Charles and the Commonwealth

[Iluvbertie]

How are my words patronising? I believe it is against this board's rules to insult other posters. As far as what gives me the idea, please page up to the Wikileaks posted by Wbenson. I am apparantly not the only one who thinks this way, including the US State Department...

There is a difference between thinking Charles won't be the automatic head and thinking the Commonwealth itself will fade away.

 

[MARG]

Couldn't have said it better myself.

 

[scooter]

I think QEII's death will be a natural 'break point' for many of the Commonwealth nations, regardless of who is the Heir. I meant no disrespect to the institution. I am sorry if you took it that way.

 

[Iluvbertie]

I think QEII's death will be a natural 'break point' for many of the Commonwealth nations, regardless of who is the Heir. I meant no disrespect to the institution. I am sorry if you took it that way.

But what do you mean by 'break point'?

e.g. here in Australia there is regular talk of us becoming a republic and even the suggestion that the Queen's death would be a good time for that to happen but I haven't seen any suggestion that we would contemplate leaving the Commonwealth.

 

[Lumutqueen]

I think Scooter means that when QE11 passes away, commonwealth nations will find it easier to break away.

 

[Roslyn]

I think Scooter means that when QE11 passes away, commonwealth nations will find it easier to break away.

But why on earth would we? The Commonwealth offers only benefits, no burdens.

 

[muriel]

But why on earth would we? The Commonwealth offers only benefits, no burdens.

Quite right. Perhaps scooter is unaware that being a member of the Commonwealth does not make HM the head of state?

 

[scooter]

Perhaps I am wrong. It is only IMHO. With any luck it will be many years before we lose Queen Elizabeth and will then find out!

 

[muriel]

Perhaps I am wrong. It is only IMHO. With any luck it will be many years before we lose Queen Elizabeth and will then find out!

You have still not answered the question as to why you think the commonwealth will unravel after the death of HM?

 

[Warren]

Mail Online - 15 November 2013
Robert Hardman

The message was clear: Charles is a King-in-waiting as Commonwealth crown jewels were laid out in Sri Lanka
​

All the Commonwealth crown jewels were laid out on the table last night. The 18-carat gold Commonwealth Mace, with a socking great ruby in its crown, is just as much a statement of regal clout as, say, the Orb. There, too, were the Commonwealth Goblets, the gold cups (one for each member state) which are produced when the Sovereign entertains the leaders of her Commonwealth.

These treasures had all been flown out to Colombo for the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall. Earlier in the day, the Prince had formally opened the 2013 Commonwealth Summit. And when he whacked the Queen’s gavel on the table last night and called the representatives of a third of the world’s population to order, he did so as de facto Monarch. In the very week that Prince Charles has reached what most people would regard as retirement age, he is as busy and contented as he has ever been. And yesterday was his most significant step yet in assuming the mantle of Monarch.

This was a very important moment not just for the Prince but for the Monarchy. The sub-text was clear: here is a King-in-waiting. Hosting meetings of the Commonwealth is one of the principal duties of the Sovereign. And it can also be one of the trickiest, especially at a chaotic summit like this one. The main task for the Prince, as for the Queen in years gone by, has been to provide a badly-needed veneer of unity and glamour. And he has succeeded. Yesterday morning, the Prince avoided all politics, saluted Sri Lanka’s fortitude in the face of the 2004 tsunami and praised the Commonwealth for its ‘touch of healing’. At last night’s banquet, he struck a more personal note with his own Commonwealth memories stretching back to his childhood. Musing on early leaders such as Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, who had given the boy Charles a much-loved bow and arrows at Balmoral, the Prince had his guests in giggles with the tale of the student Charles going waterskiing with Malta’s fiery Dom Mintoff.

Perversely, the more ill-tempered this summit becomes, the more people have been pleased to see the Prince and the Duchess. Such is the power of royal stardust. Having won over this fractious crowd in Colombo, a State Opening of Parliament should be a piece of cake. Though he remains HRH, and not HM, there’s unquestionably a different aura; a head of state buzz about this place.

Back in March, the Secretary General, India’s Kamalesh Sharma, made a speech saluting the Queen’s staunch service to the Commonwealth. He went on: ‘The support given to you in this endeavour by the Prince of Wales deepens the Commonwealth’s links to the Crown. Such heartfelt enthusiasm brings a foundation of friendship and continuity.’ No mere pleasantries. In diplomatic speak, Mr Sharma was saying: ‘All things considered, we’ll stick with the Crown.’ May it be many, many years hence. But come the day when there is a change of reign, I think that Charles III and his Commonwealth are going to get along just fine.

​

 

[MARG]

Gee Warren, that is one hell of a "So there!!!!"

 

[Warren]

It's further evidence that the House of Windsor appears to be very much on its game as another sensitive and important element of the transition is successfully carried out. It will boost the confidence of team C&C and once again confirm to HM and her senior courtiers that C&C are up to the task.

We are witness to the latter stage of the reign of Elizabeth II. It should be reassuring to the supporters and well-wishers of the Monarchy and House of Windsor that each carefully planned stage of the transition has so far been smoothly implemented.

 

[CyrilVladisla]

In King Charles III, Anthony Holden wrote:

To Charles the remnants of what was his grandfather's empire, and will one day be his own global kingdom, are of paramount importance. He shares his mother's deep-seated belief that it is among the contemporary monarch's primary duties to preserve the Commonwealth and promote its interests.
​

 

[Rudolph]

Prince Charles warned he would make New Zealanders "laugh out the other side of their faces" for repeatedly making fun of him falling off a horse, a letter set to be sold at auction has revealed.

