IN LOVING MEMORY Dr. Verner Bickley MBE March 19, 2026 It is twelve months since the passing of Dr. Verner Bickley MBE, long time Council Member and former Chairman of Royal Commonwealth Society Hong Kong Branch. We cherish the memory of Dr. Bickley’s life and works, and remember with gratitude the valuable contribution that he made to the growth and development of our branch in Hong Kong. RCSHK Chairman and Council members
Knighthood for Vice Chairman RCSHK Vice Chairman Nicholas Tam was appointed a Knight Commander of the Orden de Caballeros de Rizal (Order of Rizal) at a ceremony in Manila, Philippines on 17 February 2024. The Order of Rizal was founded in 1911 to uphold the legacy of Dr Jose Rizal, the Filipino doctor, intellectual, and author who is revered as a national hero in the Philippines and considered the father of Philippines independence who played an influential role in ending Spanish colonial rule. Awards in the Order are made to recognise an individual’s achievements and commitment to the Rizalian values of patriotism, internationalism, civic virtue, and social discipline. Nicholas was awarded the status of Knight Commander for his services to international peace-making through his advocacy for the Commonwealth of Nations. Henceforth, Nicholas is now entitled under Philippines law to the style and title of Sir Nicholas Tam, KCR. Also knighted at the same ceremony was President Stjepan Mesic, the former President of Croatia, who led that nation into independence. Other persons to receive the same knighthood include every Philippines President since 1935, King Juan Carlos I of Spain, US Senator John Ensign, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim of Malaysia, and the late US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.
Ashley Tam wins Commonwealth Day Writing Competition 2024 March 5, 2024 Congratulations to Ashley Tam of Harrow International School Hong Kong, the inaugural Winner of the RCSHK Commonwealth Day Writing Competition. The winner’s certificate and cash prize of HK$1,000 was presented at the Hong Kong Commonwealth Day Interfaith Service by New Zealand Consul-General, Mr Peter Lund, RCS Vice Chairman, Sir Nicholas Tam KCR, and RCS Council Members, Dr Brian Brewer and Dr Adam Janikowski. The RCSHK Commonwealth Day Writing Competition was inaugurated by RCSHK this year to recognise the contribution of young people to society and in furtherance of the Commonwealth Youth Ministers’ Meeting designating 2024 as the ‘Year of Youth’ to promote youth empowerment and engagement in advancing the common good. The competition invited school students aged between 15 and 18 years of age to submit a written composition to be judged competitively by the RCSHK Education Committee, with the winner receiving a HK$1,000 cash prize presented at the Commonwealth Day Interfaith Service. A copy of Ashley’s winning entry can be read HERE.
Platinum Jubilee Dinner | 1 Jun 2022 June 6, 2022 From right: Alexandra Tracy (Vice-chair), Brian Davidson CMG, British Consul General, Shari Small, South African Consul General, Nicholas Tam (Young Fellows), Neville Shroff JP (Vice-chair)
Obituary: Mrs Ophelia Cheung Macpherson JP December 21, 2017 Royal Commonwealth Society, Hong Kong Branch, deeply regrets the passing of Mrs Ophelia Cheung Macpherson on 25 November 2017. Ophelia was Chairman of RCS from 1992 to 1995 and gave the Society all her support and enthusiasm. Ophelia became an Administrative Officer in the HK Government in 1969 and was appointed first Executive Director of the Consumer Council in 1974. In 1978, Ophelia was selected for the Ten Outstanding Young Persons Award. In 1994, Ophelia joined the International Women’s Forum, serving as its President in Hong Kong. Ophelia’s husband, Ian Macpherson, passed away in 2016 and she is survived by her twin daughters, Ayesha and Alisha, Ann and John and five grandchildren. Ophelia had a very positive attitude to life and faced life’s adversities with courage, perseverance and optimism.
Dinner at Zoroastrian Club | 20 April 2017 April 21, 2017 On 20th April, RCS, Hong Kong Branch, organized a dinner at the Zoroastrian Club in Causeway Bay. Hosted by Council member, Mr Neville Shroff, who is President of the Hong Kong Zoroastrian Society and Charity Trust, the evening consisted of a talk on the history of the Parsee community in Hong Kong, who had originally migrated from Persia to India (and were the founders of HK University, the Kowloon Cricket Club and Ruttonjee Hospital, among other institutions) and a talk by the priest (or Dastoorjie) in the Fire Temple on the Zoroastrian religion, one of the oldest in the world. This was followed by a delicious Parsee banquet with many dishes cooked in the old Persian style with delicate herbs and spices.
Ian Francis Cluny Macpherson CBE, OstJ – Obituary April 25, 2016 Ian Francis Cluny Macpherson passed away on 14 April 2016 after a long illness. Ian was a keen supporter of Royal Commonwealth Society, Hong Kong Branch, and was the husband of Council member and former Chairman, Ophelia Cheung Macpherson. Ian joined the Hong Kong Government in 1962 as an Administrative Officer and rose to the rank of Secretary, Government Secretariat in 1986. During his career, he held a number of senior positions including Commissioner of the Assessment Office, Secretary for Transport and Secretary General, Planning Committee for the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). After his retirement from the Civil Service in 1988, he served as the Vice-President for Administration and Business of HKUST until 1995. Mr Macpherson will be remembered as a distinguished public servant who had made invaluable contributions to Hong Kong. The funeral service for Mr Macpherson will be held on 3 May 2016 at the St. John’s Cathedral at 2 p.m., followed by cremation at Cape Collinson, and a wake at the Hong Kong Club from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.. Transportation will be provided from St John’s Cathedral to Cape Collinson and the Hong Kong Club.
