Charles to succeed Queen as head of the Commonwealth
There have been calls for the role to be rotated around the 53 member-states, most of which are former British territories, but in recent days the queen, 91, the British government and other leaders have backed Charles, 69
LONDON: Prince Charles was approved as the successor to Queen Elizabeth as head of the Commonwealth at a meeting of the group’s heads of government in Windsor on Friday.
“We recognise the role of the queen in championing the Commonwealth and its peoples,” the Commonwealth leaders said in a statement. “The next head of the Commonwealth shall be His Royal Highness Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales.”
There have been calls for the role to be rotated around the 53 memberstates, most of which are former British territories, but in recent days the queen, 91, the British government and other leaders have backed Charles, 69.
The Commonwealth evolved out of the British empire in the mid-20th century, and the queen has been its head since her reign began in 1952. Charles had long been expected to take on the role even though it is not strictly hereditary.
Queen Elizabeth has been the Commonwealth’s symbolic igurehead since her father king George VI’S death in 1952.
Some republican voices had been angling for change in future.
British opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn, head of the Labour Party, said on Sunday that the role could go to a rotating presidency.
But British Prime Minister Theresa May gave her backing to 69-year-old Charles.
“The government supports the Prince of Wales as the next head of the Commonwealth. He has been a proud supporter of the Commonwealth for more than four decades,” her spokesman said.
Canadian PM Justin Trudeau said: “I very much agree with the wishes of Her Majesty that the Prince of Wales be the next head of the Commonwealth.”
Maltese PM Joseph Muscat added: “We are certain that when he will be called upon to do so, he will provide a solid and passionate leadership for our Commonwealth.”
And Grenada’s prime minister Keith Mitchell told the BBC: “It would be good news.
“Having the Prince of Wales would certainly not be an unhelpful act at this point in time.”
Queen Elizabeth gave up long-haul travel to attend the biennial Commonwealth summits in 2013 and gatherings look set to be held outside Europe in the near term.