Queen calls for Commonwealth unity before Harry and Meghan interview

[March 08, 2021]  LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's Queen Elizabeth celebrated on Sunday the sense of Commonwealth unity fostered by "a time like no other", just hours before a U.S. interview with her grandson Prince Harry and his wife Meghan that could deepen divisions in the royal family.

In a speech to mark Commonwealth Day, dedicated to the countries mainly from the former British empire that maintain links with Britain, the Queen welcomed the "deeper appreciation of the mutual support and spiritual sustenance we enjoy being connected to others" during the coronavirus pandemic.

"We have all continued to appreciate the support, breadth of experiences and knowledge that working together brings, and I hope we shall maintain this renewed sense of closeness and community," she said in a televised message.

For almost 50 years, the royal family has attended an annual Commonwealth Day service at London's Westminster Abbey in March, but it has been cancelled this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Prince Charles, joined by other royals including his elder son and heir, Prince William, also broadcast a tribute to the courage shown by people throughout the Commonwealth in response to the pandemic.

The messages air hours before CBS broadcasts the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's highly anticipated tell-all, their first in-depth interview since they moved to the United States.

Oprah Winfrey's scoop will see Harry and Meghan explain why they abandoned Britain to start new lives in California.

(Reporting by Elizabeth Piper; Editing by Catherine Evans)

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