King Charles echoes his beloved mother as he vows to serve to the best of his ability

On her coronation day in 1953, the newly crowned Queen Elizabeth II vowed to serve her country and do her duty to the best of her ability.

“I have in sincerity pledged myself to your service, as so many of you are pledged to mine. Throughout all my life and with all my heart I shall strive to be worthy of your trust.”

Now her son, King Charles III, has echoed his beloved late mother’s pledge in a similar fashion amidst his cancer treatment and as 56 nations convene in London for Commonwealth Day.

While he undergoes cancer treatment, the Monarch has stepped back from public duties but has recorded a special message for the annual Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey.

In the speech the King thanked people around the world for their support during his cancer diagnosis and, just like his mother before him, vowed to continue serving to the best of his ability.

“I have been most deeply touched by your wonderfully kind and thoughtful good wishes for my health and, in return, can only continue to serve you, to the best of my ability, throughout the Commonwealth,” he said.

 

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The Commonwealth is a family of nations linked to the UK through the British Empire. Charles is King of 14 of these countries including Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

In his absence, King Charles was represented by his wife Queen Camilla at the event while Prince William and other members of the Royal Family were present.

Commonwealth Day’s 2024 theme is “One Resilient Common Future: Transforming our Commonwealth”.

King Charles expressed his pride at being part of a future-forward global network that is as old as he is.

“It warms my heart to reflect on the way the Commonwealth has been a constant throughout my own life – a precious source of strength, inspiration and pride,” he said.

In his address, he encouraged people to “work together to understand each other’s perspectives, including the inequalities and injustices which still resonate to this day,” adding that “our diversity is our greatest strength.

“The Commonwealth represents a third of humanity, from all regions of the world, with all the different experiences, knowledge, and aspirations that this brings,” he said.

“Wherever we live, we are united by the many challenges we face — whether it be climate change, the loss of nature or the social and economic changes that new technologies are bringing.

“Our diversity means that these challenges affect us all differently and that we experience their impacts in different ways.

“Their seriousness, however, is common to each one of us.”

Charles went on to reflect on the journeys of nations part of the Commonwealth and mentioned how many have reached significant milestones since independence from British rule.

“Last year, The Bahamas celebrated its 50th anniversary of Independence, as Grenada has this year, and Papua New Guinea will next year. Each of these milestones — and many others like them — represent the fulfillment of countless aspirations and the achievement of such remarkable potential,” he said.

“And the Commonwealth’s growth, with new members continuing to join our family of nations, demonstrates clearly that whilst we may not all have a shared history, we have common ambitions for a better future – working together to build resilience and respond to global challenges.

“The Commonwealth family is strongest when we are connected, through friendship. As I have said before, the Commonwealth is like the wiring of a house, and its people, our energy and our ideas are the current that runs through those wires.

“Together and individually, we are strengthened by sharing perspectives and experiences, and by offering and borrowing the myriad ways we have each tackled the challenges of our time. This is true both at the level of nations and, indeed, at the local level.”