The Commonwealth realms, shown in blue

A Commonwealth realm is any one of 16 sovereign states within the Commonwealth of Nations that each have Elizabeth II as their respective monarch. Sovereignty is the exclusive Right to control a Government, a country, a people or oneself For the ship see RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Context States headed by Elizabeth II ^[1] The term is informal, having no legal or official status.

These countries, with a combined area totalling 18. 8 million km² (excluding Antarctic claims), and with a combined population of 131 million,^[2] are independent kingdoms in personal union,^[3][4][5][6] with the one sovereign being separately and equally monarch of each state. A personal union is the combination by which two different States are governed by the same Monarch, while their boundaries their laws and their interests remain distinct ^[7] While the term Dominion has never been officially revoked, since the 1950s it has been replaced by use of the word realm in order to reflect the relationship of equality amongst all 16 countries. A dominion, often Dominion, refers to one of a group of autonomous polities under sovereign authority within the British Empire and

Commonwealth realms are each members of, but distinguished from, the Commonwealth of Nations, which is an organisation of mostly former British colonies. The British Overseas Territories are fourteen territories that are under the Sovereignty of the United Kingdom, but which do not form part of the United Kingdom ^[1] Within the Commonwealth, there is no difference in status between the Commonwealth realms and other Commonwealth members.

Current Commonwealth realms

Flag	Country	Monarchy	Date1	Queen's Title	Royal Standard
	Antigua and Barbuda	Monarchy of Antigua and Barbuda	1981	Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, Queen of Antigua and Barbuda and of Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth. Antigua and Barbuda ( Spanish for "Ancient" and "Bearded" is an Island nation located on the eastern boundary of the Caribbean Sea TalkCommonewalth realm.--> Antigua	None
	Australia	Monarchy of Australia	19422	Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, Queen of Australia and Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. TalkCommonewalth realm.-->The monarchy The Statute of Westminster Adoption Act 1942 is an Act of the Australian Parliament that formally adopted the Statute of Westminster 1931, an Act of
	The Bahamas	Monarchy of The Bahamas	1973	Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, Queen of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas and of Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth. The Bahamas, officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an independent sovereign English -speaking country consisting of two thousand Cays and TalkCommonewalth realm.--> The monarchy	None
	Barbados	Monarchy of Barbados	1966	Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, Queen of Barbados and of Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth
	Belize	Monarchy of Belize	1981	Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, Queen of Belize and of Her Other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth	None
	Canada	Monarchy of Canada	1931	English: Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom, Canada and Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith French: Elizabeth Deux, par la grâce de Dieu Reine du Royaume-Uni, du Canada et de ses autres royaumes et territoires, Chef du Commonwealth, Défenseur de la Foi[8]
	Grenada	Monarchy of Grenada	1974	Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Grenada and Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth	None
	Jamaica	Monarchy of Jamaica	1962	Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, Queen of Jamaica and of Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth
	Realm of New Zealand	Monarchy of New Zealand	1947	Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, Queen of New Zealand and Her Other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith
	Papua New Guinea	Monarchy of Papua New Guinea	1975	Elizabeth the Second, Queen of Papua New Guinea and of Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth	None
	Saint Kitts and Nevis	Monarchy of Saint Kitts and Nevis	1983	Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, Queen of Saint Christopher and Nevis and of Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth	None
	Saint Lucia	Monarchy of Saint Lucia	1979	Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, Queen of Saint Lucia and of Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth	None
	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	Monarchy of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	1979	Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, Queen of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and of Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth	None
	Solomon Islands	Monarchy of the Solomon Islands	1978	Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, Queen of the Solomon Islands and of Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth	None
	Tuvalu	Monarchy of Tuvalu	1978	Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, Queen of Tuvalu and of Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth	None
	United Kingdom	Monarchy of the United Kingdom	n/a3	Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith

_{¹Year of Statute of Westminster enactment (Canada), adoption by realm (Australia and New Zealand), or grant of independence (all others except the UK). Barbados ( Portuguese word for bearded-ones, bɑrˈbeɪdoʊz -dɒs situated just east of the Caribbean Sea, is an independent Island nation TalkCommonewalth realm.-->The monarchy of Belize (bəˈliːz formerly British Honduras, is a country in Central America. TalkCommonewalth realm.--> The monarchy Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page TalkCommonewalth realm.-->The monarchy of The Statute of Westminster 1931 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (22 & 23 Geo English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people Grenada (grɪˈneɪdə is an Island nation that includes the southern Grenadines in the southeastern Caribbean Sea. TalkCommonewalth realm.--> The monarchy Jamaica (ˈdʒəˈmeɪkə} is an Island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length and as much as in width situated in the Caribbean Sea. TalkCommonewalth realm.--> The monarchy The Realm of New Zealand is the territory in which the Queen in right of New Zealand is head of state TalkCommonewalth realm.--> New Zealand The Statute of Westminster Adoption Act 1947 was a constitutional Act of the New Zealand Parliament that formally accepted the full external autonomy offered by the British Parliament Papua New Guinea (or ˈpæpjuːə in Tok Pisin: Papua Niugini) officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania TalkCommonwalth realm.--> The monarchy The Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis (also known as the Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis) located in the Leeward Islands, is a federal two-island TalkCommonewalth realm.--> The monarchy Saint Lucia (ˌseɪnt ˈluːʃɪə is an Island nation in the eastern Caribbean Sea on the boundary with the Atlantic Ocean. The monarchy of Saint Lucia (the Saint Lucian monarchy) is a system of government in which a hereditary monarch is the sovereign of Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is an island nation in the Lesser Antilles chain of the Caribbean Sea. TalkCommonewalth realm.--> The monarchy The Solomon Islands is a country in Melanesia, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands TalkCommonewalth realm.--> The Head of Tuvalu, formerly known as the Ellice Islands, is a Polynesian Island nation located in the Pacific Ocean midway between Hawaii and TalkCommonewalth realm.--> The monarchy The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located TalkCommonewalth realm.--> The monarchy The Statute of Westminster 1931 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (22 & 23 Geo
²Adoption of Statute of Westminster was declared retroactive to 1939. The Statute of Westminster 1931 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (22 & 23 Geo
³Not applicable to the United Kingdom as it was the realm from which other realms have become independent.}

Under the 1981 Cook Islands constitution, the Queen in Right of New Zealand is head of state, but any change in the succession made by New Zealand would have no effect in the Cook Islands unless separately ratified there. The Cook Islands ( Cook Islands Māori: Kūki 'Āirani) are a self-governing parliamentary democracy in free association with New Zealand. TalkCommonewalth realm.--> New Zealand Head of state is the generic term for the individual or collective office that serves as the chief public representative of a Monarchic or Republican Nation-state New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island The Cook Islands ( Cook Islands Māori: Kūki 'Āirani) are a self-governing parliamentary democracy in free association with New Zealand. This effectively makes the Realm of New Zealand a personal union of the Cook Islands and New Zealand. The Realm of New Zealand is the territory in which the Queen in right of New Zealand is head of state A personal union is the combination by which two different States are governed by the same Monarch, while their boundaries their laws and their interests remain distinct New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island

Further information: Monarchy of the Cook Islands

Relationship of the realms

The Commonwealth realms are sovereign states, united only in the voluntary and symmetric sharing of the institution of the monarchy,^[9] the succession, and the Queen herself, in a symmetrical fashion; this means the Commonwealth realms are in personal union with one another. The Monarchist League of New Zealand Inc is an organisation formed in 1995 whose object is to support the retention of constitutional Monarchy in New Zealand Sovereignty is the exclusive Right to control a Government, a country, a people or oneself A personal union is the combination by which two different States are governed by the same Monarch, while their boundaries their laws and their interests remain distinct ^{[10][11][12][13]} The United Kingdom no longer holds any legislative power over any country besides itself, although some countries continue to use the British Judicial Committee of the Privy Council as part of their judiciary. The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council is one of the highest courts in the United Kingdom, established by the Judicial Committee Act 1833

The Crown in the Commonwealth realms

The personal union of these sovereign states has created the scenario wherein the Crown has both a separate and a shared character, being an institution that operates separately within the jurisdiction of each Commonwealth realm, with the Queen in right of each country being a distinct legal person, acting on the advice only of the government of that state. Throughout the Commonwealth realms The Crown is an abstract metonymic concept which represents the legal authority for the existence of any government The Crown is thus unitary through its shared character, but divided in its jurisdictional operation, meaning that in different contexts, Crown may mean the Crown as shared or the Crown in each realm considered separately.

