Coalition to stick with Prince Charles as leader of Commonwealth

The Coalition government will back Prince Charles as hereditary successor to the head of the Commonwealth.

Julia Gillard welcomes the Queen and Prince Philip to CHOGM in Perth in 2011. Picture: AFP

The Coalition government is standing by a Julia Gillard pledge five years ago to back Prince Charles as hereditary successor to head of the Commonwealth as Malcolm Turnbull prepares to ­attend the Queen’s last Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London in April.

The Queen, who turns 92 the day after the London meeting of 53 Commonwealth leaders and representatives ends, has been lobbying for years to have Charles succeed her as head of the Commonwealth but there are moves to have a democratic election.

The passing of the leadership is seen as part of the Queen’s plans to ensure Charles succeeds her as monarch and a “transition to a change of reign”.

There is speculation within the Commonwealth “family” that the Queen is moving toward setting up a ­regency for Charles and retiring largely from public duties, as has Prince Philip.

The change in Commonwealth leadership is part of the Queen’s plans for a transition to Charles and is being discussed among Commonwealth nations, with Julie Bishop meeting British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson in London this week.

Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, at the start of a 12-day tour including Australia in 2012. Picture: Getty Images

As British Prime Minister Theresa May tries to revive and expand the role of the Commonwealth with Britain’s departure from the EU, the role of the British monarch and the expansion of Commonwealth membership to countries that were not under British rule is under consideration.

Officially, Buckingham Palace has said it is up to the Commonwealth to decide on its leadership, and some nations are discussing whether a democratic vote should be held to determine the Queen’s successor.

Of the 53 Commonwealth countries, only 16 still have the Queen as head of state; the rest are mostly republics with democratically elected leaders.

There is no mechanism or rule for finding the Queen’s successor.

As Prime Minister and a­ ­republican, Mr Turnbull has ­said there should be no new moves for a republic until the Queen dies, and he has ­privately supported the succession of Charles as Commonwealth leader.

Mr Turnbull’s position is based on a decision of Ms Gillard in 2013 after the palace lobbied ­secretly to have the Prince of Wales succeed the Queen as head of the Commonwealth. Ms Gillard was the host of the 2011 CHOGM in Perth.

Ms Gillard told parliament in March 2013: “For Australia’s part, I am sure the Queen’s successor as monarch will one day serve as head of the Commonwealth with the same distinction as Her Majesty has done.”

Although a group has been set up to review the governance of the Commonwealth, which includes former Australian defence minister Robert Hill, it is not considering the mechanisms for a “transition of reign”.

The Australian Republic Movement seized on British news reports that the Commonwealth may consider electing a new leader to push for Australians to be ­allowed to determine their head of state. Michael Cooney, national director of the Australian Republic Movement, said it was absurd that the Commonwealth should be able to determine its own leader without hereditary succession while Australian citizens could not.