March 13, 2023

The 56 member nations of the Commonwealth are bound together by history, trade and shared values. 

The roots of Commonwealth Day are firmly planted in Canadian soil: in 1894, the Royal Colonial Society suggested ‘Empire Day’ be celebrated across the country. This national occasion was so well-received, other countries took up the banner. In 1975, it was again Canada that proposed a “simultaneously observed Commonwealth Day”—a proposal enthusiastically embraced by all Commonwealth countries. 

To mark the occasion, His Majesty the King Charles III and Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada, have prepared messages.