The monarchy is therefore no longer an exclusively British institution, although it may often be called British for historical reasons, for convenience, or for political (usually republican) purposes. TalkCommonewalth realm.--> The monarchy ^[14] One Canadian constitutional scholar, Dr. Richard Toporoski, stated on this: "I am perfectly prepared to concede, even happily affirm, that the British Crown no longer exists in Canada, but that is because legal reality indicates to me that in one sense, the British Crown no longer exists in Britain: the Crown transcends Britain just as much as it does Canada. One can therefore speak of 'the British Crown' or 'the Canadian Crown' or indeed the 'Barbadian' or 'Tuvaluan' Crown, but what one will mean by the term is the Crown acting or expressing itself within the context of that particular jurisdiction". ^[15] Expressing this concept, through the proclamation of Elizabeth II's new titles in 1952, in each realm the Queen is known by the title appropriate for that realm; for example, in Barbados she is known as "Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Barbados," or, simply, the Queen of Barbados. This is a list of awards decorations honours orders and titles belonging to Queen Elizabeth II. Barbados ( Portuguese word for bearded-ones, bɑrˈbeɪdoʊz -dɒs situated just east of the Caribbean Sea, is an independent Island nation

Three portraits of Queen Elizabeth II illustrating her different positions as sovereign. For the ship see RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Context States headed by Elizabeth II Left: as Queen of New Zealand, wearing the Order of New Zealand, the Queen's Service Order, and the sash and the star of the New Zealand Order of Merit; centre: as Queen of Canada, wearing the Sovereign's insignia of the Order of Canada and the Order of Military Merit; right: as Queen of the United Kingdom, wearing the insignia of the Order of the Garter and the Royal Family Orders of King George V and King George VI. TalkCommonewalth realm.--> New Zealand The Order of New Zealand is the highest honour in New Zealand 's honours system, created "to recognise outstanding service to the Crown and people of New Zealand The Queen's Service Order was established by Queen Elizabeth II on 13 March 1975, awarded by the government of New Zealand "for valuable The New Zealand Royal Honours system is the system of orders decorations and medals which are awarded to recognise achievements of or service by New Zealanders or others in connection TalkCommonewalth realm.-->The monarchy of The Order of Canada is the highest civilian honour within the Canadian system of honours, with membership awarded to those who exemplify the order's Latin The Order of Military Merit is an Order issued by Canada to members of the Canadian Forces, both Regular and Reserves who have demonstrated dedication TalkCommonewalth realm.--> The monarchy The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an Order of chivalry, or Knighthood, originating in Medieval England, and presently bestowed on recipients The Royal Family Order is an order awarded by the sovereign of the United Kingdom to female members of the royal family.

As a consequence of this relationship, as per the preamble to the Statute of Westminster, any alterations to the line of succession to the throne must be approved by the parliaments of all the realms in order to guarantee continuity of a single monarch. An order of succession is a formula or algorithm that determines who inherits an office upon the death resignation or removal of its current occupant ^[16] For example, there have been suggestions of removing the religious requirements from the Act of Settlement, which currently defines the succession. The Act of Settlement is an act of the Parliament of England, originally filed in 1700 and passed in 1701 to settle the succession to the English throne In practice, since each realm is a sovereign state, this requires the voluntary cooperation of all 16 of the countries. Alternatively, a realm could choose to end its participation in the personal union.

In realms other than the United Kingdom, the Queen normally exercises only those powers related to her appointment of a Governor-General, usually on the advice of the prime minister of the realm concerned; in the Solomon Islands and Tuvalu the Prime Minister is required to consult the legislature in confidence; in Papua New Guinea the Governor-General is nominated to the Queen by parliamentary vote. The term governor general or governor-general refers to a vice-regal representative of a Monarch in an independent realm or a major colonial circonscription The Solomon Islands is a country in Melanesia, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands Tuvalu, formerly known as the Ellice Islands, is a Polynesian Island nation located in the Pacific Ocean midway between Hawaii and Papua New Guinea (or ˈpæpjuːə in Tok Pisin: Papua Niugini) officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania In some realms certain other powers are reserved exclusively for her, such as the appointment of extra senators to the Canadian Senate, the creation of honours, or the issuance of letters patent. The Senate of Canada (Le Sénat du Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the sovereign (represented by the governor general Honor or Honour (see spelling differences) (the latter directly from the Latin word honos honoris) is the evaluation of a person's Letters patent are a type of Legal instrument in the form of an Open letter issued by a Monarch or Government, granting an office right The monarch is also represented by a Governor in each state of Australia, by a Lieutenant Governor in each province of Canada, and by a Queen's Representative in the Cook Islands. A governor is a governing official usually the executive (at least nominally to different degrees also politically and administratively of a non-sovereign level of government The Commonwealth of Australia is made up of 8 states and territories controlled under a federal system of government For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. In Canada, the Lieutenant-Governor (lɛfˈtɛnənt often without a Hyphen) ( French: lieutenant-gouverneur, or: lieutenant-gouverneure The provinces and territories of Canada combine to make up the world's second largest country in total area. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The Queen's Representative is the formal title given to the representative of Queen Elizabeth II, as Queen of New Zealand, in the Cook Islands. The Cook Islands ( Cook Islands Māori: Kūki 'Āirani) are a self-governing parliamentary democracy in free association with New Zealand. In these cases, she is represented in her role as Queen in right of Australia, Canada, and New Zealand respectively. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island Within the United Kingdom, the Queen appoints Counsellors of State to perform her duties in her absence. In the United Kingdom, Counsellors of State are senior members of the British royal family to whom the Monarch presently Elizabeth II, delegates certain These officials exercise almost all the powers of the constitutional monarch with mostly symbolic, figurehead duties, but they also have reserve powers, called the Royal Prerogative. A constitutional monarchy, or a limited monarchy, is a form of Constitutional Government, wherein either an elected or hereditary Monarch is In politics a figurehead, by Metaphor with the carved figurehead at the prow of a sailing ship is a person who holds an important title or office yet executes little The Royal Prerogative is a body of customary authority privilege and immunity recognised in Common law and sometimes in Civil law jurisdictions possessing a monarchy

From a cultural standpoint, the shared nature of the Crown is less clear. In all realms, the sovereign's name and image continue to play a prominent role in political institutions and symbols. For example, her effigy usually appears on coins and banknotes, and an oath of allegiance to the Queen is usually required from politicians, judges, and new citizens. Some argue, however, that the Crown within their particular country remains essentially British and primarily of the United Kingdom, whereas others emphasise the Crown as a shared link between the Commonwealth realms, with the Crown in right of their own nation as having specific domestic characteristics.

Monarch's role in the realms

The Queen reads the Throne Speech in a joint session of the Canadian Parliament, 1977, accompanied by her consort, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

Though the Queen's constitutional position is virtually identical in each realm, she lives in the United Kingdom. The Parliament of Canada (Parlement du Canada is Canada 's legislative branch, seated at Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario. Consequently, the constitutional duties she personally exercises as Queen of the UK are in other realms generally performed by a Governor-General, who serves as her representative. The term governor general or governor-general refers to a vice-regal representative of a Monarch in an independent realm or a major colonial circonscription The extent to which these duties are explicitly assigned to the Governor-General, rather than the Queen, varies from realm to realm, but the Queen does act personally in right of any of her other realms when required, for example when issuing Letters Patent, or on occasions of significant political importance. Letters patent are a type of Legal instrument in the form of an Open letter issued by a Monarch or Government, granting an office right Similarly, the monarch usually performs ceremonial duties in the Commonwealth realms to mark historically significant events during visits at least once every five or six years, meaning she is present in a number of her realms outside the UK every other year, or on behalf of those realms abroad. She is also represented at various ceremonial events throughout all the realms by other members of the Royal Family, such as the Queen's children, grandchildren or cousin, who also reside in the United Kingdom, but act on behalf of the government of the particular realm they're in; meaning the Royal Family also has both a unitary and divided nature. The other realms may receive two to three such visits each year.

