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Indian
actress Shilpa Shetty met Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip at a
Commonwealth Day event here Monday evening and reminded the gathering
that everyone needed to "cope with difference on a daily basis" for a
better future.
Dressed
for the occasion, Shetty wore high heels that made walking
uncomfortable, prompting Prince Philip to caution her: "Look, be
careful with your heels."
Shetty, visibly enjoying every moment
of her newfound fame in Britain following the racism row in reality TV
show 'Celebrity Big Brother', also spoke on AIDS. She said too much had
been made of the reality show.
In her speech, Shetty recalled
that right from her childhood in Mumbai, she was aware that "we have to
cope with difference on a daily basis - but unless we do, we have no
future".
In her address, the Queen said: "By respecting the
difference and promoting understanding, the future will be better one
for us all. In today's difficult and sometimes divided world, I believe
that it is more important than ever to keep trying to respect and
understand each other better," she told the 2,000-strong congregation.
"Let
us as individuals actively seek out the views of others, let us make
the best use of what our beliefs and history teach us, let us have open
minds and hearts, and let us, like the Commonwealth, find our diversity
a cause for celebration and a source for strength and unity."
The
Queen noted that today's Commonwealth was home to nearly a third of the
world's population. "Its almost two billion citizens come from many
faiths, races, cultures and traditions," she added.
Commonwealth
Day, the second Monday in March, celebrates the voluntary Commonwealth
of Nations set up in 1926 and reformed in 1949. The event included
speakers from Nigeria, Fiji, Northern Ireland and Jamaica.
Indo-Asian News Service
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