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Heir to the British throne, Prince Charles has been approved as the next head of the Commonwealth of the United Kingdom and its former colonies, according to UK media reports.
Key points:
- The move follows the Queen's "sincere wish" that her son be chosen as the next head
- Prince Charles is a long-time champion of environmental causes, a priority amongst many Commonwealth nations
- The Queen turns 92 on Saturday
Leaders from the 53-nation Commonwealth, holding a private meeting at Windsor Castle near London, agreed Charles should one day succeed his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, the BBC and other outlets said.
The Commonwealth was formed as Britain's former colonies gained their independence, and its first head was the queen's father, King George VI.
The Queen has led the group since taking the throne in 1952.
However, the position is not hereditary, and some people have suggested a non-royal leader would be more appropriate in the 21st century.
The monarch — who turns 92 on Saturday — had said on Thursday that she hoped her son and heir would one day "carry on the important work started by my father in 1949."
The British Government backed Charles to succeed his mother, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he agreed "very much" with the Queen's wishes.
The position is largely symbolic, but the Queen's commitment has been a major force behind the survival of the Commonwealth.
She has visited almost every member country, often multiple times, over her 66-year reign.
Analysis – By Europe Correspondent James Glenday
Critics of the Commonwealth say it's a pale, stale relic of the past.So, as part of the continuous debate about how to make the organisation more relevant in the 21st century, some had suggested the next head of the Commonwealth should be directly elected.
The argument was someone from a small, lesser known nation may help the club lose its colonial image.
But several countries, including Australia, have argued it makes more sense to keep giving the title to the Monarch.
This is partly because the future kings of England, Charles, William and George, are always likely to have substantial global star power that can be leveraged to promote the organisation's many varied campaigns and causes.
Of course, the debate is now moot.
The Queen is highly unlikely to have made her public comments if the issue wasn't already settled.
Prince Charles is a long-time champion of environmental causes — a priority for the Commonwealth.
Its members include small island nations in the Caribbean and Pacific that are among the countries most vulnerable to rising seas, fiercer storms and other effects of global climate change.
Protecting the world's oceans is high on the agenda at the Commonwealth meeting, alongside issues such as cybersecurity and trade.
Britain has tried to use the biennial heads of government meeting to reinvigorate a disparate group that takes in 2.4 billion people on five continents but has struggled to carve out a firm place on the world stage.
The UK also wants to lay the groundwork for new trade deals with Commonwealth nations after Britain leaves the European Union next year.
AP
Topics: world-politics, royal-and-imperial-matters, united-kingdom
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