The Queen, who turns 92 tomorrow, was proclaimed Head of the Commonwealth at her coronation when she was head of state in seven of its eight members, and wantsPrince Charles to succeed her. But it is not a hereditary position that will pass automatically to the Prince of Wales, who will be head of state in only 15 of the 53 member nations that now make up the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth Secretariat insists the leader must be chosen by Commonwealth heads of government, such as the Prime Ministers of New Zealand and Canada. It is believed a decision about whether Prince Charles will succeed the Queen as the head of the Commonwealth will take place today at the Leaders' RetreatTheresa May's spokesperson, when asked about the succession, said: 'This is obviously a decision that is taken later in the week, a decision taken by all the members together. While they are widely expected to fulfil the hopes expressed by the Queen, there was no official confirmation that Charles will be offered the role on Friday.

Source: Daily Mail April 19, 2018 21:08 UTC