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Soldiers of the Coldstream Guards carry flags of Commonwealth countries outside Buckingham Palace in London.
What is the Commonwealth?
She wasn’t just queen of the United Kingdom. The late Elizabeth II was also the leader of the Commonwealth, a voluntary association of 56 independent countries, the majority of which were once part of the British Empire. This includes 14 that continue to have the sovereign as their head of state.
The Commonwealth dates back nearly 100 years and predates the UN. Today it boasts 2.5 billion people, a quarter of the world’s land mass, and a combined GDP of $13.1 trillion in 2021. Formed in the interwar period — when many dominions, colonies, and protectorates were semi-independent or itching for freedom — it aims to offer support to fellow member governments and to improve the well-being of citizens throughout its family of nations.
It holds conferences and summits focused on democracy, cultural exchange, and trade, and manages election monitoring and games. But the Commonwealth has drawn criticism for underperformance and lack of transparency. Its charter pushes for democracy and economic growth, but like many international organizations, it has limited means for enforcement. The Commonwealth has also been accused of punishing some members with suspensions for undemocratic behavior (Nigeria, Fiji, and Pakistan) while overlooking others (Brunei).
India set the tone for the modern Commonwealth. Upon gaining independence in 1947, it made its position clear: it would maintain an affiliation with Great Britain but not fealty to the Crown and demanded independent status as a republic. Many others followed Delhi’s lead, while Australia, Canada, and New Zealand as well as much of the Caribbean chose to retain Elizabeth as their sovereign – a symbolic gesture in which the queen didn’t have much of a role beyond appearing on bank notes.
Leaving the Commonwealth is not unprecedented. In 2021, Barbados politely removed the queen as its head of state, withdrawing from the Commonwealth. Zimbabwe also withdrew in 2003 after a long suspension related to Robert Mugabe’s unruly years, followed by the Gambia in 2013, which later rejoined. Pakistan left in protest in 1972 after Commonwealth countries accepted the secession of East Pakistan into Bangladesh, but it rejoined with the return of democracy in 1989.
Leaders throughout the Commonwealth this week have paid tribute to the queen and to her dedication. But her demise has triggered questions in Australia about becoming a republic. Republican murmurings are also present in Canada, despite PM Justin Trudeau’s affectionate tribute to the queen: “She was one of my favorite people in the world.”
With the queen’s passing, King Charles III becomes the next leader of the Commonwealth. The role isn’t hereditary, but Commonwealth leaders agreed to his leadership before the queen’s death.
While much of the focus today is on the queen’s service over the last 70 years, the future role of the Commonwealth remains an open question. If the last summit this summer and the subsequent debates about the group’s colonial legacy is any indication, the Commonwealth could become yet another avenue in which the monarchy’s place in the modern order is debated.
King Charles III, in short, has his work cut out for him to maintain his mother’s beloved Commonwealth.
Queen Elizabeth's death marks turning point for the UK
Carl Bildt, former prime minister of Sweden, shares his perspective on European politics from Chelm, in Eastern Poland.
The death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, is of course, a major, major event for the United Kingdom and for the world. She was really the last remaining link with an imperial past, with a turbulent and dramatic period for her country, and she gave it stability during a very long period of fundamental change. It will be another country as it enters the reign of King Charles III.
Remembering Queen Elizabeth II
Ian Bremmer's Quick Take: Queen Elizabeth II, the longest serving monarch in UK history and virtually in world history, is no longer with us. Queen Elizabeth has reigned under 15 prime ministers, starting with Churchill. And in this time, the United Kingdom went from global power and industrial powerhouse to a post-European middle power. She's lived through and reigned through the legacy of colonialism, the end of British Empire, and now of course the end of the UK in Europe. The death of the Queen and her succession will dominate the news, certainly across the UK and the Commonwealth for some time. It's going to overshadow the arrival of Liz Truss as prime minister and all of her major economic announcements.
There's a lot to say here. Queen Elizabeth has long been seen as the single most popular figure in Britain, and her death will undoubtedly be received with enormous sadness by a public that's been battered by two years of COVID crisis, on top of shambolic Brexit process, massive domestic political scandals, independence movements, particularly in Scotland. And on top of that, now an enormous cost of living crisis that's worse than any other G7 economy. So, it's not hit the UK at an opportune time at all. And the impact of her death really on the public mood should not be underestimated, given that the Queen has long been seen as a beacon of stability in the United Kingdom in an uncertain and very volatile world.
The prime minister and the leader of the opposition were told of the news of the Queen's failing health during exchanges in the Commons on this energy package that they're passing to try to take some of the weight of massive inflation off of the British public. And when the news spread, Westminster became unusually somber, with MPs talking of nothing else and speculating on the implications of her death. And I would say that the monarchy has remained popular in the UK largely because of the Queen and the extraordinary way that she has performed her duties.
Under the British Constitution, the Queen is Head of State, but without any critical role in government other than formally appointing her prime minister, which she had just done, and accepting their resignation, which she also just done, also giving her assent to pieces of legislation. But through the Privy Council, the monarch is kept informed of all government activities, but does not in any way influence them. So it's really a titular and a symbolic rule.
But as Head of State over 70 years, from Churchill now to Truss having served under her, Queen Elizabeth has remained utterly impartial. And I say that in particular because Prince Charles, Queen Elizabeth's son and heir to the throne, has been far less cautious about allowing his opinions to reach the public's ear. And if the monarchy is to continue to succeed in the UK, he'll certainly need to exercise significantly greater restraint.
Affection for the Queen has been a critical factor in keeping the Commonwealth together and holding off calls in many countries for complete independence. And indeed, I would expect that Republican movements in countries with constitutional parliamentary monarchies will likely now grow. For example, in Australia, Republicanism is the official stance of the Labor Party. We'll see a lot more of that, I think, across the Commonwealth.
It's an odd thing for an American, this idea that you have a king or a queen with hereditary rule, however symbolic it is. And yes, it's certainly true that a lot of Brits complain about the lavish living of the royals and the scandals. But we should also be clear that the Queen and the monarchy are huge tourist attractions in Britain, and it's impossible to quantify the revenue that they've brought in from tourism. It certainly will have paid for much, if not well over, the cost of maintaining the monarchy.
But finally, Queen Elizabeth is loved across the world in an extraordinary and singular way. And in that regard, I just want to close by saying that we'll miss her.
Graphic truth: Watch the throne — monarchies around the world
Former Spanish King Juan Carlos I's decision to leave the country after being investigated for corruption has reignited the debate over the future of the monarchy in Spain. Opinions are divided between mostly older Spaniards who defend the institution's role as a symbol of national unity, and the younger generations and nationalist regions who want Spain to become a republic. More than three quarters of the world's countries are now republics, but 44 still have a king or queen as their head of state — among them the 16 Commonwealth countries officially ruled by British Queen Elizabeth II and 5 countries where the sovereign is all-powerful. We take a look at which countries remain monarchies today.