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Head of the Commonwealth

The Head of the Commonwealth is the ceremonial leader who symbolises "the free association of independent member nations" of the Commonwealth of Nations, an intergovernmental organisation that currently comprises 56 sovereign states. There is no set term of office or term limit and the role itself has no constitutional relevance to any of the member states within the Commonwealth. The position is currently held by King Charles III.[1] Head of the Commonwealth is also a title of the monarch of each of the Commonwealth realms according to the Royal Style and Titles Act.

Head of the Commonwealth
Incumbent
Charles III
since 8 September 2022
Commonwealth of Nations
SeatMarlborough House, London
AppointerCommonwealth heads of government
Term lengthLife tenure
Inaugural holderGeorge VI
Formation28 April 1949; 75 years ago (1949-04-28)
Websitethecommonwealth.org

By 1949, what was then called the British Commonwealth was a group of eight countries, each having King George VI as monarch. India, however, desired to become a republic, but not to leave the Commonwealth by doing so. This was accommodated by the creation of the title Head of the Commonwealth for the King and India became a republic in 1950. Subsequently, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, other nations, including Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Ghana, and Singapore, also became republics, but, as members of the Commonwealth, recognised her as the organisation's head.[2] Per agreement reached at the CHOGM in 2018, Charles III succeeded Elizabeth II as head of the Commonwealth upon her death on 8 September 2022.[3]

History

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In the late 19th and early 20th century, the British Empire began to be referred to as the Commonwealth of Nations, with several colonies gaining substantial autonomy as they achieved Dominion status.[4] Nevertheless, the unity of this Commonwealth was seen as being established by a shared allegiance to the British monarch. During the negotiations to end the Irish War of Independence, the rebel Irish president Éamon de Valera proposed a relationship between Ireland and the British Empire he called external association, under which Ireland would be a republic "associated" with the rest of the British Commonwealth, and would "recognise His Britannic Majesty as head of the Association" but not as Ireland's King or head of state. This proposal was rejected, and the treaty that ended the war saw the Irish Free State remain part of the Commonwealth as a Dominion.[5]

The Balfour Declaration of 1926 and the Statute of Westminster 1931 established that the Dominions were equal in status to one another and legislatively independent, which gave each of them the right to legislate in regard to their shared head of state; thus, the abdication of Edward VIII and the accession of his brother as George VI required separate action in each Dominion. The Irish Free State, under de Valera's leadership, changed its constitutional law to create the office of an elected President of Ireland and limit the monarch to only a ceremonial role in foreign relations as a "symbol of cooperation" with other nations of the Commonwealth.[6] This ambiguity over the Irish head of state allowed the rest of the Commonwealth to continue to regard George VI as a monarch they shared with Ireland even as de Valera declared that Ireland was now "demonstrably a republic".[7] Eventually the Irish government passed The Republic of Ireland Act 1948, eliminating the final roles the King had in the state and terminating the Republic's membership in the Commonwealth when it went into effect in 1949.

 
The Commonwealth prime ministers with King George VI at Buckingham Palace for the Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference, 1949

At that point, George VI was still king of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, and Ceylon. However, India also wished to become a republic, but, unlike Ireland, did not wish to leave the Commonwealth. To accommodate this, the London Declaration, issued in late April 1949,[13] stated that India wished to remain part of the Commonwealth, and regarded the King as the symbol of the voluntary association of the countries of the Commonwealth "and as such the Head of the Commonwealth". By implication, this allowed India and other nations to become republics without leaving the Commonwealth. When India adopted a republican constitution on 26 January 1950, George VI ceased to be its monarch (the President of India, Rajendra Prasad, became head of state) and, thereafter, the country regarded him as Head of the Commonwealth.

George VI's daughter, Elizabeth II, became Head of the Commonwealth upon her accession on 6 February 1952, stating at the time, "the Commonwealth bears no resemblance to the empires of the past. It is an entirely new conception built on the highest qualities of the spirit of man: friendship, loyalty, and the desire for freedom and peace."[14] The following year, a royal styles and titles act was passed in each of the Commonwealth realms, adding, for the first time, the term Head of the Commonwealth to the monarch's titles.

