Prince Charles set to lead Commonwealth
: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and heads of 52 other countries agreed on Friday that Prince Charles will succeed Queen Elizabeth as the next head of the Commonwealth, an issue that has generated much debate in recent times.
The queen, who turns 92 on Saturday, has been the head since the death of her father, King George VI in 1952. On Wednesday, she had expressed her “sincere wish” that Prince Charles succeed her “one day” to ensure stability and continuity to the group.
Given Prince Charles’ interest in the group over the years and support from leaders, agreement on his appointment was a certainty. Word about the agreement emerged from Windsor where the 53 leaders met in a retreat without aides and a formal announcement of the agreement was expected on the conclusion of CHOGM in Windsor on Friday evening.
The queen’s expression of her wish and Prime Minister Theresa May’s remarks thanking her for her contribution over the decades reflected a carefully choreographed move to appoint Prince Charles with the agreement of leaders of the 53 countries.
Leaders such as Labour’s Jer-
LONDON
emy Corbyn wanted the head of the Commonwealth not to be confined to the British royal family but to be rotated by agreement among the countries.
Given India’s influence, New Delhi’s agreement was crucial. Former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s support tothe queen was key to her appointment as the head of Commonwealth in 1952.
Prince Charles met Modi in New Delhi in November last to personally invite him to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. He carried a letter from the queen that was described by officials as “very warm and personal”.
May’s remarks to the queen on Wednesday were significant: “Over many years you have been the Commonwealth’s most steadfast and fervent champion. You have been true to the deepest values of the Commonwealth – that the voice of the smallest member country is worth precisely as much as that of the largest; that the wealthiest and the most vulnerable stand shoulder to shoulder”.
“And we commit to sustaining this Commonwealth, which you have so carefully nurtured. For your service, for your dedication, for your constancy – we thank you,” she said.