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Monday 12th March 2007
CBB winner Shilpa Shetty met the Queen at a service marking Commonwealth Day in Westminster Abbey today. Shilpa, greeted the Queen with "Ma'am" and performed a deep curtsy as she shook her hand.
In her testimony in front of the Queen and a congregation of 2000 people, Shilpa talked about the importance of coping with differences.
Speaking from an ornate pulpit embellished with gold decorations, she said: "As a child growing up in Bombay, I was aware of the vastness of India and of its incredible diversity.
"The differences are multiple in religion, culture, language, caste, wealth and much else.
"There are tensions between tradition and modernity, between the affluent and underprivileged.
"And there are new challenges such as the impact of HIV-Aids, one of India's fastest growing problems. And yet Indians share a common identity that unifies us and makes us a nation.
"In India, in the UK, and the world over we are constantly reminded that we have to cope with difference on a daily basis.
"It is every human being's inalienable right to live with dignity. Differences must be overcome. Only then will we have a brighter future."
Posted by Madeline
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