Further information: List of Commonwealth visits made by Queen Elizabeth II

The personal union arrangement has led to situations where the monarch has a potential or actual conflict of interest. Below is a list of visits to Commonwealth countries made by Queen Elizabeth II. A personal union is the combination by which two different States are governed by the same Monarch, while their boundaries their laws and their interests remain distinct For example, Queen Elizabeth II, in 1984, while on a state visit to Jordan representing the United Kingdom, made a speech expressing opinions of the British government that did not reflect the view of her Australian government. Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (الأردنّ al-Urdunn) is an Arab country in Southwest Asia spanning the southern This raised questions in Australia about the propriety of such an action,^[17] though the Queen was clearly not representing Australia at that time. Another documented situation was when Elizabeth II was in Latin America to promote British goods at the same time a Canadian ministerial trip to the same area was underway to promote Canadian products. The External Affairs Minister at the time, Mitchell Sharp, stated on the situation: "We couldn't ask Her Majesty to perform the function she was performing for Britain on that Latin American trip because the Queen is never recognized as Queen of Canada, except when she is in Canada. Mitchell William Sharp PC, CC ( May 11, 1911 &ndash March 19, 2004) was a Canadian politician and a Companion "^[18] However, the Queen subsequently represented Canada abroad on a number of following occasions. ^[19][20]

More serious potential conflicts of interest have arisen in connection with matters of war and peace. In 1939, South Africa and Canada declared war a few days after the UK did, so that George VI, as king of all three countries, was, for a few days, simultaneously at war and at peace with Germany. } The Union of South Africa is the historic predecessor to the present-day state of the Republic of South Africa. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. In South Africa the declaration of war had followed an initial declaration of neutrality which had precipitated a political crisis resulting in the replacement of the prime minister. Ireland (as the Irish Free State had renamed itself in 1937), which was arguably a Dominion until 1949, remained neutral throughout the war and the King had to validate the German consul's credentials. The Irish Free State (Saorstát Éireann (1922&ndash1937 was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by During the period of 1936 to 1949 it was unclear whether or not the Irish state was a Republic or a form of Constitutional monarchy and (from 1937 whether its (No possibility of such a conflict of interest arose with Australia or New Zealand. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island The Australian Prime Minister, Robert Menzies stated that, as a result of the British declaration of war, Australia was also at war with Germany; New Zealand made a separate declaration of war which was timed to coincide with the British declaration. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Sir Robert Gordon Menzies, KT, AK, CH, QC (20 December 1894 - 15 May 1978 Australian politician was the twelfth person to serve Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island )

A more extreme example is the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947. The Indo-Pakistani War of 1947, sometimes known as the First Kashmir War, was fought between India and Pakistan over the region of Kashmir from George VI, as head of state of both warring nations, was, in a legal sense, at war with himself. In 1983, during the invasion of Grenada, Queen Elizabeth was the Queen of Grenada while it was being invaded by many other Caribbean countries of which she was also queen. The Invasion of Grenada, codenamed Operation Urgent Fury, was an Invasion of the nation of Grenada, an island in the Caribbean Sea 100 miles north Grenada (grɪˈneɪdə is an Island nation that includes the southern Grenadines in the southeastern Caribbean Sea. Additionally, the invasion was also opposed by several other countries in which she was queen, notably the United Kingdom, Canada and Belize. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Belize (bəˈliːz formerly British Honduras, is a country in Central America.

An important role of a governor-general is to act in such situations in a way that avoids placing the sovereign in such a conflict of interest. In practice, this may require a governor-general to take a controversial action entirely on his or her own initiative through the exercise of reserve powers. In a parliamentary or semi-presidential system of Government, a reserve power is a power that may be exercised by the Head of state without the The Grenada invasion was formally initiated by an invitation for American forces to invade, issued by the Governor-General, Sir Paul Scoon; this action was deliberately undertaken without informing the Queen. Sir Paul Scoon, GCMG, GCVO, OBE (b 4 July 1935) was Governor General of Grenada for 14 years from 1978 to Similarly, when Sir John Kerr dismissed the Australian government in 1975, he did not inform the Queen of his intent to do so. John Kerr may refer to one of the following Government and politics John Kerr (Governor-General (1914&ndash1991 Australian Governor-General This was possible because the Australian constitution invested this power in the Governor-General, not the sovereign. The Governor-General may also have wished to avoid being dismissed by the Queen on the advice of the Australian Prime Minister.

Religious role of the monarch

In some realms, the Queen is the sovereign "by grace of God," and, in the United Kingdom, is the Supreme Governor of the Church of England. The Divine Right of Kings is a general term that refers to the philosophy and ideas used to justify the authority and legitimacy of Monarchs in Medieval and The Supreme Governor of the Church of England is a title held by the British Monarchs which signifies their titular leadership over the Church of England. The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England, the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican The coronation itself takes place within the context of a church service, at Westminster Abbey, imbued with theological, as well as constitutional, meaning. The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, which is almost always referred to by its original name of Westminster Abbey, is a large mainly Gothic church In some realms, the Queen retains the ancient title Fidei Defensor, a title first granted in 1521 by Pope Leo X to King Henry VIII, prior to the Reformation. "Defender of the Faith" redirects here For the 1984 platinum album of British heavy metal group Judas Priest, see Defenders of the Faith History See also History of the Papacy Catholics recognize the Pope as a successor to Saint Peter, who Jesus named as the "shepherd" and Pope Leo X, born Giovanni de' Medici (December 11 1475 – December 1 1521 was Pope from 1513 to his death Henry VIII (28 June 1491 &ndash 28 January 1547 was King of England and Lord of Ireland, later King of Ireland and claimant to the Kingdom of The Protestant Reformation was a reform movement in Europe that began in 1517 though its roots lie further back in time Most other Commonwealth nations have removed those words from the Queen's title. ^[21]

The Church of England remains the established church in England; archbishops and bishops are formally appointed by the British monarch and sit in the House of Lords as Lords Spiritual. An established church is a church officially sanctioned and supported by the government of a country e The House of Lords is the second house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and is also commonly referred to as "the Lords" The Lords Spiritual of the United Kingdom, also called Spiritual Peers, are the 26 Clergymen of the established Church of England In practice, the monarch delegates authority in the Church of England to the Archbishop of Canterbury. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the chief bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the Certain churches (known as Royal Peculiars) have royal patronage, and are outside the normal diocesan administrative structures; the best-known example is Westminster Abbey. A Royal Peculiar (or Royal Peculier) is a place of worship that falls directly under the jurisdiction of the British monarch, rather than a Diocese There are six royal chapels outside of the UK.

The role of the sovereign differs considerably in the other three Home Nations of the United Kingdom. "Home nation" (common noun redirects here home nation is also used to refer to the host country of Multi-sport events (eg In Scotland, the Church of Scotland, with a Presbyterian system of church government, is recognised in law as the "national church" in which the Queen is an ordinary member. Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. The Church of Scotland (Eaglais na h-Alba known informally by its Scots language name The Kirk, is the National church of Scotland. Her first act as monarch was to swear to uphold and protect the reformed church in Scotland; a similar oath for England had to wait for the coronation. The Queen has attended the annual General Assembly of the Church of Scotland on several occasions, most recently in 1977 and 2002, although, in most years, she appoints a Lord High Commissioner to represent her. The Church of Scotland (Eaglais na h-Alba known informally by its Scots language name The Kirk, is the National church of Scotland. Lord High Commissioner is the style of High Commissioners ie direct representatives of the Monarch, in three cases in the Kingdom of Scotland and the Unusually for the Church of Scotland, Glasgow Cathedral and Dunblane Cathedral are both owned by the Crown. Glasgow Cathedral, also called the High Kirk of Glasgow, is today a Church of Scotland Cathedral in Glasgow. Dunblane Cathedral is the larger of the two Church of Scotland Parish churches serving Dunblane, near the city of Stirling, in central The Queen also appoints her own Chaplains from both the Church of England and the Church of Scotland. The Ecclesiastical Household is a part of the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom.

