Commonwealth backs Charles
Queen’s ‘sincere wish’ for her son to succeed her as head of Commonwealth comes true at two-day summit
ROYAL: World leaders have unanimously backed the Prince of Wales to become the next leader of the Commonwealth as Prime Minister Theresa May claimed it was “fitting” that he should one day succeed The Queen in the role.
The Queen has expressed her ‘sincere wish’ that her son would succeed her in the role.
WORLD LEADERS have unanimously backed the Prince of Wales to become the next leader of the Commonwealth as Prime Minister Theresa May claimed it was “fitting” that he should one day succeed The Queen in the role.
The announcement was made yesterday, 24 hours after the Queen expressed her ‘sincere wish’ that her son would succeed her in the role.
In a statement issued at the end of their two-day summit, the presidents and prime ministers confirmed what had been widely anticipated – Charles would follow in the footsteps of his mother and grandfather and lead the family of nations.
In their leaders’ statement, the 53 member countries said: “We recognise the role of the Queen in championing the Commonwealth and its peoples.
“The next head of the Commonwealth shall be His Royal Highness Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales.”
Mrs May told a Press conference at the conclusion of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in London: “His Royal Highness has been a proud supporter of the Commonwealth for more than four decades and has spoken passionately about the organisation’s unique diversity. It is fitting that one day he will continue the work of his mother, Her Majesty the Queen.”
Mrs May paid tribute to the Queen’s record as head of the Commonwealth since 1952. “When Her Majesty the Queen assumed the throne, the Commonwealth had just eight members. Today it has 53,” said the Prime Minister.
“We meet here today in no small measure because of the vision, duty and steadfast service of Her Majesty in nurturing the growth of this remarkable family of nations.
“On behalf of all our citizens, I want to express the depth of our gratitude for everything that Her Majesty has done and will continue to do.”
Mrs May said that the CHOGM summit had “demonstrated that the Commonwealth is united not only by a common history but by a common future – a future in which we work together for the benefit of all our citizens and for the wider world”.
The breadth of the Commonwealth offered “a unique perspective in helping to forge the global solutions we need”, she said.
“This week we have come together to reach a series of shared commitments that will help to build a more secure, more sustainable, more prosperous and fairer future for all.”
The Prime Minister hailed agreement at the London summit on issues ranging from opposition to the use of chemical weapons to reducing plastic pollution and boosting trade.
The 53 member states had unanimously agreed to fight protectionism as part of an effort to expand intra-Commonwealth trade to $2 trillion (£1.4 trillion) by 2030, she said. They pledged to halve malaria in Commonwealth countries by 2023.
It is fitting that one day he will continue the work of his mother Theresa May speaking at a Press conference after the event.