King leads largest gathering of senior royals since Andrew's arrest: Charles and Camilla joined by William and Kate and Princess Anne at Westminster Abbey for Commonwealth Day service.
The King, Queen and the Prince and Princess of Wales today led the largest gathering of senior royals since the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, marking Commonwealth Day at Westminster Abbey.
Kate dazzled in a navy Catherine Walker dress coat and five-strand pearl necklace that belonged to her husband's late grandmother Queen Elizabeth II.
His Majesty, Queen Camilla, the Prince and Princess of Wales, Princess Anne and her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, as well as the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, ignored a small but vocal group of anti-monarchist protestors as they arrived at the Abbey to support the King and Commonwealth.
It came amid reports that Charles is set to discuss the thorny issue of his brother Andrew and his place in the order of succession with Commonwealth leaders later.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer took time away from the Iran crisis to join dignitaries from around the world in central London this afternoon. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper was also in attendance.
Prince Albert of Monaco, Geri Horner and her husband Christian joined an array of stars and politicians in the Abbey.
Charles and the Queen were the last guests to arrive after William and Kate, who were welcomed at the Abbey door by Dr David Hoyle, Dean of Westminster.
The King and Queen then greeted all the other royals just inside the church before walking through the Abbey together as a family.
Charles's annual address to the family of nations was included in a special booklet given to the congregation. He said in his message: 'Working together, we can ensure that the Commonwealth continues to stand as a force for good...'
He also spoke of tackling 'testing moments' in a time of 'great challenge'.
The King praised the 'precious' Commonwealth, describing it as a forum for 'honest discussion' aimed at improving the lives of billions in an 'increasingly fragmented' world.
Charles has also used his Commonwealth Day message to highlight how the institution has 'untapped potential for prosperous trade between trusting partners'.
His words to the 56 member states of the family of nations were released ahead of Monday's Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey.
The King is the titular Head of the Commonwealth, following on from his late mother, Queen Elizabeth.
Earlier large crowds had gathered to catch a glimpse of the royal party, who joined an 1,800-strong congregation celebrating the historic ‘family of nations’, formed in the breakdown of the British empire but now comprised of 56 independent member countries, united by ‘shared values including a commitment to promoting democracy, human rights, the rule of law and equality for its 2.7 billion citizens’.
The royal party arrived to a fanfare inside the Abbey with the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester arriving first, followed by The Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence and then the Prince and Princess of Wales.
All were greeted by the Dean of Westminster and presented to the Chapter and members of the Royal Commonwealth Society.
They included Commonwealth Secretary General, The Hon Shirley Botchwey, and Chair of the Royal Commonwealth Society, Janet Cooper.
Outside the faintest occasional cry of ‘what did you know’ could be heard from a small group of flag-waving anti-monarchist protesters from the Republic pressure group in reference to Andrew, but they were competing with the sound of the abbey bells and a group of Commonwealth musicians.
Tags: Queen, Prince Charles, Camilla, Prince Louis, Prince William and Kate Middleton, Prince Charles, Prince Harry, Meghan, Lilibet
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