In Wales, Northern Ireland, and the other realms, there is no official religion established by law. The Church in Wales and the Church of Ireland were both disestablished, in 1920 and 1871 respectively. The Church in Wales (Yr Eglwys yng Nghymru is a member Church of the Anglican Communion, consisting of six Dioceses in Wales. The Church of Ireland (Eaglais na hÉireann is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion, operating across the island of Ireland. Though Canadian coins are minted with the inscription D. G. Regina (Queen by the Grace of God) around her portrait, and her Canadian title includes the phrase "Defender of the Faith", Elizabeth II, as Queen of Canada, plays no religious role in the country. A portrait is a painting, photograph, Sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person in which the face and its expression is predominant TalkCommonewalth realm.-->The monarchy of

Royal family

As with the sovereign, a single royal family is shared by the Commonwealth realms. Though there is no strict legal or formal definition of who is or is not a member of the Royal Family,^[22] the Royal Family is loosely defined as the extended family of the monarch. A monarchy is a Form of government in which supreme power is actually or nominally lodged in an individual who is the Head of state, often for life or The group is most commonly referred to as the British Royal Family, for reasons historical, political, and of convenience. The British Royal Family is the group of close relatives of the monarch of the United Kingdom. The casual use of this term, however, outside of the United Kingdom, can conflict with official national titles, such as in Canada. TalkCommonewalth realm.-->The monarchy of ^[23]

The Queen and other members of the Royal Family regularly perform public duties in the sixteen realms. As the Crown within these countries is a legally separate entity, official activities of the Royal Family are funded in these countries individually, through the ordinary legislative budgeting process. Members of the Royal Family each engage in hundreds of public engagements yearly, as formally recorded in the Court Circular, to honour, encourage and learn about the achievements or endeavours of individuals, institutions and enterprises in a variety of areas of life. The Court Circular is the official record that lists the engagements carried out by the Monarch of the United Kingdom and of the other Commonwealth Realms As representatives of the Queen, they often also join the nation in commemorating historical events, holidays, celebratory and tragic occurrences. They also sponsor or participate in numerous charitable, cultural and social activities. Their work draws public attention to amicable relations within and between the Commonwealth and other nations. Their presence, activities and traditional roles constitute the apex of a modern royal court. Throughout their lives they draw enormous media coverage in the form of photographic, written and televised commentary on their activities, family relationships, rites of passage, personalities, attire, behaviour, and public roles. A rite of passage is a Ritual that marks a change in a person's social or sexual status

Flags

Flags of the Queen in Commonwealth realms

The personal standard of Queen Elizabeth II.

The Queen uses various royal standards depending on which realm she is in, or of which she is acting on behalf. She has standards for Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, and the United Kingdom. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island Jamaica (ˈdʒəˈmeɪkə} is an Island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length and as much as in width situated in the Caribbean Sea. Barbados ( Portuguese word for bearded-ones, bɑrˈbeɪdoʊz -dɒs situated just east of the Caribbean Sea, is an independent Island nation The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Each is a banner of the country's coat of arms with the Royal Cypher in the centre, and a crowned E for Elizabeth, save for the UK one, which does not have a cypher. A Royal Cypher, or Royal and Imperial Cypher is the sovereign 's Monogram or the initials of their name and title usually surmounted by a crown She also has a personal flag as Head of the Commonwealth, which is used for general Commonwealth purposes, or when visiting Commonwealth countries of which she is not head of state. Queen Elizabeth II is the second person to be recognised as Head of the Commonwealth (which currently has 53 members Head of state is the generic term for the individual or collective office that serves as the chief public representative of a Monarchic or Republican Nation-state The Queen formerly had flags for Sierra Leone, Mauritius, Malta, and Trinidad and Tobago, but when these countries became republics they became obsolete. Sierra Leone, officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. Mauritius (pronounced məˈrɪʃəs L’île Maurice /il mɔ'ʁis/ Mauritian Creole: Maurice) officially the Republic of Mauritius, République Malta, officially the Republic of Malta (Repubblika ta' Malta is a European Microstate, comprising an Archipelago of three islands The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (ˈtrɪnɪdæd ən təˈbeɪgoʊ is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying northeast of the South American A republic is a State or Country that is not led by a hereditary Monarch, but in which the people (or at least a part of its people have impact on its

See also: Royal Standard of Australia, Royal Standard of Barbados, Royal Standard of Canada, Royal Standard of Jamaica, Royal Standard of New Zealand, Royal Standard of Scotland, and Royal Standard of the United Kingdom

Flags of Governors-General

Similarly, each of the Governors-General has a personal flag, all except one featuring a lion passant on top of a royal crown, with the name of the country written in capitals on a scroll underneath. The Queen's Personal Australian Flag, sometimes known as the Royal Standard of Australia is the personal flag of Queen Elizabeth II in her role as Queen of Australia The Queen's Personal Barbadian Flag, sometimes known as the Royal Standard of Barbados, is the personal flag of Queen Elizabeth II in her role as Queen of Barbados The Queen's Personal Canadian Flag, sometimes called the Royal Standard of Canada, is the personal standard, or official Flag, of Elizabeth II The Queen's Personal Jamaican Flag, sometimes known as the Royal Standard of Jamaica is the personal flag of Queen Elizabeth II in her role as Queen of Jamaica The Royal Standard of Scotland, also known as the Royal Standard of the King of Scots or more commonly the Lion Rampant was the flag used historically by the For other monarchs' standards see Royal Standard. The Royal Standard of the United Kingdom is the Flag used by The only one different is that of the Governor General of Canada, in which the lion is not on a crown, but wearing one, and bears a maple leaf in one paw; the scroll is also absent from the Canadian design. The Governor General of Canada ( French: Gouverneure générale du Canada, or: Gouverneur général du Canada) is the vice-regal representative

Historical development

Fourteen of the current Commonwealth realms, and all of the former realms, are former British colonies that have evolved into independent countries. This article is about a type of political territory For other uses see Colony (disambiguation. Independence is the Self-government of a Nation, Country, or State by its residents and population or some portion thereof generally exercising The exceptions are the United Kingdom itself and Papua New Guinea, which was formed in 1975 as a union of the former German New Guinea, which had been administered by Australia as an international trusteeship before independence, and the former British New Guinea, which had legally been a British possession, though administered on the United Kingdom's behalf by Australia (as "Papua") since 1905. Papua New Guinea (or ˈpæpjuːə in Tok Pisin: Papua Niugini) officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania Trust Territories were the successors of the remaining League of Nations mandates and came into being when the League of Nations ceased to exist in 1946

The possibility that a British colony might become a new kingdom was first mooted in the 1860s, when it was proposed that the Canadian Confederation might become known as the Kingdom of Canada. Canadian Confederation was the process by which the federal Dominion of Canada was formed beginning 1 July 1867 from the In the face of opposition from the Colonial Office and the United States, however, the self-governing confederation created in 1867 became officially known as the Dominion of Canada. The Secretary of State for the Colonies or Colonial Secretary was the British Cabinet official in charge of managing the various British Colonies. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page

During the latter part of the 19th century, various other colonies became self-governing. At the Imperial Conference of 1907, the Canadian Prime Minister, Wilfrid Laurier, insisted on the need for a formula to differentiate between the crown colonies and the self-governing colonies. Imperial Conferences ( Colonial Conferences before 1911 were gatherings of British Empire government leaders in London in 1887, 1897 The term Dominion, which till this time had applied uniquely to Canada, was extended to cover all self-governing colonies, which at that time included Australia, New Zealand, Newfoundland, the Cape Colony, Natal and Transvaal. A dominion, often Dominion, refers to one of a group of autonomous polities under sovereign authority within the British Empire and For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island The Dominion of Newfoundland was a British dominion from 1907 (before which the territory had the status of a British colony to 1949 The Cape Colony, part of modern South Africa, was established by the Dutch East India Company in 1652 with the founding of Cape Town. The Colony of Natal was a British colony in south-eastern Africa. For the Russian theme park see Transvaal Park. The Transvaal (Afrikaans lit Shortly afterwards, in 1910, the three South African colonies merged with the Orange River Colony to form the Union of South Africa. The Orange River Colony was the British colony created after this nation first occupied (1900 and then annexed (1902 the independent Orange Free State in the } The Union of South Africa is the historic predecessor to the present-day state of the Republic of South Africa. In 1921, they were joined by the Irish Free State which had unwillingly accepted Dominion status as a condition of concluding peace with the United Kingdom. The Irish Free State (Saorstát Éireann (1922&ndash1937 was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by

