Touched and honoured by decision of CHOGM leaders: Prince Charles

Elated by the decision of the 53 leaders, which was described by British Prime Minister, Theresa May as unanimous, Charles expressed his delight at the outcome of the deliberations made on who ought to be the next Head for the Commonwealth. 

“I am deeply touched and honoured by the decision of Commonwealth Heads of State and Government that I should succeed The Queen, in due course, as Head of the Commonwealth,” he said. “Meanwhile, I will continue to support Her Majesty in every possible way, in the service of our unique family of nations,” he added. 

Leaders of the Commonwealth – the 53 member Group of mostly former British Territories after a debate on Friday at a Commonwealth leaders’ retreat at Windsor Castle, agreed that Britain’s Prince Charles will be the next head of the Commonwealth.

Later in the day it was announced in a Leaders’ statement: “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.”

The decision is a one-off, with Prince William, Prince George and future heirs not automatically in line to be awarded the non-hereditary position. 

After the speech formally opening the summit at Buckingham Palace in London last Thursday, Queen Elizabeth II said it was her “sincere wish” that her son Charles, the Prince of Wales, would head the Commonwealth “one day”. Queen Elizabeth has led the Commonwealth since 1952, when she took over the role from her late father, George VI. However the position is not hereditary and it is up to the leaders of the 53 member nations to select a successor.

The Commonwealth, a voluntary association of advanced and developing nations, brings together some 2.4 billion people around the world. More than half its members are small states, including a number of island nations.

The Queen’s role as head of the Commonwealth, although largely symbolic, has been a defining element of her reign and it is thought to have been important to her that Charles takes over the position, which has no fixed term. An alternative might have been to create a rotating presidency passed between the member countries. The announcement followed a concerted effort on the part of the Royal Family this week, beginning with Prince Harry and culminating in a speech from the Queen herself. 

Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings are usually held every two years, with member states taking turns as host. Since the Queen, who turned 92 on Saturday, no longer travels long distances this is likely to be the last time she attends the summit in person. (CI)