The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings (CHOGM) are a busy time for everyone but no more than Prince Charles who has now found himself in the position of proving he should succeed The Queen as head.
It has been suggested by major politians and key players that Prince Charles is “unfit” for the role and an elected leader should be nominated when Queen Elizabeth dies.
While Prince Charles will become Head of State to 16 out of the 53 Commonwealth Nations, he will not automatically be head of the Commonwealth.
Downing Street has announced that the issue of who will succeed The Queen will likely take place during the retreat of Government leaders on Friday at Windsor Castle.
According to the Commonwealth’s guidance on governance “Queen Elizabeth II is Head of the Commonwealth. There is no maximum fixed term for the Head of The Commonwealth. The choice of successive Heads will be made collectively by Commonwealth leaders.”
The Commonwealth Secretariat has denied that a decision will take place during CHOGM and only when the position is vacant.
Jeremy Corbyn, Labour leader, has been an outspoken opposition of Prince Charles saying that the heads of Commonwealth nations “ought to really get a chance to decide” while speaking to BBC’s Andrew Marr.
Adding: “The Queen clearly is personally very committed to the Commonwealth but after her I think maybe it’s a time to say well actually the Commonwealth should decide who its own president is on a rotational basis.”
Corbyn suggested that the role should be elected and be on a rotational basis.
The position was first comprised in 1949 and was first held by the Queen’s father King George VI.
The Queen has praised her son’s work saying she could not “wish to have been better supported and represented in the Commonwealth than by the Prince of Wales, who continues to give so much to it with great distinction.”
