Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka met with His Majesty King Charles III at Buckingham Palace in London on Tuesday.
The historic meeting reaffirmed the strong and enduring relationship between Fiji and the United Kingdom (UK).
In his royal audience with His Majesty King Charles III, Prime Minister Rabuka conveyed the People’s Coalition Government and the people of Fiji’s gratitude for the opportunity to meet with the King, acknowledging the historical links between Fiji and the UK.
Rabuka also took the opportunity to formally apologize to King Charles III for his actions and the events of 1987, reaffirming Fiji’s commitment to strengthening our bilateral ties.
He also reflected on his visit to Buckingham Palace in 1998 when he presented his traditional apology or Matanigasau to her late Majesty, Queen Elizabeth the Second for the events of 1987 and in declaring Fiji a Republic.
Fiji has a deep and longstanding connection to the British Crown which is demonstrated through a record of military service where generations of Fijians have served and fought alongside the British, particularly in the Second World War, and later in Malaya, Borneo, Oman, Iraq and Afghanistan.
For this, Rabuka expressed the deep regard and fondness of the people of Fiji for the Crown and the Royal Family, adding that more than 20,000 of our people call Britain home since the recruitment of Commonwealth citizens to the British Army in the 1960s and since 1997.
As a proud Commonwealth member, Fiji actively contributes to the advancement of the Sustainable Development Agenda.
With the Commonwealth’s 75th anniversary approaching, PM Rabuka said that he looks forward to welcoming Commonwealth leaders to the region for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa.
In his concluding remarks, Rabuka conveyed the best wishes, love and prayers of the people of Fiji for His Majesty, King Charles III’s recovery to full health and vitality.
