Queen Elizabeth II May Back Gay Rights
MALVEAUX: Sweden is mourning the death of the oldest member of its royal family. Princess Lilian died in Stockholm at the age of 97. She is perhaps best known for causing an uproar when, at age 28, she met Prince Bertil, fell in love and divorced the man she had been married to. The former "Vogue" model and prince then lived together for 30 years before getting married. That is because in 1945 the country would not permit a contender for the throne to marry a commoner, so they waited and married 33 years later when the rules changed.</s>HOLMES: Yeah, that was quite a love story. Queen Elizabeth, by the way, tried to go back to work today, but the palace says she needs more time to recover. The 86-year-old monarch was admitted to hospital on March 3. She had a stomach bug. She was released the following day. The queen missed a service today celebrating the commonwealth, but is expected to attend tonight's reception. Now, the queen is set to sign, also, a new charter calling for equal rights across the entire commonwealth.</s>MALVEAUX: For more on this, we're joined by our royal correspondent, Max Foster. So, Max, first of all, she issues this statement, this message today. What essentially was the point?</s>MAX FOSTER, CNN ROYAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, if you imagine the commonwealth, a huge organization, 54 countries representing 30 percent of the world population, and they've managed for the very first time to come up with a central document. It's their charter, and this is what the queen will be signing later on today. And what people are particularly picking up on is a line that talks about the signatories, those 54 countries, opposing all forms of discrimination whether rooted in gender, race, color, creed, political belief or, crucially, other grounds and people are reading into that sexuality. So, for the first time the commonwealth and the queen perhaps backing gay rights. But they're not putting it in words, I have to say Suzanne, because these are many countries -- many of these countries -- where homosexuality's outlawed, so seen as a step in the right direction. At the same time, the queen issued an annual address to the commonwealth and she alluded to this as well.</s>QUEEN ELIZABETH II, GREAT BRITAIN AND THE UNITED KINGDOM (voice-over): Our shared values of peace, democracy, development, justice and human rights which are found in our new commonwealth charter mean that we place special emphasis on including everyone in this goal, especially those who are vulnerable.</s>FOSTER: So there you are, a suggestion perhaps that she's opening up, you know, these rights to all sorts of different groups, not just religious groups and other groups we often hear her talk about.</s>MALVEAUX: Interesting.</s>HOLMES: Yeah, you don't hear the queen say something in an official statement without the wording being very, very specific, gone over with a fine-tooth comb. But as you say, Max, the idea of other countries, particularly you could name several where it's -- you're actually put to death in some cases for being homosexual, whether it's going to mean anything. What about the queen herself? She is going to attempt the reception tonight. How's her health?</s>FOSTER: Well, she was meant to go to a service at Westminster Abbey and she canceled right at the last minute, understand that doctors advised that. It's very, very cold here in London at the moment and she wasn't up to it, the palace saying she's at the tail-end of this illness she had, gastroenteritis, but some suggestion actually that she might not make her engagements, all of them, this week. So, this will be two weeks worth of illness, but they're saying she is getting better. She will be going to sign this document tonight. But I think that actually adds more weight to what she thinks about this and how important she thinks it is.</s>HOLMES: Yeah, 86-years-old, doing well, really. Good to see you, Max. Thanks a lot.</s>MALVEAUX: She's always looking great when she's in public in those beautiful outfits and the way she dresses. Fantastic. We wish her the best in her health. Afghan President Hamid Karzai dishing out some harsh criticism of the United States. Some say he blatantly snubbed U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel during his visit over the weekend. Plus, another insider attack today has now killed two U.S. soldiers.