![]() Ireland withdrew from the organization in 1949 when it officially became a republic, while countries such as Fiji and Nigeria were suspended during periods of autocratic rule. Members have no obligations to one another but are united through their common values-and, for most, their shared histories as former British colonies.Ĭommonwealth membership has seen significant churn in the more than 70 years since it was formed. Today there are 54 members of the Commonwealth of Nations, which tackles initiatives related to trade, environmental protections, education, and more. The member nations agreed to those conditions, and in 1949 they issued the London Declaration, allowing India, Pakistan, and Ceylon (modern-day Sri Lanka) to join “as free and equal members.” The declaration reformed the Commonwealth of Nations-one that would admit other independent nations without swearing allegiance to the crown. Then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru delivered a speech before India’s parliament that explained the decision: “In the world today where there are so many disruptive forces at work, where we are often on the verge of war, I think it is not a safe thing to encourage the breaking up of any association that one has.” ( How the end of British colonial rule birthed two sovereign nations-India and Pakistan.) While India would accept King George VI as head of the Commonwealth, it would be the first country to join that didn’t swear allegiance to the crown. Two years later, the newly sovereign country asked to join the British Commonwealth of Nations-with a few conditions. India finally won its independence from Britain in 1947. In 1926 Britain and the dominions agreed that they would all be equal in status, “united by a common allegiance to the Crown.” The declaration-formalized in 1931 with the Statute of Westminster-ushered in the official founding of the British Commonwealth of Nations. In the aftermath of World War I, however, rising nationalism in the dominions, which had fought alongside Britain, sparked a push for more than just self-governance. In subsequent decades, other predominantly white British colonies became dominions too, including Australia, New Zealand, Newfoundland, South Africa, and the Irish Free State (now the Republic of Ireland). The distinction meant Canada could rule itself but its laws would still be subject to British oversight-meaning they could be vetoed at the monarch’s discretion. But it didn’t give up control of the territory: Instead, a united Canada became a British dominion. They also sought free trade with their southern neighbor.Īnxious not to stoke another revolution like the one it had lost nearly a century earlier, Britain agreed to its colonists’ terms in July 1867. The territories-Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Canada- feared possible aggression from the United States and wanted to establish their own defense forces. In 1864 representatives from the three British colonies in modern-day Canada began to negotiate merging into one self-governing confederation. Queen Victoria, whose reign was critical to consolidating the empire, became Empress of India in 1877.īut even as the empire expanded, some of its colonies grew frustrated with imperial oversight. ![]() Its holdings spanned from Hong Kong to the Caribbean to a wide swath of southern and East Africa. The Commonwealth of Nations was born out of the slow disintegration of the British Empire, which covered a fifth of the world’s surface at its peak in the late 19th century. “It is a final step to complete the circle of independence to become a truly sovereign nation.” “This is not an act of hostility, or any difference between Antigua and Barbuda and the monarchy,” Gaston Browne, prime minister of the Caribbean nation, told ITV News. One Commonwealth realm, however, also announced its intention to hold a referendum on whether to remove the British monarch as its head of state. ( Here’s what happens now that Queen Elizabeth II has passed.) In the days after the queen’s death, the leaders of those nations-including Canada, Australia, and New Zealand- issued proclamations declaring their loyalty to Elizabeth’s heir, Charles III, as their official head of state. The death of Queen Elizabeth II set into motion a historic transition of power-not just in Great Britain but in 54 countries across the world that maintain ties to the royal family as members of the Commonwealth of Nations, an international organization composed mainly of former British colonies.Ĭhange was felt most keenly among the 14 members known as Commonwealth realms, which still recognize the British monarch as their head of state.
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