DRESSED in an-all blue outfit with a red ribbon tied around her hat, The Queen stood up and addressed the heads of the Commonwealth nations. It was the final time she would do such a thing outside of the UK.
In the beautiful surroundings of Malta, she told delegates - stretching from the Solomon Islands to Canada - of the Commonwealth's resilience, modernity and "reservoir of energy", while speaking of the constant presence her husband Prince Philip had been during her life.
READ MORE: The Queen's life with trees pictured through the decades
But there was another topic mentioned that had also been there during her then six decades on the throne – trees, woodlands and the world's forests.
At the 2015 meeting of the Commonwealth nations, Her Majesty launched the Queen's Commonwealth Canopy, which aimed to establish a global network of protected woodland.
"And I have been especially touched by one such project," The Queen said. "The Queen's Commonwealth Canopy, which has been proposed by Commonwealth countries wanting to harness their collective expertise and resources to protect the world's forests.
"This and other initiatives are a practical demonstration of the power of the Commonwealth, working as a group, to effect real change for generations to come."
At the time, fewer than 20 countries had signed up to the project. Now, its number nears 50, covering nearly every continent on earth, from Angola and Brunei to Saint Lucia and the United Kingdom.
It includes the UK's Forest of Marston Vale, Sri Lanka's Restoration of Trincomalee forest land, and the O le Pūpū Puē National Park of Samoa. It features small parkland to massive areas of land such as Belize's 171,000 hectare Chiquibul Forest.
The three organisations behind the project are The Royal Commonwealth Society, the Commonwealth Forestry Association, and Cool Earth.
Throughout her life, Her Majesty's love of trees and woodlands was well known. She personally planted more than 1,500 trees around the world.
Following the Queen's Commonwealth Canopy, she established the Queen's Green Canopy to mark her Platinum Jubilee year. Launched alongside Prince Charles, it is made up of 70 Ancient Trees and 70 Ancient Woodlands, including the 900-year-old Signing Oak and Dumfries House Sycamore, believed to have been planted in 1599.
As well as this, people across the UK and Commonwealth were invited to plant trees to mark her 70 years on the throne. More than one million trees were planted during the first planting season.
READ MORE: The Queen: Forestry figures lead tributes to Her Majesty
Speaking earlier in 2022, Her Majesty said: "I hope your Jubilee trees flourish and grow for many years to come, for future generations to enjoy."
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