King Charles makes key appointment to strengthen reign as he returns to UK

King Charles-led Commonwealth members have selected Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey as secretary-general of the 56-nation club.

The final day of a summit in Samoa attended by Charles and Queen Camilla, the Commonwealth announced on X (formerly Twitter): "Today at #CHOGM2024, Commonwealth Heads of Government have selected the Hon Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, currently the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration of Ghana, as the incoming Secretary-General of the Commonwealth." 

Representatives of the countries, most with roots in Britain's empire, attended the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting that began in the Pacific Island nation on Monday, with slavery and the threat of climate change emerging as major themes.

Shirley Ayorkor, is widely known as a supporter of reparations for transatlantic slavery and colonialism, takes over from Britain's Patricia Scotland, who has been in the job since 2016.

Earlier on Saturday, Britain's king and queen flew out of Samoa, after a visit in which the monarch acknowledged the Commonwealth's "painful" history, amid a push for former colonial powers to pay reparations for their role in transatlantic slavery.

Before leaving, the royal pair attended a farewell ceremony at the village of Siumu, which took place in heavy rain.

The King and Queen's time in Samoa followed a six-day tour of Australia, where a large crowd turned out to see the royal couple at the Sydney Opera House.