President Maithripala Sirisena, graced the occasion as the Guest of Honour.

Former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe also participated in the ceremony, together with politicians, businessmen, religious leaders and representatives of the diplomatic community and civil society.

Queen Elizabeth visited Sri Lanka three times. In a speech Her Majesty gave during her second visit to Sri Lanka in October 1981 at the celebration of 50 years of adult franchise, she said: “Britain and Sri Lanka have had a long association, which has remained cordial throughout all the constitutional changes affecting our relationship, and our two countries now stand together as equal, independent members of the Commonwealth. We may be geographically far apart, but through our historic links and our common beliefs, we have developed feelings of mutual regard which overcome the tyranny of distance.  We are friends and shall remain so.”