advancing technology, climate stress, and deepening divides, it is so very important to come together around enduring principles of democracy, justice, respect, compassion and care.
As a reflection of what matters most to Australians, I have made care, kindness and respect the focus of my term.
Care for each other, care for those who care for others, care for our extraordinary continent and its environmental beauty, care for civics and institutions, and care for the way in which we discuss and debate the issues of our time without judgement, anger, or violence.
Today is about honouring the care for many cultures and faiths which our diverse community embodies.
And care for the fabric of the Commonwealth that both warms and adorns our lives in so many ways.
To our keepers and practitioners of faith, culture, peace, wisdom, and beauty: thank you for the ways you enrich our common life, and contribute to our common future.