Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa arrived at Westminster Abbey in London for the annual Commonwealth Day Service where she led the scripture reading on Tuesday (Samoa time). 

As chairperson of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), Fiame sat alongside the Head of the Commonwealth, King Charles III and other leaders. 

She was accompanied by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) Chief Executive Officer Peseta Noumea Simi at the Westminster Abbey event. 

In London, the Commonwealth Secretariat hosted a reception welcoming representatives from across the member states and held a vibrant multi-faith service at Westminster Abbey celebrating the diversity and unity of the Commonwealth.

King Charles, Queen Camilla and Prime Minister Fiame spoke at the reception before the inaugural Commonwealth Peace Prize was presented. 

In his Commonwealth Day message, King Charles said restoring the “disrupted harmony of our entire planet” was the most “important” task facing humanity.

Charles spoke about the October meeting where leaders from across the Commonwealth came together in Samoa to reaffirm their ‘belief in the value of the Commonwealth as a trusted forum where diverse voices of our member states, the large and the small, the young and the old, come together as one family’.

He said these gatherings are important for helping all Commonwealth nations to tackle the challenges of the day, yet they also play another vital role. 

“In these uncertain times, where it is all too easy to believe that our differences are problems instead of a source of strength and an opportunity for learning, the Commonwealth’s remarkable collection of nations and peoples come together in the spirit of support and, crucially, friendship. 

“As we mark this Commonwealth Day together, there is no more important task than to restore the disrupted harmony of our entire planet. For the sake of our younger generations’ threatened future, I can only hope that the Commonwealth will continue its vital work to restore that harmony.”

This year’s Commonwealth Day theme is Together We Thrive, which celebrates the “enduring spirit of the Commonwealth family”.