Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday openly voiced her wish for her son Prince Charles to succeed her as head of the Commonwealth as she opened the group's summit for potentially the final time. Queen Elizabeth, who turns 92 on Saturday, welcomed leaders from the 53 Commonwealth nations - mostly former British colonies - to Buckingham Palace to start two days of talks focused on trade, marine protection and tackling cyber crime.
In her opening speech, Queen Elizabeth spoke of her own "extraordinary journey" since pledging to serve the Commonwealth for life when aged 21. "It is my sincere wish that the Commonwealth will continue to offer stability and continuity for future generations and will decide that one day, the Prince of Wales should carry on the important work," she said, referring to her eldest son Charles. Queen Elizabeth has been the Commonwealth's symbolic figurehead since her father king George VI's death in 1952. On Friday's closing day, leaders are expected to decide who should follow her in the non-hereditary role.
Charles, the heir to the thrones of 16 Commonwealth nations, now seems certain to get the nod following Queen Elizabeth's public endorsement - despite some republican voices angling for change. Charles, 69, told Commonwealth leaders the body had been "a fundamental feature of my life for as long as I can remember".
He hoped the 2018 summit would give the group "renewed relevance" to citizens, making it a "cornerstone" for future generations, as it had been for him.