been unable to gather as they would wish for their festivals, such as passover, easter, eid, and vaisakhit we need life to go on. last month, fireworks lit up the sky around windsor as hindus, sikhs and jains celebrated diwali, the festival of lights, providing joyous moments of hope and unity despite social distancing. remarkably, a year that has necessarily kept people apart has in many ways brought us closer. across the commonwealth, my family and i have been inspired by stories of people volunteering in their communities, helping those in need. in the united kingdom, and around the world, people have risen magnificently to the challenges of the year, and i'm so proud and moved by this quiet, indomitable spirit. to our young people in particular, i say thank you for the part you have played. this year, we celebrated international nurses‘ day on the 200th anniversary of the birth of florence nightingale. as with other nursing pioneers like mary seacole, florence nightingale shone a lamp of hope across the world. today, our front—line services still shine that lamp for us, supported by t