Harry’s off to work … Queen hands her grandson a Commonwealth role

PRINCE Harry has been given his first major public role in a sign of his growing importance as a senior royal.

The Queen has made him a Commonwealth youth ambassador, Buckingham Palace announced yesterday.

The appointment, on the eve of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in London, will see Harry, 33, support the work and aspirations of young people across the 53 member states.

More than 60 per cent of the Commonwealth’s 2.4billion citizens are under 30. The prince will work to create links between young people and youth leaders and to encourage them to address social, economic and environmental challenges.

His first engagement will be today, when he attends the CHOGM Youth Round Table and opening session of the Youth Forum. His role will see him work in the UK as well as undertaking tours of member nations to promote the organisation’s values.

Last week he was announced as president of a new Queen’s Commonwealth Trust, a youth charity encouraging education, sport, health and the environment.

Last year the Mail revealed the Queen had globe-trotting Commonwealth roles in mind for Harry and wife-to-be Meghan Markle as she felt they could best connect with young people and key member nations. The Commonwealth will take on an increasingly important role when Britain leaves the EU.

Miss Markle, 36, who has previously worked with the UN as a women’s advocate for political participation and leadership, will also attend two events at CHOGM in what is being seen as a clear indication of her future royal role. It is unusual for someone who has not yet married into the Royal Family to be involved in such a high-level event, but she insists she wants to ‘hit the ground running’.