Commonwealth Realm

A Commonwealth Realm [ rɛlm ] (English Commonwealth realm about, Commonwealth Realm ') is a sovereign member state of the Commonwealth of Nations, which is connected to the British Crown in personal union.

Current holder of the British crown is Queen Elizabeth II in each of the 16 countries the monarch is constitutional acts in her right as Queen of the country, the Commonwealth realms are so connected to each other only through a personal union.

The current Commonwealth realms are (in alphabetical order) Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Grenada, Jamaica, Canada, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Tuvalu and the United Kingdom.

The Commonwealth realms are not to be equated with the Commonwealth of Nations itself. Under the current Member States of the Commonwealth Realms are only 16, whereas 33 republics ( Commonwealth Republics ) and five constitutional monarchies of other dynasties. Within the Commonwealth, there is no difference between the Commonwealth Realms and the other members.

  • 2.1 Head of State
  • 2.2 flags
  • 2.3 Overview

History

Currently ( February 2009) there are 16 Commonwealth Realms. 14 thereof, and the former Realms are former British colonies that have become independent states. The only two exceptions are of course the United Kingdom as a former mother country of the British Empire as well as Papua New Guinea, the independence not just from the UK but received in 1975 by Australia ( West New Guinea was only a German colony, but at the beginning of the First was occupied world War II by Australia and later handed over to the League of Nations as a fiduciary to be managed at this mandate, while Papua emerged from a British protectorate, which was transferred in 1902 to Australia).

The first Dominions

The ability to convert a British colony in a new kingdom, was first considered in the 1860s, when the proposal came up, rename the Canadian Confederation in UK Canada. However, this idea was both in the British Colonial Office as well as in the United States with resistance, and so the self-governing confederation 1867 Dominion of Canada was called.

In the second half of the 19th century more British colonies gained self-government. At the Imperial Conference, 1907, the Canadian Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier insisted on a formulation that highlighted the difference between the crown and the self-governing colonies. Subsequently, the term Dominion was used for all self-governing colonies, ie Australia, New Zealand, Newfoundland, the Cape Colony, Natal and Transvaal. In 1910 joined the Cape Colony, Natal and Transvaal, together with the Orange River Colony Union of South Africa, which also received dominion status. 1921 came the Irish Free State, but who had the dominion status accepted only reluctantly at peace with the United Kingdom.

Although the Dominions managed itself, subject to their legislation, at least theoretically still the British Parliament; the monarch of the United Kingdom reigned over them as part of an imperial dominion, and the British government was represented in each Dominion by a Governor-General. The United Kingdom remained responsible for defense and foreign policies of the countries. In practice, this uniform system fell apart but on. The international importance of the Dominions rose in the wake of the First World War, they signed the Treaty of Versailles independently and acquired along with India a seat in the League of Nations. 1920 exchanged Canada with the United States ambassador, and three years later, it signed an agreement in his own name. 1925 rejected the Dominions, to bind to the British signed the Treaty of Locarno.

The Balfour Report

In the Balfour report of 1926 of this sovereign status of the Dominions was then recognition. Literally, it was the role of the United Kingdom and the Dominions:

"They are autonomous communities within the British Empire, equal in status, in no way subordinate one to another in any aspect of Their domestic or external affairs, though united by a common allegiance to the Crown, and freely associated as members of the British Commonwealth of Nations. "

"They are autonomous Communities within the British Empire, equal rights, in no way subordinate in any aspect of the internal and foreign policy to one another, yet united by a common allegiance to the Crown and voluntarily joined together as members of the British Commonwealth of Nations. "

As a result of the report built the governments of the Dominions separate and direct relationship with the royal house, the Governor-General was appointed personal representative of the monarch. It was then passed in 1927 the Royal and Parliamentary Titles Act, which on the one manifested the separation of the Irish Free State and on the other the king reigned in each State by the king as each individual state and not as a British king.

The Statute of Westminster

The Balfour Report was implemented then finally with the Statute of Westminster of 1931. With this, the Dominions Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Union of South Africa, Irish Free State and Newfoundland were given legislative independence, although some few rights, such as certain constitutional amendments and on request the acquisition of the business of government, remained with the British Parliament. In Australia, New Zealand and Newfoundland the statute had to be ratified by the local parliament, which only in 1942 and in New Zealand until 1947 happened in Australia. In Newfoundland, the statute was never ratified, the local Dominion in 1934 was converted back into a colony and joined Canada in 1949. In the same year also clarified the status of the Irish Free State, which from this time formed an independent republic of the British monarchy at the latest.

