The Head of the Commonwealth heads the Commonwealth of Nations, an intergovernmental organisation which currently comprises 54 sovereign states. The first Head of the Commonwealth was King George VI, the British monarch who was also head of state of many states and territories within the British Empire.
The second and current Head of the Commonwealth is Queen Elizabeth II. Within the current 54 Commonwealth members, 16 are normally described as Commonwealth realms, where Elizabeth II serves separately as head of state in her capacity as sovereign. Another 32 members are republics within the Commonwealth, with India becoming the first country to become a republic, and to remain a Commonwealth member state, in January 1950. These countries, mainly former British colonies, do not have Elizabeth II as head of state, and instead have elected presidents. Four countries, Brunei, Lesotho, Swaziland and Tonga, have alternative monarchs of different royal houses; Malaysia operates a more complex system of constitutional elective monarchy. The Fijian Great Council of Chiefs recognises Elizabeth II as its traditional Queen, but the Fijian President serves as head of state. Fiji is currently the Commonwealth's only suspended member, having being fully suspended in 2009, following a refusal to reinstate elections by 2010 following the 2006 Fijian coup d'état.[1]
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Title
The title was devised in 1949 (see below), however, was not added to the monarch's style until 1953. In that year, 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."
Use in different languages
| Language | Title | Used in |
|---|---|---|
| Afrikaans | Hoof van die Statebond (lit. Chief of the Confederation) | South Africa |
| French | Chef du Commonwealth | Cameroon, Canada, Seychelles, Vanuatu, United Kingdom Crown Dependencies of Jersey and Guernsey |
| Latin | Consortionis Populorum Princeps | Various (as secondary title)[2] |
| Malay | Ketua Komanwel | Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore |
| Maltese | Kap tal-Commonwealth | Malta |
| Māori | Upoko o Nga Herenga ki Ingarangi | New Zealand |
| Portuguese | Chefe da Commonwealth | Mozambique |
Position
The role of the "Head" of the Commonwealth is perhaps best compared to that of a ceremonial president, but for life: unlike a chairman or secretary general of any other international organisation, the Head of the Commonwealth is a symbol of the association – without executive power, yet playing a very important role in shaping the Commonwealth. In this sense it reflects the more traditional role of monarchy; Elizabeth II's powers are theoretically very large, but in practice are never exercised. Elizabeth II serves more as a figurehead, while real power is invested in other roles within the Commonwealth, including the Commonwealth Secretary-General (currently Kamalesh Sharma) and Commonwealth Chairperson-in-Office (currently Patrick Manning).
The title is not vested in the Crown as shared amongst the Commonwealth realms, and the Commonwealth's members might not agree that the next monarch should automatically succeed as Head of the Commonwealth upon accession to the Throne. However, the assumption is that the title itself would become extinct were it not held by the shared monarch, and no new suggestions have ever been put forward by any of the Commonwealth member-countries as to who, if anyone, should take on the role currently exercised by Queen Elizabeth II. In all probability, therefore, her successor as monarch will also succeed to the role of the Head of the Commonwealth. The position of Head of the Commonwealth was discussed at the 1997 Edinburgh Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. The consensus was that the title should remain annexed to the Sovereign.[citation needed] This meeting was attended by Elizabeth II.[3]
In its current role, the Head of the Commonwealth is recognised by its members as the "symbol of their free association", attends Commonwealth Heads of Government summits and the quadrennial Commonwealth Games and on every Commonwealth Day, the second Monday in March, broadcasts a message to all member countries.
Every two years a Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) is held, at locations throughout the Commonwealth. The Head of the Commonwealth is normally present in the host country, and has a series of private meetings with the Commonwealth countries' leaders and attends a CHOGM reception and dinner, and makes a speech there. The latest CHOGM was held in November 2009 in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago; the next meeting will be held in 2011 in Australia.
History
The London Declaration of 1949, devised by Canadian Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent, stated that the monarch would be a symbol of the free association of independent countries, and as such the Head of the Commonwealth. These words meant that kingdoms that were not Commonwealth Realms, as well as republics, could remain members - they could recognise the monarch as Head of the Commonwealth without accepting the person as the country's head of state. Thus when India adopted a republican constitution on January 26 1950, it recognised George VI as the symbol of the association, but no longer as India's head of state.
When Elizabeth II came to the throne in 1952 she became Head of the Commonwealth. On her accession she announced:
| “ | 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.[4] | ” |
In December 1960, the Queen had a personal flag created to symbolise her as an individual and not associated with her role as Queen of the United Kingdom. Over time, the flag started to be used in place of the Royal Standard when the Queen visited Commonwealth countries where she was not head of state and for Commonwealth occasions in the United Kingdom to symbolise the Queen's role as Head of the Commonwealth. When the Queen visits Marlborough House in London, headquarters of the Commonwealth Secretariat, her personal standard is raised and not the Royal Standard.[5]
List of Heads of the Commonwealth
| Name | Portrait | Birth | Death | Start | End |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| George VI |  |
14 December 1895 | 6 February 1952 | 28 April 1949[nb 1] | 6 February 1952 |
| Elizabeth II |  |
21 April 1926 | Living | 6 February 1952[nb 2] | Incumbent |
See also
- List of titles and honours of King George VI
- List of titles and honours of Queen Elizabeth II
- Commonwealth realm
- Republics in the Commonwealth of Nations
- Timeline of Commonwealth of Nations history
Notes
- ^ Based on the London Declaration and does not match his reign as King, which began on 11 December 1936.
- ^ Date of Elizabeth II's accession to the throne of the Commonwealth realms.
References
- ^ "Fiji suspended from Commonwealth". BBC. 8 December 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6161587.stm.
- ^ Biography of ELIZABETH II (UK), from archontology.org
- ^ Ingram, Derek (January 1998). "Edinburgh Diary". The Round Table 87 (345): pp. 13–16. doi:.
- ^ http://www.thecommonwealth.org/Internal/34493/150757/head_of_the_commonwealth/
- ^ Royal Insight Mailbox, September 2006.
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