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User:Diremarc/sandbox/commonwealth

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User:Diremarc/sandbox/commonwealth

Commonwealth realms

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User talk:Diremarc#Some editing suggestions

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_talk:Diremarc#Some_editing_suggestions

Some editing suggestions

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It is not common practice to make new sections for each post on an article's talk page; this breaks up the flow of the discussion and makes it difficult for others to follow. Typically, if a discussion becomes extremely lengthy, a sub-header will be inserted somewhere below the main section header, so as to allow for easier editing while still maintaining the conversation within one discernable block.

Along those same lines, if an edit is reverted or altered soon after it is made, a consensus is sought on an article's talk page, perWP:BRD. The length of time an edit remains in an article only establishes consensus if it isn't soon reverted or altered, perWP:SILENCE. I hope that clarifies things. --Miesianiacal (talk) 00:26, 6 July 2009 (UTC)


  • 13 Some editing suggestions

It is not common practice to make new sections for each post on an article's talk page; this breaks up the flow of the discussion and makes it difficult for others to follow. Typically, if a discussion becomes extremely lengthy, a sub-header will be inserted somewhere below the main section header, so as to allow for easier editing while still maintaining the conversation within one discernable block.


Along those same lines, if an edit is reverted or altered soon after it is made, a consensus is sought on an article's talk page, per WP:BRD. The length of time an edit remains in an article only establishes consensus if it isn't soon reverted or altered, per WP:SILENCE. I hope that clarifies things. --Miesianiacal (talk) 00:26, 6 July 2009 (UTC)

Talk:Commonwealth realm#explaining is good; grammar illogic is bad; substituting personal taste for consensus is naughty

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Commonwealth_realm#explaining_is_good.3B_grammar_illogic_is_bad.3B_substituting_personal_taste_for_consensus_is_naughty

explaining is good; grammar illogic is bad; substituting personal taste for consensus is naughty

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  1. someone seems to be having conniptions over the addition of nine words in the introduction followed by a grammatical clarification.
  2. adding the nine word phrase "(itself an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-three independent member states)" after "Commonwealth of Nations" does not interfere with the intro's flow and adds a needed explanation and distinction between "commonwealth realm" and "commonwealth of nations".
  3. provides needed information.
  4. adding wiki cross-refs for a reader's further information add to the article's value and clarity.
  5. the phrase "These countries have a combined area totalling..."
    1. is inelegant (why not "dese countries" or "these there countries" if you insist on using the vernacular)
    2. is grammatically illogical. in the paragraph, "these" refers to plural subjects, not the singular "commonwealth realm"
    3. is grammatically illogical. in the paragraph, "these" refers to the most recently listed subject. in this case, "these" relates to just mentioned "commonwealth of nations", not the previously mentioned (and grammatically separated) "commonwealth realm"
  6. the phrase "The Commonwealth realms have a combined area totalling..."
    1. is not nearly as inelegant
    2. is grammatically logical, clarifying the ambiguity of "these countries"
    3. is proper usage
    4. does not relate to the just mentioned "commonwealth of nations"
    5. helps educate the reader in appropriate nomenclature
    6. helps distinguish between "Commonwealth realms" and the usage of "Commonwealth" as a shorthand for "Commonwealth of Nations" (see article para. 2)
  7. you should seek consensus before erasing a good faith effort and substituting your personal, shrunken down, grammatically inaccurate, word smithing. blind pride of authorship is a wiki sin.

-- diremarc (talk) 07:24, 2 July 2009 (UTC)

Is it you, perhaps, who's having the conniptions? As I noted in my edit summary, the additional information on the Commonwealth of Nations is just tangential information that adds complexity to an already complex subject; if people want to know what the Commonwealth of Nations is, they can simply click on the link and read Commonwealth of Nations. Futher, "these countries", by my reading, clearly means the Commonwealth realms; the most recently listed subject is "16 sovereign states... that each have Elizabeth II as their respective monarch." And repeating "Commonwealth realm" twice in two short sentences is hardly elegant. We can agree, however, that substituting your personal taste for consensus is indeed naughty; as the present version is the long-standing one, and as it is you who desires a change, it is you who should seek the consensus. --Miesianiacal (talk) 09:27, 2 July 2009 (UTC)
What the heck is a conniption?--Gazzster (talk) 15:06, 2 July 2009 (UTC)

you stated: "Futher[sic], "these countries", by my reading, clearly means[sic] the Commonwealth realms; the most recently listed subject is "16 sovereign states... that each have Elizabeth II as their respective monarch."" This is misleading and arguably a lie. you omitted from the quotation the most important phrase. it is a cheap trick to falsely alter original material to support your argument. the full quotation (with part of the disputed sentence) reads:

"A Commonwealth realm is any one of 16 sovereign states within the Commonwealth of Nations that each have Elizabeth II as their respective monarch.[1] These countries have a combined area totalling 18.8 million km² (excluding Antarctic claims)..."
(previously omitted section emphasized)
it is a bit confusing when accurately quoted. you omitted "within the Commonwealth of Nations" - the heart of this disagreement. this is quite unseemly when the discussion revolves around what exactly are "these countries". this is troubling when the paragraph is easily quoted correctly. of course, by your "reading", the phrase "Commonwealth of Nations" magically vanishes and there is no ambiguity about which countries these countries are (even that is confusing) (a "Do do that voodoo that you do so well" kind of thing). however, the fair minded do not blank out when reading prepositional phrases that eviscerate their point. the closest reference to "these countries", that logically relate to "these countries", is the Commonwealth of Nations. critically altering the actual language of the intro to support your argument is a confession, of sorts, of being grammatically challenged. confusing your tenses (see those [sic]s?) confirms this. When you used subterfuge to make your point, you conceded that point.

also, i did not suggest using "commonwealth realm" in the second sentence, as you misstated. i suggest using "The Commonwealth realms" (plural s) so that readers understand what "these countries" the sentence refers to; and to educate readers that the plural is not commonwealths.


-- diremarc (talk) 07:02, 3 July 2009 (UTC)


p.s. -- conniptions are hissy fits; as evidenced by needing to misquote to misprove a point.

No, it was not a cheap trick; it was a method to get at the heart of the sentence. I'll remind you at this point to familiarise, or re-familiarise, yourself with WP:CIVIL and WP:NPA. --Miesianiacal (talk) 07:25, 3 July 2009 (UTC)

Commonwealth realms

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do you lurk by the pc? you allowed the revision less then five minutes to form a consensus before you reverted it to another grammatical errors and a typo.

changing the intro to "A Commonwealth realm is any one of 16 sovereign states within the Commonwealth of Nations that each have Elizabeth II as their respective monarch,[1] snd [sic] combined have a area totalling 18.8 million km² (excluding Antarctic claims) and a population of 132 million;" makes even less sense and contains a typo. why not leave it as "A Commonwealth realm is any one of 16 sovereign states within the Commonwealth of Nations that each have Elizabeth II as their respective monarch.[1] The Commonwealth realms have a combined have a area totalling 18.8 million km² (excluding Antarctic claims) and a population of 132 million;" for at least a week (and certainly longer than your rather hasty five minute reaction time)? that way, someone other than you can choose, and your your personality will be removed from the process. your "improvement" has the same problems as the orginal, plus a misspelling. consensus seekingly yours,

-- diremarc (talk) 23:39, 5 July 2009 (UTC)

Perhaps instead of moving to make personal attacks so hastily that you hypocritically make a series of your own grammatical mistakes, you might take some time to develop a more collegial attitude. You see, bulldozing your version of things over that which has stood without complaint from any contributing editors, save yourself, for some time now is neither polite nor within WP guidelines. You are trying to override a consensus, and though you have made your case, I, for one, don't agree with it and think you are making a poorer version of what exists (existed?). As my latest attempt to make some sort of compromise between your version and mine didn't meet your one-sided standards, and you continue to respond with derisive commentary, I suggest you seek further assistance in the dispute resolution process. --Miesianiacal (talk) 23:54, 5 July 2009 (UTC)
Would the following be suitable to you?:
A Commonwealth realm is any one of 16 sovereign states within the Commonwealth of Nations that each have Elizabeth II as their respective monarch. Together, the realms have a combined area totalling 18.8 million km² (excluding Antarctic claims), and a population of 132 million; all but about 2 million live in the six most populous states, namely the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, and Jamaica.
As I find it clunky and unnecessary to repeat Commonwealth realm twice in two successive sentences, this at least cuts the repeated words down to just realm. I don't love it, but am willing to live with it if you are.--Miesianiacal (talk) 00:10, 6 July 2009 (UTC)

There was a request for a third opinion which mentioned that one editor had removed and/or changed comments posted by another editor on this talk page.

