Royal family to join Westminster Abbey service marking Commonwealth Day

The King will lead the nation in celebrating the Family of Nations during the annual Commonwealth Day service.

Charles will be joined by the Queen, Prince and Princess of Wales and a 2,000-strong congregation for the event at Westminster Abbey.

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

Ahead of commemorations marking the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, the King also remembered the “sacrifice and selflessness” of Commonwealth forces who answered the call to fight with Britain and her allies.

The King, who is head of the Commonwealth, gives an annual address each year to the family of 56 nations, but last year pre-recorded a video message after postponing his public-facing duties for around three months after being diagnosed with cancer.

The Princess of Wales also missed the service last year, a key event in the royal calendar, after also being diagnosed with cancer but will be among the congregation alongside the King, Queen and Prince of Wales.

Kate is still making a gradual return to public duties after confirming she is in remission.

In his message, delivered as head of the Commonwealth, Charles said: “Leaders recently reiterated the importance of collaboration for peace and human rights, as well as for the restoration of nature both on land and in the oceans.

“As we mark 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.”

Plans have been announced for celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) and Victory over Japan (VJ) Days, in what might be “our last chance to thank surviving veterans”, said TV presenter and actor Ross Kemp who helped launch the countdown to events.

Charles said in his message: “This year, the world reflects on the eightieth anniversary of the end of World War Two.

“More than one and-a-half million men and women who served during the War came from across the Commonwealth to support the United Kingdom and its allies.

“On this special anniversary, we remember with particular pride and everlasting gratitude the untold sacrifice and selflessness of so many from around our Family of Nations who gave their lives in that dreadful conflict.”

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

William, Kate, Charles and Camilla will be joined by the Princess Royal and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester for the service, said Buckingham Palace.

During the service, singer-songwriter Joan Armatrading will perform an arrangement of her well-known hit Love And Affection for the congregation.

On the same day, the King will launch the inaugural King’s Baton Relay at Buckingham Palace, officially starting the countdown to the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.

Charles and Camilla will also be guests of the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Baroness Scotland, at the annual Commonwealth Day reception on Monday evening and hear a commemorative song by Andrew Lloyd Webber to mark the inaugural Commonwealth Peace Prize.

Commonwealth Day on Monday is also being marked by the release of a playlist Charles has compiled following a collaboration with Apple Music for his King’s Music Room show.

Bob Marley, Kylie Minogue, Grace Jones and contemporary artists Davido and Raye are among those who make it into Charles’s top tracks from across the Commonwealth.