A reader, Elisabeth, sent me a great theory yesterday. It has to do with Princes William and Harry and the role of Head of the Commonwealth. The Queen was the Head of the Commonwealth and last year Prince Charles became the Head, but it wasn’t an automatic. The role isn’t hereditary which is why the Queen worked behind the scenes to secure smooth transition for Charles to succeed her. Eventually though, Charles may want to do the same for his sons…
And that’s where Elisabeth’s theory comes in. Because it’s not necessarily going to be Prince William, since there’s no established, official documented process for succession of Head of the Commonwealth, which is why it was critical for the Queen to make clear her intention for Charles to take over from her, with the members of the Commonwealth respecting her wishes. They actually have a voice in this. Interestingly enough, remember, Prince Harry is currently the President of the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust. Meghan Markle is the Vice President. One of their primary initiatives is working with young Commonwealth leaders and as ambassadors for the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust, their job is travel to Commonwealth countries, establishing a presence in as many Commonwealth nations as they can. The goal is to keep the Commonwealth as healthy as possible, to make sure the member nations continue to want to be part of the Commonwealth. And a lot of the work of that is on the leader, the Head, the Queen for so long, now Charles…and then? I mean it’s a long game. It’s a ways away. But it’s an interesting thing to keep an eye on, what Elisabeth is wondering about.
Like, in some circles, if Prince Harry is starting to be seen more and more as an attractive future Head of the Commonwealth, with a much more relatable image, to citizens of the Commonwealth, how would William feel about that? Maybe he’d welcome it – someone else can take over that portfolio, Harry’s popularity only strengthens the pack. Or… you know…if that Sunday Times story is to be believed, would he be threatened by the popularity?
Here’s the latest House Sussex Instagram, posted today, a full day after Elisabeth sent me her musings:
Coincidence or conspiracy?
