The Commonwealth Games 2014 do you understand what it is all about?

Her Majesty the Queen opens the 2014 commonwealth games and is continuing to enjoy this amazing sporting event. Here is just one of the press links when she appears in the background of a selfie!

Queen high jacks a selfie https://twitter.com/_JaydeTaylor/status/492269017215012864/photo/

Richard Fitzwilliams our Royal Commentator shares some useful information about the history and what it means in society today.

The Commonwealth Games, was opened by H.M. The Queen in Celtic Park, Glasgow, are the most high profile occasion associated with this unique body. 71 teams compete as apart from the 53 nations who are members, the four Home Nations of the United Kingdom, island states and Crown dependencies also compete. It is the third largest multi-sport event in the world.

Last year’s CHOGM was held in Colombo and this was was extremely controversial because of the Sri Lankan Government’s record on human rights. The Prince of Wales deputized for the Queen. At the previous CHOGM in Perth the report of the Eminent Persons Group which recommended action on human rights including a Commissioner was largely ignored. What is the purpose of so loose an alignment of states, all free and equal? Have so many high-sounding declarations from previous CHOGMS a real purpose, a Declaration on Human Rights from Harare for example?

The Commonwealth’s most valuable function lies in the huge number of cultural, parliamentary, scientific, business, legal and other inter-governmental organizations which cement this gathering of 53 states, all but Rwanda and Mozambique being former British territories. They have the English language in common and often a shared history as well as High Commissioners. The Commonwealth Games, held every fourth year, is the most high profile of its activities.

The Queen’s personal affection for the Commonwealth is legendary and though the headship is not automatically passed to the British monarch it would be ridiculous if it did not as this ensures continuity and cohesion. The 2013 CHOGM was only the second CHOGM she has not attended since these meetings began in 1971. 16 Commonwealth countries have her as head of state. 5 are monarchies, the rest are republics.

The Commonwealth has suspended Fiji, Zimbabwe left in 2003, Gambia in 2013 and Nigeria and Pakistan have previously been suspended so it does try to create a moral framework in which its members have to appear to operate. Burma, Aden and Ireland never joined. South Africa was not readmitted after it became a republic in 1961 until democracy in 1994 and the campaign against apartheid was one of the commonwealth’s successes. Few celebrate Commonwealth Day (the secondMonday in March) and the organization has no military power, it is a variety of states comprising roughly a third of the world’s population which gives smaller nations a unique chance for a say.

Britain might consider, as a reluctant member of the EU, it a good idea to look anew at this unique body.

Prince George 1st Birthday 22nd June 2014

A year has now past since Prince George was born on the 22nd of June 2013, and he is doing so well as you can see in his picture. Lots happening to celebrate we are sure with his family. Here are some interesting facts from Royal Commentator Richard Fitzwilliams about this special time.

PRINCE GEORGE IS A YEAR OLD. TUESDAY 22^ND JULY. Richard Fitzwilliams, 

The first birthday of the third in line to the throne, Prince George, will be marked with three photographs taken in the Butterfly House outside London’s Natural History Museum of which the Duchess of Cambridge is a patron, by John Stilwell. The first shows him walking with ease and looking confident, the others are happy family photos which will delight after a most successful year.

There will be a party at Kensington Palace. The Queen will be attending and the guests might include royal cousins Maud (11 months), daughter of Lord Frederick Windsor and his wife Sophie and Mia (6 months), daughter of Zara and Mike Tindall. It will have a theme, could it be animals as he loves wombats? There are reports there was a party with a Peter Rabbit theme put on for him on Saturday by the Middletons whose Party Pieces firm specialises in this.

George’s major appearances in his first year have been in the Antipodes. The party at Government House in Wellington with ten other babies of eight months was a huge success. The photo opportunity with the bilby at Taronga Zoo in Sydney was simply marvellous.

The vast interest nationally and internationally when George was born was, for many, excessive, especially the hours spent on rolling news during the waiting outside St Mary’s but the major stories do receive this sort of coverage if there is demand for it. His appearances in Britain have been wisely rationed since, there were lovely Christening photos at the historic royal gathering, the first of its type since 1894, by Jason Bell and George also appeared at the Cirencester Polo Club where William and Harry played in June on Father’s Day.

When William was a year old his parents were on tour in Canada. He is clearly arranging events so he has the maximum amount of time to spend with his family. His next job will be becoming a pilot with the East Anglian Air Ambulance though this has yet to be confirmed. Today, there is much to celebrate with the Royal Mint releasing a £5 coin and the Summer Exhibition at Buckingham Palace has the theme Royal Children.