Mayor, Aldermen of the City of London,
Your Honor, ladies and gentlemen
On behalf of my wife and myself, I would like to thank you for your warmest and generous welcome to the city this evening. Lest anxious eyes be cast around this August meeting, let me begin by reassuring you that my aim is to leave this evening with fond memories of friendships made and renewed, but not with the allocation of tonnage and pounds due to my Plantagenet ancestors are commanded!
However, I would like to express my own special gratitude for the city traditions that have been preserved over the centuries; in particular, as you said, Mayor, the production of special and valuable items by the City Livery in support of coronations. This includes the magnificent Anointing Screen and the Coronation Cup, which your guests can view tonight in the equally beautiful setting of Mansion House.
Since my accession last year, and in preparation for our coronation earlier this year, I have taken the opportunity to reflect on what makes this nation of ours so special – for each generation lives with its own hopes and fears, as they become entangled in a constant battle between optimism and pessimism, promise and danger. I have often described Britain as a ‘community of communities’; an island nation where our shared values are the force that holds us together, and reminds us that there is much, much more that unites us than divides us.
Yet we live in something of a watershed era. For example, will the advent of artificial intelligence bring an era of ever-increasing material abundance and leisure? Or will it fundamentally change and perhaps even consume jobs and other opportunities before it consumes and then surpasses our very minds? After decades of debate, our television screens – and increasingly mobile phone screens – confront us every day with the grim reality of climate change.
But are devastating scenes of communities scarred by fire and floods – not to mention the migration of people fleeing these terrifying phenomena – enough to convince us to take the necessary action; to make the sacrifices necessary to safeguard our planet for generations yet unborn? Is our society, with its deep and age-old roots – nourished and enriched by welcoming new citizens from all corners of the world since the beginning of our history – equal to the challenges and ready to meet them with strength? I believe so.
Because at such a moment in our national life there are special forces that we can call upon to help us – deep wells from which we can draw, filled not only with our shared history and experiences, but also with literally countless individual stories; a mix of memories from the past and ambitions for the future, to give ourselves a sense of perspective.
From these sources we can generate hope, a common purpose and, above all, a genuine solidarity that will carry us through good times and bad. Gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen, the gifts bestowed by these sources are of great and lasting value. First, there is the deep well of civility and tolerance on which our political lives and the broader national conversation depend, imbued in our sense of justice and our commitment to the rule of law.
We live in an age where, across the demographic spectrum, education and lived experience have taught us our rights; what we know to expect from each other and how we can secure this. The words “I know my rights” are perfectly familiar – and often true. But have we equally succeeded in educating ourselves and our communities about the importance of our responsibilities to each other? Do we instinctively and unerringly pause before we speak or act to ensure we give equal weight to both sides of the balance? Our society would be a kinder and gentler place for it.
Then there is the breathing space that we grant each other, which allows us to think and speak freely. This well reflects the civility and respect we owe each other; our willingness to put others first and treat them as we would have them treat us. To listen to their views and, if we disagree, to remind ourselves to engage in a passionate, but not combative way. This includes the practice of our religious beliefs, in freedom and mutual understanding.
One of my first acts as sovereign, just over a year ago, was to open the doors of Buckingham Palace to the leaders of the major faiths represented in these islands; to welcome them, with respect and even love, and to rededicate my life to protecting the space for Faith herself within our shores. Such understanding, both at home and abroad, is never more important than in times of international unrest and heartbreaking loss of life. Thirdly, the duty of care we feel for others who are ill or have setbacks.
We strive to be a compassionate people who, in the best and worst of times, instinctively seek to alleviate the suffering of others – those we love, those we like and, most powerful of all, the stranger we have never known met, but with whom we extend our hand and our help. Fourth, there is the cataract of science, innovation and scholarship pouring into our laboratories and libraries, our lecture halls and our seminar rooms, and on into our production lines and our knowledge industries.
It is increasingly culminating in the biggest battle of all, which I just mentioned – and to which the city is responding admirably, with signature innovation and flair – combating and limiting global warming and climate change. And fifth, the cherished source from which the sound of laughter can be heard – the healing source filled with a sense of humor, laced with a bracing touch of self-irony. This source flows liberally into all others. The British sense of humor is world famous. It’s not what we do. It’s who we are. Our ability to laugh at ourselves is one of our great national characteristics. But that’s a good thing, you might say, considering the setbacks I’ve faced over the past year with frustratingly failing fountain pens!
What a legacy, gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen, these resources represent. The abundance they give us, the infectious inspiration they bring to our daily lives, is a daily pulse, as is the sense of purpose they instill in us as we face what lies ahead; a wonderful asset that we all share. These flows, the gifts of the resources, also give life to the institutions we have created to bring us health and social care, education and innovation, industry and entrepreneurship, security and justice and our national defense.
We rely on that sense of public service that takes so many far beyond the call of duty in often difficult and sometimes dangerous circumstances. The institutions that depend on their commitment and loyalty also deserve the warmth of our appreciation and not the cold, demotivating scapegoat into which criticism can all too easily fall. The instinct to work together wherever and whenever possible runs deep within us. Even in the most trying of times – when disagreements are polished, paraded and asserted – there is a kind of muscle memory in our country that it doesn’t have to be this way; that the temptation to turn ourselves into a shouting or blaming society must be resisted, or at least greatly mitigated where possible, especially in the digital sphere, where civilized debate all too often gives way to resentment and bitterness.
These instincts converge in perhaps the deepest of all our reservoirs – the reservoir that waters our crucial sense of responsibility, both individually and collectively – allowing us to fulfill our duties as good citizens who understand them, without having to write them down or formalize them. the standards of decency on which our institutions and our constitution depend, as well as our mutual relationships.
Gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen, these are virtues for all seasons. They convey our hope, our kindness, and our duties to one another. They make us what we are and shape what we want to be as we cross the line of what will become of us, living and breathing on these islands that we share, cherish and, crucially, sustain.
As king – and as father and grandfather – I commend them to you. And on behalf of my wife and myself, I would like to conclude by expressing our sincere thanks for the warmth and generosity of your welcome this evening, and by raising a toast to the Lord Mayor and the City of London Corporation.