Posted 09/01/2006 8:38 pm
The United Kingdom is a political union made up of four constituent countries: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The United Kingdom also has several overseas territories, including Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands. The dependencies of the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands, while possessions of the Crown and part of the British Isles, are not part of the United Kingdom. A constitutional monarchy, the United Kingdom has close relationships with fifteen other Commonwealth Realms that share the same monarch — Queen Elizabeth II — as head of state.
A Commonwealth Realm is any one of the 16 sovereign states of the Commonwealth of Nations that separately recognise Queen Elizabeth II as their monarch. In each Realm she is 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.
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. She is also represented by a Governor in each state of Australia, by a Lieutenant-Governor in each province of Canada and by a Queen's Representative in the Cook Islands. Within the UK, 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.
Fourteen of the Realms are former British self-governing colonies that have evolved into independent countries. Three of these, Australia, Canada and New Zealand, effectively achieved independence as a result of a process started by agreements reached at the 1926 Imperial Conference which were embodied in the Balfour Declaration. This declaration was implemented in 1931 by the Statute of Westminster. As a result, Canada, the Union of South Africa, and the Irish Free State all immediately obtained legislative independence from the United Kingdom. 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 in 1949.
Commonwealth Realms are, in alphabetical order:
Antigua and Barbuda Antigua and Barbuda, since independence in 1981
Australia Australia, since adoption of the Statute of Westminster in 1942 (retroactive to 1939)
Bahamas The Bahamas, since independence in 1973
Barbados Barbados, since independence in 1966
Belize Belize, since independence in 1981
Canada Canada, since the Statute of Westminster in 1931
Grenada Grenada, since independence in 1974
Jamaica Jamaica, since independence in 1962
New Zealand New Zealand, since adoption of the Statute of Westminster in 1947
Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea, since independence in 1975
Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Kitts and Nevis, since independence in 1983
Saint Lucia Saint Lucia, since independence in 1979
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, since independence in 1979
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands, since independence in 1978
Tuvalu Tuvalu, since independence in 1978
United Kingdom United Kingdom
A Commonwealth Realm is any one of the 16 sovereign states of the Commonwealth of Nations that separately recognise Queen Elizabeth II as their monarch. In each Realm she is 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.
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. She is also represented by a Governor in each state of Australia, by a Lieutenant-Governor in each province of Canada and by a Queen's Representative in the Cook Islands. Within the UK, 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.
Fourteen of the Realms are former British self-governing colonies that have evolved into independent countries. Three of these, Australia, Canada and New Zealand, effectively achieved independence as a result of a process started by agreements reached at the 1926 Imperial Conference which were embodied in the Balfour Declaration. This declaration was implemented in 1931 by the Statute of Westminster. As a result, Canada, the Union of South Africa, and the Irish Free State all immediately obtained legislative independence from the United Kingdom. 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 in 1949.
Commonwealth Realms are, in alphabetical order:
Antigua and Barbuda Antigua and Barbuda, since independence in 1981
Australia Australia, since adoption of the Statute of Westminster in 1942 (retroactive to 1939)
Bahamas The Bahamas, since independence in 1973
Barbados Barbados, since independence in 1966
Belize Belize, since independence in 1981
Canada Canada, since the Statute of Westminster in 1931
Grenada Grenada, since independence in 1974
Jamaica Jamaica, since independence in 1962
New Zealand New Zealand, since adoption of the Statute of Westminster in 1947
Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea, since independence in 1975
Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Kitts and Nevis, since independence in 1983
Saint Lucia Saint Lucia, since independence in 1979
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, since independence in 1979
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands, since independence in 1978
Tuvalu Tuvalu, since independence in 1978
United Kingdom United Kingdom