From Wikipedia:Talk page guidelines#Others' comments: "Do not strike out or delete the comments of other editors without their permission." — Athaenara ✉ 09:25, 6 July 2009 (UTC)

That was a false accusation; the other editor mistook the removal of excessive headers as removal of commentary.--Miesianiacal (talk) 12:14, 6 July 2009 (UTC)

from discussion on bad user miesianiacal

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was permmbanned in Feb 2008. Since then, he has created several socks, and seems to keep returning to Wikipedia; there is no indication that he will ever stop. His newest sock, User:Ostateczny Krach Systemu Korporacji, was just discovered and banned today (although I cannot seem to find the CU request/evidence page...?). Yet I am not posting to complain about futile attempts to keep him away; instead I am posting here in order to request the review of the permban on him. Long story short, it appears to me upon a cursory review that his socks have been performing constructive, not disruptive edits; none of his socks has violated our polices, been blocked of even warned for anything as far as I can tell - they were editing constructively for weeks or even months, up to the point they were banned upon being confirmed as socks of HH (presumably due to editing the same articles/subjects). An unban of him was proposed by another admin already few months ago (Wikipedia:Administrators%27_noticeboard/IncidentArchive470#Productive_socks) and since than we have accumulated more evidence (based on his continued pattern of editing via socks) that he wants to be a constructive member of our community. He is making constructive content edits (creating and expanding articles), he is not edit warring, and doesn't seem to be flaming or otherwise disruptive (which IIRC was a major complain against HH). As such, I believe we should review his behavior once again, since its shows signs of improvement, and consider unbanning him, perhaps under some restriction/mentorship. In the end, if Hanzo wants to help us build encyclopedia in a constructive manner, without repeating his past mistakes (as he has shown us he can), why should we not allow him to do so? Not to mention that blocking his successive constructive socks is making a mockery of our ideals that blocks/bans and such should be preventative, not punitive. PS. I'd like to strongly encourage all who had bad experiences with HH to review his behavior in the past year and so instead of remembering old grievances. --Piotr Konieczny aka Prokonsul Piotrus| talk 04:23, 1 July 2009 (UTC)

Commonwealth realm

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current

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A Commonwealth realm is any one of 16 sovereign states within the Commonwealth of Nations that each haveElizabeth II as their respective monarch.[1] These countries have a combined area totalling 18.8 million km² (excludingAntarctic claims), and a combined population of 132 million;[2] all but about 2 million live in the six most populousstates, namely the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, and Jamaica.

Fourteen of the current, and all former, realms were once British colonies that evolved into independent states, the exceptions being the United Kingdom (UK) 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 the British possession of Papua, administered on the UK's behalf by Australia since 1905. The first realms to emerge were colonies that had already previously attained the status of a self governing Dominion within the British Empire. For a time, the older term ofDominion was retained to refer to these non-British realms, even though their actual status had changed with the granting of full legislative independence. The word is still sometimes used today, though increasingly rarely, as the word realm was formally introduced with the proclamation ofElizabeth II in 1952,[1] and acquired legal status with the adoption of the modern royal styles and titles by the individual countries. The qualified term Commonwealth realm is not official, and has not been used in law; rather, it is a term of convenience for distinguishing this group of realms from other countries in the Commonwealth that do not share the same monarch.

sources

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  • http://www.royal.gov.uk/Home.aspx
  • The official website of The British Monarchy
  • Queen Victoria reigned for 63 years and seven months, longer than any other British monarch. Find out more about her life and reign in this section.





  • http://www.royal.gov.uk/MonarchAndCommonwealth/NewZealand/NewZealand.aspx
  • The Queen and New Zealand
  • New Zealand is a parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy with The Queen as Sovereign. As a constitutional monarch, The Queen abides by the decisions of the New Zealand Government, but she continues to play important ceremonial and symbolic roles. In all her duties, The Queen acts as Queen of New Zealand, quite distinctive from her role in the United Kingdom or any of her other realms.


  • http://www.royal.gov.uk/MonarchAndCommonwealth/Canada/Canada.aspx
  • The Queen and Canada
  • Canada is a parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy with The Queen as Sovereign. As a constitutional monarch, The Queen abides by the decisions of the Canadian Government, but she continues to play important ceremonial and symbolic roles. In all these duties, The Queen acts as Queen of Canada, quite distinctive from her role in the United Kingdom or any of her other realms.


  • http://www.royal.gov.uk/MonarchAndCommonwealth/Canada/TheQueensroleinCanada.aspx
  • The Queen's role in Canada
  • The Queen has a unique relationship with Canada, entirely separate from her role as Queen of the United Kingdom or any of her other realms. As in all her realms, The Queen of Canada is a constitutional monarch, acting entirely on the advice of Canadian Government ministers. She is fully briefed by means of regular communications from her ministers, and has face-to-face audiences with them where possible.


  • Commonwealth honours
  • Other realms, which retained a constitution with The Queen as Head of State and did not create their own honours systems, still put forward nominations for British Orders.

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  • 'Her Britannic Majesty's Secretary of State requests and requires in the name of Her Majesty all those whom it may concern to allow the bearer to pass freely without let or hindrance and to afford the bearer such assistance and protection as may be necessary.'
  • As a British passport is issued in the name of Her Majesty, it is unnecessary for The Queen to possess one. All other members of the Royal Family, including The Duke of Edinburgh and The Prince of Wales, have passports.
  • In realms (Commonwealth countries where The Queen is Sovereign), a similar formula is used, except that the request to all whom it may concern is made in the name of the realm's Governor-General, as The Queen's representative in that realm. In Canada, the request is made in the name of Her Majesty by the Minister of Foreign Affairs.


This article is about the monarchy of the United Kingdom. For information on the other countries which share the same monarchy, see Commonwealth realm.

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  • The Monarchy of the United Kingdom (commonly referred to as the British monarchy) is the constitutional monarchy of the United Kingdom and its overseas territories. The present monarch, Elizabeth II, has reigned since 6 February 1952.
  • After World War II, the declaration of Indian independence effectively brought the British Empire to an end. George VI and his successor, Elizabeth II, adopted the title Head of the Commonwealth as a symbol of the free association of the independent countries comprising the Commonwealth of Nations. In 1931, the unitary British monarchy throughout the empire was split into legally distinct crowns for each of the Commonwealth realms. At present, 15 other independent Commonwealth countries share with the United Kingdom the same person as their monarch. As such, the terms British monarchy and British monarch are frequently still employed in reference not only to the extranational person and institution shared amongst all 16 of the realms,[3][4] but also to the distinct monarchies within each of these countries, often at variance with the different, specific, and official national titles and terms for each jurisdiction.

Shared monarchy

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Map of the British Empire in 1921

Map of the Commonwealth realms today

During the twentieth-century, the Commonwealth of Nations evolved from the British Empire. Prior to 1926, the British Crown reigned over the British Empire collectively, the Dominions and Crown colonies being subordinate to the United Kingdom. The Balfour Declaration of 1926 gave complete self-government to the Dominions, effectively creating a system whereby a single monarch operated independently in each separate Dominion. The concept was solidified by the Statute of Westminster 1931,[66] which has been likened to "a treaty among the Commonwealth countries".[67] The monarchy thus ceased to be an exclusively British institution, although it is often still referred to as "British" for legal and historical reasons and for convenience. The monarch became separately monarch of the United Kingdom, monarch of Australia, monarch of Canada, and so forth. The independent states within the Commonwealth, known as the Commonwealth realms, would share the same monarch in a relationship likened to a personal union.[68][69][70][71]

George V's death in 1936 was followed by the accession of Edward VIII, who caused a public scandal by announcing his desire to marry the divorced American, Wallis Simpson, even though the Church of England opposed the remarriage of divorcées. Accordingly, Edward announced his intention toabdicate; the Parliaments of the United Kingdom and of other Commonwealth realms granted his request. Edward VIII and any children by his new wife were excluded from the line of succession, and the Crown went to his brother, George VI.[72] George served as a rallying figure for the British people during World War II, making morale-boosting visits to the troops as well as to munitions factories and to areas bombed by Nazi Germany. After the war George VI relinquished the title "Emperor of India", when India became independent in 1947, and became "King of India" instead.[73]

At first, every member of the Commonwealth was a Commonwealth realm but when India became a republic in 1950, it would no longer share in a common monarchy. Instead, the British monarch was acknowledged as "Head of the Commonwealth" in all Commonwealth member states, whether realms or not. The position is purely ceremonial, and is not inherited by the British monarch as of right but is vested in an individual chosen by the Commonwealth Heads of Government.[74]

Modern status

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Today, 16 of the 53 independent states within the Commonwealth, including the United Kingdom, remain Commonwealth realms and share the same monarch. The present monarch,Elizabeth II succeeded her father, George VI, in 1952. Like her recent predecessors, Elizabeth II continues to function as a constitutional monarch. During her reign, there has been some support for the republican movement, especially due to negative publicity associated with the Royal Family (for instance, following the death of Diana, Princess of Wales).[75]Nevertheless, more recent polls show that a large majority of the British public support the continuation of the monarchy.[76][77]

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  • The British monarch also reigns in 15 other sovereign countries that are known as the Commonwealth Realms.



