Queen Elizabeth II played a vital role in maintaining the Commonwealth for seventy years.
Her passing heralds the beginning of a new era for the 54 countries she formerly led.
With Charles’ accession to the throne, the future of the Commonwealth is uncertain.
Something is being loaded.
The death of Queen Elizabeth II, which was announced by Buckingham Palace on Thursday, is being mourned by Commonwealth nations. She had a 96-year-old age.
Her passing raises worries about the future of the Commonwealth, a vestige of the former British Empire that is home to 2.4 billion people residing in “the world’s largest, smallest, richest and poorest countries, covering five regions,” according to the official website.
Here is what may await the Commonwealth after the Queen’s passing.
The monarch.
CHRIS JACKSON/POOL/AFP accessed through Getty Images
The Commonwealth nations have entered a period of mourning.
Under Operation Unicorn, the rumored codename for the events following the Queen’s death in Scotland, Commonwealth leaders were among the first to receive the news.
Long-awaited plans are already in motion in each nation to commemorate her legacy. According to the National Post, plans for her death have been in place since 2002 in Canada. They include promptly issuing black neckties and armbands to the whole staff of the Governor General, Lieutenant Governors, and Territorial Commissioners of Canada.
The Guardian stated that flags are flying at half-staff in other Commonwealth countries in the Pacific, including as Australia, New Zealand, and the Solomon Islands, to show honor to the monarch.
In 2018, Charles was photographed in Ghana, a Commonwealth member state.
Charles, as King, is now the head of the Commonwealth.
Hugo Vickers, a royal historian and novelist, told Insider that the Queen’s respect among Commonwealth nations makes her a “tough act to follow.”
Unlike the transfer of power between monarchs, the installation of a new Head of the Commonwealth is not automatic, as reported by Metro. As a result, questions existed prior to 2018 regarding who would succeed her.
The Independent reported in 2018 that British politician Jeremy Corbyn advocated for rotating presidential elections. The mystery came to an end during a conference of Commonwealth leaders in 2018 at Windsor Castle, when it was announced that Charles would accept the post, a decision reached after the Queen expressed her “sincere desire,” according to the BBC.
According to Bob Morris, Honorary Senior Research Associate at the Constitution Unit at UCL, Charles “has always taken the Commonwealth very seriously.” The Express said that on Commonwealth Day in March 2021, the former Prince of Wales gave a speech in which he called the organization a “cornerstone” in his life.
In 2015, the Queen made her final Commonwealth visit to Malta.
Commonwealth countries should expect to see their leader more frequently under King Charles.
Tatler stated that it has been seven years since a reigning British monarch and Head of the Commonwealth visited a foreign member state. However, this is likely to change with Charles at the helm.
At 73, he is in a lot better situation than Queen Elizabeth II was in 2015 to undertake worldwide official engagements. According to Morris, he will not embark on any tours without invitations from Commonwealth nations.
Morris continued, “He will only do so upon invitation, as he is the head of state and will not barge in.”
Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Amor Mottley
Some states may now split away
The British monarch is only the head of state in fourteen Commonwealth nations. Canada, Australia, and Jamaica are examples of these so-called “realms.”
Even before her death, however, there were indications that certain nations were grappling with their tangled historical relationship with the former British empire and preparing for change.
Barbados, one of the world’s oldest colonies, became the first nation in nearly three decades to abolish the monarchy in November 2021. Mauritius was the last nation to accomplish this feat in 1992.
As a result of the Queen’s passing, it is possible that other countries who have been holding off on independence out of respect for the Queen will shortly reconsider the concept. There has been discussion in a number of Commonwealth monarchs, including as Jamaica, according to Morris. Others are permitted to return to that location since they did not wish to show disrespect to the Queen.
Australia has previously contemplated becoming a republic, holding a referendum on the subject in 1999. The referendum results were relatively close, with republicans in support of removing the queen as head of state finally losing with a 45% to 55% margin.
However, becoming a republic is easier said than done, according to Morris, because it requires amending a country’s constitution.
Morris continued, “In Canada, it is impossible to amend the constitution without the consent of all provinces.”
At least six nations have recently declared their intent to replace their president.
In March, during Prince William and Kate Middleton’s eight-day tour of Belize, Jamaica, and the Bahamas, royal commentators labeled the couple’s visit as “tone deaf.” The visit sparked renewed speculation as to whether countries mulling over the idea of becoming republics will take the plunge and do so.
William, who is now first in line to the throne after Charles, and Middleton had to cancel the first leg of their tour in Belize due to protests organized by residents carrying posters referencing colonialism and land conflicts. Newsweek reported that photographs of the duke and duchess welcoming children through breaches in a wire fence on a football field in Kingston, Jamaica drew criticism.
At least six Caribbean nations, including Jamaica, Belize, and Grenada, declared their intention to remove the British monarch as their sovereign after the tour.
Verene Shepherd, chair of Jamaica’s National Commission on Reparations and chair of the U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, told Foreign Policy Magazine: “The move towards republicanism is based on the belief that it is time for former colonized nations to truly live their independence and claim self-determination and no longer be under a monarchical system.”
Prince Charles and Philip.
The Commonwealth may lose or gain members, and Charles will have no influence in the matter.
According to Vickers, the King’s father, Prince Philip, reportedly remarked, “We’ll depart gently if you don’t want us,” in reference to the Commonwealth realms’ decision to secede from the monarchy.
Morris stated that it is probable that Charles will adopt the same attitude, given that neither the British government nor the queen have the right to stop them.
Morris continued, “As sovereign nations, they must conduct their affairs as they see fit.”
Even if realms decided to secede, there is no assurance they will sever all connections with the Commonwealth. The Independent noted that despite no longer having a monarch as its head of state, Barbados elected to remain a member of the Commonwealth.
Notably, two countries without historical ties to the British Empire have voluntarily joined the organization in the past, the most recent being Rwanda in 2009.