The Commonwealth
After 60 years of its existence, the Commonwealth is a remarkable organisation which remains a major force for change in the world today.
The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of 53 independent countries, almost all of which were formerly under British rule.
The origins of the Commonwealth come from Britain's former Empire. Many of the members of the Commonwealth were territories which had historically come under British rule at various times by settlement, conquest or cession. The administration of such colonies evolved in different ways, to reflect the different circumstances of each territory.
After achieving independence, India was the first of a number of countries which decided that, although they wished to become republics, they still wanted to remain within the Commonwealth.
To reconcile these aims, the 1949 London Declaration recognised King George VI as Head of the Commonwealth. Following his death, the Commonwealth leaders recognised Queen Elizabeth II in that capacity.
The role of the Monarchy in the Commonwealth.
he Queen has been Head of the Commonwealth throughout her 60 year reign. This is an important symbolic and unifying role. As Head, Her Majesty personally reinforces the links by which the Commonwealth joins people together from around the world.
Listen to The Queen's speech made on her 21st birthday
in which she pledges her life to the service of the Commonwealth:
In 1949 the London Declaration recognised the British Monarch as the symbol of the free association of independent member nations and as Head of the Commonwealth. Upon the death of her father King George VI and her accession to the throne, The Queen became Head of the Commonwealth, recognised by Commonwealth leaders in that capacity.
Throughout Her Majesty’s reign, the Commonwealth has grown from just seven nations to 53 members representing two billion people. During this time, The Queen has played a unique part as a symbol of unity and strength at the heart of the Commonwealth.
One of the ways of strengthening these connections is through regular Commonwealth visits.
During her reign, The Queen has undertaken more than 200 visits to Commonwealth countries and visited every country of the Commonwealth (with the exception of Cameroon, which joined in 1995 and Rwanda which joined in 2009) as well as making many repeat visits.
One third of The Queen's total overseas visits are to Commonwealth countries. The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales and other members of the Royal Family are also regular visitors to the Commonwealth.
The Queen keeps in touch with Commonwealth developments through regular contact with the Commonwealth Secretary-General and his Secretariat. This is the Commonwealth's central organisation.
Based in London, it co-ordinates many Commonwealth activities. Her Majesty also has regular meetings with Heads of Government from Commonwealth countries.
Commonwealth Day
Each year, The Queen attends the Commonwealth Day celebrations in London. Since 1977, Commonwealth Day has been celebrated throughout the Commonwealth on the second Monday in March.
The Queen attends an inter-denominational service held in Westminster Abbey, followed by a reception hosted by the Commonwealth Secretary-General.
Modern communications technology allows The Queen to speak to every part of the Commonwealth through her annual Christmas and Commonwealth Day messages.
Both messages are delivered by The Queen as Head of the Commonwealth to the peoples of the Commonwealth as a whole. They are special in that they reflect Her Majesty's personal views and are not drafted on ministerial advice.
On Commonwealth Day 2013, The Queen signed the Charter of the Commonwealth, an historic new Charter adopted by all Commonwealth leaders in December 2012 which reaffirms the core values that unite the Commonwealth, bringing them together for the first time in a single document.
The Charter sets out the 16 core values and principles which have been defined and strengthened at different stages throughout the Commonwealth’s history. It upholds and reaffirms the Commonwealth’s commitment to democracy, human rights, peace and security, good governance, protecting the environment, providing access to health, education, food and shelter, gender equality, recognising the needs of small and vulnerable states and the important role civil society plays for all the people of the Commonwealth.
The Charter also recognises that the potential of and need for the Commonwealth has never been greater, and affirms that the special strength of the Commonwealth lies in its diversity and its shared inheritance in language, culture and the rule of law, and its shared history and tradition.
The Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games are a major sporting occasion which brings together young people from all over the world in friendly competition.
The Queen often attends the Commonwealth Games to open or close them - most recently, the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia.
In all these different ways The Queen, though not part of the machinery of government in the Commonwealth, acts as a personal link and human symbol of the Commonwealth as an international organisation.
The first time The Queen attended the Games in her capacity as Head of the Commonwealth was in Edinburgh in 1970, and most recently, the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia.
The Queen’s Baton Relay
The Queen’s Baton Relay has been an important pre-cursor to the Commonwealth Games since the Cardiff 1958 games. The relay symbolises the gathering of people from across the Commonwealth at the four-yearly event.
The relay traditionally begins with a ceremony at Buckingham Palace on Commonwealth Day. There, Her Majesty entrusts the baton containing her ‘message to the athletes’ to the first honorary relay runner.
The relay concludes at the Opening Ceremony, as the final relay runner hands the baton back to Her Majesty, or her representative, and the message is read aloud. At that moment the relay ends and the Games begin.
Over the years, The Queen’s Baton Relay has evolved into a powerful symbol of the unity and diversity of the Commonwealth of Nations.
2015 Commonwealth Day Message from Queen Elizabeth II
Members of the Commonwealth
What is a Commonwealth Realm?
A Commonwealth Realm is a country which has The Queen as its Monarch.
There are 15 Commonwealth Realms in addition to the UK: Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Jamaica, Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Papua New Guinea, St Christopher and Nevis, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Tuvalu, Barbados, Grenada, Solomon Islands, St Lucia and The Bahamas.
Commonwealth members
There are 53 member countries of the Commonwealth. These are listed below, with the years in which they joined the Commonwealth.
Also listed is their constitutional status. 'Realm' indicates a Commonwealth country which has The Queen as Sovereign, while 'monarchy' indicates a Commonwealth country which has its own monarch as Head of State.
Nauru is a Special Member which does not attend meetings of Commonwealth Heads of Government.
Since membership of the Commonwealth is entirely voluntary, any member can withdraw at any time.
The Republic of Ireland did so in 1949, as did Zimbabwe in 2003.
The largest member of the Commonwealth is Canada, at nearly 10 million square kilometres.
The most populous Commonwealth country is India, with nearly 1.1 billion people.
The smallest member is Nauru, with only 13,000 inhabitants.
The Commonwealth also includes the world's driest and most sparsely populated country: Namibia.