  • http://www.britlink.org/
  • Britlink - Covering The British Isles & Beyond
  • They should also not be confused with Commonwealth realms, which are independent states sharing the same sovereign as the United Kingdom






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A Commonwealth Realm is a country where Queen Elizabeth reigns as its Monarch. There are 16 Commonwealth Realms: United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealnad, 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.Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page).. The Realms' sixteen independent nations are: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK), Canada,Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, The Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Antigua and Barbuda, Belize and St Christopher and Nevis[1]. Together, their land areas total 18.8 million km² (excluding Antarctic claims) and their populations total 132 million[2], of who all but about two million live in the six most populous states (UK, Canada, Australia, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand and Jamaica). By the Statute of Westminster 1931[3], Queen Elizabeth II is the sovereign and head of state of each Realm. She holds each crown separately and equally in a shared monarchy, and carries out duties in and on behalf of all the states of which she is sovereign. Her regnancies are held equally; no one nation takes precedence over any other. In theory, the Queen's powers are vast; however, in practice, and in accordance with convention, she rarely intervenes in political matters.

Excluding the UK (the founding colonist) fourteen of the current, and all former, Realms were British colonies that evolved into independent states. The one exception is Papua New Guinea, formed in 1975 as a union of the formerGerman New Guinea – administered by Australia as an international trusteeship before independence – and the former British New Guinea – the British possession of Papua, administered on the UK's behalf by Australia since 1905. The first Realms emerged from colonies with self-governing Dominion status within the British Empire. At first, even though the grant of full legislative independence changed the legal statuses of these non-British realms, they were refered to as Dominions. This is increasingly rare, as the word realm, formally introduced in a 1952 proclamation by Queen Elizabeth II[4], acquired legal status with the adoption of the modern royal styles and titles by the individual countries. The qualified term Commonwealth realm is not official, and is not used in law; rather, it is a term of convenience to distinguish this group of realms from other Commonwealth of Nation countries that do not share the same monarch.

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  • A Commonwealth Realm is a country where Queen Elizabeth II is the reigning Monarch.
  • A Commonwealth Realm is a country where Queen Elizabeth II is Sovereign.
  • 'Realm' indicates a Commonwealth country which has The Queen as Sovereign.
  • A Commonwealth of Nations country holding The Queen as Sovereign is a Commonwealth Realm. Queen Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor), (born on 21 April 1926), is the head of state and the reigning monarch of the Realms' sixteen independent nations: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, and Saint Kitts and Nevis. By the Statute of Westminster 1931, Queen Elizabeth II holds these positions equally; no one nation takes precedence over any other. Queen Elizabeth II became Queen of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan and Ceylon on the death of her father, King George VI, on 6 February 1952. As other colonies of the British Commonwealth (nowCommonwealth of Nations) attained independence from the UK during her reign, she acceded to the newly created thrones as Queen of each respective realm. During her 57 years on the throne, she has been monarch of 32 nations. In 2008, Queen Elizabeth II became the oldest reigning monarch in both British and the Commonwealth Realms' history. Elizabeth II has seen a number of her former territories and realms leave this shared relationship and become republics or kingdoms under a different dynasty. Today, about 132 million people live in the 16 countries of which Queen Elizabeth II remains head of state.
  • The evolution of the Commonwealth realms created the scenario wherein the Crown has both a separate and a shared character; it is a singular institution with one sovereign, but also simultaneously operates separately within the jurisdiction of each country, with the Queen in right of a particular realm being a distinct legal person who acts only on the advice of the Cabinet of that state. This means that in different contexts the term Crown may refer to the extra-national institution shared amongst all 16 countries, or to the Crown in each realm considered separately. However, though the monarchy is therefore no longer an exclusively British institution, for reasons historical, of convenience, or political it may in the media and legal fields often still be elaborated as the British Crown, regardless of the different, specific, and official national titles and terms that exist in each jurisdiction; for example, in Barbados the Queen is titled as Elizabeth II, Queen of Barbados, or simply the Queen of Barbados. To guarantee the continuity of this arrangement, the preamble of the 1931 Statute of Westminster stipulates that any alteration to the line of succession in any one country must be voluntarily approved by the parliaments of all the realms, or, alternately, a realm may choose to end its participation in the shared monarchy.
  • From a cultural standpoint, the shared nature of the Crown is less clear. In all realms, the sovereign's name and image and other royal symbols are visible in the emblems and insignia of governmental institutions and militia. The Queen's effigy, for example, appears on coins and banknotes in some countries, and an oath of allegiance to the Queen is usually required from politicians, judges, and new citizens. It is argued, however, that the Crown throughout the realms remains essentially British and primarily of the United Kingdom, despite the legal and cultural evolution of the Commonwealth since the 1930s, whereas others emphasise the Crown as a shared link between the Commonwealth realms, with the Crown in right of their own nation having unique domestic characteristics. (http://www.netglimse.com/celebs/pages/queen_elizabeth_ii/index.shtml)


  • Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; born 21 April 1926) is the queen regnant of sixteen independent states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize, Antigua and Barbuda, and Saint Kitts and Nevis. All together, these countries have a combined population, including dependencies, of over 129 million. She holds each crown separately and equally in a shared monarchy, and carries out duties in and on behalf of all the states of which she is sovereign. In theory her powers are vast; however, in practice, and in accordance with convention, she rarely intervenes in political matters.
  • Her long reign has seen sweeping changes, including the dissolution of the British Empire (a process that began before her accession) and the consequent evolution of the modern Commonwealth of Nations. Elizabeth became Queen of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, and Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) upon the death of her father, George VI, on 6 February 1952. As other British colonies gained independence from the United Kingdom, she became queen of several newly independent countries. During her 57 years on the throne, she has been the sovereign of 32 individual nations, but half of them subsequently became republic.
  • Elizabeth married Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh in 1947. The couple have four children and eight grandchildren. She is the fourth longest-reigning British monarch, after Victoria (who reigned over the United Kingdom for 63 years), George III (who reigned over Great Britain for 59 years), and James VI (who reigned over Scotland for over 57 years).
  • Most Commonwealth countries are republics, although some (such as Canada) have Queen Elizabeth II as their head of state. She is also Head of the Commonwealth, a role which involves no constitutional functions. These positions are entirely separate from each other; no other member of the Commonwealth is in any way subordinate to the United Kingdom. Commonwealth countries are not "foreign"; their citizens are not aliens in the UK, and can vote, although they are now subject to the same immigration controls as aliens. The Republic of Ireland is not a member of the Commonwealth, although it is also not a "foreign" country (Ireland Act 1949).


Commonwealth Realm

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A Commonwealth realm is any one of the 16 sovereign states that recognize Elizabeth II as their Queen and head of state. In each state she acts as the monarch of that state regardless of her other roles. For example, in Canada she is known as "Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada" or simply, the Queen of Canada. (See List of Royal Titles of Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom)

A Commonwealth realm is any one of the 16 sovereign states that recognizeQueen Elizabeth II as theirQueen and head of state. In each state she acts as the monarch of that state regardless of her other roles. For example, in Canada she is known as "Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada" or simply, the Queen of Canada. (See List of Royal Titles of Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom)

A Commonwealth realm is any one of the 16 sovereign states that recognizeQueen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom as theirQueen and head of state. In each state she acts as the monarch of that state and is titled accordingly. For example, in Australia she is known as "Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia" or simply, the Queen of Australia. (SeeList of Royal Titles of Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom)

A Commonwealth Realm is any one of the 16 sovereign states of theCommonwealth that recognise Queen Elizabeth II as their Queen and head of state. In each state she acts as the monarch of that state and is titled accordingly. For example, in Australia she is known as "Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Queenof Australia" or simply, the Queen of Australia. (See List of Titles and Honours of Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom) (http://www.spiritus-temporis.com/commonwealth-realm/)

A Commonwealth realm is a country which has the same monarch as theUnited Kingdom. (http://www.wikinfo.org/index.php/Commonwealth_Realm)

more queen elizabeth II

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Not including the United Kingdom, she is Queen of over a dozen countries, including Canada, New Zealand and Australia. Since she does not live in those countries, though she visits often, much of her duties are performed by a Governor General who she appoints on the advice of the Prime Minister of the country in question. It is important to note that neither the sovereign nor the Governors General, have had any hand in governing these countries since the 1930s, and their roles are purely ceremonial.

