 Image copyright PA Image caption The Queen arrived at the state dinner for the heads of the Commonwealth countries flanked by Prince Charles, Baroness Scotland and Theresa May 
 
 The Queen has appealed to Commonwealth leaders to appoint her son, Prince Charles, to succeed her as their head. After a lifetime of duty, first pledged at the tender age of 21, the Queen took her seat among the Commonwealth heads of government to open officially their London meeting and to express much more besides. (As the Queen’s firstborn, Charles is the hereditary heir to the British throne, which he will automatically inherit upon his mother’s death.) The 53 leaders, gathered at Buckingham Palace, are expected to sign off the deal when they meet on Friday. Addressing the gathering of dignitaries, royals and the prime minister, the Queen said it was a "pleasure, this time, to welcome you to my home" for the biennial meeting. “It is my sincere wish that the Commonwealth will continue to offer stability and continuity for future generations and will decide that one day the Prince of Wales should carry on the important work started by my father in 1949,” the Queen said at the formal opening of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting at Buckingham Palace. The position is not hereditary, but Prince Charles is expected to get the nod. “And so, Ladies and Gentlemen, I pray that this Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting will not only revitalize the bonds between our countries, but will also give the Commonwealth a renewed relevance to all citizens, finding practical solutions to their problems and giving life to their aspirations. Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Harry and Prince William were among the other royals in attendance. RELATED VIDEO: Queen Elizabeth Publicly Backs Prince Charles as the Next Commonwealth Leader for the First Time 
 
 The Queen welcomed leaders from the 53 Commonwealth nations to the palace for two days of discussions on topics such as trade, marine protection and cyber crime.
– Queen Elizabeth II turned up the dial on her once quiet activism for Prince Charles to succeed her as head of the Commonwealth Thursday, telling leaders of its 53 member states that the 69-year-old has her full support. In what the Telegraph describes as "an unusually explicit statement of her views," the Queen opened the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting at London's Buckingham Palace by expressing her "sincere wish" that leaders would choose her firstborn child to "one day" take the job. That doesn't mean Charles, the clear favorite, is a shoo-in. Though the Prince of Wales is to inherit the British crown with his mother's death, it's up to the leaders of Commonwealth member nations, from Canada to Rwanda, to choose who will lead them, reports the BBC. As symbolic figurehead of the Commonwealth, the Queen will be left out of discussions during the two-day meeting, in which topics like trade, cyber security, and ocean conservation are also to be discussed. Specifically, British Prime Minister Theresa May says she'll be "rallying" nations to take a stand against marine plastics, per the BBC. A decision on the next head of the Commonwealth is expected Friday, a day before the Queen turns 92. Charles didn't campaign in his own address to leaders Thursday but he did describe the Commonwealth as "a fundamental feature of my life for as long as I can remember," per People. He added his hope that the meeting would "revitalize the bonds between our countries" and "give the Commonwealth a renewed relevance" to its 2.4 billion citizens.