The Queen urges world leaders to appoint Prince Charles as leader of Commonwealth before her 92nd birthday
In a rather unusual move, Queen Elizabeth II urged Commonwealth countries to appoint her son, Prince Charles as the leader of the Commonwealth. The Queen said she hoped her son would succeed her as she opened the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in London on Thursday, April 19th. Her speech came a day before leaders of the 53 countries of the Commonwealth meet at Windsor Castle to discuss the issue.
She said, "It is my sincere wish that the Commonwealth will continue to offer stability and continuity for future generations, and will decide that one day the Prince of Wales should carry on the important work started by my father in 1949," the BBC reported.
According to reports, prime ministers of the Commonwealth will decide on Friday without the help of aides or advisers. The role of the leader of Commonwealth isn't hereditary and hence, it will not pass to Prince Charles upon Her Majesty's death. A BBC report claimed that there have been rumors that the position should be rotated among member countries.
However, Prince Charles may just come to occupy that position as leaders of the Commonwealth may not defy the Queen's wish, especially before her 92nd birthday, which falls on Saturday, April 21. The current CHOGM summit is likely to be her last as she no longer travels abroad. In the past few years, Prince Charles has represented the Queen at the Commonwealth summit.
At the recently held Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, 46 leaders from 53 countries gathered at Buckingham Palace where they were greeted by Coldstream Guards, whose officers and soldiers lined up in their red tunics and bearskins.
Prince Charles, who had earlier addressed leaders, said, "For my part, the Commonwealth has been a fundamental feature of my life for as long as I can remember, beginning with my first visit to Malta when I was just five years old. I pray that this Commonwealth heads of government meeting will not only revitalize the bonds between our countries, but will also give the Commonwealth a renewed relevance to all citizens, finding practical solutions to their problems and giving life to their aspirations."
Among the many leaders, Joseph Muscat, Malta’s prime minister and the Commonwealth’s chair-in-office, expressed his wish to see Prince Charles as the leader of the Commonwealth once he becomes King. "We are certain that, when he will be called upon to do so, he will provide solid and passionate leadership for our Commonwealth," he said.
The prime minister of Grenada, Keith Mitchell echoed the same sentiment. "It would be good news, the Queen herself does very well and certainly we have been fortunate to have her stable leadership over this period. But having the Prince of Wales would certainly not be an unhelpful act at this point in time," he told the BBC’s World at One.