King George V (centre) with his prime ministers at the Imperial Conference of 1926; Walter Stanley Monroe, Prime Minister of Newfoundland, stands far left; W.T. Cosgrave, President of the Executive Council of the Irish Free State stands at far right; Stanley Baldwin, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, is seated to the left of the King; and William Lyon Mackenzie King, Prime Minister of Canada, is seated to the right of the King. Imperial Conferences ( Colonial Conferences before 1911 were gatherings of British Empire government leaders in London in 1887, 1897 Walter Stanley Monroe ( May 14, 1871 - October 6, 1952) was a businessman and conservative politician who served as Prime Minister The Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador is the First minister for the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. William Thomas Cosgrave (Liam Tomás Mac Cosgair 6 June 1880 &ndash 16 November 1965 known generally as W The President of the Executive Council of the Irish Free State ( Irish: Uachtarán ar Ard-Chomhairle Shaorstát Éireann) was the Head of government or prime Stanley Baldwin 1st Earl Baldwin of Bewdley, KG, PC (3 August 1867 &ndash 14 December 1947 was a British Conservative politician statesman and major The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the political leader of the United Kingdom William Lyon Mackenzie King PC OM CMG ( December 17, 1874 – July 22, 1950) was a Canadian The Prime Minister of Canada ( French: Premier ministre du Canada) is the primary Minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus

Although the Dominions were self-governing, their ability to legislate remained theoretically subject to the British Parliament, and the Monarch of the United Kingdom nominally reigned over them as a single imperial domain, with a governor-general representing the British government in each Dominion; the United Kingdom retained responsibility for their foreign policy and defence. The British Empire was the largest empire in history and for over a century was the foremost global power. The term governor general or governor-general refers to a vice-regal representative of a Monarch in an independent realm or a major colonial circonscription Her Majesty's Government, or when the monarch is male His Majesty's Government, is the title used by the Government of the United Kingdom, based at In practice, this unitary model continued to erode. The international role of the Dominions increased as a result of their participation and sacrifices in the First World War, which prompted Robert Borden, Prime Minister of Canada, and Jan Smuts, the South African Minister of Defence, to demand that the Dominions be given full recognition at the Versailles conference as "autonomous nations of an Imperial commonwealth. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Not to be confused with his cousin Frederick Borden, Canadian Minister of Militia and Defence from 1896 to 1911 The Prime Minister of Canada ( French: Premier ministre du Canada) is the primary Minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus Field Marshal Jan Christiaan Smuts, OM, CH, PC, ED, KC, FRS (24 May 1870 &ndash 11 September 1950 was a prominent " As a result, the Dominions were separate signatories to the Treaty of Versailles, and obtained seats in the League of Nations, together with India. The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. The League of Nations was an International organization founded as a result of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919–1920 India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country In 1920, Canada exchanged envoys with the United States, and in 1923 it concluded a treaty in its own right: the Halibut Fisheries Treaty. In 1925, the Dominions refused to be bound by the British signature to the Treaty of Locarno. The Locarno Treaties were seven agreements negotiated at Locarno, Switzerland on 5 October &ndash 16 October 1925 and formally signed

The Balfour Declaration of 1926, embodying agreements reached at the 1926 Imperial Conference formally recognised that in practice the Dominions had in recent years evolved into full sovereignty, by declaring that they were autonomous and equal in status to the UK. The Balfour Declaration of 1926, named after the British Lord President of the Council Arthur Balfour, Earl of Balfour was the name given to a report resulting Imperial Conferences ( Colonial Conferences before 1911 were gatherings of British Empire government leaders in London in 1887, 1897 As a result, each of the governments of the Dominions established a separate and direct relationship with the Monarchy, with the governor-general now acting as a personal representative of the Sovereign. The term governor general or governor-general refers to a vice-regal representative of a Monarch in an independent realm or a major colonial circonscription The first result of the new convention was the Royal and Parliamentary Titles Act 1927, which implicitly recognised the Irish Free State as separate from the United Kingdom, and the King as king of each Dominion rather than the British king in each Dominion. Passed on April 12, 1927, the Royal and Parliamentary Titles Act 1927 ( 17 Geo 5 c

The Balfour Declaration was legally implemented in 1931 by the Statute of Westminster, which granted formal legislative independence to the Dominions, with some minor reservations that were in practice never enforced. The Statute of Westminster 1931 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (22 & 23 Geo Canada, the Union of South Africa, and the Irish Free State all immediately obtained legislative independence from the United Kingdom through the statute. } The Union of South Africa is the historic predecessor to the present-day state of the Republic of South Africa. The Irish Free State (Saorstát Éireann (1922&ndash1937 was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located In some Dominions, adoption of the Statute was subject to ratification by the Dominion parliament. Australia and New Zealand achieved the same status after their parliaments ratified the Statute, in 1942 and 1947, respectively (Australia's ratification being back-dated to 1939). Back-date means to put an earlier Date on something Back-date may also refer to Options backdating A Back-dated Problem The statute also covered Newfoundland, but it was never ratified there, and the dominion reverted to colonial status in 1934, eventually joining Canada in 1949.

The Statute of Westminster retained some residual constitutional functions for the Westminster parliament, such as the right to legislate for a Dominion by request, and reserving the right to alter certain aspects of the constitutions of some Dominions. The Irish Free State gradually eroded these rights after 1936, and they finally lapsed there when it formally became a republic in 1949. South Africa became a republic in 1961, which also severed its remaining constitutional links to the United Kingdom. Canada completed this process in 1982 in cooperation with the United Kingdom, and Australia did the same in 1986.

Governor General and Viceroy of India Earl Mountbatten overseeing the transfer of power, creating India as a Commonwealth realm, August 15, 1947. The Governor-General of India (or from 1858 to 1947 the Viceroy and Governor-General of India) was the head of the British administration in India, and Admiral of the Fleet Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas Mountbatten 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, KG, GCB, OM, GCSI, The term " Indian independence movement " is diffuse incorporating various national and regional campaigns agitations and efforts of both Nonviolent and Militant

The coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, the first time the monarch swore to "govern the Peoples of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Union of South Africa, Pakistan and Ceylon, and of your Possessions and other Territories to any of them belonging or pertaining, according to their respective laws and customs. For the ship see RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Context States headed by Elizabeth II "

Although the Dominions were now effectively independent kingdoms under a common monarch, and acted increasingly independently of the United Kingdom, their citizens retained a common citizenship, which was defined in terms of allegiance to the Sovereign, without regard to the Dominion of residence. Although Canada (in 1921) and the Irish Free State (in 1935) had passed their own nationality legislation, this concept did not come into question until the Canadian Citizenship Act of 1946. This resulted in an agreement in 1947 that each Commonwealth member was free to pass their own citizenship legislation, so that their citizens only owed allegiance to the Crown in right of his or her own country.

The next stage in the creation of the Commonwealth realms took place with the dissolution of the Indian Empire. For usage see British rule in India British Raj ( rāj, lit "reign" in Hindustani) primarily refers to the British The possibility that a colony might be granted independence without even remaining in the Commonwealth was recognised for the first time in the Cripps Declaration of 1942, and the decision by Burma to become an independent republic outside the Commonwealth in 1948 met with no opposition. Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. India and Pakistan became independent as Dominions in order to accelerate the process while keeping them in the Commonwealth, so that they could complete their constitutions as independent nations. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and Ceylon, which, as a crown colony, was originally promised "fully responsible status within the British Commonwealth of Nations", was formally granted independence as a Dominion to assure it of equal status with India and Pakistan. Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka ( Sinhalese:, இலங்கை known as Ceylon before 1972 is an Island Ceylon became the last newly independent colony to be entitled a Dominion. Finally, the London Declaration of 1949 established the formula by which republics could remain within the Commonwealth if they so chose. This process finally established the principle that former colonies, once granted independence, whether as republics or under the Crown, were fully equal in status to each other and to the United Kingdom.

