Prince Charles is new Commonwealth Head

LONDON: Prince Charles will succeed his mother Queen Elizabeth-II as the Head of the Commonwealth after the heads of government on Friday agreed on his succession, a day after the 91-year-old monarch said it was her “sincere wish” that her son would succeed her in the role “one day”.

Prince Charles greets PM Narendra Modi during the Queen's Dinner for Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London. AP/PTI

London, April 20

Prince Charles will succeed his mother Queen Elizabeth-II as the Head of the Commonwealth after the heads of government on Friday agreed on his succession, a day after the 91-year-old monarch said it was her “sincere wish” that her son would succeed her in the role “one day”.

According to media reports, the Commonwealth leaders have reached an agreement on the succession of the 69-year-old heir to the British throne at a closed-door Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) retreat in Windsor Castle.

The issue of the future of the Commonwealth was expected to be the dominant theme when the leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, gathered at the grand Waterloo Chamber of the Castle for the informal leg of the summit on Friday.

Modi, among the Commonwealth heads of government attending the retreat, is expected to have been among the leaders to endorse Prince Charles as the future Head after the Indian government indicated its backing for the royal to take on the non-hereditary role.

“India has no objection to Prince Charles as the next Head because he has worked hard for the institution. However, we are also clear that there should be no institutionalisation of the post,” a senior Indian official said.

Crucially, the Prince has worked hard to secure the support of India by going out of his way last year to visit Modi, to convince him to come to the London summit.

“India is a key and growing player in the Commonwealth, one of its largest economies with almost half its population. So its voice matters,” the BBC reported.

“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,” Prince Charles said in his welcome speech at Buckingham Palace.

“I pray that this CHOGM will not only revitalise the bonds between our countries, but will give the Commonwealth a renewed relevance to all citizens, finding practical solutions to their problems and giving life to their aspirations. By doing so, the Commonwealth can be a cornerstone for the lives of future generations, just as it has been for so many of us,” he said. — PTI