Queen Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor), (born on 21 April 1926), is Queen of sixteen independent nations known as the Commonwealth Realms. These are the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, and Saint Kitts and Nevis. By the Statute of Westminster 1931 Queen Elizabeth II holds these positions equally; no one nation takes precedence over any other. Queen Elizabeth II became Queen of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan and Ceylon on the death of her father, King George VI, on 6 February 1952. As other colonies of the British Commonwealth (now Commonwealth of Nations) attained independence from the UK during her reign she acceded to the newly created thrones as Queen of each respective realm so that throughout her 54 years on the throne she has been Monarch of 32 nations. Elizabeth II has seen a number of her former territories and realms leave this shared relationship and become kingdoms under a different dynasty, or republics. Today about 128 million people live in the 16 countries of which Queen Elizabeth II remains head of state. Queen Elizabeth II also holds the positions of Head of the Commonwealth, Supreme Governor of the Church of England, Lord of Mann and Duke of Lancaster. Queen Elizabeth II is currently the second-longest-serving head of state in the world, after King Bhumibol of Thailand. Her reign of over half a century has seen ten different Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom and numerous Prime Ministers in the other Commonwealth Realms of which she is or was Head of State.

If the Queen lives until 2008, Queen Elizabeth II will become the oldest reigning monarch in both British and the Commonwealth Realms' history, surpassing King George III and Queen Victoria, both of whom died before the age of 82. Should she still be reigning on September 9, 2015 at the age of 89, her reign will surpass that of Queen Victoria and she will become the longest reigning monarch in British history. If she lives that long, and the Prince of Wales does as well, he would be the oldest to succeed to the throne, passing William IV,who was 64.

The Queen is the Sovereign "by Grace of God" and is the Supreme Governor of the Church of England.

In the United Kingdom, her official title is Elizabeth the Second (Queen Elizabeth II), 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. In common practice Queen Elizabeth II is referred to simply as "The Queen", "Her Majesty". When in conversation with The Queen, one initially uses "Your Majesty", and subsequently "Ma'am". At the moment of her succession, Elizabeth II also became the Queen of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Pakistan, Ceylon and the Union of South Africa, in addition to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. In the years that followed, many British colonies and territories gained independence; some opted to join the symmetrical relationship of nations under the Crown, known as the Commonwealth Realms, and recognise Elizabeth II distinctly as Sovereign of the newly independent nation. Traditionally, Elizabeth II's titles as Queen Regnant are listed by the order of accession as follows: Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, and Saint Kitts and Nevis (all of which listed after the existing four Realms).

Following a decision by Commonwealth Prime Ministers at the Commonwealth conference of 1953, Queen Elizabeth II uses different styles and titles in each of her realms. In each state she acts as the monarch of that state regardless of her other roles. Properly styled as "Her Majesty The Queen" (and when the distinction is necessary e.g. "Her Britannic Majesty", "Her Australian Majesty", or "Her Canadian Majesty")

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The evolution of the Commonwealth realms has led to the scenario wherein the Crown has both a separate and a shared character; it is a singular institution with one sovereign, but also simultaneously operates separately within the jurisdiction of each country, with the Queen in right of a particular realm being a distinct legal person who acts only on the advice of the Cabinet of that state. This means that in different contexts the term Crown may refer to the extra-national institution shared amongst all 16 countries, or to the Crown in each realm considered separately. However, though the monarchy is therefore no longer an exclusively British institution, for reasons historical, of convenience, or political it may in the media and legal fields often still be elaborated as the British Crown, regardless of the different, specific, and official national titles and terms that exist in each jurisdiction; for example, in Barbados the Queen is titled as Elizabeth II, Queen of Barbados, or simply the Queen of Barbados. To guarantee the continuity of this arrangement, the preamble of the 1931 Statute of Westminster stipulates that any alteration to the line of succession in any one country must be voluntarily approved by the parliaments of all the realms, or, alternately, a realm may choose to end its participation in the shared monarchy.

From a cultural standpoint, the shared nature of the Crown is less clear. In all realms, the sovereign's name and image and other royal symbols are visible in the emblems and insignia of governmental institutions and militia. The Queen's effigy, for example, appears on coins and banknotes in some countries, and an oath of allegiance to the Queen is usually required from politicians, judges, and new citizens. It is argued, however, that the Crown throughout the realms remains essentially British and primarily of the United Kingdom, despite the legal and cultural evolution of the Commonwealth since the 1930s, whereas others emphasise the Crown as a shared link between the Commonwealth realms, with the Crown in right of their own nation having unique domestic characteristics.


Commonwealth realm, Constitutional implications

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head of the commonwealth, not head of state

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With time, some Commonwealth Realms moved to become republics, passingconstitutional amendments removing the monarch as their head of state, and replacing the Governor-General with an elected or appointed president. This was especially true in post-colonial Africa, whose leaders often did not want to "share" the office of Head of State with the Queen. Most African Realms becamerepublics within a few years of independence. However, they remained within the Commonwealth, following the precedent set by India in 1950, recognising the Queen as 'Head of the Commonwealth', but not as head of state.


Queen Elizabeth II is recognised as Head of the Commonwealth in the 53 member states of the Commonwealth of Nations. This includes the sixteen Commonwealth Realms where she is also head of state, but the two positions are not linked. This formula was devised by Canadian Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent when Indiabecame a republic within the Commonwealth in 1950, recognising George VI as the symbol of the free association, but not as its head of state. Her role as "Head" of the Commonwealth can be perhaps best likened to that of a ceremonial president or chairman of any other international organization. The title is not vested in the British Crown (In this sense, the term "British Crown" refers to the Crown as shared amongst the Commonwealth Realms, not the Crown in Right of the U.K.) and the Commonwealth's members may not agree that the next Monarch after Elizabeth II should automatically succeed her as Head of the Commonwealth upon their accession to the Throne.


Historical development

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Before 1926, the monarch of the United Kingdom had nominally ruled the dominions as a single imperial domain, with a governor-general representing the British government. The Balfour Declaration of 1926 declared that the dominions were autonomous and equal in status. Although this was a political statement and did not immediately change the legal status of the British Crown, 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 monarch.

Related Topics: Governor-general - Balfour Declaration of 1926


The first result of the new convention was the Royal and Parliamentary Titles Act 1927, which recognized the Irish Free State as separate from the United Kingdom. Full legislative independence for the dominions was enacted by the passage of the Statute of Westminster, 1931.

Related Topics: Royal and Parliamentary Titles Act 1927 -Statute of Westminster, 1931


Historically, proponents of the monarchy were generally supportive of the monarchy as a symbolic link to the United Kingdom. During the late 19th and early 20th century most politicians in the self-governing realms (then called Dominions) enthusiastically supported their economic and military ties with Great Britain, tended to view British culture and attitudes as favourable, and encouraged their prominence in the newly developing societies. Maintaining allegiance to the British King or Queen was thus seen as a natural thing for many residents, and membership in the British Empire, even with a secondary constitutional status, was considered more desirable than independence. Self-governance increased in the 1930s with the adoption of the Statute of Westminster and afterwards with the emergence of the modern Commonwealth of Nations. The decline in imperial mentality led to a gradual process of removing legislative and judicial ties and establishing a separate citizenship. By the 1980s most realms had ceased to maintain any form of constitutional tie to the United Kingdom.


Monarch's role in the Realms

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Though the Queen's constitutional powers are virtually identical in each Realm, she does not usually act as political Head of State except in the U.K., nor does she commonly perform ceremonial duties, except on occasions of significant historical or political importance. This results from the fact that she resides in the U.K., even though she usually visits the other major Commonwealth Realms at least once every five or six years. As noted in the introduction, day to day political and ceremonial duties are instead performed in each Realm by a Governor General who serves as the Queen's permanent representative. The Governor General is nominally appointed by the Queen. In reality he or she is chosen by the nation's Prime Minister, or, in the unique case of Papua New Guinea, by Parliamentary vote.


The concern is sometimes raised that, as head of state of so many different countries, the Queen's neutrality and loyalty could come into question should a conflict ever emerge between two of her realms. Republicans in Commonwealth Realms often argue that ultimately, the Queen will express loyalty to the actions of the British Government above all other realms, since she resides in the U.K., and is more involved in the British political process than in any other nation. However, this proposition has never been tested.

Related Topics: Head of state - Loyalty


Historically, a few situations have arisen in which such a conflict of interest could have occurred.


In 1939, Canada declared war a few days after the U.K. did, so that George VI, as king of both countries, was simultaneously at war and at peace with Germany. A more extreme example is the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947. George VI, as head of state of both warring nations, was, in a legal sense, at war with himself.