The Queen had a personal flag created in December 1960 to symbolise her as Head of the Commonwealth without being associated with her role as queen of any particular country. Over time, the flag replaced the British royal standard when the Queen visited Commonwealth countries of which she was head of state, but did not possess a royal standard for that country,[15] or of which she was not head of state, as well as on Commonwealth occasions in the United Kingdom. When the Queen visited the headquarters of the Commonwealth Secretariat in London, this personal standard—not any of her royal standards—was raised.[16]

 
Queen Elizabeth II with the prime ministers of the Commonwealth, including Kwame Nkrumah (third from right), at Windsor Castle, May 1960

South Africa was barred from re-entering the Commonwealth after it became a republic in 1961, as many Commonwealth members, particularly those in Africa and Asia, as well as Canada, were hostile to its policy of racial apartheid. Through the 1980s, Queen Elizabeth II sided with the majority of Commonwealth heads of government, and against her British prime minister, Margaret Thatcher, on the matter of imposing sanctions on apartheid South Africa,[17] a point echoed by former Commonwealth Secretary-General Shridath Ramphal, who said, "so steadfast was the Queen to the antiapartheid cause ... that, once again, she stood firm against the position of Thatcher".[18] South Africa was re-admitted to the Commonwealth in 1994, following its first multiracial elections that year.[19] Former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney said Elizabeth was a "behind the scenes force" in ending apartheid in the country.[20][21]

While the Queen never spoke publicly on the matter of apartheid, she was in 1961 photographed dancing with President Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana during her visit to Accra, celebrating Ghana's establishment as a republic (also removing Elizabeth as head of state) within the Commonwealth the year before. This act was taken as the Queen's symbolic expression of her anti-apartheid stance;[22] the image offended the white South African government.[17] However, Elizabeth's visit, made despite recent bombings in the capital, was mainly intended to keep Ghana in the Commonwealth amid fears the country was getting too close to the Soviet Union.[23]

After the Queen's death in 2022, King Charles III became Head of the Commonwealth. He delivered his first Commonwealth Day message on 13 March 2023, in the week that marked the 10th anniversary of the Charter of the Commonwealth, which Charles III said, "gives expression to our defining values—peace and justice; tolerance, respect, and solidarity; care for our environment and for the most vulnerable among us".[24]

Title

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Elizabeth II's Canadian style and title, which included Head of the Commonwealth, on the royal proclamation of the National Flag of Canada, 1965

The title was devised in the London Declaration as a result of discussions at the 1949 Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference. It is rendered in Latin as Consortionis Populorum Princeps,[25][26][27] and in French as Chef du Commonwealth.[28]

Roles and duties

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The head of the Commonwealth serves as a leader, alongside the Commonwealth secretary-general and Commonwealth chair-in-office. Although Charles III is king of 15 member-states of the Commonwealth, he does not have any constitutional role in any Commonwealth state by virtue of his position as head of the Commonwealth. He keeps in touch with Commonwealth developments through regular contact with the Commonwealth secretary general and the Secretariat, the Commonwealth's central organisation.[29]

The head of the Commonwealth or a representative attends the biennial Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), held at locations throughout the Commonwealth. This is a tradition begun by Queen Elizabeth II at the suggestion of Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau in 1973,[30] when the CHOGM was first held in Canada. During the summit, the head of the Commonwealth has a series of private meetings with Commonwealth countries' heads of government, attends a CHOGM reception and dinner, and makes a general speech.

The head of the Commonwealth or a representative has also been present at the quadrennial Commonwealth Games. The Queen's Baton Relay, held prior to the opening of each Commonwealth Games, carries a message from the head of the Commonwealth to all Commonwealth Nations and territories.[31][32]

Every year on Commonwealth Day, the second Monday in March, the head of the Commonwealth broadcasts a special message to the population of the Commonwealth; approximately 2.5 billion people.[33] On the same day, the head attends an inter-denominational Commonwealth Day service, held at Westminster Abbey.[34]

Succession

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The position of head of the Commonwealth is not hereditary, with successors chosen by the Commonwealth heads of government.[1] Once in office, there is no term limit.

Despite this, the words Head of the Commonwealth form part of the monarch's title in each Commonwealth realm. Before Charles was selected as the organisation's next head, Prime Minister of Canada Stephen Harper referred to Charles as "the future head of the Commonwealth"[35] and Prime Minister of New Zealand John Key said, "the title [of head of the Commonwealth] should just go with the Crown".[36]

 
President of India Ram Nath Kovind congratulating Prince Charles following the latter's selection as the next head of the Commonwealth

By 2018, with Elizabeth II in her 90s, there had been discussions for some time about whether her eldest son, Charles, or someone else should become the third head of the Commonwealth.[37] Commentators in British newspapers opined on whether it should be a one-off decision to elect Prince Charles to the headship, the monarch of the Commonwealth realms should automatically become head of the Commonwealth, or the post should be elected or chosen by consensus.[38][39][40] There was also speculation that a rotating ceremonial "republican" headship might be instituted.[41][42] The Daily Telegraph reported that "the post is not hereditary and many leaders want an elected head to make the organisation more democratic."[43]

It was argued by Philip Murphy and Daisy Cooper that the role should simply lapse upon Queen Elizabeth's death, as Prince Charles was, at the time, in an "impossible position": promoting himself would be "anachronistic and presumptuous", whereas showing no interest would be "characterised as neglectful". Murphy and Cooper went further to say Charles would be a "positively harmful" symbol, "reinforcing the prejudice that the Commonwealth is merely a throwback to empire". They felt that the position itself was an impediment to the influence of the Commonwealth Secretariat.[44]