As these constitutional developments were taking place, the British government was concerned with how to represent them. At the 1948 Prime Ministers Conference, the term Dominion was avoided in favour of Commonwealth country; at the same time, the term "British Commonwealth" was replaced by "Commonwealth of Nations"; in both cases to avoid the subordination implied by the older terms. The final step was the recognition of each Dominion under the Crown as a Commonwealth realm. This was initiated by the UK's proclamation of the accession of Elizabeth II in 1952, issued at St. James Palace, which declared her to be Queen "of this Realm, and of her other Realms and Territories". For the ship see RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Context States headed by Elizabeth II St James's Palace is one of London's oldest Palaces It is situated on Pall Mall in London, just north of St It also marked the first inclusion of the title Head of the Commonwealth, and the first reference to "representatives of other Members of the Commonwealth" as among those proclaiming. Queen Elizabeth II is the second person to be recognised as Head of the Commonwealth (which currently has 53 members Following this, the phrase "British Dominions beyond the Seas" was replaced with "her other Realms and Territories" within each of Elizabeth's titles, the latter using the medieval French word "realm" (from royaume) to replace the previous use of Dominion.

In 1953, a Royal Style and Titles Act was passed separately in each of the seven realms then existing except Pakistan, which gave formal recognition to the separateness and the equality of the realms by entitling the Queen as "Queen of [realm] and her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth" (thus overturning the convention laid out on this point in the Statute of Westminster). In the Commonwealth realms Royal Style and Titles Acts are passed in order to declare the Sovereign's formal title South Africa and Ceylon (now called Sri Lanka) adopted this formula immediately, while Australia, Canada and New Zealand recognised the monarch as also being queen of the United Kingdom in her title. The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka ( Sinhalese:, இலங்கை known as Ceylon before 1972 is an Island For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island At her Coronation she took a separate oath for each realm. At the time, it was argued that the whole point was to reflect the established fact that the Crown was now legally divisible and all the realms were legally equal in status. In the Commons debate, Patrick Gordon Walker stated: "We in this country have to abandon. Patrick Chrestien Gordon Walker Baron Gordon-Walker CH, PC ( 7 April, 1907 &ndash 2 December . . any sense of property in the Crown. The Queen, now, clearly, explicitly and according to title, belongs equally to all her realms and to the Commonwealth as a whole".

The principle of fully separate and equal realms was followed in all future grants of independence. Other realms achieved independence through the "winds of change" that swept through Africa in the 1960s, the collapse of the Federation of the West Indies in 1961, or at later dates. The West Indies Federation, also known as the Federation of the West Indies, was a short-lived Caribbean Federation that existed from January 3 1958 The latest country to become a Commonwealth realm was Saint Kitts and Nevis, upon independence in 1983. The Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis (also known as the Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis) located in the Leeward Islands, is a federal two-island All these realms had previously been British colonies. When Papua New Guinea became independent of Australia in 1975, this was the first (and so far the last) time a Commonwealth realm was created that had never been made up of British colonies in its entirety. Papua New Guinea (or ˈpæpjuːə in Tok Pisin: Papua Niugini) officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania Most of these realms became independent with full constitutional autonomy, although in some cases certain links to the United Kingdom were voluntarily retained, such as the right of appeal to the Privy Council of the United Kingdom. Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council is a body of advisors to the British Sovereign.

Former Commonwealth realms/Dominions

Immediately after their granting of independence from the United Kingdom, most Commonwealth countries opted to retain the same monarch as head of state, entering into personal union with the UK. A personal union is the combination by which two different States are governed by the same Monarch, while their boundaries their laws and their interests remain distinct Starting in the 1930s, however, Ireland, and then India in the late 1940s, agitated for a break from that relationship and the establishment of a republican form of govnerment. Ireland created its office of president in 1937, but in doing so was not allowed to remain in the British Commonwealth. By 1950, however, India ended its status as a Dominion and became the first republic within the Commonwealth. A Commonwealth republic is any one of the 31 sovereign states of the Commonwealth of Nations with a Republican form of government

As the British Empire dissolved following the Second World War, most newly independent countries opted to retain the same monarch as head of state, though now distinctly as monarch of that country. The British Empire was the largest empire in history and for over a century was the foremost global power. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Head of state is the generic term for the individual or collective office that serves as the chief public representative of a Monarchic or Republican Nation-state However, a number of those that became Commonwealth realms drafted, within a few years, new constitutions, or amended existing ones, in order to become republics. This was especially true in post-colonial Africa, where leaders, during a time of strong anti-imperialist attitudes, preferred not to continue in a personal union relationship with other nations, opting instead to set up a resident head of state. However, these countries followed India's lead and remained members of the Commonwealth, recognising, as per the London Declaration, the British monarch as its head. Queen Elizabeth II is the second person to be recognised as Head of the Commonwealth (which currently has 53 members

Other former British colonies, protectorates, mandates, and trust territories never became Commonwealth realms, becoming republics or countries under a newly established, or a re-established, royal dynasty. Burma, Sudan, Cyprus, Zambia, Botswana, South Yemen, Somaliland, Nauru, the Seychelles, Dominica, Kiribati, Zimbabwe, Namibia, and Vanuatu became republics immediately upon independence from Britain. Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. Sudan (officially the Republic of Sudan) ( السودان al-Sūdān is a country in northeastern Africa. Cyprus (Κύπρος transliterated: Kýpros,; Kıbrıs officially the Republic of Cyprus (Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία Kypriakī́ Dīmokratía The Republic of Zambia (ˈzæmbɪə is a Landlocked country in Southern Africa. The Republic of Botswana (Lefatshe la Botswana is a Landlocked nation in Southern Africa. The People's Democratic Republic of Yemen, Democratic Yemen, South Yemen or Yemen (Aden was a Socialist republic in present-day southern and Nauru, officially the Republic of Nauru, is an Island nation in the Micronesian South Pacific. Seychelles (seɪˈʃɛl or /seɪˈʃɛlz/ in English and seʃɛl in French) officially the Republic of Seychelles (République des Seychelles Creole The Commonwealth of Dominica, commonly known as Dominica, is an Island nation in the Caribbean Sea. Kiribati or ( kirr-i-bas or KEE-ree-buhss ˈkiɾibas in Gilbertese) officially the Republic of Kiribati, is an Island nation located in See also Great Zimbabwe National Monument. For information about the March and June 2008 presidential elections see Zimbabwean presidential election Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa on the Atlantic coast Vanuatu, officially the Republic of Vanuatu ( French: République de Vanuatu, Bislama: Ripablik blong Vanuatu) is an Island Similarly, Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Malaya, Zanzibar, the Maldives, Sikkim, Brunei, Tonga, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, the Trucial States, Swaziland, and Lesotho, all had their own monarchies, many of them having been British protectorates. This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (الأردنّ al-Urdunn) is an Arab country in Southwest Asia spanning the southern For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. The Federation of Malaya (Persekutuan Tanah Melayu was a federation of 11 states formed on January 31 1948 from the nine Malay states and the British Zanzibar ( is part of the East African republic of Tanzania. It consists of the Zanzibar Archipelago in the The Maldives ( or, or Maldive Islands) officially the Republic of Maldives, is an Island nation consisting of a group of atolls stretching Sikkim ( Nepali:, also Sikhim) is a Landlocked Indian state nestled in the Himalayas It is the least populous state in India Brunei Darussalam, (bruːˈnaɪ in English officially the State of Brunei Abode of Peace (Negara Brunei Darussalam Jawi: برني دارالسلام The Kingdom of Tonga is an Archipelago in the south Pacific Ocean comprising 169 islands 36 of them inhabited stretching over a distance of about 800 kilometres (500 miles The State of Kuwait ( دولة الكويت IPA [dawlatt̪ alkuwajt̪]) is a sovereign Arab Emirate on the coast of the Persian Gulf, enclosed Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman ( Arabic: سلطنة عُمان) is an Arab Country in Southwest Asia on the southeast Qatar ( قطر; ˈqɑtˁɑr local pronunciation giṭar officially the State of Qatar (Arabic دولة قطر transliterated The Kingdom of Bahrain (in مملكة البحرين,, literally Kingdom of the Two Seas) is an Island country in the Persian Gulf The Kingdom of Swaziland is a country located in Southern Africa centred at approximately 26o49'S 31o38'E Lesotho (lɪˈsuːtuː) officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a Landlocked country and Enclave — entirely surrounded by the Republic of South In International law, a protectorate is a autonomous territory that is "protected" by a stronger state or entity hense the protector which engages to protect Hyderabad, which unsuccessfully attempted to establish its independence in 1947 separately from India, and Kalat, which similarly tried to remain independent from Pakistan, also had their own monarchies. Hyderābād and Berar (హైదరాబాదు حیدر آباد under the Nizams was the largest Princely state in the erstwhile Indian Empire India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Kalat or Qalat ( Urdu: قلات was a princely state located in the centre of the modern province of Balochistan, Pakistan. Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and

