THE Queen commended the nation’s “selfless dedication to duty” in her Commonwealth speech today – just hours before Harry and Meghan’s bombshell Oprah tell-all interview.
Loyal William, Kate, Prince Charles, Camilla and Sophie Wessex all rallied around the 94-year old Monarch during the hour-long broadcast from Windsor castle.
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The Queen’s 305-word address was carefully written by Her Majesty and chief aides after learning Meg and Harry had spoken to Oprah.
She spoke of community and closeness, working together and support in the broadcast, which comes out a mere eight hours before her grandson and wife spill the beans on Royal life – and their acrimonious split from “The Firm” – on American TV.
But it emerged today that she would not be watching the 90-minute CBS documentary, with palace insiders claiming she will “ignore” the programme – instead focussing on national issues including the pandemic and return to school.
BBC footage during the hour-long telly special showed her walking past Commonwealth flags in Windsor Castle’s St George’s Hall – the same spot where Harry and Meghan revealed baby Archie to the world almost two years ago.
It was filmed under strict Covid-19 restrictions last week after the first damning revelations in Oprah first trailers.
The Queen said: “Over the coming week as we celebrate the friendship spirit of unity achievements of the commonwealth we have an opportunity to reflect on a time like no other.
“Whilst experiences of the past year have been different across the commonwealth stirring examples of courage, commitment and selfless dedication to duty have been demonstrated in every Commonwealth nation and territory.
“Notably by those working on the front line who have been delivering health care and other public services in their communities.
“We have also taken encouragement from remarkable advances in developing new vaccines and treatments.
“The testing times experienced by so many have led to a deeper appreciation of the mutual support and spiritual sustenance we enjoy by being connected to others.
“The need to maintain greater physical distance or to live and work largely in isolation has for many people across the commonwealth been an unusual experience.
“In our everyday lives we have had to become more accustomed to connecting and communicating via innovative technology which has been new to some of us.
“Increasingly, we have found ourselves able to enjoy such communication as it offers an immediacy that transcends boundaries or division helping any sense of distance to disappear.
“And I hope we shall maintain this renewed sense of closeness and community.
“Looking forward, relationships with others across the Commonwealth will remain important as we strive to deliver a common future that is sustainable and more secure.
REAL SERVICE
“So that the nations and neighbourhoods in which we live wherever they are located become healthier and happier places for us all.”
Last year Meg and Harry spent a frosty Commonwealth Day ceremony in Westminster Abbey with their family.
It was their final official engagement and Meghan flew back to Canada within hours of the ceremony finishing.
This year’s event was cancelled due to Covid-19 and filmed inside the abbey and elsewhere during the past two weeks.
In a pre-recorded speech Prince Charles blasted coronavirus for “cruelly robbing countess people of their lives”.
In a possible aside about Harry and Meg’s exile to the USA he adds pandemic restrictions have denied us “the human connections which we so dearly cherish”.
William and Kate hail the heroics of front-line workers around the Commonwealth and Camilla talks about getting children reading.
The Prince of Wales said: “The coronavirus pandemic has affected every country of the Commonwealth cruelly robbing countless people of their lives and livelihoods disrupting our societies and denying us the human connections which we so dearly cherish.
“Amidst such heartbreaking suffering, however, the extraordinary determination, courage and creativity with which people have responded has been an inspiration to us all.
“This pandemic has shown us the true nature of a global emergency.”
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge chatted to Dr Zolelwa Sifumba from South Africa, who has been working over the past decade to advocate for the rights of healthcare workers and medical staff working on the front line.
Kate said: “Here in the UK there has been a massive public recognition the front line are doing. It is sad almost it has taken the pandemic for the public to really back and support all those working on the front line.”
William said: “Catherine and I have spoken to a lot of healthcare workers in the UK and around the world over that last year, we hear your worries and your concerns.”
Camilla was filmed chatting literature with TV presenter Clare Balding at Poets Corner in Westminster Abbey.
The Duchess of Cornwall said: “I’ve always had a passion for books. Books have been a part of my life for so long. I started reading when I was very, very young.”
The Countess of Wessex spoke to Caitlin Figueiredo, founder and CEO of ‘Jasiri Australia’, which aims to transform women and girls’ access to politics, empowering the next generation of female leaders.
Hailing gender equality, she said: “There is no end of passion from young people and no end of desire to want to do something.”
Prince Philip, 99, remains in hospital recovering from a heart operation.
The Queen is alone at Windsor Castle where she has been joined by two new corgi puppies, as revealed exclusively in The Celeb Report.
