With the growing independence of the dominions in the 1920s, the Balfour Declaration of 1926 originally established the Commonwealth of Nations, and that the nations were considered 'equal in status. The notion of these states sharing the same person as their monarch traces back to 1867 when Canada became the first dominion, a self-governing nation of the British Empire. Charles III is also Head of the Commonwealth, a non-constitutional role. All are members of the Commonwealth of Nations, an intergovernmental organisation of 56 independent member states, 52 of which were formerly part of the British Empire. Īs of 2023, there are 15 Commonwealth realms: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, The Bahamas, Belize, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, and the United Kingdom. All the realms and their crowns are both equal with and independent of the others though, one person acts as monarch of each.

He succeeded his mother, Elizabeth II, as monarch of the Commonwealth realms immediately upon her death on 8 September 2022. Former realms and dominions that are now republicsĪ Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state that has Charles III as its monarch and head of state.

What is the british commonwealth