The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition – Results 2015 November 9, 2015 The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition 2015, based on the theme of ‘A Young Commonwealth’, met with a record response. The Royal Commonwealth Society received more than 13,000 entries from over 600 schools in 49 Commonwealth countries and territories. Both the Senior and the Junior judging panels were impressed by the quality of the entries. This year the top Winners and Runners-up come from Cyprus, Tristan da Cunha, Botswana and the Cayman Islands;additionally the judges selected one additional Senior entrant and two additional Junior entrants to receive special commendations. In total over 3,000 participants won an award, Gold, Silver or Bronze. In recognition of their achievement, the Winners and Runners-Up were flown to London for October’s ‘Winners’ Week’, five days of cultural and educational activities, culminating in a special award event at Buckingham Palace. Watch the video below. On 5th December the Hong Kong Award winners will be presented with their certificates at a ceremony at the Helena May by Dr. Verner Bickley. The Award winners are : Senior Silver Award: Alvin Yu of St. Joesph’s College Senior Bronze Award: Belinda Ng of South Island School Sherman Lam of St. Joseph’s College Wallace Fan (school unknown) Junior Gold Award: Cameron Setiadi of the Singapore International School Junior Silver Award: Germaine Kimberly Lau of the Chinese International School Sabrina Hwang of the Singapore International School Junior Bronze Award: Yu Ting Lai of Dunman High School Ethan Lau of the Singapore International School Dorothy Poon of St. Mary’s Canossian College Congratulations to all Hong Kong Award winners and to all that entered. If you would like to attend the Award Ceremony at 10am at the Helena May on 5th December please contact secretary@rcshk.com.
A Wonderful Celebration of HM The Queen’s Longest Reign September 16, 2015 On September 9th Her Majesty The Queen became the longest reigning British monarch in history, she surpassed the record set by her great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria, who ruled for nearly 64 years. RCS Hong Kong celebrated this great occasion with a reception at the Helena May and were joined by British Consul General Caroline Wilson and Canadian Consul General Ian Burchett, together with many Fellows and Friends. The Photo Album of the evening can be accessed by clicking here Also see the slideshow that was screened at the reception with over 200 images of HM The Queen throughout her life is available via YouTube. http://youtube.com/watch?v=43_67VjBFbo&source_ve_path=OTY3MTQ&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fstaging.rcshk.com%2F If you not yet a Fellow of RCS now is the time to join with a special rate from October 1st 2015 – December 31st 2016 : Fellows $500 / Young Fellows $250 (under 35). Click here to sign up now! Buckingham Palace has calculated that Queen Victoria reigned for 23,226 days, 16 hours and 23 minutes, taking into account 63 years, 15 leap days, additional months and days and the precise timings of her accession and death. By those calculations, Queen Elizabeth II will overtake Victoria on September 9th, 2015, taking into account 63 years plus 16 leap days, additional months and days and the exact time of George VI’s death. “It’s a very significant milestone. The Queen will become the longest reigning British monarch in history. She came to the throne when she was older than Victoria. Victoria was only 18,” said historian, Dr Kate Williams. “It shows that our female monarchs last the longest. The Queen’s longevity is a great source of her strength and popularity. She has lived through World War Two and throughout the 20th century.” Queen Victoria ascended the throne upon the death of her uncle, William IV, on June 20, 1837, less than a month after her 18th birthday. Her husband, Prince Albert, died when he was just 42, and Victoria remained in mourning for the rest of her life. She died on January 22, 1901, aged 81, and was succeeded by her eldest son, who ruled as King Edward VII. Her Majesty, on the other hand, became Queen Elizabeth II on February 6, 1952, when her father King George VI died. The Queen, who was only 25 at the time, received information of her father’s passing and her accession whilst in Kenya on a royal tour. The news was broken to her by her husband, Prince Philip, who continues to support Her Majesty even today. He holds the record for the longest serving British consort. One would think that an event as significant as making history for being the longest reigning monarch would be a cause for celebration, but according to a Buckingham Palace spokesman, this milestone will be just another day for Her Majesty. “The Queen traditionally spends the month of September at Balmoral,” he said. “Next year is unlikely to be any different.” Her Majesty already holds a number of records. At 88, she is the longest living British monarch, having overtaken Queen Victoria in 2007, and in 2011, she overtook King George III to become the second-longest reigning monarch. The Queen is also the second longest-serving head of state alive today, after King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand, who came to the throne in 1946.
In Memoriam: Dr the Hon. Hari N. Harilela June 10, 2026 Royal Commonwealth Society, Hong Kong Branch records with deepest sorrow the passing of Dr the Hon. Hari N. Harilela, GBM, GBS, OBE, JP, Patron of Royal Commonwealth Society, HK Branch on 29 December 2014. He was 92 years old. Dr Harilela was a distinguished Indian entrepreneur based in Hong Kong. He was Hon. Chairman of the Harilela Group and Harilela Hotels Ltd. Founded with his three brothers in 1959, the Harlilela Group has developed into a global conglomerate with businesses in a wide range of sectors, from hospitality and real estate investment to import and export trading. As our Patron, Dr Halilela was a strong supporter of the Royal Commonwealth Society, Hong Kong Branch, and will be remembered for the annual dinners he hosted at his Kowloon Tong residence and for his support of the educational and charitable work of RCS. Dr Harilela had an impressive record of public service in the fields of education, health, trade and commerce, music and arts and social welfare for the Indian and local communities. Founder of the Harilela Foundation, he participated enthusiastically in the work of many charitable bodies. He also spared no effort in fostering friendly ties between India and Hong Kong and in raising the profile of the Indian community in Hong Kong.