A report that Prince Charles would accompany the Queen to the 2015 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Malta claimed Elizabeth was "determined to see the headship descend to her son", while accepting that "it is not a done deal".[44] In 2018, following that year's CHOGM, the delegates declared that Charles would be the next head of the Commonwealth,[45] while the role remained non-hereditary.[46][47] Consequently, after the Queen's death on 8 September 2022, Charles automatically became head of the Commonwealth.[48]

List of heads

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No. Portrait Name Term
Start End Duration
1   George VI
(1895–1952) 		26 April 1949[a] 6 February 1952 2 years, 286 days
2   Elizabeth II
(1926–2022) 		6 February 1952 8 September 2022 70 years, 214 days
3   Charles III
(born 1948) 		8 September 2022 Incumbent 2 years, 75 days

See also

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Notes

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Footnotes

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  1. ^ Based on the London Declaration.[8]

References

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  1. ^ a b "About us". The Commonwealth. Archived from the original on 10 September 2022. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  2. ^ "Our history". Commonwealth. Archived from the original on 11 September 2022. Retrieved 11 September 2022.
  3. ^ "Charles 'to be next Commonwealth head'". BBC News. 20 April 2018. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  4. ^ "History – Though the modern Commonwealth is just 60 years old, the idea took root in the 19th century". thecommonwealth.org. Commonwealth Secretariat. Archived from the original on 19 June 2010. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
  5. ^ "Appendix 18: The President's alternative proposals". Treaty debates. Oireachtas. 10 January 1922. Retrieved 18 August 2012.[dead link‍]
  6. ^ Executive Authority (External Relations) Act 1936, s. 3: Exercise of foregoing power (No. 58 of 1936, s. 3). Enacted on 12 December 1936. Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book.
  7. ^ "Committee on Finance. – Vote 65—External Affairs". Dáil Éireann debates. 17 July 1945. pp. Vol. 97 No. 23 p.22 cc2569–70. Archived from the original on 16 May 2018. Retrieved 25 June 2013.
  8. ^ a b London Declaration (PDF), Commonwealth Secretariat, archived (PDF) from the original on 28 April 2023, retrieved 24 April 2023
  9. ^ Key Commonwealth Documents: The London Declaration (PDF), Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London, archived (PDF) from the original on 24 April 2023, retrieved 24 April 2023
  10. ^ S. A. de Smith (1949), "The London Declaration of the Commonwealth Prime Ministers, April 28, 1949", The Modern Law Review, 12 (3), Wiley on behalf of the Modern Law Review: 351–354, doi:10.1111/j.1468-2230.1949.tb00131.x, JSTOR 1090506
  11. ^ Queen Elizabeth II and the Royal Family: A Glorious Illustrated History, Dorling Kindersley Limited, 2016, p. 118, ISBN 978-0-241-29665-3
  12. ^ "MEETING of PRIME MINISTERS, APRIL, 1949 Text of Final Communique Issued at the Conclusion of the Meeting of Prime Ministers Held at London from 22 to 27 April, 1949, Together with Press Statement by the Right Hon. P. Fraser London, 28 April, 1949". Papers Past. Archived from the original on 17 August 2022. Retrieved 6 September 2021.
  13. ^ [8][9][10][11][12]
  14. ^ "Head of the Commonwealth". Commonwealth Secretariat. Archived from the original on 31 March 2012. Retrieved 23 March 2009.
  15. ^ "Personal Flags". Royal Household. Archived from the original on 7 May 2016. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
  16. ^ "Mailbox". Royal Insight. September 2006. p. 3. Archived from the original on 19 November 2008.
  17. ^ a b Harris, Carolyn (13 December 2013), "'This Wonderful Man' -- The Queen and Nelson Mandela", The Kingston Whig Standard, archived from the original on 9 September 2022, retrieved 12 February 2023
  18. ^ Ramphal, Shridath (30 March 2021), "The Queen and her stand against racism in the Commonwealth", The Round Table: The Commonwealth Journal of International Affairs, 110 (2), Taylor & Francis: 290–291, doi:10.1080/00358533.2021.1904611, S2CID 233464382, archived from the original on 13 February 2023, retrieved 12 February 2023
  19. ^ Commonwealth Observer Group (1999). The National and Provincial Elections in South Africa, 2 June 1999. p. 7. ISBN 978-0-85092-626-2. Archived from the original on 26 March 2023. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
  20. ^ Geddes, John (2012). "The day she descended into the fray". Maclean's (Special Commemorative Edition: The Diamond Jubilee: Celebrating 60 Remarkable years ed.): 72.
  21. ^ MacQueen, Ken; Treble, Patricia (2012). "The Jewel in the Crown". Maclean's (Special Commemorative Edition: The Diamond Jubilee: Celebrating 60 Remarkable years ed.): 43–44.
