King sets sights on holding the Commonwealth ‘family’ together
SHE viewed it as one of the greatest achievements of her reign.
And now the 54-strong Commonwealth ‘family of nations’, which has flourished with the Queen at its head, will be led by Charles instead.
Significantly, the first reception of his reign was to welcome Realm High Commissioners – countries where he is also now King – to Buckingham Palace yesterday.
Among the guests were High Commissioners from countries including Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, New Zealand, the Bahamas, St Lucia, and St Vincent and the Grenadines, while Charles also met Commonwealth general secretary Baroness Scotland privately at the function.
The King, accompanied by Queen Camilla, got straight to work at the reception just three days on from the Queen’s death.
Yesterday Antigua and Barbuda’s prime minister said it would vote on whether to become a republic. Gaston Browne made the announcement minutes after signing a document that confirmed King Charles III as the new head of state but emphasised that the move was ‘not an
act of hostility’. By contrast, Australia’s Labour prime m inister, Anthony Albanese, a republican, ruled out holding a referendum for at least four years. Mr Albanese instead announced Australians would be given a one-off public holiday as a day of national mourning in tribute to the Queen’s reign next week.