Prince Charles to campaign at CHOGM
Nov 13, 2007
Prince Charles is to launch a diplomatic charm offensive in Kampala next week to ensure that he and his son Prince William inherit the Queen’s role on the world stage when she dies, the British Daily Mail has said.
By Vision Reporter
Prince Charles is to launch a diplomatic charm offensive in Kampala next week to ensure that he and his son Prince William inherit the Queen’s role on the world stage when she dies, the British Daily Mail has said.
The Prince and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, are to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting next week in an attempt to persuade the 53 member nations to pick him as the Queen’s successor as Commonwealth leader, the British paper said in an article published on Sunday.
“The initiative reflects concern that the Commonwealth may choose someone else, leaving Charles, and in time William, with no international standing - and virtually nothing to do outside the UK,†the paper wrote.
It is also a response to diplomatic warnings to Buckingham Palace that it is “almost inevitable†that Australia and New Zealand will abandon the British monarch as head of state when the Queen, who is 81, dies, The Mail on Sunday said.
“If that happens, both would remain in the Commonwealth but Charles would have no links with them. Other countries, including Canada, could follow suit.â€
Despite their Republican moves, Australia and New Zealand are thought to be among those most likely to support Charles’s bid to remain head. Observers say he wants to capitalise on their support.
“There has been concern for some time at the effect of the Queen’s death on Charles’s position,†the paper quoted a senior diplomatic source.
“The Commonwealth is the one thing that gives the monarch a serious international role.
“At CHOGM the Queen is like any other statesman, holding talks with heads of government and acting as a broker. Take the Commonwealth away and Charles will have fewer friends in the world and fewer places to go.â€
George VI became head of the Commonwealth in 1949 in return for granting India independence.
The Queen succeeded him in 1952, but the role is not enshrined in law. Only 16 of the 53 Commonwealth nations now retain her as head of state and Australian Labour leader Kevin Rudd has indicated that if he wins the country’s election on November 24, he may back a referendum on whether Australia should become a republic.
New Zealand’s Prime Minister Helen Clark recently suggested that the Union Jack could be dropped from the country’s flag.
“There are fears that by the time Charles is king, his realm may consist of a handful of Caribbean islands and Papua New Guinea - plus the UK,†the paper reported.
It quoted a Foreign Office insider as saying: “Most Commonwealth leaders are in awe of the Queen but do not have the same respect for Charles.
On his four-day visit to Uganda, Charles’s first to CHOGM, he and Camilla will attend two banquets hosted by the Queen. He will also have private talks with Commonwealth leaders, join them for an overnight ‘retreat’ on the shores of Lake Victoria and visit aid projects.
Contacted for comment yesterday, John Hamilton of the British High Commission said: “President Yoweri Museveni as the CHOGM host invited His Royal Highness to visit Uganda at the time of CHOGM, recognising his support for and interest in the Commonwealth.â€
Prince Charles is to launch a diplomatic charm offensive in Kampala next week to ensure that he and his son Prince William inherit the Queen’s role on the world stage when she dies, the British Daily Mail has said.
The Prince and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, are to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting next week in an attempt to persuade the 53 member nations to pick him as the Queen’s successor as Commonwealth leader, the British paper said in an article published on Sunday.
“The initiative reflects concern that the Commonwealth may choose someone else, leaving Charles, and in time William, with no international standing - and virtually nothing to do outside the UK,†the paper wrote.
It is also a response to diplomatic warnings to Buckingham Palace that it is “almost inevitable†that Australia and New Zealand will abandon the British monarch as head of state when the Queen, who is 81, dies, The Mail on Sunday said.
“If that happens, both would remain in the Commonwealth but Charles would have no links with them. Other countries, including Canada, could follow suit.â€
Despite their Republican moves, Australia and New Zealand are thought to be among those most likely to support Charles’s bid to remain head. Observers say he wants to capitalise on their support.
“There has been concern for some time at the effect of the Queen’s death on Charles’s position,†the paper quoted a senior diplomatic source.
“The Commonwealth is the one thing that gives the monarch a serious international role.
“At CHOGM the Queen is like any other statesman, holding talks with heads of government and acting as a broker. Take the Commonwealth away and Charles will have fewer friends in the world and fewer places to go.â€
George VI became head of the Commonwealth in 1949 in return for granting India independence.
The Queen succeeded him in 1952, but the role is not enshrined in law. Only 16 of the 53 Commonwealth nations now retain her as head of state and Australian Labour leader Kevin Rudd has indicated that if he wins the country’s election on November 24, he may back a referendum on whether Australia should become a republic.
New Zealand’s Prime Minister Helen Clark recently suggested that the Union Jack could be dropped from the country’s flag.
“There are fears that by the time Charles is king, his realm may consist of a handful of Caribbean islands and Papua New Guinea - plus the UK,†the paper reported.
It quoted a Foreign Office insider as saying: “Most Commonwealth leaders are in awe of the Queen but do not have the same respect for Charles.
On his four-day visit to Uganda, Charles’s first to CHOGM, he and Camilla will attend two banquets hosted by the Queen. He will also have private talks with Commonwealth leaders, join them for an overnight ‘retreat’ on the shores of Lake Victoria and visit aid projects.
Contacted for comment yesterday, John Hamilton of the British High Commission said: “President Yoweri Museveni as the CHOGM host invited His Royal Highness to visit Uganda at the time of CHOGM, recognising his support for and interest in the Commonwealth.â€