Prince Charles confirmed as next Commonwealth head despite Labour doubts
3 min read
Prince Charles has been confirmed as the next head of the Commonwealth - despite calls from top Labour figures that he should have been overlooked.
Shadow International Development Secretary Kate Osamor said he should not succeed the Queen in the role because he had "not been that vocal on issues" in recent years.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn also suggested that the post should be filled on a rotational basis among member states.
The Queen has been head of the Commonwealth since 1952, having taken over from her father George VI.
Leaders at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, which is taking place in London, met at Windsor Castle to decide on who should succeed her.
In a rare political intervention, the Queen 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."
But Ms Osamor said in an interview with PoliticsHome sister title the House Magazine that she did “not particularly think it should be" Prince Charles.
"Not because I have an issue with the Royal Family,” she explained. “I just don’t think it should be him. I don’t really know what he’s been up to of late. He’s not been that vocal on issues.”
She added: “We just need someone who’s level-headed, someone people respect but also someone who thinks outside the box.”
It comes after the Queen made a dramatic intervention in the debate - saying it was her “sincere wish” that her son should succeed her in the role.
Mr Corbyn said last Sunday: “I think the Commonwealth ought to really get a chance to decide who its own head is in the future.
“The Queen clearly is personally very committed to the Commonwealth, but after her I think maybe it’s time to say the Commonwealth should decide who its own president is on a rotational basis.”
But Theresa May had thrown her weight behind the Prince of Wales, with a Number 10 spokesman saying he had been a "proud supporter of the Commonwealth for more than four decades".
Speaking at the final press conference of this week’s Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting today, the Prime Minister welcomed the appointment and paid tribute to the Queen.
She said: “On behalf of all our citizens I want to express the depth of our gratitude for everything that her majesty has done and will continue to do.
“Today we have agreed that the next head of the Commonwealth shall be His Royal Highness Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales.
“His Royal Highness Prince has been a proud supporter of the Commonwealth for more than four decades and has spoken passionately about the organisation’s unique diversity. And it is fitting that one day that one day he will continue the work of his mother, Her Majesty The Queen.”
Mrs May later added that the decision had been "unanimous".
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