NEW DELHI/LONDON: The Empire and the former colony have locked horns over who will open the Delhi Commonwealth Games - Prince Charles or President Pratibha Patil. And from the looks of it, it seems the Empire may win this one.
The simmering difference on the issue - reported first by TOI on September 14 - has now taken the proportions of a full-blown battle with New Delhi maintaining that Prince Charles doesn't represent the Commonwealth. With the Queen not coming, the honour of opening the Games should go to the Indian Republic's Prez Patil.
However, a prior agreement seems to be tilting the scales in the Empire's favour, or at least ensuring a favourable compromise.
The agreement signed between the OC and CGF says the Games will be declared open by the Queen or her representative. The Queen's message contained in the baton that will be read out on October 3 ends with her statement, "I declare the Games open." It is to be read out by Prince Charles on her behalf.
Prince Charles is likely to declare the Games open while a face-saving arrangement may be made for President Pratibha Patil.
Though Indian officials have been pressing for Patil to inaugurate the Games, sources said it would be difficult to rearrange the script even though talks are on at the "highest levels."
What is now being considered is that once Prince Charles has read out the Queen's message, President Patil will deliver the final speech of the opening ceremony and state that she was "happy that the Games have been opened", or words to this effect.
It's clear that Prince Charles will speak before the President and once he has said that the Games are open, there may not be much point in Patil repeating this. The halfway house would allow the British monarch to maintain its traditions while the President of the Indian Republic will be given due respect and status.
It is being pointed out that the government should have carefully considered the text of the OC-CWG federation pact as well as the monarchy's emphasis on tradition, even if the Queen was too busy with her engagements to make it to her former colony.
While the last word may not have been heard, given the Indian insistence that Prince Charles is not head of the Commonwealth and could not be equated with his mother, legal and traditional considerations can only be sidelined if Buckingham Palace agrees to a rearrangement of the script.
As of now, both Buckingham Palace and Clarence House, Prince Charles' official residence, maintain that the latter would declare the Games open when he reads out the message from Queen Elizabeth II, the head of Commonwealth. Clarence House has stated that Prince Charles would read out the last line and declare the Games open.
A spokeswoman for Clarence House told British media, "The Queen has asked the Prince to represent her in Delhi, and carry out the same duties she would perform if she was there. He will officially declare the Games open."
The British opinion is that it is the prerogative of the Queen to inaugurate the Games as it's one of the privileges that she, as head of the Commonwealth, enjoys.
TOI was the first to report the row over who gets to open the Games and that the issue had arisen particularly as this is the first occasion that she would not be attending or opening the Commonwealth Games.
TOI
The simmering difference on the issue - reported first by TOI on September 14 - has now taken the proportions of a full-blown battle with New Delhi maintaining that Prince Charles doesn't represent the Commonwealth. With the Queen not coming, the honour of opening the Games should go to the Indian Republic's Prez Patil.
However, a prior agreement seems to be tilting the scales in the Empire's favour, or at least ensuring a favourable compromise.
The agreement signed between the OC and CGF says the Games will be declared open by the Queen or her representative. The Queen's message contained in the baton that will be read out on October 3 ends with her statement, "I declare the Games open." It is to be read out by Prince Charles on her behalf.
Prince Charles is likely to declare the Games open while a face-saving arrangement may be made for President Pratibha Patil.
Though Indian officials have been pressing for Patil to inaugurate the Games, sources said it would be difficult to rearrange the script even though talks are on at the "highest levels."
What is now being considered is that once Prince Charles has read out the Queen's message, President Patil will deliver the final speech of the opening ceremony and state that she was "happy that the Games have been opened", or words to this effect.
It's clear that Prince Charles will speak before the President and once he has said that the Games are open, there may not be much point in Patil repeating this. The halfway house would allow the British monarch to maintain its traditions while the President of the Indian Republic will be given due respect and status.
It is being pointed out that the government should have carefully considered the text of the OC-CWG federation pact as well as the monarchy's emphasis on tradition, even if the Queen was too busy with her engagements to make it to her former colony.
While the last word may not have been heard, given the Indian insistence that Prince Charles is not head of the Commonwealth and could not be equated with his mother, legal and traditional considerations can only be sidelined if Buckingham Palace agrees to a rearrangement of the script.
As of now, both Buckingham Palace and Clarence House, Prince Charles' official residence, maintain that the latter would declare the Games open when he reads out the message from Queen Elizabeth II, the head of Commonwealth. Clarence House has stated that Prince Charles would read out the last line and declare the Games open.
A spokeswoman for Clarence House told British media, "The Queen has asked the Prince to represent her in Delhi, and carry out the same duties she would perform if she was there. He will officially declare the Games open."
The British opinion is that it is the prerogative of the Queen to inaugurate the Games as it's one of the privileges that she, as head of the Commonwealth, enjoys.
TOI was the first to report the row over who gets to open the Games and that the issue had arisen particularly as this is the first occasion that she would not be attending or opening the Commonwealth Games.
TOI
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