The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge shared an important celebratory
message on Monday morning, just hours after being noticeably absent from the BAFTA awards the
night before.
William and Kate wished their Twitter followers a happy Commonwealth Day
as their official account tweeted, “2.5 billion citizens, 54 member
countries. Wishing a very happy #CommonwealthDay to you all” alongside a
host of Commonwealth country flags.
Their tweet was met with replies from fans all over the world, including
from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Trinidad and Tobago.
William’s grandmother the Queen is Head of the Commonwealth, which is
made up of 54 countries. Later on Monday, the Cambridges, alongside the Prince
of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, and Princess Alexandra, will attend the
traditional Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey, London.
The Queen had been hoping to attend but is no longer able to travel from
her home in Windsor. The decision has been interpreted as a precautionary
measure and a practical move, rather than a new health issue for the
95-year-old monarch who has just recovered from coronavirus.
Charles will represent his mother at the service, whose theme this year
is ‘Delivering A Common Future’ – the Commonwealth’s continued commitment to
delivering a peaceful, prosperous and more sustainable future for all. It will
also celebrate Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee Year.
Highlights will include the Queen’s Commonwealth Day message as well as
an address by former archbishop Lord Sentamu, a reflection by young Tongan
leader Elizabeth Kite, and special musical performances from Emeli Sande and
Mica Paris.
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William and Kate at the 2020 Commonwealth Day service
This will be the first time Her Majesty has missed the event in almost a
decade and it would have marked her debut public appearance since reaching her
Platinum Jubilee milestone in February. The last time she skipped the service
was in 2013 while recovering from a nasty bout of gastroenteritis.
Prince William and Kate were also noticeably absent from the BAFTA
awards on Sunday evening. The couple usually attends the glitzy ceremony but
were unable to this year due to “diary constraints”. As President of
BAFTA, William delivered a virtual address on
the night.
