Queen’s 80th Birthday Lunch
Date: 9 May 2006
Speaker: Secretary-General Don McKinnon
Location: Marlborough House, London
Your Majesty, Your Royal Highnesses, Prime Minister Gonzi, Commonwealth Chair-in-Office, Your Excellencies, my predecessors Sir Shridath Ramphal and Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Ladies and Gentlemen.
Today we celebrate your 80 years, of which 54 have been closely associated with us as Head of the Commonwealth.
All of us have made promises of one kind or another in life – and most of us are probably pleased not to be reminded of them, especially the ones we made when we were 21. Today, let me remind us all a promise you made more than half a century ago, when you were 21. But it’s a promise which has stood the test of time; a promise faithfully kept about the Commonwealth.
Those words you spoke in Cape Town: ‘I hereby declare that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service...’
But you said more that day: words which we hear less often; words which this gathering more than any other can appreciate.
You also said: ‘If we all go forward together with an unwavering faith, a high courage, and a quiet heart, we shall be able to make of this ancient commonwealth, which we all love so dearly, an even grander thing - more free, more prosperous, more happy and a more powerful influence for good in the world - than it has been in the greatest days of our forefathers.’
‘Faith’, ‘courage’, ‘heart’. For us all, those words - and your commitment - have never faded. They remain as strong and as appreciated today as ever.
And to those of younger generations – to those of any generation – such words will never fade, and such values will transcend anything more modern and transient in this fast-moving world.
Your Majesty, our Commonwealth has changed out of all recognition in half a century. Its population and its membership have both doubled. It has helped give birth and rebirth to nations. It has championed democracy and the plight of the poor.
In all this change, there have been two constants. The principles that bind us … and your own presence, your own role….
You have been a true symbol of the values which bind Commonwealth members together, freely and equally. As t he Commonwealth has evolved and modernised over the years, you have continued to reflect back at us those positive changes.
In 1970, you called the Commonwealth, "… rather a special family, a family of nations…"
It is just that: a family of peoples and governments united by commonly held beliefs, and a network for good. And you have indeed been both the symbolic head of that family, and also an active participant. A quiet word of encouragement here, your presence there...
But this is not to suggest that your work is done….!
Remember, you’re only 80 years young. Exodus chapter 7, verse 7: ‘And Moses was fourscore years old … when he spake unto Pharaoh’. Your Majesty, it’s only just beginning… Your best work may be still to come …. There may be plagues ahead, there may be waters to be parted…
We greatly appreciate you being here. We greatly appreciate the fact that you will continue to stay with us.
An admiring and grateful Commonwealth wishes you a very happy birthday.
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