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Queen Elizabeth IIThe Sussexes

The Queen appoints Prince Harry as Commonwealth Youth Ambassador

Ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings that are starting today, Her Majesty The Queen has appointed her grandson, Prince Harry as the Commonwealth Youth Ambassador.

He will undertake his first engagement as Ambassador later this morning at the Youth Round Table and the opening session of the Youth Forum.

Later in the week, Meghan Markle will join her future husband at another session of the Youth Forum to see how the young leaders are making on.

As Commonwealth Youth Ambassador, Prince Harry will able to bring attention to the “work and aspirations of young people across the Commonwealth.”

The Commonwealth has a population of 2.4 billion, over 60% of those are under the age of 30.

According to the press release from Buckingham Palace, “Prince Harry will work to create links between young people and youth leaders of the Commonwealth and to encourage them to use Commonwealth platforms to address the social, economic, and environmental challenges of their generation.”

Part of his new role will involve further engagements in the UK to show the importance of the Commonwealth as well as promoting the Commonwealth on scheduled tours to the Commonweath countries.

This is the second appointment for Prince Harry in less then a week. Her Majesty just named Prince Harry as the President of the newly formed Queen’s Commmonwealth Trust.

On their website, it states: “Our President, Prince Harry, recognises the potential the Commonwealth family has – with this generation’s vision, passion, effort and connectivity – to make a lasting beneficial impact with their ideas for hopeful social change.”

 The Queen’s Commonwealth Trust has been set up to champion, fund, and connect “young leaders who are working hard to change the world.”
Dr Sue Onslow, deputy director of the Institute of Commonwealth Studies at the University of London, praised the move to give Prince Harry his new position: “It’s a very astute move giving Prince Harry a non-political, global role, drawing on his charisma and energy to help keep the Commonwealth and its headship relevant to a younger generation. This is soft-power diplomacy.”
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle already have one Commonwealth trip later this year when they visit Australia for the 2018 Invictus Games. It is also rumored that a Canadian tour could take place this summer.