The collapse of British India

The next step towards the establishment of the Commonwealth Realms presented the disintegration of British India represents the possibility that a colony could achieve independence without ever to remain in the Commonwealth, was first recognized in the Cripps Declaration 1942. The decision of Burma in 1948 to become an independent republic outside the Commonwealth came, according to no resistance. India, Pakistan and finally the crown colony of Ceylon, however, were Dominions. With the London Declaration in 1949, finally, a formula has been found among the republics also, so they wished for, could remain in the Commonwealth.

Commonwealth Realms

The former colonies, both the republics and the countries that were still monarchies in personal union, were among themselves, completely equated with the United Kingdom. To express this, the British Commonwealth was renamed the Commonwealth of Nations, and the Dominions were first referred to simply as the Commonwealth countries. The last step then put the name of the Dominions as Commonwealth realms dar. It was initiated by the British publication of the throne Elizabeth II in 1952. During this she became the queen of this realm (ie Great Britain and Northern Ireland ) and of Her other Realms and territories referred to. This replaced the phrase " other realms and territories " the older term " British Overseas Dominions ." At the same time she was referred to as the first British monarch as head of the Commonwealth. The term realm is derived from the Old French while Reaume (now French: Royaume = Kingdom ) from. 1953 was finally adopted in all previous Dominions a Royal Style and Titles Act, which brought the concept of independence and equality of the Commonwealth realms expressed. This approach was also followed in the independence of other states.

Most of the other Commonwealth realms received their independence within the Wind of Change in Africa and the disintegration of the West Indies Federation in the 1960s. With the independence of Papua New Guinea from Australia in 1975 and this State for Commonwealth realm was.

Republics in the Commonwealth

Some former Commonwealth realms are now independent republics in the Commonwealth. First, India received with the already mentioned above London Declaration that status, 1956 Pakistan became the first Islamic Republic in 1960 Ghana became a republic, until the 1970s was followed by South Africa, Tanganyika, Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, Malawi, Gambia and Sierra Leone. Also Guyana followed this path in 1970, as well as four years later Malta and another two years later, Trinidad and Tobago.

In Fiji, there was a military coup in 1987 and the end of the constitutional monarchy, as a result, the country was excluded from the Commonwealth. In 1997 the land was resumed, but again suspended on 1 September 2009. Since the military coup in 1987, the country has been a republic, the Great Council of Chiefs recognizes Queen Elizabeth II as indeed paramount chief, but it is still not the head of state and Fiji so that no Commonwealth realm.

As currently the last country in Mauritius in 1992 by the Crown renounced.

Constitutional peculiarities

Head of state

In any Commonwealth Realm Queen Elizabeth II is the Head of State as Queen of this country. In each country Accordingly, it leads its own title. This always consists of its name, the Regent number, the words " grace of God " (by the Grace of God, with the exception of Papua New Guinea ) and the title " Head of the Commonwealth " ( Head of the Commonwealth ) together.

There are differences in the titulary: In part it is described as " of the country and of Her other Realms and Territories Queen " ( of country X and of Her other Realms and Territories Queen), in part as "Queen of the Land and of Her other Realms and territories " (Queen of country X and of Her other Realms and Territories ) refers. Grenada and Canada explicitly refer to the fact that in addition to the Queen Elizabeth II 's own country is also the United Kingdom. In addition, Elizabeth II leads in the United Kingdom, Canada and New Zealand, the defending champion of the faith ( Defender of the Faith ). Slight differences also exist in the punctuation.

An exception to the Kingdom of New Zealand belonging to Cook Islands. Again Elizabeth II as Queen in her right of New Zealand ( such as: " in her right as Queen of New Zealand "), the head of state, but changes in the throne successor must again be ratified by the Parliament of the Cook Islands and in a referendum.

Flags

Another sign of the independence of the Commonwealth realms to each other and the United Kingdom are very different designed Royal standards. This is the official flag of Queen Elizabeth II in her capacity as head of state of each country. However, only one such standard lead Australia, Barbados, Jamaica, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom (actually a coat of arms flag ). With the exception of the standard of the United Kingdom all Royal Standard, the rosenumrandete winning gold E is common but on a blue background, as can be seen on the personal flag of Elizabeth. Another peculiarity in the United Kingdom is the own Royal Standard for the part of State Scotland.

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