Prince William And Kate Join Royals For Commonwealth Day Service
The royals attended the Commonwealth Day Service, honouring the 54 countries and nations which make up the Commonwealth, this Monday for the first time since 2020, as in 2021 it was cancelled due to the pandemic and replaced with a smaller event.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge along with Prince Charles, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, and Queen Elizabeth’s cousin Princess Alexandra have made their way to Westminster Abbey for an annual celebration.
For William and Kate, Westminster Abbey is more special than it is to most of the Commonwealth’s citizens as it is the place they exchanged their vows back in April 2011, and it is also the location of Kate’s first Christmas carol concert, which he hosted and played the piano for a performance last December.
Arriving in style, Kate wore a blue outfit by Catherine Walker, which was made up of a wool crepe coat dress with a silk velvet collar, accessorized with a matching hat and a pair of gloves.
“2.5 billion citizens. 54 member countries. Wishing a very happy #CommonwealthDay to you all,” Wrote William and Kate on social media, announcing the ceremony and adding the flags of each nation.
Commonwealth Day is an annual celebration, which is observed by people all around the globe in Commonwealth nations in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Americas, the Caribbean and the Pacific.
The Cambridges were greeted by steel drums before they entered the Abbey, where they stood by the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior, where they greeted Prince Charles and Camilla before making their way down the aisle in a smaller procession than previous – being just Charles and Camilla, with William and Kate behind them, following the clergy.
Her Majesty the Queen was, unfortunately, unable to attend this year’s ceremony. This marks the first time the Queen has missed the ceremony since 2013, when she was forced to cancel due to illness, which we understand was not the reason she missed it this year, according to discussions surrounding the monarch’s comfort when it came to her attending the service and her travel arrangements.
During Her Majesty’s 70 year reign, from just seven nations the Commonwealth has grown to 54 members. Throughout this time Queen Elizabeth has gone on more than 200 visits and visited every Commonwealth nation, excluding Cameroon and Rwanda.