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Commonwealth history, evolution from the British Empire, and why countries still fight for independence from royal rule

Sep 9, 2022, 04:40 IST
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Queen Elizabeth II during her Jubilee tour in Jamaica, a Commonwealth country, in February 2022.Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images
  • The Commonwealth was born out of the British Empire, supposedly granting former colonies 'free and equal' status.
  • But the association has faced criticism for its colonial roots, and some states have withdrawn membership.
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Commonwealth nations are mourning the death of Queen Elizabeth II, who helmed the association of 56 countries since her ascension to the throne in 1952.

The Commonwealth was founded to maintain ties between countries that had once been part of the British Empire, while at the same time granting them "free and equal" status. The Queen was a staunch supporter of the association, and many believe her death means a period of major transformation for the Commonwealth.

The Queen was widely respected by Commonwealth countries, making her a "hard act to follow," Royal historian and author Hugo Vickers told Insider.

But the Commonwealth, comprised largely of former British colonies, has grappled with criticism for its imperialist origins, leading some member states to reconsider their ties to the group.

Queen Elizabeth II in Honiara, Solomon Islands, in 1982 as part of a Commonwealth Tour of South Pacific nations.Tim Graham Photo Library/Getty Images

Rooted in colonialism

The Commonwealth was born out of the British Empire, heralding a new era of gradual independence for its former colonies — while still swearing loyalty to the crown.

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In the fall of 1926, prime ministers of Britain and its dominions, including Australia, Canada, India, and South Africa, gathered for a conference in London. There, they agreed that all nations were "equal in status, in no way subordinate one to another in any aspect of their domestic or external affairs, though united by common allegiance to the Crown."

The Balfour Declaration, as the agreement was called, was the launching pad for the British Commonwealth of Nations.

The declaration was formalized in the Statute of Westminster in 1931, officially recognizing the sovereign rights of Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Ireland, and Newfoundland. India, which was by title an empire in its own right, was left out, though it joined the Commonwealth after it was granted independence in 1947.

Following the gradual disintegration of the British Empire after the Second World War, other former colonies like Sri Lanka, Ghana, and Jamaica joined the Commonwealth.

"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," Queen Elizabeth said on the 1953 Christmas Day broadcast.

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Still fighting for independence

Membership in the Commonwealth can grant countries, especially smaller ones, a political seat at the table. But despite its stated mission of independence and self-governance, the Commonwealth has faced criticism for being nothing more than a post-colonial club.

When Gambia announced its withdrawal in 2013, it denounced the Commonwealth as a "neo-colonial institution." (It rejoined in 2018 after a new president was elected.)

At least six Caribbean countries have also signaled they intend to remove the British ruler as their sovereign, following Barbados, which removed Queen Elizabeth II as its head of state in November 2021.

During a visit to the Caribbean in March this year, Prince William and Kate Middleton were met with protests in Belize and Jamaica, where people called for a formal apology by the royals for their family's role in the enslavement of Africans and demanded reparations.

Protesters in Jamaica called for slavery reparations outside the British High Commission during Prince William and Kate Middleton's visit in March 2022.Ricardo Makyn/AFP via Getty Images

"We love this particular Queen Elizabeth," Adeyela Bennett, a nonprofit business owner from the Bahamas, previously told Insider. "But when we sit there and we're honest with ourselves we have to say these people colonized us. They're imperialists."

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The death of the Queen is likely to lead to more questions about the Commonwealth, prompting some member states to further distance themselves from the association.

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