During her seven decades of reign, the Queen has traveled long and wide from Commonwealth countries. He likes to maintain contact with the former territory. Can state associations now fall apart?
This is the legacy of the former empire: the Commonwealth. 56 countries belong to the confederation of states, 15 of which have the queen or king of England as head of state. They are all lost colonies of the British Empire. This global entity was very important to Elizabeth II. It was originally founded to counter the autonomy efforts of former colonies such as Canada, Kenya and Australia. But some members, like Barbados more recently, have turned their backs on the crown and declared a republic. Some believe that the death of the old ruler could prompt other countries to reconsider historical ties to the British royal family.
As long as her powers allow, the Queen travels the seven seas on a royal yacht to visit her subjects all over the world – one of her favorite assignments. Beaming, he passed the former colony on Prince Philip’s side in an open car and was met with a standing ovation. But does the “imperial family” have a future after Elizabeth’s death? World view:
Australia
Queen Elizabeth II was the first British monarch to visit distant Australia. Between 1954 and 2011 he traveled under 16 times. But Australians’ relationship with their kingdom’s head of state has long been divided. Some value tradition, others want to break away from the British royal family. In a referendum in 1999, 45 per cent of Australians wanted their country to become a republic – the rest voted against at the time.
The death of Elizabeth II has now revived discussions about forms of government in Australia. Green leader Adam Bandt initially expressed his condolences to the British royal family in a tweet on Friday, but ended with the sentence: “We must become a republic”. The new Labor government last spoke in June about letting Australians vote again to end the monarchy, but may not want to hold such a referendum for several years. Experts suspect that this time it might work.
New Zealand
New Zealand has always had a close, if not always easy, bond with the Queen. He was the first British monarch to visit a Pacific nation at the other end of the world in 1953. He traveled to New Zealand ten times. In 1981, he escaped an assassination attempt at Dunedin on the South Island. In 1986, two women in Auckland threw eggs at the Queen’s open car in protest of the treaty signed in 1840 between the British Empire and New Zealand’s Maori.
There were also protests during the Queen’s visit in 1990 to mark the 150th anniversary of the signing of the treaty. Despite repeated calls for New Zealand to become a republic, no formal steps have been taken so far. More recently, the Te Pati Maori party, which represents the interests of indigenous peoples, called for a “divorce” from the crown in February. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Friday praised the Queen as “remarkable” and constant “during unprecedented global change”.
Caribbean
In the Caribbean, the British crown has recently faced a formidable challenge: at the end of last year, Barbados declared itself a republic and thus cut ties with the British monarch as head of state. However, the Caribbean island remains a member of the Commonwealth. Jamaica also toyed with the idea of declaring itself a republic. During their recent visit to the region, Prince William and Kate Middleton were met with protests in the region. Among other things, demonstrators in Belize and Jamaica demanded an apology for the British Empire’s involvement in the slavery of abducted Africans in the region and the payment of reparations.
In the Caribbean, the current monarch of England is the head of state of Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Belize, Grenada and St. Kitts and Nevis, among others. The island nation’s governments remembered Elizabeth II on Thursday as a great statesman who upholds tolerance and a sense of responsibility. The hope of the new King Charles III. must be big though.
Tuvalu
South Sea Paradise is also governed as a parliamentary monarchy and a member of the Commonwealth. “Department mourns the passing of Queen Elizabeth II,” the island nation’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs tweeted. In her 70 years of service, the Queen has “provided stability in a changing world.” Elizabeth II only visited Tuvalu once, in October 1982. In two referendums on the monarchy, in 1986 and 2008, the majority of the population voted to retain the monarchy. The topic has resurfaced in the past year.
Canada
The world’s second largest country in terms of area with about 38 million inhabitants first joined the Commonwealth in 1931 after gaining legislative independence. The nominal head of state of the British monarchy is represented in Canada by a governor-general – since 2021 the post with Mary Simon has been occupied for the first time by a person of indigenous descent.
Both Simon and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed their condolences over the death of Queen Elizabeth II. “When he came back to his beloved Canada, he always said, ‘It’s great to be home,'” Trudeau shared. “He really feels at home here and Canadians have never stopped returning the affection.” Other members of the royal family have also visited Canada again and again, the last time Charles and Camilla were there in May.
India
The Queen was the first British monarch after India’s independence in 1947. She became Queen when the bloody separation of British India and the division into what is now India and Pakistan are still very much felt in people’s minds. Despite the prevailing nationalism in India today, the Queen is not viewed very critically in India.
Photographs of his first visit in 1961 show him, among other things, giving a public speech in the capital New Delhi. During her 1983 visit, she came for a meeting of Commonwealth Heads of Government and to present a medal to Nobel laureate Mother Teresa, who has cared for the poorest of the poor in India. During his last visit in 1997, at celebrations marking 50 years of India’s independence, he spoke for the first time about a “difficult episode” in colonial history. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote that he “will never forget his warmth and kindness”. And: “He personified dignity and modesty in public life.”
Africa
21 African countries are currently members of the Commonwealth of Nations – but the British monarch has never been head of state. Kenya’s newly re-elected President William Ruto wrote on Twitter late on Thursday that it is amazing how the Queen has led the Commonwealth for the past 70 years. “He has turned this institution into an effective multilateral cooperation forum.” The Commonwealth can undeniably promote social and economic progress. This is the Queen’s historical legacy, writes Ruto.
The people of Ghana have very fond memories of Queen Elizabeth II’s two visits to their country, President Nana Akufo-Addo wrote on Twitter. Ghana joined the Commonwealth in 1957 after gaining independence. The viceroy first visited the West African nation in 1961. President Akufo-Addo said the Queen had always believed that the Commonwealth could do something good in the world. “He is the rock that keeps the organization true to its positive values.”
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