Related Topics: Canada - George VI - Germany - Indo-Pakistani War of 1947


In 1983, during Operation Urgent Fury, Queen Elizabeth was the Queen of Grenadawhile it was being invaded by many other Caribbean countries of which she was also Queen. Additionally, the invasion was also opposed by several other countries in which she was Queen, notably United Kingdom and Belize. The Queen did not make a statement on the invasion, possibly because no statement she could have made would have adequately represented all the countries involved of which she was Queen.

Related Topics: Operation Urgent Fury - Grenada - United Kingdom - Belize


Sovereignty of the Realms

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The Commonwealth realms are sovereign states and Britain no longer holds any legislative power over them, although some countries continue to use the BritishJudicial Committee of the Privy Council as part of their judiciary.


Because they share the same head of state, the Commonwealth realms are in apersonal union relationship. This relationship is voluntary and symmetric. In each realm the Queen has a distinct legal personality and acts on the advice only of the government of that country. The monarchy is thus no longer an exclusively British institution, although it may often be called British for historical reasons and for convenience. Each realm determines its own titles and styles of the monarch and any female consort.


As a consequence of this relationship, 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. For example, there have been suggestions of removing the religious requirements from the Act of Settlement, which currently defines the succession. In practice, since each realm is a sovereign state, this requires the voluntary cooperation of all 16 of the realms. Alternatively, a realm could choose to end its participation in the shared monarchy.

Related Topics: Line of succession - Act of Settlement


One Crown or several?

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It is commonly held that there is now a separate Crown in each of the Commonwealth Realms, united only in the person of the monarch and matters directly related to the person of the monarch such as the laws affecting succession.


The Crown has become an institution which operates separately in each Commonwealth Realm, with the Queen in right of each realm being a distinct legal person. The institution of the monarchy, the succession, and obviously the Queen herself, are shared by all the Realms in a symmetrical fashion. Thus the Crown has both a separate and a shared character, and in different contexts "Crown" may mean the crown as shared or the crown in each realm considered separately.


Normally, in realms other than the United Kingdom, the Queen personally only exercises those powers related to her appointment of a Governor-General (and even this is done on the advice of the prime minister of the realm concerned), but her name and image continue to play a prominent role in political institutions and symbols. For example, the Queen's image usually appears on coins and banknotes, and an oath of allegiance to her is usually required from politicians, judges, and new citizens.


From a cultural standpoint, how the Crown is shared is not as clear. Some argue that the Crown within their particular country remains essentially British and of Britain, whereas others emphasise the larger body of the Crown as a shared link between the Commonwealth Realms, and the Crown in right of their nation as having specific domestic characteristics.


Welcome to the official web site of the British Monarchy

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Title: What is a Commonwealth Realm

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url: http://www.royal.gov.uk/MonarchAndCommonwealth/QueenandCommonwealth/WhatisaCommonwealthRealm.aspx

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.

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 Zealnad, 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.

Title: The Monarchy Today Queen and Commonwealth Commonwealth Members

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url: http://www.royal.gov.uk/MonarchAndCommonwealth/Commonwealthmembers/MembersoftheCommonwealth.aspx

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.

Title: The Monarchy Today Queen and public Royal visits Queen and passport url: http://www.royal.gov.uk/MonarchAndCommonwealth/Queen%20and%20Commonwealth%20Visits/Queenandpassport.aspx

Queen and passport

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When travelling overseas, The Queen does not require a British passport. The cover of a British passport features the Royal Arms, and the first page contains another representation of the Arms, together with the following wording: '

'Her Britannic Majesty's Secretary of State requests and requires in the name of Her Majesty all those whom it may concern to allow the bearer to pass freely without let or hindrance and to afford the bearer such assistance and protection as may be necessary.'

As a British passport is issued in the name of Her Majesty, it is unnecessary for The Queen to possess one. All other members of the Royal Family, including The Duke of Edinburgh and The Prince of Wales, have passports.

In realms (Commonwealth countries where The Queen is Sovereign), a similar formula is used, except that the request to all whom it may concern is made in the name of the realm's Governor-General, as The Queen's representative in that realm. In Canada, the request is made in the name of Her Majesty by the Minister of Foreign Affairs.


Elizabeth II Address:

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  • By akipponn - maps.google.com
  • 1 of 26 placemarks in List of current heads of state and government 世界の指導者
  • Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; born 21 April 1926) is the queen regnant of sixteen independent states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize, Antigua and Barbuda, and Saint Kitts and Nevis. All together, these countries have a combined population, including dependencies, of over 129 million. She holds each crown separately and equally in a shared monarchy, and carries out duties in and on behalf of all the states of which she is sovereign. She is also Head of the Commonwealth, Supreme Governor of the Church of England, Duke of Normandy, Lord of Mann, and Paramount Chief of Fiji. In theory her powers are vast; however, in practice, and in accordance with convention, she rarely intervenes in political matters.
  • Her long reign has seen sweeping changes, including the dissolution of the British Empire (a process that began before her accession) and the consequent evolution of the modern Commonwealth of Nations. Elizabeth became Queen of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, and Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) upon the death of her father, George VI, on 6 February 1952. As other British colonies gained independence from the United Kingdom, she became queen of several newly independent countries. During her 57 years on the throne, she has been the sovereign of 32 individual nations, but half of them subsequently became republic.
  • Elizabeth married Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh in 1947. The couple have four children and eight grandchildren. She is the fourth longest-reigning British monarch, after Victoria (who reigned over the United Kingdom for 63 years), George III (who reigned over Great Britain for 59 years), and James VI (who reigned over Scotland for over 57 years).
  • Most Commonwealth countries are republics, although some (such as Canada) have Queen Elizabeth II as their head of state. She is also Head of the Commonwealth, a role which involves no constitutional functions. These positions are entirely separate from each other; no other member of the Commonwealth is in any way subordinate to the United Kingdom. Commonwealth countries are not "foreign"; their citizens are not aliens in the UK, and can vote, although they are now subject to the same immigration controls as aliens. The Republic of Ireland is not a member of the Commonwealth, although it is also not a "foreign" country (Ireland Act 1949).

The European Territories of the United Kingdom

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This means the United Kingdom and Islands, plus Gibraltar, which is a British Colony with its own citizenship. Citizens of all parts of this area are UK Nationals in European Union law.

The Commonwealth (known until 1950 as the British Commonwealth, or the British Commonwealth of Nations) is an international organisation most, though not all, of whose members were once British colonies. Most Commonwealth countries are republics, although some (such as Canada) have Queen Elizabeth II as their head of state. She is also Head of the Commonwealth, a role which involves no constitutional functions. These positions are entirely separate from each other; no other member of the Commonwealth is in any way subordinate to the United Kingdom. Commonwealth countries are not "foreign"; their citizens are not aliens in the UK, and can vote, although they are now subject to the same immigration controls as aliens. The Republic of Ireland is not a member of the Commonwealth, although it is also not a "foreign" country (Ireland Act 1949).

The term "British subject", in its original sense, is obsolete. It used to mean anyone who owed allegiance to the British sovereign, and therefore included citizens of independent Commonwealth countries as well as the UK. The modern equivalent is "Commonwealth citizen". "British subject" is now used as shorthand for a Commonwealth citizen who is not a citizen of any country. Such a person, who would otherwise be entirely stateless, is entitled to a passport issued by the British government.

There was no separate UK citizenship until 1948, when the term "citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies" was used. Since 1981 it has been "British citizen" (the first use of the term "British" in this context). "UK national" is a technical term of EU law with a slightly different meaning (see 8 above).

In 1953, however, a decision was reached by Elizabeth's prime ministers at the Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference of 1953, whereby the Queen would accord herself different styles and titles in each of her realms, reflecting that in each state she acted as monarch of that particular country, regardless of her other roles. Thus, separate but parallel royal styles and titles acts were passed in the United Kingdom and each of the then Dominions of the British Commonwealth, granting Elizabeth a distinct but similarly constituted title in each state, meaning that when Elizabeth was crowned in the same year, she held seven separate titles. With further evolution of the Commonwealth since that time, Elizabeth now holds sixteen different regnal titles, one for each of the Commonwealth realms, as listed below. Traditionally, her titles as queen regnant are listed in the order in which the remaining original realms first became Dominions of the Crown: the United Kingdom (original dominion), Canada (1867), Australia (1901), and New Zealand (1907), followed by the rest in the order in which the former colony became an independent realm: Jamaica (1962), Barbados (1966), the Bahamas (1973), Grenada (1974), Papua New Guinea (1975), the Solomon Islands (1978), Tuvalu (1978), Saint Lucia (1979), Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (1979), Antigua and Barbuda (1981), Belize (1981), and Saint Kitts and Nevis (1983).

Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; born 21 April 1926) is the Queen regnant of sixteen independent states and their overseas territories and dependencies. Though she holds each crown and title separately and equally, she is resident in and most directly involved with the United Kingdom, her oldest realm, over parts of whose territories her ancestors have reigned for more than a thousand years. She ascended the thrones of seven countries in February, 1952.

In addition to the United Kingdom, Elizabeth II is also Queen of Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, and Saint Kitts and Nevis, in each of which she is represented by a Governor-General. The 16 countries of which she is Queen are known as Commonwealth realms, and their combined population, including dependencies is over 129 million. In theory her powers are vast; in practice (and in accordance with convention) she herself never intervenes in political matters. In the United Kingdom at least, however, she is known to take an active behind-the-scenes interest in the affairs of state, meeting regularly to establish a working relationship with her government ministers.

she has been the sovereign of 32 nations, half of which subsequently became republics.

She is one of only two people who are simultaneously head of state of more than one independent nation. (The other is the President of France, who is ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra.)

Commonwealth realm

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Elizabeth II as its respective monarch

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A Commonwealth Realm is any one of the sixteen sovereign states within the Commonwealth of Nations that recognise Elizabeth II as their [sic, its] respective monarch.

These countries are independent kingdoms, and the sovereign is separately monarch of each state; thus, the Commonwealth Realms are in personal union with one another, much as, for instance, the United Kingdom and Hanover were before a split in the royal lineage in 1837. This concept was expressed in the proclamation of Elizabeth II's new titles in 1952. In each realm she 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.

While the term "Dominion", as a title, can still be used to refer to any of the Commonwealth Realms other than the United Kingdom, it has been increasingly replaced by the term "Realm" since the 1950s. Both terms are unambiguous when used in a Commonwealth context, but, on those occasions it is necessary to refer to these realms collectively in a different context, they may be distinguished from other realms as "Commonwealth Realms". The Commonwealth Realms are each members of, but should be distinguished from, theCommonwealth of Nations, which is an organisation of mostly former British colonies. Within the Commonwealth, there is no difference in status between the Commonwealth Realms and other Commonwealth members, which are either Commonwealth Republics or realms with their own monarchs (Brunei, Lesotho, Malaysia, Swaziland, and Tonga)

Historical development

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former British colonies

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Fourteen of the current Commonwealth Realms, and all of the former Realms, are former British colonies that have evolved into independent countries. 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.

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. 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.

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. 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. Shortly afterwards, in 1910, the three South African colonies merged with the Orange River Colony to form the Union 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.

dominions

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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. 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". As a result, the Dominions were separate signatories to the Treaty of Versailles, and obtained seats in the League of Nations, together with India. 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 theTreaty of Locarno.

The Balfour Declaration of 1926, embodying agreements reached at the 1926 Imperial Conferenceformally 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. 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 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.[verification needed]

The Balfour declaration was 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. Canada, the Union of South Africa, and the Irish Free State all immediately obtained legislative independence from the United Kingdom through the statute. 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). The statute also covered Newfoundland, but it was never ratified there, and the dominion reverted to colonial status in 1934, eventually joining Canada in1949.

Statute of Westminster

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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 and New Zealand did the same in 1986.

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.

dissolution of the Indian Empire

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The next stage in the creation of the Commonwealth Realms took place with the dissolution of the Indian Empire. 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. 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. 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. 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". 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. 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.

fully separate and equal Realms

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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).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. 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... 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 latest country to become a Commonwealth Realm was Saint Kitts and Nevis, upon independence in 1983. 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. 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.


secret

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Documents on Canadian External Relations

Volume #18 - 3.

CHAPTER I

CONDUCT OF EXTERNAL RELATIONS

PART 2

ROYAL STYLE AND TITLES

3.

DEA/50121-B-40

High Commissioner in United Kingdom to Secretary of State for External Affairs

TELEGRAM 2426

SECRET

London, December 6th, 1952

ROYAL STYLE AND TITLES

1. At a meeting on December 4 at the Commonwealth Relations Office, at which the United Kingdom was represented by Lord Salisbury and Lord Swinton, the other Commonwealth countries by the heads of their delegations, and India by its High Commissioner in London, it was quickly clear that South Africa would not accept a royal style different from that which it had proposed in the 1949 discussions, while Australia would find it extremely difficult to agree to a royal style that did not include a reference to the United Kingdom in it.

2. Lord Salisbury and Mr. St. Laurent indicated that for the sake of uniformity, their governments would probably be prepared to accept a style based either on the South African formula or on the second Australian suggestion which would incorporate "The United Kingdom" in the titles to be used by overseas members of the Commonwealth. New Zealand much preferred the Australian suggestions. Ceylon, which had originally wished no territorial description in the royal title, rallied to the South African view. Pakistan indicated that it would use exactly the royal style adopted by the United Kingdom, less "By the Grace of God" and "Defender of the Faith", i.e. without any reference to Pakistan by name. The High Commissioner for India explained that as India was a republic, it had no observations to offer on the royal style used by the other members of the Commonwealth, but was concerned only that no change was made in the description of the Queen as "Head of the Commonwealth".

3. After a very brief discussion, it was recognized by the meeting that neither exact identity nor a uniform formula for local variations was likely to be attainable. Mr. Menzies and Mr. St. Laurent felt there were valid historical and constitutional reasons for associating the United Kingdom in the royal style and titles to be used by other members of the Commonwealth; notably, the United Kingdom was the custodian of the Royal Succession both in statutory senses and otherwise.

4. Accordingly it was agreed that the representatives of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand would recommend to their parliaments the adoption of a royal style, which in the case of Canada would read: "Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom, Canada, and of All Other Her Realms and Territories, Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, and Defender of the Faith". The United Kingdom title will probably refer to "The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland". The representatives of Canada, Australia and New Zealand thought there were advantages in referring to "The United Kingdom"tout court in their several styles for the Queen.

5. It was similarly agreed that South Africa and Ceylon would give the Queen the style of "Elizabeth the Second, Queen of South Africa (or Ceylon) and of Her Other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth". Pakistan will follow the precise form used in the United Kingdom, minus, as I have said "Grace of God" and "Defender of the Faith".

6. It is hoped to prepare an agreed communique indicating the concurrence of the governments concerned to the others seeking the modifications they severely feel to be required in the Queen's title. Since the Commonwealth parliaments are seldom simultaneously in session, an agreed legislative timetable appeared to be impracticable, but it was thought that the countries concerned might proceed with their respective domestic legislation with a proviso that the new royal styles and titles should be brought into force by proclamation on an agreed date, preferably before the Coronation.




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The Queen is the head of state of Canada, Australia, and New Zealand as well as the United Kingdom. She is also the head of state of several other small countries known as "commonwealth realms".

Solomon Islands (Commonwealth Realm)

  • Houses of Parliament
  • Solomon Islands is a Constitutional Monarchy with Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom recognised as the head of the State of Solomon Islands, a Commonwealth Realm.
  • The Queen is represented by the governor general, chosen by the Parliament for a 5-year term.
  • www.naturemagics.com/world-guide/solomon-islands.shtm

TripAtlas.com - About Commonwealth_realm

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The Commonwealth realms is any one of 16 sovereign states within the Commonwealth of Nations with Elizabeth II as their respective monarch. These countries have a combined area totaling 18.8 million km² (excluding Antarctic claims), and a combined population of 129 million.

www.tripatlas.com/Commonwealth_realms www.tripatlas.com/Commonwealth_realms

Commonwealth Realm - TheBestLinks.com - Commonwealth realm,

Commonwealth Realm. A Commonwealth realm is any one of the 16 sovereign states that recognize Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom as their Queen and head of state. In each state she acts as the monarch of that state ... (Redirected from Commonwealth realm)

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http://www.experiencefestival.com/commonwealth_realm

Commonwealth Realm: Encyclopedia - Commonwealth Realm

A Commonwealth Realm is any one of the 16 sovereign states of the Commonwealth that recognise Queen Elizabeth II as their Queen and head of state. In each Realm, she acts as the monarch of that state, and is titled accordingly.

A Commonwealth Realm is any one of the 16 sovereign states of the Commonwealth that recognize Queen Elizabeth II as their Queen and head of state. In each Realm, she acts as the monarch of that state, and is titled accordingly. For example, in Barbados, she is known as "Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Barbados", or, simply, the Queen of Barbados (See List of Titles and Honours of Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom).

