Queen Elizabeth II opened the Commonwealth summit Friday on the Mediterranean island of Malta — a meeting that this year will focus on climate change and the threat of extremist violence.
The 89-year-old British monarch praised the accomplishments of the Commonwealth during her address to the other leaders of the 53-nation organization.
"Prince Philip and I first came to live here in Malta in 1949, the year the Commonwealth was founded," she said, hailing a vast advancement in freedom and human rights in the decades since then.
"I have been privileged to witness this transformation and to consider its purpose."
Elizabeth, who said the Commonwealth is based on shared values, received a standing ovation from the Commonwealth's leaders.
She was accompanied to Malta by her husband Prince Philip, her son Prince Charles, the heir to the throne, and Charles' wife, Camilla.