Queen Camilla has commended journalists "risking their lives" reporting from the Middle East and Ukraine, as she celebrated the 135th anniversary of the Foreign Press Association at its annual awards ceremony. Camilla was also made an honorary member of the FPA at the Sheraton Grand Park Lane hotel in Piccadilly, west London. Report by Blairm. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
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00:00 [SIDE CONVERSATION]
00:03 [SIDE CONVERSATION]
00:31 Ladies and gentlemen, it's a huge pleasure
00:35 to be with you here this evening to celebrate
00:38 the 135th anniversary of the Foreign Press Association
00:44 and to reflect on the many achievements
00:46 as the world's oldest and biggest association
00:49 of foreign journalists.
00:52 But I cannot begin without also reflecting
00:55 that as we gather, journalists, photographers,
00:59 and their support teams are even now risking their lives.
01:04 We think particularly of those reporting
01:07 from Ukraine and the Middle East in these most
01:10 difficult of times.
01:11 By joining you this evening, I'm following
01:17 in the footsteps of my husband, an honorary member of the FPA,
01:22 who joined you at these awards in 2008.
01:26 On that occasion, he described your role
01:30 as not only to look at the world and study the way it works,
01:34 but to report what you see accurately, to explain it,
01:38 and indeed to interpret it.
01:41 In doing so, you shape the view and define the perspective
01:45 of millions of people.
01:47 And that is an enormous responsibility.
01:50 Ladies and gentlemen, as my husband observed 15 years ago,
01:54 yours is an awe-inspiring responsibility.
01:59 You question, debate, and analyze, and thus
02:03 protect what is so easy for us to take for granted--
02:08 true freedom of expression.
02:12 As I said at the London Press Club Awards in 2011,
02:16 I believe freedom of expression to be
02:18 at the heart of our democratic system.
02:22 In this, you play a vital, if not pivotal, role.
02:28 Now take courage from the words of one of our greatest
02:31 writers and former journalist, Sir Tom Stoppard.
02:35 I still believe that if your aim is to change the world,
02:40 journalism is a more immediate, short-term weapon.
02:45 May you continue to use it wisely.
02:48 Thank you.
02:49 [APPLAUSE]
02:53 We're very honored to have you as honorary member for life--
02:59 For life.
02:59 Yeah, for life-- of this association.
03:02 And it was high time that you joined your husband
03:05 as our other honorary member.
03:07 And there are not many associations
03:09 who can actually show off that they have two crowned king
03:16 and queen as their member.
03:18 So thank you very much for being with us.
03:20 [ Applause ]