Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark celebrates his 50th Birthday

His Royal Highness Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark was born on 26th May 1968. On bis 50th birthday his mother Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II gave the following speech at a gala banquet at Christiansborg Palace, Copenhagen:

It is a great pleasure for me to welcome you all here tonight to celebrate Crown Prince Frederik’s 50th birthday.
A warm welcome to all our guests from near and far who have come here to celebrate Crown Prince Frederik on his 50th birthday.
Frederik, I have looked forward to celebrating you on your 50th birthday where you are surrounded by family and friends from near and far, and where the official Denmark and the Danish Realm are represented, which is natural when Denmark’s Crown Prince is to be celebrated.
You are, as they say, in the middle of your life. You have achieved much and you have experienced much, and during these days you have experienced how all of Denmark supports you and takes pleasure in your work. You bring energy and enthusiasm to all that you do and it makes an impact wherever you go.
To be a crown prince is not at all easy for a very young and searching person. But you found your own way, and every time you started a new chapter of your life, you showed the strength within you.
You learnt to grit your teeth and you finished the race. Last Monday you made all of Denmark join in the run. Your Grandmother would have been so proud of you, and how I wish that Papa could have lived to experience your 50th birthday, for he was just as proud of you as I am. He too saw how you developed your talents year by year.
When you found Mary, a new period of life began. Now you were two, then three, then four – indeed, six! A whole family that everybody can take pleasure in, and a family that many are pleased to follow and see themselves reflected in. You and Mary have succeeded in creating a safe and warm family life while both of you together and individually assume tasks that take you to faraway places.
The two of you make Denmark bigger, and you are a credit to Denmark. You make me so happy!
Dear Frederik! Congratulations!
Please raise your glasses and join me in nine cheers for Crown Prince Frederik!

"On our wedding day, you invited me to come and to see what awaited us in love and I have loved every step and every view." - HRH Crown Princess Mary

 

HM King Constantine II and HM Queen Anne Marie of the Hellenes were also at the 50th birthday banquet of their nephew, HRH Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark.

Queen's Birthday stamps 2018

Today, four days ahead of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's birthday Australia Post released the 2018 set of stamps.

The Australian Queen's Birthday postage stamps mark the 92nd birthday of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II with two designs that feature a floral theme.

On the domestic-rate stamp, the Queen is pictured during her 90th birthday celebrations in April 2016. The Queen was photographed arriving to open the Alexandra Gardens Bandstand, in Windsor, as part of a day of visits with Prince Philip. On the international-rate stamp, the Queen is attending a 2015 service to mark Commonwealth Day – the celebration of the Commonwealth of Nations.

The domestic stamp also features a close-up photograph of the 'Queen Elizabeth’ (also known as ‘Queen of England’) – a tall grandiflora rose introduced in 1954. The Queen Elizabeth rose was named to recognise the Queen’s ascension to the British throne in 1952 and subsequent coronation in 1953.

Celebrate Commonwealth Day - with the Queen

The first Empire Day took place on 24th May 1902, celebrated prior to 1901 as the birthday of Queen Victoria. Empire Day became a major event, involving, among other things, school parades. Today 60 years ago, on 12th March 1958, the British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan announced in Parliament the renaming of Empire Day as Commonwealth Day.

The Commonwealth and Britain have a shared history, cultural links, common legal systems and business practices. Following a 1973 proposal by the Royal Commonwealth Society, the Commonwealth Secretariat selected the second Monday in March as the date on which Commonwealth Day is observed throughout all countries of the Commonwealth.

This 12th March people in Commonwealth countries in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and Americas, the Pacific and Europe will observe Commonwealth Day. Faith and civic gatherings, debates, school assemblies, flag raising ceremonies, street parties and fashion shows are just some of the events they will use to celebrate the vast diversity, strong unity and uplifting values that define the Commonwealth.

In London, Head of the Commonwealth Queen Elizabeth II will attend a multicultural, multi-faith service at Westminster Abbey with a mixture of testimonies, performances and readings from throughout the Commonwealth. The event will be broadcast live on BBC One from 2.45pm (GMT) and will feature a procession of Commonwealth flags, with a young flag bearer representing each of the 53 nations of the Commonwealth.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Head of the Commonwealth, sends this message on Commonwealth Day:

We all have reason to give thanks for the numerous ways in which our lives are enriched when we learn from others. Through exchanging ideas, and seeing life from other perspectives, we grow in understanding and work more collaboratively towards a common future. There is a very special value in the insights we gain through the Commonwealth connection; shared inheritances help us overcome difference so that diversity is a cause for celebration rather than division.

We shall see this in action at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting which takes place in the United Kingdom next month, bringing together young people, business and civil society from across the Commonwealth.

These gatherings are themselves fine examples of how consensus and commitment can help to create a future that is fairer, more secure, more prosperous and sustainable. Having enjoyed the warm hospitality of so many Commonwealth countries over the years, I look forward to the pleasure of welcoming the leaders of our family of 53 nations to my homes in London and Windsor.

Sport also contributes to building peace and development. The excitement and positive potential of friendly rivalry will be on display next month as we enjoy the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, Australia. Contributing to the success of the Games, alongside athletes and officials, will be thousands of volunteers.

Voluntary effort, by people working as individuals, in groups or through larger associations, is so often what shapes the Commonwealth and all our communities. By pledging to serve the common good in new ways, we can ensure that the Commonwealth continues to grow in scope and stature, to have an even greater impact on people's lives, today, and for future generations.