Queen Elizabeth is likely not offended after Prince Harry seemingly criticized the Commonwealth in a recent discussion with youth leaders supported by the Commonwealth Trust. A British politician believes that the Queen "fully understood" what the Duke of Sussex meant when he said that the Commonwealth should acknowledge its uncomfortable past of colonialism.
Lord Howell of Guildford, the president of the Royal Commonwealth Society, said, in an interview with The Telegraph, that Queen Elizabeth likely got the very context of Prince Harry's message. He said that Prince Harry was, actually, explaining to those outside of the Commonwealth where they are heading.
Prince Harry received a barrage of criticisms for saying that the U.K. must reconcile with its Commonwealth colonial past and acknowledge the "wrongs" before it can move on. Some took his statement as a disrespect against the Queen, who has been the symbolical head of state of the Commonwealth.
One former soldier, Trevor Coult, said that Prince Harry has been a "complete idiot" for making such a statement. Veteran royal photographer Arthur Edwards, also, said that Prince Harry "lost the plot" and insulted his grandmother with his Commonwealth comment. Royal commentator Robert Jobson placed the blame on Prince Harry's wife, Meghan Markle, for "pulling the strings" and said that the Duchess of Sussex doesn't understand the organization at all.
But, Lord Howell said the Commonwealth under Queen Elizabeth has moved away from just being a British organization. This happened because the 54 countries, which are part of the Commonwealth, joined together and repaired some of the bad aspects and abuses of the past. The Commonwealth official, also, said that the state of the organization today is incomparable to other empires in the history of the world.
The Commonwealth of Nations consists of former territories under the British empire. The members do not have any legal obligations towards each other but remain connected because of their shared history. In the 1970s, many of the Commonwealth countries were decolonized while other countries applied to the organization.
Meanwhile, a source told Newsweek that Prince Harry's comments were made known to Buckingham Palace before it was released to the public. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were, actually, encouraged to speak their minds on the subject of inequality, knowing that the Commonwealth Trust, where they serve as president and vice president, is a different entity than the Queen Elizabeth's Commonwealth. The trust's focus is on helping youth leaders.
