Her Majesty The Queen’s Birthday party in Nairobi: Joyous celebration #QBP2021

Queen Elizabeth II is one of the most famous, respected, loved and admired people in the world. She is the head of British state, and the highest representative of the United Kingdom on the national and international stage with a worldwide influence. Born in 1926 and having ascended to the throne in 1952, Her Majesty the Queen is known for her sense of duty and her devotion to a life of service, and has been an important figurehead for the UK and the Commonwealth during times of enormous social change. Today, she is undoubtedly the most prominent symbol around the world of Britain’s heritage and tradition and is currently the world’s longest-reigning monarch.

Photo Courtesy- The Royal Family

The month of June is a very important chapter not only in the Royal Family’s calendar, but the entire Great Britain and the Commonwealth countries. It is the Queen’s Birthday, a public holiday celebrated in the UK and around the world at different High Commissions in various countries, representing the British government.

To mark Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s 95th birthday party this year, as is tradition, the British High Commissioner to Kenya, Ms Jane Marriott O.B.E. hosted dignitaries and guests, who included key contacts from among the various UK-Kenya strategic partnership pillars, at her official residence in Muthaiga to mark this auspicious occasion.

The 80 invitees including the Chief Guest, PS Andrew Kamau (Principal Secretary State Department of Petroleum, Ministry of Petroleum and Mining), were treated to a spectacle of delicious, delectable food which included traditional Fish & Chips (mushy peas & brown vinegar) in newspaper cone, Roast Beef with Yorkshire pudding, Cauliflower Cheese, Scones with Jam & Cream, Raspberry Royale, Shortbread Biscuits, Strawberries with clotted cream and not forgetting the Cocktails & Mocktails of Negroni  (gin based), Royal Passion (vodka based), Commonwealth (whisky based), Lemongrass, Ginger and Lime Crush and Apple Cider, Raspberry & Tonic, all a vital part of the British culture.

Practising the COVID-19 avoidance “elbowshake” and talking bilateral relations (Kenya-UK Strategic Partnership) was the order of the day. As the British High Commissioner to Kenya Ms Marriot reiterated, the elbowshake is not only safe but it also looks really chill and a good replacement for handshakes and fist bumps.

Although The Queen was actually born in April of 1921, her official birthday is celebrated in the UK each year on a weekend in June for purely practical reasons. The day usually presents a more acceptable weather for a public party hence the trooping of the color where over 1400 parading soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians come together in a great display of military precision, horsemanship and fanfare to mark The Queen’s official birthday. Her Majesty the Queen’s lifetime of leadership and dedication to service is an example for all nations. Under her stewardship, the United Kingdom has withstood great challenges and enjoyed longstanding stability.

Photo Courtesy- The Royal Family

Did you know, the bodyguard of the then Princess Elizabeth wrote of her 1952 Kenyan trip: “I do not think that any two young people have ever spent such happy and carefree hours as Princess Elizabeth and Duke Philip spent at Treetops…”

The UK is the largest European foreign investor in Kenya. Currently, there are about 100 British investment companies based in Kenya, valued at more than STG £2.0 billion. It is also Kenya’s second most important export destination. Kenya mainly exports tea, coffee and horticultural products, with the country accounting for 27% of the fresh produce and 56% of the black tea market in the UK.

With over £110 million–or 16.5 billion KES -worth of investment, the UK is supporting Kenya in Adaptation and Resilience, Nature-Based Solutions, Green Finance and the Clean Energy Transition, as it looks to host the COP26 summit in November 2021, which is also the Kenya-UK Year of Climate Action.

In the words of The British High Commissioner to Kenya, Ms Jane Marriott O.B.E., “The UK-Kenya partnership is a genuine partnership of trusted friends. We have shared history –not all of it good. More importantly, we have a shared future. And that is where the Kenya-UK Strategic Partnership comes in (mutual prosperity; security and stability; sustainable development; climate change and people-to-people)…”

Long live the Queen. Happy Birthday, Her Majesty the Queen.

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