... as he is confirmed as head of Commonwealth

PRINCE Charles was confirmed as the next head of the Commonwealth last night after the Queen lobbied world leaders on his behalf.

In a joint statement following a private meeting at Windsor Castle, the leaders of the 53-country body offered their ‘continuing gratitude for the duty and commitment’ shown by Her Majesty in her 66 years as head.

They added: ‘The next Head of the Commonwealth shall be His Royal Highness Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales.’

The decision followed an unusual intervention from the Queen, who endorsed her son in a speech at the Commonwealth Heads of Government summit on Thursday.

Recent reports had claimed some Commonwealth leaders remained ‘underwhelmed’ by the prince. Senior Labour figures, including Jeremy Corbyn, questioned whether he was suitable.

The Queen, who celebrates her real 92nd birthday in private today, has been head of the Commonwealth since accession in 1952, but the position is not automatically held by the British monarch. Success for Prince Charles vindicates a 14-year charm offensive.

Theresa May welcomed the ‘unanimous’ decision, saying: ‘His Royal Highness has been a proud supporter of the Commonwealth for more than four decades.’

But Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo suggested there may have been dissenters, saying there had only been a ‘strong consensus’.