දෙවන එලිසෙබෙත් මහ රැජින සම්බන්ධයෙන් හිටපු ජනාධිපතිනී චන්ද්‍රිකා බණ්ඩාරනායක කුමාරතුංග සිය මතකයක් අලුත් කර ඇති අතර එය පහත දැක්වෙයි .
දෙවන එලිසෙබෙත් මහ රැජිනගේ සහ පිලිප් කුමරුගේ 50 වන විවාහ සංවත්සරය වෙනුවෙන් පොදුරාජ්‍ය මණ්ඩලීය රාජ්‍ය නායකයන් වෙනුවෙන් පැවති බෝජන සංග්‍රහයේ දී සියලු රාජ්‍ය නායකයන් වෙනුවෙන් එම යුවලට සුබ පැතීම පැවරුණේ මා හටය. එහිදී ඔවුන්ට සුබ පතමින් සිදු කළ කතාව පහත වේ.
Congratulations Your Majesty !
Your Royal Highness,
Your Excellencies,
My Lords, Ladies and Gentlemen,
The Banquet traditionally offered by Her Majesty the Queen to Heads and Special Envoys of Commonwealth Governments is a particularly vivid symbol of our association. This year, it has the added aura of a Golden Jubilee, in more than one sense. I, therefore, feel especially privileged to have the opportunity of addressing Her Majesty this evening on behalf of all the Commonwealth Governments.
It was fifty years ago, that the process of transforming the British Empire into the evolving Commonwealth of Nations commenced, with the gaining of Independence by India & Pakistan. That momentous beginning provided both an inspiration and an impetus for the world-wide" process of decolonisation, which we witnessed in the ensuing years. That we in the Commonwealth are today a microcosm of that larger world is merely illustrative of the scale of an empire on which the sun supposedly never set.
We in the Commonwealth encompass a geographical spread across the globe. We embrace a variety of ethnicities, religions and cultures, which find replication and reflection throughout the world. In terms of state power, we count amongst us nuclear powers and Permanent Members of the UN Security Council, and Members of the Group of Seven, along with small island states and countries, which are deemed least, developed. And there is much that binds us.
Most obviously, we share usage of a common language, albeit spoken in myriad accents and intonations. I dare say Ma'am, that had Bernard Shaw been alive today, he may well have considered re-writing some lines of PYGMALION. We also share a commitment to practise democratic governance, although here, too, we have adapted the original Westminster model to suit our respective native genius.
We are also governed by the common law, that great body of jurisprudence, tried and tested by centuries of usage.
And, many of our countries engage in a special form of esoteric sport, so complex and shrouded in mysterious rituals that it drives half the world to despair in seeking to comprehend it, while to the other half it is a religion, not a game. Only we in the Commonwealth know that a square cut is not a succulent bovine offering, that off drives, on drives and cover drives are not options available to a landscape artist, that a Yorker is not a pudding, that a googly is not an Indian sweetmeat. No other game is capable of bringing the life of entire nations from the West Indies to Australia, from South Africa to the Indian sub-continent to a halt for a day while eleven young men watched by millions across the globe pursue a small spherical object with frantic fervour over an open field. Coming from the country that has produced the current world champions in the art of hitting, throwing and catching that object, I can vouch for the fact that cricket, at least, provides a level playing field on which large and small players can contend on equal terms.
The amalgam of all this is a distinctive Commonwealth ethos, which, I believe, could have a particular relevance in today's world. We have chosen to maintain our association despite the disparities we reflect, and despite, too, our simultaneous membership in other associations, which are more sharply focused upon our respective political and economic interests and concerns. At our periodic and regular meetings, we freely and frankly share views reflecting wide differences of perception. Yet we nonetheless endeavour to synthesise those views to the greatest feasible extent. with a view to forging common attitudes and approaches to world issues.
This ethos is evident throughout our interaction at various levels: as governments, as groups of parliamentarians, as members of professional bodies in many disciplines, and as voluntary groups engaged in a wide range of social and humanitarian tasks. In all of this, our common objective always is to maximise the mutual benefits to be derived from such interaction. I venture to suggest, therefore, that if any group of countries in today's world has a propensity to come together in a co-operative and mutually supportive relationship, surely we in the Commonwealth do.
The very nature of today's world should impel us then to concentrate our minds on such a prospect. For in the world at large, we are now well embarked upon a uni-polar international order. driven by a process of economic globalisation of which the most visible characteristic is the dominance of transnational corporations and the inequality of benefit for the rich and the poor, Viewed in this context Ma'am, one might entertain some reservation about that ancient proposition, which holds that "the meek shall inherit the earth. It behoves us in the Commonwealth, therefore, to bend our best efforts towards achieving that understanding and accommodation, between states of very disparate resources, which alone could create a truly level playing field, which is not so high that some of us cannot climb on to participate in the game.
I mentioned earlier that there is another aspect to the Golden Jubilee, which coincides with our gathering here. It is a particular delight and privilege Ma' am, for all of us to be here in Edinburgh in close to the time when, together with prince Philip, you will be celebrating your 500 Wedding Anniversary. We congratulate you and rejoice with you on this happy occasion. All of us wished to mark your Golden Anniversary by presenting you with a suitable gift, as a token of our appreciation for all you have given us in the Commonwealth over the last 50 years.
A major part of our gift, which I am honoured to present to you on behalf of all the Commonwealth Governments, could not be brought to Edinburgh because, as others and 1 hope, it is even now firmly secured in place high above St. George's Hall at Windsor Castle It is a creation of decorative plasterwork - I understand the technical term for it is a tresllion, which incorporates in its design both the Order of the Garter and, ar its heart, the Commonwealth Emblem. It will therefore be a significant and, I hope, a permanent fixture in the superbly - restored St. George's Hall, and will be a visible symbol of the respect and affection in which you both are held throughout the Commonwealth.
I suspect, Ma'am, that you may have already seen our gift in St. George's Hall, but we have brought you a photograph of it tonight to indicate the greater part of our present.
Ma'am, my happy task is not yet complete. We felt that we could not really let this occasion pass by simply leaving you both with a photograph. We all feel that you both deserve a gift of a more personal kind. We are therefore presenting you with two paintings by the distinguished artist, Emma Faull. The first is a gift to you Ma'am, and is of a Green Peacock, and the second to you Prince Philip is of a Golden Pheasant. Both have been beautifully depicted in exotic-and, as it happens Commonwealth - habitats.
It is now my great honour Your Royal Highness, Your Excellencies, My Lords, Ladies and Gentlemen, to invite you to join me in a Toast to Her Majesty the Queen, Head of the Commonwealth and His Royal Highness, the Duke of Edinburgh.
Scotland November 20, 1997