XN000022-1990-03-11 — Page 2

SUNDAY, MARCH 11, 1990

QUEEN'S COMMONWEALTH DAY MESSAGE

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FOLLOWING IS THE TEXT OF THE QUEEN'S COMMONWEALTH DAY WHICH IS EMBARGOED UNTIL 0001 HOURS TOMORROW (MONDAY):

MESSAGE,

"EVERY YEAR, WHEN WE CELEBRATE COMMONWEALTH DAY, IT REMINDS ME THAT WE ARE CELEBRATING SOMETHING WHICH IS QUITE UNIQUE. NOTHING QUITE LIKE THE COMMONWEALTH HAS EVER BEEN CREATED OR EVOLVED BEFORE. ITS COMPARATIVE LACK OF RULES, IT'S HUMAN RICHNESS

ITS GEOGRAPHICAL DIVERSITY, MAKE THE COMMONWEALTH AS HARD ΤΟ DEFINE AS IT IS EASY TO CRITICISE.

AND

"THE MEMBERS OF ANY FAMILY, AND THAT IS WHAT THE COMMONWEALTH MOST NEARLY RESEMBLES, WILL VARY WIDELY IN

AGE, APPEARANCE, TASTES, TALENTS AND TEMPERAMENT. FROM TIME TO TIME THEY WILL HOLD SOME VERY DIFFERENT OPINIONS. YET MEMBERS OF A FAMILY HAVE NO DIFFICULTY IN RECOGNISING EACH OTHER AS RELATIONS, AND IN PUTTING A VALUE UPON THEIR KINSHIP. THEY ARE ABLE TO SUM ONE ANOTHER UP WITH BOTH AND AFFECTION. THEY APPRECIATE EACH OTHER'S SPECIAL

REALISM QUALITIES. ABOVE ALL, THEY HAVE LEARNED TO FEEL AT HOME WITH EACH OTHER. SO HAVE WE THE COMMONWEALTH.

IN

COMPULSION

OTHER, OR OUR FAMILY CONSTRAINED

"IT IS A FEATURE OF OUR ASSOCIATION THAT WE LEARN FROM BACH OTHER AND INFLUENCE EACH OTHER, BUT DO NOT EXPECT TO AGREE ON EVERYTHING ALL THE TIME. IN THE LAST RESORT, THERE IS NO TO CONFORM. IF WE ARE SOMETIMES CRITICAL OF EACH DISAPPOINTED, IT IS BECAUSE WE EXPECT MORE OF MEMBERS OF THAN WE DO OF OTHERS. NOW AND THEN A MEMBER MAY EVEN FEEL TO GO OFF ON HIS OWN. SOME YEARS AGO THIS HAPPENED ΤΟ PAKISTAN FOR EXAMPLE. YET TODAY WE HAVE THE JOY OF HAVING PAKISTAN BACK IN THE FAMILY. THIS ILLUSTRATES PERFECTLY THE NATURE OF THE UNDERLYING BOND WHICH DISTINGUISHES THE COMMONWEALTH FROM ALL OTHER INTERNATIONAL

ORGANISATIONS.

"THE COMMONWEALTH HAS OTHER STRENGTHS TOO. ONE OF THEM IS THAT IT APPEALS TO THE YOUNG AS MUCH AS TO THE OLD, TO PEOPLES AND NATIONS AT ALL PHASES OF POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, CULTURAL AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT, TO REFORMERS AND LOVERS OF TRADITION ALIKE.

THE

"ANOTHER STRENGTH OF THE COMMONWEALTH IS THE MULTIPLICITY OF STRANDS THAT BIND US TOGETHER. WE SHOULD REMEMBER THAT COMMONWEALTH RELATIONSHIP IS NOT LIMITED TO THE CONTACTS BETWEEN POLITICAL LEADERS. EACH AND EVERY NATIONAL ORGANISATION AND PROFESSION SEEMS TO HAVE ITS COMMONWEALTH COUNTERPART. THEY GIVE IT LIFE AND DIVERSITY AND MAP OUT THE PATHS OF ITS FUTURE ACHIEVEMENTS.

"ON COMMONWEALTH DAY ESPECIALLY WE GREET EACH OTHER AS MEMBERS OF THE BIGGEST AND MOST UNUSUAL FAMILY ON EARTH.

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