The Princess of Wales looked breath-taking as she arrived at Westminster Abbey for the annual Commonwealth Day service with The Prince of Wales by her side. It was an especially important engagement for the princess after she was forced to cancel her appearance last year following her cancer diagnosis.
While it was Kate’s striking red coat dress by Catherine Walker and matching hat by Gina Foster which drew the most attention, it was her choice of jewellery which brought an additional poignant touch to the day. The four-row Japanese pearl choker necklace was owned by Queen Elizabeth II and was previously worn by Kate to the late monarch’s funeral in 2022.
The iconic piece features a curved diamond clasp and was first loaned to Kate in 2017. Before that, the necklace had previously been loaned to Diana, Princess of Wales, in 1982 for a state visit from Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands.
The Princess’ appearance on Monday came after both she and King Charles were forced to pull out of the annual service last year, as Queen Camilla and Prince William stepped in to lead the rest of the Royal Family.
The King arrived shortly after the Prince and Princess and was joined by Queen Camilla who looked the picture of elegance in a baby pink coat dress and matching hat. Other members of the Royal Family in attendance included the Princess Royal and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester. The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh were missing from the line-up as the service fell on Prince Edward’s 61st birthday.
In his Commonwealth message this year, the King said: « 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 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. »
It was a deeply moving day, given the Royal Family’s deep devotion to the Commonwealth and the desire to carry on Queen Elizabeth II’s impressive legacy. The family of nations held a deep place in the late Queen’s heart and was a memorable feature of her 21st birthday speech from South Africa in 1947.
The address concluded with the famous dedication: « I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong. »
Just like his mother before him, The King has been an active supporter of the Commonwealth for over 40 years. Since 1969, he has visited 48 Commonwealth countries, many of them on numerous occasions.
This year’s Commonwealth Day theme, ‘Together We Thrive’, celebrates the enduring spirit of the Commonwealth family – 56 independent member countries united by shared values enshrined in the Commonwealth Charter. Rooted in the principles of family, unity and peace, the theme highlights the importance of fostering strong and connected communities that support and empower their members, enabling meaningful progress.
The service included musical performances from 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. Their collaboration, titled ‘Way of My Dreaming Heart’ is an original score composed by Belize-born Wallen and will celebrate Samoa’s role as Chair-in-Office of the Commonwealth.
Source link
