The Guardian view on the next head of the Commonwealth: think big | Editorial

Succession planning for the next phase makes sense. It is time to move on from the link with the British crownIn the years since the British Commonwealth dropped the “British” bit in 1949, two people have held the title of Head of the Commonwealth: George VI until 1952 and Elizabeth II until now. The world has changed out of recognition in that time, and the Commonwealth with it. The Queen, though, has been a constant. She has carried out her role assiduously. But the title is not hereditary.So, what should happen next? The question is being asked, discreetly and decorously, in London this week as part of a review by a seven person “high-level group” of Commonwealth officials and former ministers. The review is a sensible exercise in succession planning. It is particularly important for an organisation that has been embodied for so long by one person, but which has itself undergone transformative evolution during those years. Continue reading…

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/feb/13/the-guardian-view-on-the-next-head-of-the-commonwealth-think-big