LONDON: Britain's Prince William has hinted at being open to the possibility that the royal family may not always be at the helm of the Commonwealth of nations, as he concluded a tour of the Caribbean with wife Kate Middleton this weekend.
The 39-year-old, who is second in line to the British throne, used a concluding speech in the Bahamas to convey the message that he was committed to the goals of the organisation, with the question of leadership up to the 54 member countries including India.
"Catherine and I are committed to service. For us, that's not telling people what to do. It is about serving and supporting them in whatever way they think best, by using the platform we are lucky to have," said William.
"It is why tours such as this reaffirm our desire to serve the people of the Commonwealth and to listen to communities around the world. Who the Commonwealth chooses to lead its family in the future isn't what is on my mind. What matters to us is the potential the Commonwealth family has to create a better future for the people who form it, and our commitment to serve and support as best we can," he said.
In 2018, Commonwealth leaders had agreed that Prince Charles would succeed Queen Elizabeth II as the head of the Commonwealth in an honorary, non-hereditary position.
But there have been suggestions that the organisation must move beyond its colonial roots and have non-royals in charge.
The Sunday Times quoted a source close to Prince William as saying that his recent statements during the eight-day Caribbean tour reflected that he is looking ahead to his future role and how he will do things differently from other members of the royal family.
"He wants to formulate his own views and give people a greater insight into how he's thinking. He wants to reaffirm that the whole point of coming here is to listen and learn and not to lecture. He is passionate about what the Commonwealth can achieve, irrespective of the future question of its leadership," the source said.
William and Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, were on tour of the Caribbean as a means of highlighting the region's royal connection in the Platinum Jubilee year of the Queen's reign.
However, there have been developments in Jamaica and Belize signalling an appetite for change away from the British monarch being seen as the official head of state.
"I know that this tour has brought into even sharper focus questions about the past and the future. In Belize, Jamaica and The Bahamas, that future is for the people to decide upon. But we have thoroughly enjoyed spending time with communities in all three countries, understanding more about the issues that matter most to them," William said, in an apparent nod towards these brewing developments.
Last year, Barbados became the latest Caribbean nation to officially remove the Queen as its head of state.