Jawaharlal Nehru signing the Constitution of India, ending the country's status as a Commonwealth realm. Jawaharlal Nehru (जवाहरलाल नेहरू ʤəʋäɦəɾläl nɛɦɾu (14 November 1889 27 May 1964 was a major political leader of the Congress Party

Ian Smith signs the Unilateral Declaration of Independence for Rhodesia on November 11, 1965. Ian Douglas Smith GCLM ID ( 8 April 1919 &ndash 20 November 2007) served as the Prime Minister of the British The Unilateral Declaration of Independence ( UDI) of Rhodesia from the United Kingdom was signed on November 11, 1965 by the administration Rhodesia was the name adopted when the formerly British colony of Southern Rhodesia declared itself independent ( Unilateral Declaration of Independence Events 308 - The Congress of Carnuntum: Attempting to keep peace within the Roman Empire, the leaders of the Tetrarchy declare Year 1965 ( MCMLXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1965 Gregorian calendar.

Some former colonies did not become Commonwealth realms because they became part of larger entities, rather than achieving independence. The mandate of Palestine was divided between Israel, Jordan, and Egypt in 1948. The Palestine Mandate, was a set of protocols or articles that formed a multilateral legal and administrative agreement For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (الأردنّ al-Urdunn) is an Arab country in Southwest Asia spanning the southern This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. Newfoundland, although a Dominion covered by the Statute of Westminster, never ratified the statute; instead, it reverted to colonial status in 1934 and became a province of Canada in 1949. Newfoundland and Labrador (ˈnuːfɨn(dlənd ən(d ˈlæbrəˌdɔr (Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador is a province of Canada, the tenth and latest to join the Confederation Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The British-administered, former Italian territories of Cyrenaica and Tripolitania merged with the French-administered Fezzan to form the kingdom of Libya in 1951. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Tripolitaniajpg|thumb|250px|Tripolitania]] Tripolitania or Tripolitana ( Arabic: طرابلس, Transliterated: Tarābulus) is a historic Libya 5210 Wan Caza Luca Galuzzi 2007jpg|thumb|Wan Caza dunes in Fezzan The Kingdom of Libya, ( المملكة الليبية) originally called the United Kingdom of Libya came into existence on December 24, 1951 Eritrea, a former Italian colony administered by the United Kingdom after World War II, under the authority of the United Nations, was federated with Ethiopia in 1952. Eritrea () ( Ge'ez: ኤርትራ ʾErtrā, Arabic: إرتريا Iritriya) officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security NOTE This intro is the result of careful NPOV work Please do not make potentially controversial edits to it without first discussing on the talk page In 1961, Northern Cameroons was absorbed into Nigeria, and Southern Cameroons into Cameroon. British Cameroons was a British Mandate territory in West Africa, now divided between Nigeria and Cameroon. Nigeria, officially named the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal Constitutional republic comprising thirty-six states and one Federal The Republic of Cameroon is a unitary republic of central and western Africa. In 1963, the crown colonies of Singapore, Sarawak and North Borneo joined Malaya (independent in 1957) to form Malaysia, which has its own monarchy. Singapore Sarawak is one of two Malaysian states on the Island of Borneo. North Borneo was an independent state and British Protectorate under the sovereign British North Borneo Company from 1882-1946 and subsequently a The Federation of Malaya (Persekutuan Tanah Melayu was a federation of 11 states formed on January 31 1948 from the nine Malay states and the British For the biogeographical region see Malesia Malaysia (məˈleɪʒə or /məˈleɪziə/ is a country that consists of thirteen states and Hong Kong became a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the People's Republic of China in 1997. Hong Kong ( officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a territory located on China 's south coast on the Pearl River Delta, and borders A Special Administrative Region ( SAR) is a high autonomous administrative division of the People's Republic of China. Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES And finally, some former colonies that are now independent countries were never Commonwealth realms because they were formed from a successor state, rather than achieving independence from Britain directly. Singapore, which was part of Malaysia until 1965, and Bangladesh, which was East Pakistan until 1971, fall into this category. Singapore For the biogeographical region see Malesia Malaysia (məˈleɪʒə or /məˈleɪziə/ is a country that consists of thirteen states and ( Bengali: বাংলাদেশ inc-Latn Bangladesh) officially East Pakistan ( Bengali: পূর্ব পাকিস্তান Purbo Pakistan, Urdu: مشرقی پاکستان Mashriqi Pakistan) was Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and

Two territories attempted to become Commonwealth realms, but failed. The first instance was when the white minority government of Rhodesia issued its unilateral Declaration of Independence in 1965, its members affirmed their loyalty to Elizabeth II as Queen of Rhodesia, a title to which she had not consented, did not accept, and was not recognised internationally. Rhodesia was the name adopted when the formerly British colony of Southern Rhodesia declared itself independent ( Unilateral Declaration of Independence The Unilateral Declaration of Independence ( UDI) of Rhodesia from the United Kingdom was signed on November 11, 1965 by the administration Her representative in the colonly, Sir Humphrey Gibbs, immediately dismissed his Prime Minister, Ian Smith, but this action was ignored by Smith and he appointed, without the Queen's consent, an Officer Administrating the Government to perform the Governor's constitutional duties. Sir Humphrey Vicary Gibbs, GCVO, KCMG, ( November 22, 1902 &ndash 1990 was the penultimate Ian Douglas Smith GCLM ID ( 8 April 1919 &ndash 20 November 2007) served as the Prime Minister of the British In 1970, Smith's government declared Rhodesia a republic. The second example was when, in 1973, after mention of the United Kingdom was removed from Elizabeth II's titles in Australia, the government of the state of Queensland, concerned that this action was a first step towards declaring Australia to be a republic, sought to declare her Queen of Australia, Queensland and her Other Realms and Territories, in order to ensure that the monarchy would at least be entrenched in Queensland. Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern corner of the mainland continent The action was blocked by the High Court of Australia in the so-called Queen of Queensland case in 1974. The High Court of Australia is the final court of appeal in Australia the highest court in the Australian court hierarchy. While no other state has attempted to achieve status as a realm, the possibility was raised by both sides during the debate on the referendum of 1999 that a decision to make the country a republic might lead to the creation of separate monarchies in one or more of the individual states. The 1999 Australian referendum was a two-question Referendum held on 6 November 1999.

There are currently movements in some Commonwealth realms to end the country's personal union with the other realms, most advocating a republican government in place of the present constitutional monarchy. A constitutional monarchy, or a limited monarchy, is a form of Constitutional Government, wherein either an elected or hereditary Monarch is These groups are of varying age and have exercised fluctuating influence in politics and national life in each country through the previous decades. In April 2005, four republican organisations within Commonwealth realms, Australian Republican Movement, Citizens for a Canadian Republic, the Republican Movement of Aotearoa New Zealand, and Republic in the United Kingdom, launched Common Cause. The Australian Republican Movement (ARM is a non-partisan lobby group advocating constitutional change in Australia to a Republican form of government from a constitutional Citizens for a Canadian Republic (CCR is a non-partisan not-for-profit Canadian organization founded in 2002 that advocates the replacement of the Canadian monarchy The Republican Movement of Aotearoa New Zealand is a non-partisan organization formed in 1994 whose object is to support the creation of a Republic in New Zealand Republic is a British republican organisation wishing to replace the monarchy with what it calls "an elected Head of state " Common Cause is an alliance of republican movements in the Commonwealth of Nations. However, groups such as the International Monarchist League, the Australian Monarchist League, Australians for Constitutional Monarchy, the Monarchist League of Canada, and the Monarchist League of New Zealand advocate for the retention of their respective countries' status as Commonwealth realms. See Monarchist League for similar organisations The International Monarchist League (known until the mid-1990s as the Monarchist League The Australian Monarchist League is a Non-profit organisation, headquartered in Sydney, Australia promoting the Monarchy of Australia. Australians for Constitutional Monarchy ( ACM) is a group that aims to preserve Australia's current Constitutional monarchy, with Elizabeth II as The Monarchist League of Canada is a national non-partisan non-profit organization whose mission is "to promote the understanding of and loyalty to the Canadian Crown The Monarchist League of New Zealand Inc is an organisation formed in 1995 whose object is to support the retention of constitutional Monarchy in New Zealand