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www.thebestlinks.com/Commonwealth_realm.html www.thebestlinks.com/Commonwealth_realm.html

The precise style of British Sovereigns

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British monarchy The Monarchy of the United Kingdom is the constitutional monarchy of the United Kingdom and its British overseas territory.The present monarch, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, has reigned since 6 February 1952.... 

has varied over the years. style is:

"Elizabeth the Second

Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom Elizabeth II is the queen regnant of sixteen independent states known as the Commonwealth realms: Monarchy of the United Kingdom, Monarchy of Canada, Monarchy of Australia, Monarchy of New Zealand, Monarchy of Jamaica, Monarchy of Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Monarchy of the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Sain... , by the Grace of God

By the Grace of God By the Grace of God, as well as the various equivalent phrases in other languages thus rendered in English language,is not a title in its own right, but a common introductory part of the full styles of many Monarchs, preceding the actual princely styles in chief of the specific realm and/or other principalities .... , of the United Kingdom

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe.... 

of Great Britain

Great Britain Great Britain is an island lying to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the List of islands by area, and the largest in Europe. With a population of 58.9 million people it is List of islands by population.... 

and Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland conventional_long_name = Northern Ireland|native_name= Tuaisceart ?ireannNorlin Airlann|motto =|image_map = Europe location N-IRL2.png... 

and of Her other Realms

Commonwealth Realm A Commonwealth realm is any one of 16 Sovereignty states within the Commonwealth of Nations that each have Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom as their monarch.... 

and Territories

British overseas territories 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 itself.... 

Queen, Head of the Commonwealth

Head of the Commonwealth The Head of the Commonwealth is the highest position within the Commonwealth of Nations, an international organisation which currently has List of members of the Commonwealth of Nations.... , Defender of the Faith

Fidei defensor Fidei defensor is an originally Latin title which translates to Defender of the Faith in English language and D?fenseur de la Foi in French language.... ."

somewhat better commonwealth realm description

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http://www.experiencefestival.com/a/commonwealth%20realm/id/1996933

A Commonwealth Realm is any one of the 16 sovereign states of the Commonwealth that recognise Queen Elizabeth II as their Queen and head of state. In each Realm, she acts as the monarch of that state, and is titled accordingly. For example, in Barbados, she is known as "Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Barbados", or, simply, the Queen of Barbados (See List of Titles and Honours of Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom).

Outside the United Kingdom, the Queen, on the advice of the prime minister of each Realm, appoints a Governor-General to act as her vice-regal representative during her absence. She is also represented by a Governor in each state of Australia, and by a Lieutenant-Governor in each province of Canada. These officials exercise almost all the powers of the constitutional monarch with mostly symbolic, figurehead duties, but also reserve powers, called Royal Prerogative.

Fourteen of the Realms are former British self-governing colonies that had evolved into independent countries. Three of the current fourteen realms, Australia, Canada and New Zealand, achieved independence as a result of the Balfour Declaration at the 1926 Imperial Conference. The decisions of that conference were implemented by the Statute of Westminster in 1931. As a result, Canada, South Africa and the Irish Free State immediately achieved legislative independence of the United Kingdom, while Australia and New Zealand ratified the Statute in 1942 and 1947 respectively. 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 Irish Free State formally became a republic in 1949 while South Africa became so in 1961.

Other realms achieved independence as a result of the end of British rule in India, 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 latest country to become a Commonwealth Realm was Saint Kitts and Nevis, upon independence in 1983. All these realms had previously been British colonies.

The situation in Papua New Guinea before independence is more complex. Papua New Guinea was formed in 1975 as a union of the former German New Guinea, which was 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 Britain's behalf by Australia, which renamed it as Papua when it assumed control in 1905. The only Commonwealth Realm that was never a colony of the United Kingdom is the UK itself.

Within the Commonwealth, there is no difference in status between the Commonwealth Realms and the other Commonwealth members, which are either republics (the great majority) or realms with their own monarchs (Brunei, Lesotho, Malaysia, Swaziland, and Tonga). While the Great Council of Chiefs of Fiji recognises Queen Elizabeth II as 'Paramount Chief', she is not regarded as the Head of State, and Fiji remains a republic within the Commonwealth of Nations.


Commonwealth Realm - Current Commonwealth Realms

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The Commonwealth Realms are each members of, but should be distinguished from, the Commonwealth of Nations, which is an organization of mostly former British colonies, the majority of which do not consider the Queen to be Head of State.

Commonwealth Realms are, in alphabetical order:

Antigua and Barbuda, through independence in 1981 Australia, through adoption of the Statute of Westminster in 1942 (retroactive to 1939) The Bahamas, through independence in 1973 Barbados, through independence in 1966 Belize, through independence in 1981 Canada, through the Statute of Westminster in 1931 Grenada, through independence in 1974 Jamaica, through independence in 1962 New Zealand, through adoption of the Statute of Westminster in 1947 Papua New Guinea, through independence in 1975 Saint Kitts and Nevis, through independence in 1983 Saint Lucia, through independence in 1979 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, through independence in 1979 The Solomon Islands, through independence in 1978 Tuvalu, through independence in 1978 The United Kingdom is also a Commonwealth Realm.

Additionally, under the 1981 Constitution, the Queen in right of New Zealand is head of state in the Cook Islands, but any change in the succession made by New Zealand would have no effect in the Cook Islands unless separately ratified there

Commonwealth Realm - Sovereignty of the Realms

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The Commonwealth realms are sovereign states and the United Kingdom no longer holds any legislative power over them, although some countries continue to use the British Judicial Committee of the Privy Council as part of their judiciary.

Because they share the same head of state, the Commonwealth realms are in a personal union relationship. This relationship is voluntary and symmetric. In each realm the Queen has a distinct legal personality and acts on the advice only of the government of that country. The monarchy is thus no longer an exclusively British institution, although it may often be called British for historical reasons, for convenience, or for political (usually republican) purposes. Each realm determines its own titles and styles of the monarch and any consort.

As a consequence of this relationship, 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. For example, there have been suggestions of removing the religious requirements from the Act of Settlement, which currently defines the succession. In practice, since each realm is a sovereign state, this requires the voluntary cooperation of all 16 of the realms. Alternatively, a realm could choose to end its participation in the shared monarchy.

Commonwealth Realm - One Crown or several? =

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It is commonly held that there is now a separate Crown in each of the Commonwealth Realms, united only in the person of the monarch and matters directly related to the person of the monarch such as the laws affecting succession.

The Crown has become an institution that operates separately in each Commonwealth Realm, with the Queen in right of each realm being a distinct legal person. The institution of the monarchy, the succession, and obviously the Queen herself, are shared by all the Realms in a symmetrical fashion. Thus, the Crown has both a separate and a shared character, and, in different contexts, "Crown" may mean the crown as shared or the crown in each realm considered separately.

Former Commonwealth Realms =

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http://www.experiencefestival.com/a/commonwealth%20realm%20-%20former%20commonwealth%20realms/id/1247127

Commonwealth Realm - Former Commonwealth Realms: Encyclopedia II - Commonwealth Realm - Former Commonwealth Realms

Following their independence from the United Kingdom, most Commonwealth countries retained the Queen as head of state, changing the title of the monarch to indicate sovereignty of their own respective nations (ie: "Queen of Barbados", rather than "Queen of the United Kingdom").

Other former colonies did not become Commonwealth Realms because they became part of larger entities rather than achieving independence. Newfoundland, although a dominion covered by the Statute of Westminster, never became a Commonwealth Realm because it never ratified the Statute. Instead, it reverted to colonial status in 1934 and became a province of Canada in 1949. British Somaliland and Cameroons were absorbed into the larger entities of Somalia and Cameroon. Sarawak and North Borneo joined Malaya to form Malaysia, which has its own monarchy. The mandate of Palestine was divided between the new state of Israel, Jordan and Egypt in 1948. Hong Kong became a special administrative region of China in 1997.

Current Commonwealth Realms

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http://www.experiencefestival.com/a/commonwealth%20realm%20-%20current%20commonwealth%20realms/id/4940149

Commonwealth Realm - Current Commonwealth Realms: Encyclopedia II - Commonwealth Realm - Current Commonwealth Realms

Commonwealth Realm - Current Commonwealth Realms

The Commonwealth Realms are each members of, but should be distinguished from, the Commonwealth of Nations, which is an organization of mostly former British colonies, the majority of which do not consider the Queen to be Head of State.

Commonwealth Realms are, in alphabetical order:

  1. Antigua and Barbuda, since independence in 1981
  2. Australia, since adoption of the Statute of Westminster in 1942 (retroactive to 1939)
  3. The Bahamas, since independence in 1973
  4. Barbados, since independence in 1966
  5. Belize, since independence in 1981
  6. Canada, since the Statute of Westminster in 1931
  7. Grenada, since independence in 1974
  8. Jamaica, since independence in 1962
  9. New Zealand, since adoption of the Statute of Westminster in 1947
  10. Papua New Guinea, since independence in 1975
  11. Saint Kitts and Nevis, since independence in 1983
  12. Saint Lucia, since independence in 1979
  13. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, since independence in 1979
  14. The Solomon Islands, since independence in 1978
  15. Tuvalu, since independence in 1978
  16. The United Kingdom.
  • Additionally, under the 1981 Constitution, the Queen in right of New Zealand is head of state in the Cook Islands, but any change in the succession made by New Zealand would have no effect in the Cook Islands unless separately ratified there.


