Samoa celebrates the Queen's Platinum Jubilee
Samoa had celebrated the Platinum Jubilee and 96th Birthday of Her Majesty the Queen Elizabeth II.
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II ascended to the throne in 1952. The event to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and 96th Birthday was held on Tuesday at the Robert Louis Stevenson residence at Vailima.
In his address on Thursday, the UK High Commissioner to Samoa David Ward said that since her reign began she has known 14 US Presidents, 13 British Prime Ministers, 10 Presidents of France, 5 Popes, 6 Archbishops of Canterbury.
"When she was born, the most advanced form of transport in the world was the airship and she has lived long enough to catch a train to France and meet three people who have walked on the moon," Mr. Ward said on Thursday.
"And despite not having a passport, she has become the most traveled Head of State in history having visited 110 countries, many of them several times."
"In 1947 at the age of 21 she pledged that her whole life whether it be long or short would be devoted to our service.
"We know now that that life would be a long one and we have benefited from that long service.
"She has indeed set a model of duty, discretion, and empathetic of her service and one of those things which she has served and to which she has contributed have been the relations between our two countries."
The Acting Prime Minister Tuala Iosefo Ponifasio said in his address on Thursday that Her Majesty's years of reign represents strength and stability to the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth.
"Through the Commonwealth, Samoa and the United Kingdom share a special relationship through our common history, shared values and mutual goals of prosperity, democracy, and peace," Tuala said on Thursday.
"Samoa was fortunate to be one of the countries Her Majesty visited in 1977 on a Pacific tour to mark her Silver Jubilee and we anticipate with great pleasure another visit from the British Monarch when Samoa hosts the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in 2024.
"Samoa has been part of the Commonwealth Green Canopy programme for a number of years now signifying a contribution to the ecological restoration of the greater forest building resilience against climate change and expanding our two million trees campaign."