Commonwealth Day

This is an annual celebration of the Commonwealth of Nations held on the second Monday in March since 1977. It is marked by an Anglican service in Westminster Abbey, normally attended by the monarch as Head of the Commonwealth along with the Commonwealth Secretary-General and High Commissioners in London. The monarch delivers a broadcast address to the Commonwealth. It used to be called Empire Day after being introduced to the UK in 1904, being celebrated on 24th May, Queen Victoria’s birthday. After World War II the event fell into decline, and in 1958 Prime Minister Harold Macmillan changed the name to Commonwealth Day. It was Canada that proposed to change the date to the current second Monday of March.