It has emerged The Queen lobbied the Australian government in secret to ensure the Prince of Wales succeeded her as the head of the Commonwealth. Her most senior advisor flew on a special but secret mission to Adelaide to persuade Julia Gillard, the then prime minister, that Prince Charles would take over as the ceremonial head of the 53 nation Commonwealth. The visit by Sir Christopher Geidt, the Queen’s private secretary was revealed in a talk by Ms Gillard in London last week.
In a speech at King’s College London, Ms Gillard who hosted the 2011 Commonwealth has of government meeting (CHOGM) in Perth said: “In early 2013 I was advised that Sir Christopher Geidt, the Queen’s private secretary, wanted half and hour of my time in my capacity as chairwoman of the Commonwealth, an officer this host holds until the next meeting. He would fly to Australia - to anywhere I was - in order to get it. The upshot of our meeting, which took place in Adelaide is a clearly worded statement for the public record about how succession works for the role of the head of Commonwealth. I would not want you to think this was some simple act of colonial subservience. I did see the wisdom in it. However, the purpose of the statement would have been a mystery to many until Prince Charles attended the next CHOGM in Sir Lanka in the Queen’s place.
The secret trip, paid for by the taxpayer helps explain how Sir Christopher, who was appointed a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in 2011, was then named a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in 2014.
Professor Philip Murphy, director of the Institute of Commonwealth Studies said: “Unlike the succession to the Crown, it isn't possible to legislate for the headship succession. So all the palace can do is to create and expectation that Charles will succeed to the headship.”