History of Monarch power shift

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Commmonwealth Realm beginning

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  • The British monarch became nominal head of the vast British Empire, which covered a quarter of the world at its greatest extent in 1921. In 1922, most of Ireland seceded from the Union as the Irish Free State, but in law the monarch remained sovereign there until 1949. After World War II, the declaration of Indian independence effectively brought the British Empire to an end. George VI and his successor, Elizabeth II, adopted the title Head of the Commonwealth as a symbol of the free association of the independent countries comprising the Commonwealth of Nations. In 1931, the unitary British monarchy throughout the empire was split into legally distinct crowns for each of theCommonwealth realms. At present, 15 other independent Commonwealth countries share the same monarch as the United Kingdom.

Commonwealth Realm history

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http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Commonwealth_Realm

=== The Crown in the Commonwealth realms ===The relationship 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. 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. 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". 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.

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. For example, there have been suggestions of removing the religious requirements from the Act of Settlement, which currently defines the succession. 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 shared monarchy.

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. 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 ofletters patent. The monarch is also represented by a Governor in each state of Australia, by aLieutenant Governor in each province of Canada, and by a Queen's Representative in the Cook Islands. In these cases, she is represented in her role as Queen in right of Australia, Canada, and New Zealand respectively. Within the United Kingdom, the Queen appoints Counsellors of State to perform her duties in her absence. 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.

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

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Though the Queen's constitutional position is virtually identical in each realm, she lives in the United Kingdom. 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 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 issuingLetters Patent, or on occasions of significant political importance. 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.

The unique relationship between the Commonwealth realms has led to situations where the monarch has a potential or actual conflict of interest. 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. This raised questions in Australia about the propriety of such an action, 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." However, the Queen subsequently represented Canada abroad on a number of following occasions.

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. 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. (No possibility of such a conflict of interest arose with Australia or New Zealand. 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.)

A more extreme example is the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947. 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. Additionally, the invasion was also opposed by several other countries in which she was queen, notably the United Kingdom, Canada and Belize.

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. 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. Similarly, when Sir John Kerr dismissed the Australian government in 1975, he did not inform the Queen of his intent to do so. This was possible because the Australian constitution invests 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.

Historical development

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Fourteen of the current Commonwealth realms, and all of the former realms, are former British colonies that have evolved into independent countries. 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. The possibility that a British colony might become a new kingdom was first mooted in the 1860s, when it was proposed that the newly confederated Canada might become known as the Kingdom of Canada. In the face of opposition from the Colonial Office, and the United States (which was itself formed from a combination of former British colonies), however, the self-governing confederation created in 1867 became officially known as the Dominion of Canada. During the latter part of the 19th century, various other colonies achieved the same status as Canada, leading to Canadian Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier insisting, at the Imperial Conference of 1907, on the need for a formula to differentiate between the crown colonies and the self-governing colonies. The term Dominion, which until this time had applied uniquely to Canada, was extended to cover all self-governing colonies, which then includedAustralia, New Zealand, Newfoundland, the Cape Colony, Natal, and Transvaal, and, in 1910, the threeSouth African colonies merged with the Orange River Colony to form the Union of South Africa. In 1921, these Dominions were joined by the Irish Free State, which had unwillingly accepted Dominion status as a condition of concluding peace with the United Kingdom.

Although the Dominions were self-governing, their ability to legislate remained theoretically subject to British authority, and the monarch of the United Kingdom nominally reigned over these territories as a single imperial domain, with a governor-general representing the British government in each Dominion; the United Kingdom retained responsibility for the Dominions' foreign policy and defence. In practice, this unitary model continued to erode as 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." As a result, the Dominions were separate signatories to the Treaty of Versailles, and obtained seats in the League of Nations, together with India. In 1920, Canada exchanged envoys with the United States of America, 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 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 the Dominions were autonomous and equal in status to the United Kingdom. As a result each of the governments of the Dominions established a separate and direct relationship with the monarchy, the governor-general now acting as a personal representative of the sovereign in right of that Dominion only. The first legal act resulting from this new convention was the Royal and Parliamentary Titles Act of 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. In 1930, the new status of the governor-general was confirmed by George V's appointment of Isaac Isaacs as governor-general of Australia on the advice of the Australian Prime Minister, even though the British government preferred a different candidate. These acts were followed in 1931, by the Statute of Westminster, through which Canada, the Union of South Africa, and the Irish Free State all immediately obtained formal legislative independence from the United Kingdom, while, in other Dominions, adoption of the statute was subject to ratification by the Dominion parliament. Australia and New Zealand did this in 1942 and 1947 respectively, Australia's ratification being back-dated to 1939. 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.


Statute of Westminster

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The Statute of Westminster retained the right of the parliament in London to legislate for a Dominion by request, as well as the Judicial Committee of the British Privy Council as the last court of appeal for some Dominions. This left the Dominions' status as independent nations somewhat ambiguous: in 1940, Corbett questioned which terms, if any, applied to any or all of the "possessions of the British Crown." Still others found the new arrangement to be detrimental to the unity of the Crown:Scottish constitutional lawyer Arthur Berriedale Keith warned that "the suggestion that the King can act directly on the advice of Dominion Ministers is a constitutional monstrosity, which would be fatal to the security of the position of the Crown." Indeed, between 1931 and the 1940s, there was confusion over how advice would be tendered to the sovereign: former Prime Minister of Australia William Hughes theorised that the British Cabinet would tender formal advice, while the Dominion cabinets would provide informal direction. while the Irish government saw the relationship of these independent countries under the Crown as a personal union. By 1939, Prime Minister of Canada William Lyon Mackenzie King, in collaboration with then Governor General of Canada John Buchan, Baron Tweedsmuir, had King George VI appear in person in Canada to perform constitutional duties, and, with his consort, Elizabeth, travel to the United States specifically as King and Queen of Canada. The whole was affair meant to "translate the Statute of Westminster into the actualities of a tour," and, though Mackenzie King was ultimately successful, he met resistance from British authorities at many points, since they believed that the British Ambassador to the United States should accompany the King to the United States, not the Canadian Prime Minister. It was the outbreak of the Second World War that demonstrated the right of the Dominion cabinets to act as ministers for the King without interference from his British advisors: Canada and South Africa made separate proclamations of war against Germany a few days after the United Kingdom. Australia and New Zealand had not yet ratified the Statute of Westminster; the Australian Prime Minister, Robert Menzies, considered himself bound by the British declaration of war, while New Zealand coordinated a declaration of war to be made simultaneously with Britain's.

Although the Dominions were, by 1931, effectively independent kingdoms under a common monarch, and acted increasingly independently of the United Kingdom in the following years, 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, which 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 monarch in right of the country of citizenship.

The possibility that a colony might be granted independence without even remaining in the British Commonwealth was recognised for the first time in the Cripps Declaration of 1942, and the decisions by Burma and Ireland to become republics outside the Commonwealth in 1948 and 1949, respectively, were met with no opposition. At approximately the same time, India and Pakistan became independent Dominions, while 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. India, however, wished to become a republic and, unlike Burma and Ireland, remain in the Commonwealth, leading to the London Declaration of 1949, which established the formula by which republics could remain within the Commonwealth of Nations if they so chose. This process finally established the principle that former colonies, once granted independence, whether as republics or monarchies either in or out of persona union, were fully equal in status to each other and to the United Kingdom.

  • *

The source of this article is Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.


Statute of Westminster 1931

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statute_of_Westminster_1931

The Statute of Westminster 1931 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (22 & 23 Geo. V c. 4, December 11, 1931) which established a status of legislative equality between the self-governing dominions of the British Empire and the United Kingdom, with a few residual exceptions. The Statute remains domestic law within each of the other Commonwealth realms, to the extent that it was not rendered obsolete by the process of constitutional patriation.

The Statute is of historical importance because it marked the effective legislative independence of these countries, either immediately or upon ratification. The residual constitutional powers retained by the Westminster parliament have now largely been superseded by subsequent legislation. Its current relevance is that it sets the basis for the continuing relationship between the Commonwealth realms and the Crown.

http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Statute_of_Westminster_1931

http://www.gov.ns.ca/legislature/legc/westmins.htm

This page and its contents published by the Office of the Legislative Counsel, Nova Scotia House of Assembly, and © 2001 Crown in right of Nova Scotia. Updated October 11, 2001. Send comments to legc.office@gov.ns.ca.

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references

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference monarch was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Figures totaled from 2007 CIA World Fact Book
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference SOW was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Buck1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).



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