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Queen Elizabeth II is recognised as Head of the Commonwealth in those members of the Commonwealth of Nations of which she is not head of state, a formula first having been devised by Canadian Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent when India became 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, and the Commonwealth's members may not agree that Charles, Prince of Wales, should automatically succeed the Queen as Head of the Commonwealth on his accession to the British throne.A nation in which the Queen is recognized as Queen and head of state is known as a Commonwealth Realm.
When she took the Coronation Oath, Elizabeth II swore "to govern the Peoples of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Union of South Africa, Pakistan, and Ceylon, and of [her] Possessions and the other Territories to any of them belonging or pertaining, according to their respective laws and customs".
She remains Queen of Canada, Australia and New Zealand, with the other countries mentioned in the Coronation Oath having since become republics.
- Queen of South AfricaSouth Africa is a republic at the southern tip of Africa. It is bordered to the north by Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe, to the north-east by Mozambique and Swaziland. Lesotho is contained entirely inside the borders of South Africa. South Africa is one o ( 1952Summary of notable events in 1952 . Events January events January 8 West Germany has 8 million refugees inside its borders. January 24 Sudden heavy snowfall in Algeria. January 24 Vincent Massey sworn in as first Canada-born Governor-General of Canada.- 19611961 (As MAD Magazine pointed out on its first cover for the year) was the first "upside-down" year i. one that looked the same upside down since 1881, and the last until 6009. Events January January 1 The farthing coin, used since the 13th century, cease)
- Queen of PakistanIslami Jamhuria Pakistan ( In Detail) ( In Detail) National motto: Iman, Ittehad, Nazm( Urdu: "Faith, Unity, Discipline" Official Language(s) Urdu, English Capital Islamabad Largest City Karachi President General Pervez Musharraf Prime Minister Shaukat Az ( 1952Summary of notable events in 1952 . Events January events January 8 West Germany has 8 million refugees inside its borders. January 24 Sudden heavy snowfall in Algeria. January 24 Vincent Massey sworn in as first Canada-born Governor-General of Canada.- 19561956 is a leap year starting on Sunday. see link for calendar) Events January January 1 End of Anglo- Egyptian Condominium in Sudan. January 16 President Gamal Abdal Nasser of Egypt vows to reconquer Palestine January 26 1956 Winter Olympic Games open in)
- Queen of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka)The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka (known as Ceylon before 1972) is a tropical island nation off the southeast coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known in ancient times as Lanka Lankadweepa (meaning "Resplendent Land" in Sanskrit), Taprobane an ( 1952- 1972).
South Africa and Ceylon were the first Commonwealth realms to recognise Elizabeth II as Queen of their respective countries, rather than of the United Kingdom.
1 Africa
During the Queen's reign many of the former British colonies in Africa became independent countries. When independence was granted to these nations, as is the British colonial practice, they became constitutional monarchies by default, with Queen Elizabeth as Head of State. The new African leaders usually proceeded to quickly abolish the monarchy (and usually the parliamentary system, as well) and establish executive presidencies in its place. However, Zambia (formerly Northern Rhodesia) became a republic on independence in 1964, as did Botswana in 1966, formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland.
Queen Elizabeth was briefly:
From 1965 to 1970 she was also proclaimed 'Queen of Rhodesia' by the White minority government in Southern Rhodesia, although she never accepted this office.
