Prince Charles says Commonwealth is 'vital' to future of humanity in impassioned speech

The Prince of Wales today said the Commonwealth is “vital” to the health of the world and the future of humanity.

In an impassioned speech Prince Charles - the future head of the Commonwealth - said it had been the “cornerstone” of his life.

And he said he believes it plays a crucial role bringing “us together” to “address common challenges” like the serious threat of climate change.

Charles, confirmed as the next head of the 70-year-old association of 53 countries by its leaders after the Queen, spoke out at the start of a major Commonwealth tour of the Caribbean and also an historic visit to Communist Cuba, the first there by a British royal.

The Prince, on this tour representing the Queen at the behest of the Foreign Office, has long been a passionate advocate of sustainability and the circular economy.

He said the Commonwealth has real power - as it represents a third of the world’s population - to tackle global challenges that impact on us all.

“The Commonwealth has been the cornerstone of my life for as long as I can remember and through all the unprecedented challenges of those past seven decades it seems to me that the Commonwealth remains as vital today as it has ever been.”

Speaking at the official welcoming parade in St. Lucia today, at the Philip Marcellin Grounds, ahead of a reception Serenity Hotel, Coconut Bay to mark the island country’s 40th anniversary independence, he said: “Importantly the Commonwealth brings us together and gives us the means to harness shared opportunities as well as to address common challenges.”

The Prince was also at pains to praised the resilience of the people of the Caribbean region who suffered personal hardship after the devastating hurricanes Mafia and Irma in 2017. Charles visited the region at the time to see first hand their impact.

The Prince went on to praise St Lucia - the only country to be named after a woman with more Nobel Laureates per capita than any other country - saying: “St. Lucia has a big history and the road that St Lucia travelled to independence in 1979 was long and took many turns.

“Four decades on as you look back at the journey you have taken and look ahead to the future you are building, the people of St Lucia have so much of which they can be proud.”

Prince Charles later left St Lucia to fly to Barbados - the hub for visiting the other islands using an RAF Voyager available for the Queen, Charles and Prime Minister, where he will be reunited with his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, who flew to the region ahead of the tour.

The visit to Cuba on 24 March for three days is being hailed as important in building diplomatic ties between the two counties as it is the first time such a senior royal figure has visited.

Given that the Queen no longer undertakes long haul travel Charles’s visit is seen as having the same high status as a State visit.