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ROYAL TRIBUTE TO MADAME RABBANI
 he Duke
of Edinburgh praises late Bahá’í dignitary’s remarkable contribution
to conservation
On Tuesday 15 May, HRH Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh,
joined diplomats and distinguished guests at Canada House
in London to pay tribute to the life of Madame Ruhiyyih Rabbani.
Madame Rabbani, who died in January last year aged 89, had
been the Bahá’í International Community’s leading dignitary
for over forty years. Born Mary Maxwell in Canada, she was
the wife of Shoghi Effendi Rabbani, the world head of the
Bahá’í Faith from 1921 to 1957. On his death, Madame Rabbani
became the the last surviving link with the family of the
faith’s prophet-founder, Bahá’u’lláh.
The evening was arranged by Her Grace the Duchess of Abercorn
and her organisation, Arts for Nature, of which the Duke of
Edinburgh is Patron. Madame Rabbani was a founding supporter
of Arts for Nature and took a great interest in its goal of
utilising the arts to encourage people of means to contribute
towards preserving the world's natural beauty.
ART ON SHOW
The evening began with a magnificent dinner and viewing of
a selection of the Duke of Edinburgh's private collection
of nature paintings, in particular the work of Canadian wildlife
artists. In addition, architectural drawings by the distinguished
Canadian architect , William Sutherland Maxwell, Madame Rabbani’s
father, were on view.
The main focus of the evening was a magnificent theatrical
performance inspired by Madame Rabbani’s life. Written by
Canadian-born actress and writer Beverley Evans, and directed
by Annabel Knight, the show entitled A Life So Noble
addressed four of the key themes of Madame Rabbani’s life
and character, and personified them in four actresses, who
told her story using words taken from her own lectures and
writings.
The four leads were performed by the award-winning West End
actress Maria Friedman, and London Bahá’í actresses Beverley
Evans, Sarah Clive and Kerry-Ann Smith. Supporting actresses
from Botswana, Macau, Bolivia and Iran wove a floral tapestry
as the story unfolded, a metaphor for the rich and varied
tapestry of Madame Rabbani’s life.
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