A speech by The Queen at the XVIII Commonwealth Games, Australia, 2006

Je chéris ma place dans la vie du Canada et mon lien avec tous les Canadiens et Canadiennes.

I am proud to be the first member of the Canadian Royal Family to be greeted in Canada's newest territory.

It is my pleasure in this my Golden Jubilee Year to declare the 17th Commonwealth Games open.

I am glad to be in Merseyside, which must be one of the most distinctive and energetic parts of the United Kingdom.

We have both been struck by both the diversity as well as the dynamism of Australia, and the vigour and humour of Australians everywhere.

It is our very diversity which makes the Commonwealth strong.

Whatever may lie ahead, I declare again here tonight that my admiration, affection and regard for the people of Australia will remain, as it has been over these past fifty...

New Zealand is working to improve and strengthen all the various relationships between Maori and the Crown.

It is both a privilege and a pleasure to have served as Queen of New Zealand for these fifty years.

The Commonwealth remains one of the strongest pillars for the building of world-wide peace, growth and development.

For Christmas marks a moment to pause, to reflect and believe in the possibilities of rebirth and renewal.

By any measure this Millennium year has been an unforgettable one.

This December we are looking back not just on one year, but on a hundred years and a thousand years.

Though we each lead different lives, the experience of growing older, and the joys and emotions which it brings, are familiar to us all.

I remember my own childhood Christmases here, with my father and mother, and a great family gathering, and now I delight in seeing my children and grandchildren enjoying the...

But I cannot think of any Christmas of my reign when the message of the angels has been more apt.

To see British and Russian veterans standing together, in memory of the sacrifices of their comrades-in-arms, was a moving experience.

We have indeed become a global village.

I first came here for Christmas as a grandchild. Nowadays, my grandchildren come here for the same family festival.

I am constantly amazed by the generosity of donors and subscribers, great and small, who give so willingly and often towards the enjoyment of others.

I hope that all of us lucky enough to be able to enjoy such gatherings this Christmas will take time to count our blessings.

Unlike all the other planets in the solar system, earth shimmers green and blue in the sunlight and looks a very pleasant place to live.

May the Christmas story encourage you, for it is a message of hope every year, not for a few, but for all.

More than ten thousand men and women can take great pride in the parts they have played in the creation of this symbol of Australian unity and democracy.

I hope we will all help each other to have a happy Christmas and, when the New Year comes, resolve to work for tolerance and understanding between all people.

There are many serious and threatening problems in this country and in the world but they will never be solved until there is peace in our homes and love in our hearts.

These success stories are often pushed into the background but they are the guarantee of our future.

But friendship, whether we are talking of continents or next door neighbours, should not need strife as its forerunner.

I hope that Christmas will remind us all that it is not how we communicate but what we communicate with each other that really matters.

Throughout history, seamen all over the world have shared a common experience and there is a special sense of brotherhood between merchant and naval seamen, fishermen...

All around us we see these acts of selflessness, people putting the life of someone else before their own.

I come across examples of unselfish service in all walks of life and in many unexpected places.

Today we celebrate the birth of the child who transformed history and gave us a great faith.

My grandfather, King George V, started the tradition of the Christmas Day Broadcasts back in 1932.

Remember that good spreads outwards and every little does help.

I believe that Christmas should remind us that the qualities of the human spirit are more important than material gain.

The Christmas message is really one for all seasons and not just for one day of the year.

Never before has there been a group of independent nations linked in this way by their common history and continuing affection.

In a short time the 1960s will be over but not out of our memories. Historians will record them as the decade in which men first reached out beyond our own planet and set foot...

At times it is almost hidden by the merry making and tinsel, but the essential message of Christmas is still that we all belong to the great brotherhood of man.

Let there be no doubt that Britain is faced with formidable problems, but let there also be no doubt she will overcome them.

The devotion of nuns and nurses, the care of mothers and wives, the service of teachers, and the conviction of reformers are the real and enduring presents which women have...

A new army is on the march which holds out the brightest hopes for all mankind.

You young people are needed; there is a great task ahead of you - the building of a new world.

We know the reward is peace on earth, goodwill toward men, but we cannot win it without determination and concerted effort.