British embassy celebrates Queen Elizabeth's birthday

(MENAFN- Gulf Times) British ambassador Nicholas Hopton joined guests of honour Minister of Municipality and Urban Planning HE Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz al-Thani, and Minister of Finance HE Ali Sherif al-Emadi, and more than 2,000 guests to celebrate the birthday of Queen Elizabeth II yesterday.

In attendance were leading UK sporting figures in Qatar, such as the double Olympic British Champion, Dame Kelly Holmes, members of the British and Qatari communities, the Diplomatic Corps, government officials, businessmen, and staff from the British schools in Qatar.

Guests were entertained by Qatar's military band, Sonja Park and Dimitri Torchinsky from Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra, and the local band Groove Office, as well as the British astronomer, Dr Maggie Adernin Pocock.

Ambassador Hopton said: "Ever since 1748, British Embassies around the world have celebrated the Queen (or King's) birthday as our National Day. This is especially relevant in a country such as Qatar where our two Royal Families have close and enduring ties."

"As I look back over the last 12 months, I can say that across the board the bilateral relationship between Qatar and the UK continues to go from strength to strength.

"Looking forward to 2015, I am confident that the Qatar and the UK will continue to enjoy a strong and close partnership. A partnership which covers defence, foreign policy, culture, education, energy, trade and investment, to name just a few areas in which we will be working closely together."

"On the home front, the UK will continue to offer strong support to Qatar as it works towards the successful delivery of the 2022 World Cup and its 2030 National Vision," he added.