S.Atlantic : Prince Harry to take Commonwealth role
Submitted by SARTMA.com (Juanita Brock) 17.02.2018 (Article Archived on 27.04.2018)

Press Release: Prince Harry will take on an official leadership role with the Commonwealth in a bid to attract new generations to the organisation.

Prince Harry to take Commonwealth role Prince Harry will take on an official leadership role with the Commonwealth in a bid to attract new generations to the organisation. In a significant boost to his ¬position within the royal family — and in an effort to cement the -monarchy’s ties to the member nations — Harry is expected formally to accept a new role at the Commonwealth heads of government meeting in London, which will run from April 16 to 20. Senior royal sources confirmed that the prince will play a leading part at the summit, which is to be hosted by the Queen. She has been head of the Common¬wealth since her coronation in 1953. Heads of all the 53 member nations are expected to attend. Harry, 33, is keen to carve out a distinct role for himself after his marriage in May to the American former actress Meghan Markle¬, 36, and he sees a Commonwealth ¬position as a fitting tribute to his grandmother’s legacy. It is thought there is already agreement among the Com¬mon¬wealth heads for Harry to adopt a “youth ¬leadership” role and he is expec¬ted to speak at the summit’s Commonwealth Youth Forum. The move could also assist a smooth transition of the Commonwealth headship from the Queen, 91, to the Prince of Wales, 69. The title is not hereditary and will not auto¬matically pass to Prince Charles, who wishes to lead the organ¬isation and has called it a “cornerstone” of his life. Harry may also take on an ambassadorial role with the Common¬wealth Games. Charles will open this year’s games on Australia’s Gold Coast and had opened the Delhi games in 2010. Harry’s involvement with the Commonwealth is strongly supported by the government. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is keen to capitalise on his and Markle’s global appeal. In their engagement interview Markle said: “There is so much work to do in the Commonwealth.” In October the couple will visit Sydney for the Invictus Games and royal sources have indicated plans to expand the trip into an official tour of Australia and New Zealand. Dr Sue Onslow, deputy director of the Institute of Commonwealth Studies at the University of London, said: “It’s a very astute move giving Prince Harry a non-political, global role, drawing on his charisma and energy to help keep the Commonwealth and its headship relevant to a younger generation. This is soft-power diplomacy.” A royal source added: “Prince Harry has enjoyed his work on youth-led issues throughout the Commonwealth on behalf of the Queen and the institution. He will continue to expand on that and will be very visible at the heads of government meeting.”