Christmas Broadcast 1969

Stirring examples of courage, commitment and selfless dedication to duty have been demonstrated in every Commonwealth nation and territory.

Such a blend of traditions serves to make us stronger, individually and collectively, by providing the ingredients needed for social, political and economic resilience

On behalf of the people The Trust has helped thank you to each and every one of you for all your incredible support, and to Your Majesty thank you for choosing to give the...

Since you became an independent country in 1966, you have continued to flourish and grow into a strong and confident nation.

On behalf of my grandmother, The Queen, I am grateful to the Government and the people of St. Lucia for this most generous contribution.

Being inclusive and accepting diversity goes far deeper than accepting differences at face value and being tolerant.

The baton relay represents a calling together of people from every part of the Commonwealth.

In the Commonwealth, governments, businesses, communities and individuals should each strive to match words and good intentions with deeds. Every contribution has its part to...

I have been warned I may have Happy Birthday sung to me more than once or twice.

Despite its size and scale, the Commonwealth to me is still at heart a collection of villages.

The Commonwealth is one of the great partnerships of the world where rich and poor, large and small, work together for the common good.

Thank you, Mr Prime Minister of Canada, for making me feel so old!

Ladies and gentlemen, I feel enormously proud of what the Commonwealth has achieved, and all of it within my lifetime

St. Paul reminds us that all Christians, as ambassadors for Christ, are entrusted with the ministry of reconciliation.

It is through this lens of history that we should view the conflicts of today, and so give us hope for tomorrow.

At Christmas I am always struck by how the spirit of togetherness lies also at the heart of the Christmas story.

Being united - that is, feeling a unity of purpose - is the glue that bonds together the members of a family, a country, a Commonwealth.

All great religions have such times of renewal, moments to take stock before moving on to face the challenges which lie ahead.

My hope this Christmas is that the Christian spirit of reconciliation may burn as strongly in our hearts during the coming year.

In the United Kingdom we have our own particular sorrows in Northern Ireland and I want to send a special message of sympathy to all those men, women and children who have...

My message today is one of encouragement and hope.

Then Christmas comes, and once again we are reminded that people matter, and it is our relationship with one another that is most important.