Queen to deliver Commonwealth Day message on Sunday - hours before Harry and Meghan’s Oprah interview

The royal address, scheduled to be broadcast on BBC One at 5pm on Sunday (March 7), will be screened just hours before the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s Oprah interview in the US.

In a statement, Buckingham Palace said: “In Her Majesty’s annual Commonwealth Day message, the Queen will pay tribute to the way in which communities across the family of nations have come together in response to the pandemic.”

The Prince of Wales has also recorded a message for the programme addressing “the universal devastation caused by the coronavirus pandemic”.

Charles will celebrate the “critical work” being carried out by nations across the Commonwealth to combat climate change and protect its unique landscapes, marine environments and biodiversity.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have also taken part in the programme.

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William and Kate have spoken to medical, charity and voluntary staff from across the Commonwealth and heard about how they have adapted their efforts in response to the Covid-19-outbreak.

The Duchess of Cornwall will be seen chatting to broadcaster Clare Balding about the importance of books and reading for children across the Commonwealth, during a year of isolation and disrupted education.

To mark both Commonwealth Day and International Women’s Day, the Countess of Wessex has spoken to three women from around the Commonwealth about their experiences of supporting other women and their wider communities.

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The palace said the programme, organised with the support of the Royal Commonwealth Society and Westminster Abbey, would celebrate “Her Majesty’s lifetime commitment to the Commonwealth”.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will speak to Oprah Winfrey in a highly-anticipated upcoming TV special, which will also air on March 7.

Oprah With Meghan And Harry: A CBS Primetime Special has been described by the US television network as an "intimate conversation".

The news follows the announcement that the royal couple are expecting their second child.

The interview is being screened in a 90-minute special on CBS at 8pm in the US on Sunday, which will be in the early hours of Monday UK time.

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