Canada is a member of the 53 country Commonwealth of Nations comprising nearly a third of the world’s population and whose head is Queen Elizabeth. The Commonwealth is essentially what is left of the old British Empire. It came into being in 1949 and all member states are free and equal. They have no legal obligation to one another but are united by language, history, culture and shared values of democracy, freedom of speech, human rights and the rule of law. Commonwealth countries are not bound in a military alliance but rather its purpose is to promote international cooperation and to advance economics, social development, and human rights in member countries. There is a Secretary General and the organization has its own flag. Last week, the heads of government from member nations, including Prime Minister Trudeau, met in London for the 2018 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. The Queen suggested that Prince Charles replace her as the next leader of the organization although some suggested it should be Price Harry. I think most Canadians know we are part of the Commonwealth but don’t think about what that means as it doesn’t have much noticeable effect on our lives. We think more about who will succeed the Queen and become our King. Some believe the succession should skip past Charles, who will turn 70 in November, and go straight to Prince William, who is half that age and is looked upon as being more “cool” and in tune with the modern world. Then of course, there are some Canadians who don’t believe the British Monarch should still be our Head of State. But that’s a topic for another day.

That’s Coffeetalk. I’m Vic Dubois.