Could this be a sign of the monarchy finally moving forward? Maybe, or maybe not. Yet, Prince Charles has told the countries which still have the Queen as Head of State that they can transition to a republic should they so wish. Here’s what you need to know.
The prince, who is the future Head of the Commonwealth, says the process can happen “calmly and without rancor.” He will address the leaders of all Commonwealth countries at the CHOGM summit – the Commonwealth Heads of government meeting – in Kigali. There are 54 nations in the Commonwealth but there are 14 countries outside the UK that are Commonwealth Realms – where the British Monarch remains the Head of State.
Prince Charles Is OK With The Commonwealth Ditching The Monarchy
Those Realms include Australia, New Zealand, Belize, Jamaica, and Canada. The Prince of Wales will tell the Opening Ceremony of the CHOGM summit in Rwanda: “I want to say clearly, as I have said before, that each member’s constitutional arrangement, as republic or monarchy, is purely a matter for each member country to decide.”
The heir to the throne has expressed similar sentiments before but it is the timing that is crucial, given the increasing desire from some countries for a change in their constitutional arrangements with the UK.
Last year, Barbados replaced the Queen with a president as it chose to become a republic. The Jamaican Prime Minister, Andrew Holness, recently told Prince William and Kate on their Caribbean tour that he wanted his country to go the same way. Australia has recently elected a prime minister, Anthony Albanese, who has expressed a which to become a republic.
That said, Charles was at the transition ceremony in Barbados in November last year when the Queen was replaced with a president at a midnight ceremony.
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