The British royal family, led by Queen Elizabeth and Prince William, reflected on the "strength and resilience" of the Australians as they celebrated their national day on Sunday, Jan. 26. Paying tribute to the Commonwealth, the royals posted different statements on social media to bring goodwill to their subjects Down Under, amid their losses from the bushfire.
The Royal Family Facebook page shared photos of Queen Elizabeth's numerous visits to Australia over the years. Buckingham Palace's official statement underscored the different Australian communities that were affected by the recent bushfires.
Kensington Palace's official social media pages, on the other hand, showed a photo of Prince William and Kate Middleton's visit to the Commonwealth country when Prince George was still a few months old. Like Queen Elizabeth, the Cambridge couple also commended the Australians for the resilience and strength.
Clarence House also paid tribute to the Australians. In a statement, Prince Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, reiterated the incredibly special resilience of the Australian people.
Even Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, posted a message to honor the "strength of spirit and generosity" of the Australian communities via its Sussex Royal Instagram. The royal pair said that the Australians have been an inspiration to the world.
As a Commonwealth country, Australians recognize Queen Elizabeth as the Queen of Australia. Her majesty is represented by the governor-general of the country and the governors of the state.
Meanwhile, rescue efforts still continue across the Australia as the recovery from the bushfire devastation will take months or even years. Countless of charity organizations, from Australian and across the world, have been pooling their resources to help those affected, both among humans and animals.
Australian bushfire season started around June with reports of over 72,000 square miles of land affected. At least six thousand buildings have also been destroyed by nature's wrath. Some 34 human lives were lost, who were mostly volunteer firefighters while countless of animals also suffered serious injuries, including the koalas and kangaroos. The region of New South Wales is particularly still vulnerable to the bushfires.
In early January at the height of the bushfire devastation, Prince Charles posted a rare video to sympathize with the Australians and to commend its heroic firefighters. He said that he and his wife are thinking of the Australian people during a very difficult time. The heartfelt message was reportedly taken from the Prince of Wales' house in Scotland.
