On Monday 9th March, Wolverhampton Grammar School students were honoured to attend the Commonwealth Day Service 2026 at Westminster Abbey, following their success in the Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition 2025.
This prestigious competition, run by the Royal Commonwealth Society, encourages young people from across the Commonwealth to explore important themes through creative writing and develop their skills in research and communication.
Seven students joined Mrs Rowley and Mr McAllister in representing WGS at this prestigious occasion. The day began with a guided tour of Merchant Taylors’ Hall, followed by lunch in the historic King’s Gallery, where students were presented with their Gold, Silver and Bronze certificates in recognition of their outstanding competition essays.
In the afternoon, the group travelled to Westminster Abbey to attend the Commonwealth Day Service alongside members of the Royal Family, visiting dignitaries and guests representing all 56 nations of the Commonwealth. This year’s service explored the theme “Unlocking opportunities for a prosperous Commonwealth”, celebrating collaboration, opportunity and the shared values that unite Commonwealth countries.
We extend our sincere thanks to the Merchant Taylors’ Foundation for recognising our students’ creative writing achievements with this special invitation and for their generous hospitality throughout the day.
The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition 2026 has now launched, and we hope many WGS students will feel inspired to take part and continue the school’s strong tradition of success in this internationally recognised competition.
