Prince Harry to Take on Youth Leadership Role in the Commonwealth

Prince Harry, along with his fiancée Meghan Markle, is set to take on a youth leadership role in the Commonwealth.

The 33-year-old royal is expected to speak at the Commonwealth Youth Forum in April, which coincides with a meeting of the Commonwealth heads in government hosted by his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.

Harry is also likely to accept an ambassadorial role with the Commonwealth Games, building on his patronage of the Invictus Games.

The move has the strong backing of the UK government and is aimed at leveraging the global profile of the royal couple.

Meghan has previously expressed her interest in working with the Commonwealth, saying “there is so much to do”.

Dr. Sue Onslow, deputy director of the Institute of Commonwealth Studies at the University of London, praised the appointment as “a very astute move”, drawing on Harry's charisma and energy to engage the younger generation.

Prince Harry has been involved in youth-led issues throughout the Commonwealth on behalf of the Queen and the institution, and will continue to expand on that work.

He is expected to be highly visible at the upcoming heads of government meeting, where he will play a key role in promoting the relevance of the Commonwealth to young people.

The appointment is significant because it comes at a time when questions are being raised about the future of the organisation.

The Commonwealth comprises 53 nations, most of which are former British colonies, and there is no clear successor to the Queen as its head.

Officials are currently planning talks in London to address this issue.

In a document released by Wikileaks, Amitabh Banerjee, Commonwealth secretariat director of political affairs, allegedly told a US embassy political officer in 2009 that Prince Harry does not command the same respect as the Queen.

However, Charles did represent his mother at the last heads of government meeting in Sri Lanka in 2013, and will open this year's Commonwealth Games on Australia's Gold Coast in April.

There are several options for the future of the Commonwealth.

Charles could be installed as head of the organisation on a one-off basis when he becomes king, or the organisation could agree on a new constitution that would automatically confer the position on the British head of state.

The appointment of Prince Harry to a leadership role is seen as a way to keep the Commonwealth relevant to a younger generation and ensure its continued success.