Appointments to the Order of the Garter

Prince Philip and I have been deeply shocked and saddened by the loss of life and injuries after the terrorist attack in Brussels.

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

The understanding that we belong together, and are able, through teamwork, to achieve far more than we could do alone, has always been at the heart of our approach.

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

Prince Philip and I thank you for your warm expressions of loyalty and affection, and for the dedicated service you continue to offer our nation.

No-one who looked to the future over the past centuries could have imagined the strength of the bonds that are now in place between the governments and the people of our two...

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.

A life of public service is an honourable calling.

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.