ASENA MEETS THE ROYALS
A YOUNG Fijian woman who was inspired by the TV series Suits, starring Meghan Markle, to take up law studies could not contain her excitement when she saw the Duchess of Sussex accompanying the Duke of Sussex, Prince Harry, at the recent Commonwealth Service held at the Westminster Abbey in London, United Kingdom.
Asena Yauyau-Tutora, a third-year law student at the University of the West of England in Bristol, represented Fiji at the recent Commonwealth Service.
The Commonwealth Service is held every year at the Westminster Abbey to celebrate the 54 countries that are part of the Commonwealth.
The Navukebuli, Macuata lass lives in Gloucester, England since 2010 when she returned from Germany with her family.
She was nominated by the Fijian Youth UK (FYUK) group to bear the flag and represent Fiji at the annual service.
“This was very humbling and it was a great honour to represent my country before her majesty and the royal family,” she said.
“Personally seeing Meghan and Harry was very special to me.
“I had been a very big fan of the show ‘Suits’ which Meghan Markle starred in, and this TV show influenced me to go to law school.”
The 20-year-old said she was privileged and proud to have represented Fiji in front of some notable attendees at the event and to the rest of the world.
“I am very proud of my heritage and culture. I previously met the Queen in 2015, just when I was starting my A-levels and it was so lovely and such an amazing honour to see her again.
“But it was lovely to see the rest of the royal family and some of the Cabinet ministers.
“It was definitely nerve wrecking and I kept repeating in my head ‘don’t trip’.
“But overall it was very overwhelming but definitely exciting. I was representing everyone back home in Fiji and Fijians all around the world.”
Other members of the royal family who attended the Commonwealth Service included the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton and Prince William, the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Charles and Camilla.