The handwritten note, sent by the first in line to the throne to a friend in April 1981, has been published by British newspaper the Daily Mail.

It reveals that the Prince of Wales was so aggrieved by comments from New Zealanders about footage of him falling off his polo horse that he was determined to seek revenge.

In Christchurch he wrote: "kindless, fallacious remarks and references about falling off horses are beginning to get through to me.

"It seems as though the main thing they know about me out here! It all increases my determination to make them laugh out the other side of their faces one day!"

The Prince - who was only three months away from marrying Diana at the time - also used the written correspondence to bemoan his royal duties, describing them as 'nonsensical rubbish', the Daily Mail reported.

"The real problem is keeping up my enthusiasm on each new day because I am beginning to get fed up with the amount of nonsensical rubbish I take all day and every day!"

Read more: Letter reveals Prince Charles' aggravation during 1981 New Zealand tour | Stuff.co.nz

 

[Dman]

I guess it's one of the reasons why Charles has worked tirelessly over the years to make his voice heard, show his passions and shape his role into what it is today. It's hard to be taken serious.

 

[Rudolph]

Keating said retaining Prince Charles as head of state would be 'deeply sick'

As Australia prepares to greet Prince Charles next month, former outspoken Labour Prime Minister Paul Keating has pleaded for the future king to be dumped as the nation's next head of state.

He has urged Malcolm Turnbull, elected as the new Prime Minister following a party room coup against Tony Abbott last month to do all he can to remove Charles as head of state, because to retain him would be 'deeply sick'.

Insisting that Australia should make moves to becoming a republic, Mr Keating - no stranger to speaking his mind during his reign as a Labour Prime Minister - said that 'no great country has a monarch...of another country as their head of state.'

Read more: Paul Keating wants to dump Prince Charles as Australia's head of state | Daily Mail Online

 

[Curryong]

I don't think Paul Keating is listened to much by anyone nowadays. He's a 'yesterday's figure'. Even in his prime Keating was quite anti-British in his pronouncements.

 

[Mbruno]

Keating said retaining Prince Charles as head of state would be 'deeply sick'


Read more: Paul Keating wants to dump Prince Charles as Australia's head of state | Daily Mail Online

Nothing new really. The fact remains that , as of today, only 39 % of the Australian public support an Australian republic, with about 19 % undecided.

 

[muriel]

Keating said retaining Prince Charles as head of state would be 'deeply sick'


Read more: Paul Keating wants to dump Prince Charles as Australia's head of state | Daily Mail Online

I suspect it is not a difficult topic to raise for politicians seeking attention. Fact is, if the Aussies want a republic, they should get one. They seem to spend more time talking about it than actually doing anything about it.

 

[Rudolph]

There is a screenshot of the article

Roya Nikkhah @RoyaNikkhah
My@thesundaytimes piece on the Queen & Prince Charles' push to make Charles next head of the Commonwealth #CHOGM2015

https://twitter.com/RoyaNikkhah/status/668400301855145984

 

[Dman]

Queen lobbies for Prince Charles to be Commonwealth head - BBC News

 

[hel]

The thing that confuses me about the outrage is that I don't see a better-qualified candidate.

You've got the Republic mouthpiece insisting that the Queen isn't "doing what's right by the Commonwealth" (which, let's be honest, the head of of Republic doesn't care a toss about except as a stick to beat the royals with). But what if the Queen honestly thinks that the person who's visited most of the countries of the CW, who's supported charity work in many of the CW countries, and views the CW the same way she does is, in fact, the best person to lead it.

Seriously, if it were completely a meritocratic decision, who else has as much experience as Charles? Can anyone honestly suggest someone?

 

[COUNTESS]

Perhaps, they just don't like him. Nothing more than that.

 

[cepe]

The original article was written in The Times. PEter Hunt has not repeated the entire article, and I think its obvious that he's miffed that he didnt know this went on. I thought his article rather sulky, like a 5 yr old stamping his foot and lacking the balance of the original article.

This is the part of the original article which puts the situation into perspective.

QUOTE:
A decade ago it was less certain that Prince Charles would take over from the Queen. However it has become increasingly apparent to most he is the only credible choice.
Malcolm Turnbull, the Australian PM, who is a republican, said privately at the CHOGM in Malta last year: "Who else is there?"

2 other points:
SIr Christopher Geidt's mtg with Ms Gilliard was 30 minutes. Superhuman powers of diplomacy if thats all it took!

Head of the Commonwealth has no power. The person who works on a day to day basis is the General Secretary and that position is elected by all the members.

 

[Dman]

If they want the Monarch to be the Head of the Commonwealth, Charles is the only choice. He can do the job, along with his wife and heirs, of holding it together.

 

[Curryong]

Yes, it's a ceremonial and symbolic role. There isn't anyone else really. Charles has travelled widely throughout the Commonwealth. It's probably not going to be widely discussed however with the Queen still alive, as it's rather distasteful as a topic of debate at the moment.

 

[Dman]

Yes, it's a ceremonial and symbolic role. There isn't anyone else really. Charles has travelled widely throughout the Commonwealth. It's probably not going to be widely discussed however with the Queen still alive, as it's rather distasteful as a topic of debate at the moment.

With The Queen being 90, there's going to be a lot of talk about the future. The whole lot is pretty much staring everyone in the face now.