When Queen Elizabeth II ascended the throne on June 2nd 1953, she made solemn promises that she would serve her nation and the Commonwealth. After 60 years, the whole world celebrates her joyous Diamond Jubilee. She has selflessly worked very hard to be true to herself in words and deeds and gained immense respect and admiration from the people of all walks of life, age groups and nationalities.


The TV, documentaries, and photographs are proof of the work that she has carried out, and no one can deny that although she comes from a very privileged background, her work values and ethics have won her tremendous admiration, love, and respect in this planet, making her one of the world’s most enduring and successful monarchs in all of history.


The Nepal Britain Society and its members and friends also gathered to celebrate this special Diamond Jubilee, because each one of us have studied, lived, worked or visited the U.K. and feel close as Nepalese to Britain. Because Her Majesty is a very well known and loved public figure, we almost think that we know everything about her!


The Nepal Britain Society was established in 1964 and is one of the oldest friendship societies in the country and is working continuously to foster relationship between the peoples of Nepal and Great Britain.


We have already launched various programs in the past year and in 2012. In April last year, we handed a cheque of Rs. 50,000.00 to Wendy Marston for adult burn victims in Bir Hospital. This was possible because of the play put on by Nepal Britain Society’s very own ‘New Shakespeare Wallahs’ directed by Greta Rana. ‘The Winter Revue’ hosted in November 2011 at the British School, and jointly produced by the children of the British School and their teachers, and the New Shakespeare Wallahs for three nights and a matinee was able to raise funds of over two lakhs. We are jointly going to present a cheque for the Burn Violence children at Kanti Hospital which the British school has been visiting from time to time for their social work and to see, firsthand, the suffering of young, innocent victims. This is a grim reality for all us.


On the 23rd March 2012, the Nepal Britain Society was also a sponsor and supporter in bringing and exhibiting art works from the Royal Botanical Gardens, in Edinburg, Scotland to the Sidhartha Art Gallery in Kathmandu. The exhibition was to celebrate 200 years of Bio-diversity Research in Nepal by Francis Buchanan and his pioneering Natural history Drawings 1802-1803.This was the first time that 30 valuable drawings of plants and animals were brought out of the UK and was produced by the Linnean Society of London and Royal Botanical Garden Edinburgh.


Two centuries of historical research continue with British and Nepalese scientists teaming up with Nepalese, Japanese, and other international botanical experts working on the Flora of Nepal. British ambassador to Nepal John Tucknott also organized a lecture by Dr. Mark Watson, a famous British researcher and botanist at the Sterling Club, in the British Embassy, which was very interesting, informative, and a success in bringing members of the society together.


On the occasion of Diamond Jubilee, let us all be inspired by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II who has set an example of leadership skills and the qualities and set very high values in public service. Before I conclude, I would like to thank Ambassador John Tucknott, trustee and the members of the executive committee especially Greta Rana, Sanjib Pandey, Jana Thapa and Sandj Wilderspin of the British School with whom we celebrated the Street Party on 3rd of June at the British School, where we all had a marvelous time! Tonight all of us assembled here would like to congratulate Sandj Wilderspin for receiving an MBE from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for her sterling work in the education sector. I want to thank all our sponsors who have actively supported us during our theater productions and other philanthropic works; they are the Nepal Investment Bank, Himalayan Bank, Surya Nepal and Ace Development Bank. I would like to thank Annapurna Hotel’s Srijana Rana and CEO Upaul Mazumdar and his team for all their hard work to make this program successful.


(Pande is president of Nepal Britain Society. Excepts of her statement delivered on June 23 to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee Celebration of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the II of Great Britain.)