Here are Prince Charles’ (soon to be King Charles III and our Head of State) remarks at the official opening of CHOGM in Rwanda.
“The Commonwealth contains within it countries that have had constitutional links to my family, some that continue to do so and, increasingly, those who have had none.
I want to say clearly, as I have said before, that each member’s constitutional arrangements, as republic or monarchy, is purely a matter for each country to decide. The benefit of long life brings me the experience that arrangements such as these can change calmly and without rancour.”
Charles’ frankness is refreshing as is his directness in addressing this issue. He seems to be much less squeamish about calling a spade a spade than we are. Naturally, it will stem from several more Caribbean nations in the Commonwealth wanting to follow the recent lead of Barbados declaring itself a republic – as the British will know following both recent royal visits for the Platinum Jubilee, not all of which were without direct expression to the visitors of the desire for such a change and the continuing attention to the effects of slavery in many Commonwealth countries, continuing ties to the Privy Council in UK etc.
It also leaves Australia, New Zealand and Canada looking very isolated as the major standouts for increasingly obvious reasons not to mention their dominant white Anglo establishments.
It didn’t go without notice at home that the new Prime Minister did not attend CHOGM but was represented by his deputy – suggests a change in priorities right from the start.Good!