  22. ^ Kettler, Sara (7 March 2019), How Queen Elizabeth II's Controversial Trip to Ghana Changed the Future of the Commonwealth, Biography/Hearst Digital Media, archived from the original on 6 December 2022, retrieved 2 May 2023
  23. ^ Vickers, Hugo; Foster, Alice; Low, Valentine (26 March 2018), "Queen dancing in Ghana: The story behind her iconic visit to save the Commonwealth", The Times, archived from the original on 11 August 2021, retrieved 25 August 2021
  24. ^ Charles III (13 March 2023), 2023 Commonwealth Day Message from His Majesty King Charles II, Commonwealth Secretariat, archived from the original on 2 May 2023, retrieved 2 May 2023
  25. ^ "Biography of Elizabeth II (UK)". archontology.org. Archived from the original on 7 November 2016. Retrieved 24 April 2009.
  26. ^ "Burke's Peerage". Archived from the original on 25 April 2021. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
  27. ^ "No. 39873". The London Gazette (Supplement). 26 May 1953. pp. 3023–3023.
  28. ^ "Lois codifiées Règlements codifiés". Site Web de la législation (Justice). 1 January 2003. Archived from the original on 20 March 2021. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
  29. ^ "Commonwealth Governance". Royal.uk. 11 March 2016. Archived from the original on 24 September 2021. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  30. ^ Heinricks, Geoff (2001), "Trudeau and the monarchy; National Post", Canadian Monarchist News, vol. Winter/Spring 2000–2001, Toronto: Monarchist League of Canada, archived from the original on 22 June 2008, retrieved 26 February 2010
  31. ^ "Queen's baton relay". Archived from the original on 7 February 2018. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
  32. ^ "Commonwealth Games: Queen's Baton Relay route announced". Archived from the original on 24 September 2021. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  33. ^ The Commonwealth Yearbook 2006, Commonwealth Secretariat, 2006, p. 21, ISBN 978-0-9549629-4-4
  34. ^ Robert Hardman (2007), A Year with the Queen, Touchstone, p. 208, ISBN 978-1-4165-6348-8
  35. ^ Statement by the Prime Minister of Canada on Commonwealth Day, Prime Minister of Canada, 10 March 2014, archived from the original on 7 April 2014, retrieved 4 April 2014
  36. ^ "Charles wins support to head Commonwealth". New Zealand Herald. 28 November 2015. Archived from the original on 28 January 2016. Retrieved 28 November 2015.
  37. ^ Landale, James (13 February 2018). "Commonwealth in secret succession plans". BBC News. Archived from the original on 16 July 2018. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
  38. ^ Mount, Harry (13 February 2018). "After seven decades of slogging around the globe, doesn't Prince Charles deserve to lead the Commonwealth?". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 24 March 2018. Retrieved 23 March 2018 – via www.telegraph.co.uk.
  39. ^ Mohabir, Nalini (15 February 2018). "The next head of the Commonwealth must not be a royal from Brexit Britain - Nalini Mohabir". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 19 February 2018. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
  40. ^ Palmer, Richard (13 February 2018). "Prince Charles 'might NOT be next head of Commonwealth if the Queen dies'". Daily Express. Archived from the original on 19 February 2018. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
  41. ^ Perring, Rebecca (13 February 2018). "'Disastrous consequences!' Anger at talks to block Charles' role as Head of Commonwealth". Archived from the original on 19 February 2018. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
  42. ^ "What Prince Charles should say to the Commonwealth - Coffee House". 18 February 2018. Archived from the original on 30 January 2020. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
  43. ^ Rayner, Gordon (27 November 2015). "State visit to Malta: Queen hints to sceptical leaders that Prince should be next Head of the Commonwealth". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 10 December 2015.
  44. ^ a b Hazell, Robert; Morris, Bob, "The International Monarchy", The Role of Monarchy in Modern Democracy: European Monarchies Compared (PDF), London: Bloomsbury Publishing, pp. 19–20, ISBN 978-1-5099-3103-3, archived (PDF) from the original on 16 August 2022, retrieved 2 May 2023
  45. ^ "Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2018 - Leaders' Statement". The Commonwealth. The Commonwealth of Nations. 21 April 2018. Archived from the original on 21 April 2018. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
  46. ^ "Prince Charles to be next Commonwealth head". BBC News. 20 April 2018. Archived from the original on 20 April 2018. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  47. ^ "Prince Charles to succeed Queen as Commonwealth head". Sky News. 20 April 2018. Archived from the original on 26 October 2022. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  48. ^ The Commonwealth - About Us, TheCommonwealth.org Archived 10 September 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 10 September 2022
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