Further information: Republicanism in Australia, Republicanism in Canada, Debate on the monarchy in Canada, Republicanism in New Zealand, and Republicanism in the United Kingdom

The former Commonwealth Dominions/realms, the periods in which they were Dominions/realms, and the reason(s) why they ceased to be Dominions/realms, are as follows:

Flag1	Country	From	To	Original system of government	Reason	Former royal standard
	Ceylon2	1948	1972	Parliamentary republic	New constitution
	Fiji	1970	1987	Parliamentary republic	Military coup
	Gambia	1965	1970	Presidential republic	Referendum
	Ghana	1957	1960	Presidential republic	Referendum
	Guyana	1966	1970	parliamentary republic	Constitutional amendment
	India[24]	1947	1950	Parliamentary republic	New constitution
	Ireland[25]	1931	1936/1949	Parliamentary republic	Act of parliament (See also: Irish head of state from 1936-1949)
	Kenya	1963	1964	Presidential republic	New constitution
	Malawi	1964	1966	Single-party republic	New constitution
	Malta	1964	1974	Parliamentary republic	Constitutional amendment
	Mauritius	1968	1992	Parliamentary republic	Constitutional amendment
	Nigeria	1960	1963	Parliamentary republic	Constitutional amendment
	Pakistan	1947	1956	Parliamentary republic	New constitution
	Rhodesia3	1965	1970	Parliamentary republic	New constitution
	Sierra Leone	1961	1971	Presidential republic	New constitution
	South Africa	1931	1961	Parliamentary republic	Referendum
	Tanganyika4	1961	1962	Presidential republic	New constitution
	Trinidad and Tobago	1962	1976	Parliamentary republic	New constitution
	Uganda	1962	1963	Parliamentary republic	Constitutional amendment

_{¹Flags are those in use at the time the country was a Commonwealth realm. Republicanism in Australia is a movement to change Australia 's status as a Constitutional monarchy to a Republican form of government Canadian republicanism is the advocacy of Constitutional change in Canada, leading to the abolition of the Canadian monarchy and the creation of a Canadian Debate on the Monarchy of Canada has been taking place since before Confederation in 1867 though it has rarely been of significance since the Rebellions of 1837 Republicanism in New Zealand is a movement to change the country's current status as a Commonwealth realm and Constitutional monarchy to that of a Commonwealth Republicanism, in the United Kingdom, is the movement which seeks to remove the British monarchy and replace it with a Republic that has a non- Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka ( Sinhalese:, இலங்கை known as Ceylon before 1972 is an Island A parliamentary system, also known as parliamentarianism (and parliamentarism in American English) is a System of government in which Fiji (Matanitu ko Viti फ़िजी officially the Republic of the Fiji Islands (Matanitu Tu-Vaka-i-koya ko Viti फ़िजी द्वीप समूह गणराज्य A parliamentary system, also known as parliamentarianism (and parliamentarism in American English) is a System of government in which The Fiji coups of 1987 resulted in the overthrow of the elected government of Fijian Prime Minister Timoci Bavadra, the deposition of Elizabeth II A presidential system is a System of government where an executive branch exists and presides (hence the term separately from the Legislature The Republic of Ghana is a country in West Africa. It borders Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast to the west Burkina Faso to the north Togo to the A presidential system is a System of government where an executive branch exists and presides (hence the term separately from the Legislature A constitutional referendum was held in Ghana on 27 April 1960. Guyana (ɡaɪˈænə or /ɡiːˈɑːnə/ officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana and previously known as British Guiana, is the only Nation state A parliamentary system, also known as parliamentarianism (and parliamentarism in American English) is a System of government in which A parliamentary system, also known as parliamentarianism (and parliamentarism in American English) is a System of government in which The Irish Free State (Saorstát Éireann (1922&ndash1937 was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by A parliamentary system, also known as parliamentarianism (and parliamentarism in American English) is a System of government in which During the period of 1936 to 1949 it was unclear whether or not the Irish state was a Republic or a form of Constitutional monarchy and (from 1937 whether its The Republic of Kenya is a country in East Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia to the north Somalia to the northeast Tanzania to the south A presidential system is a System of government where an executive branch exists and presides (hence the term separately from the Legislature The Republic of Malawi (məˈlɑːwi or; formerly Nyasaland) is in southern Africa. A single-party state, one-party system or single-party system is a type of Party system Government in which a single Political party Malta, officially the Republic of Malta (Repubblika ta' Malta is a European Microstate, comprising an Archipelago of three islands A parliamentary system, also known as parliamentarianism (and parliamentarism in American English) is a System of government in which Mauritius (pronounced məˈrɪʃəs L’île Maurice /il mɔ'ʁis/ Mauritian Creole: Maurice) officially the Republic of Mauritius, République A parliamentary system, also known as parliamentarianism (and parliamentarism in American English) is a System of government in which Nigeria, officially named the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal Constitutional republic comprising thirty-six states and one Federal A parliamentary system, also known as parliamentarianism (and parliamentarism in American English) is a System of government in which The Dominion of Pakistan was a federal entity that was established in 1947 as a result of the Partition of India into two sovereign dominions the Union A parliamentary system, also known as parliamentarianism (and parliamentarism in American English) is a System of government in which Rhodesia was the name adopted when the formerly British colony of Southern Rhodesia declared itself independent ( Unilateral Declaration of Independence A parliamentary system, also known as parliamentarianism (and parliamentarism in American English) is a System of government in which Sierra Leone, officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. A presidential system is a System of government where an executive branch exists and presides (hence the term separately from the Legislature } The Union of South Africa is the historic predecessor to the present-day state of the Republic of South Africa. A parliamentary system, also known as parliamentarianism (and parliamentarism in American English) is a System of government in which On October 5, 1960, South Africa 's white minority government held a Referendum on whether or not the then Union should sever its links Tanganyika is the name of an East African territory lying between the largest of the African great lakes Lake Victoria, Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika A presidential system is a System of government where an executive branch exists and presides (hence the term separately from the Legislature The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (ˈtrɪnɪdæd ən təˈbeɪgoʊ is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying northeast of the South American A parliamentary system, also known as parliamentarianism (and parliamentarism in American English) is a System of government in which The Republic of Uganda is a Landlocked country in East Africa. A parliamentary system, also known as parliamentarianism (and parliamentarism in American English) is a System of government in which Ceylonese flag changed in 1951. Rhodesian flag changed in 1968.
²Now Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka ( Sinhalese:, இலங்கை known as Ceylon before 1972 is an Island
³Now Zimbabwe. See also Great Zimbabwe National Monument. For information about the March and June 2008 presidential elections see Zimbabwean presidential election De facto realm but not de jure, mostly unrecognised internationally, and not a Commonwealth member. See discussion above.
⁴Now part of Tanzania. Tanzania ˌtænzəˈniːə officially the United Republic of Tanzania (Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya}

See also

• States headed by Elizabeth II
• Self-governing colony
• Crown Colony
• Monarchy

References

• V. The number of states headed by Queen Elizabeth II has varied during her years on the throne all-together seeing her as Head of state of a total of thirty-three countries during A self-governing colony is a Colony with an elected Legislature, in which Politicians are able to make most decisions without reference to the The British Overseas Territories are fourteen territories that are under the Sovereignty of the United Kingdom, but which do not form part of the United Kingdom A monarchy is a Form of government in which supreme power is actually or nominally lodged in an individual who is the Head of state, often for life or Bogdanor, The Monarchy and the Constitution (Oxford, 1995)
• P. McIntyre, "The Strange Death of Dominion Status", Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History 27:2 (1999) 193-212

Footnotes