Head of the Commonwealth

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The Head of the Commonwealth is the highest position within the Commonwealth of Nations, an intergovernmental organisation which currently comprises 53 sovereign states. The first Head of the Commonwealth was King George VI, the British monarch who was also head of state of many states and territories within the British Empire.

The current and second Head of the Commonwealth is Queen Elizabeth II. Within the current 53 Commonwealth members, 16 are normally described as Commonwealth realms, where Elizabeth II serves separately as head of state in her capacity as sovereign. 31 members are Commonwealth republics, such as South Africa, with India becoming the first republic within the Commonwealth in January 1950. These countries, mainly former British colonies, do not have Elizabeth II as head of state, and instead have elected presidents. Five countries, Brunei, Lesotho, Malaysia, Tonga, and Swaziland, have alternative monarchs of different royal houses. Fiji recognises Elizabeth II as its Paramount Chief, but the Fijian President serves as head of state. Fiji is currently the Commonwealth's only suspended member, having being suspended on 8 December 2006 following the 2006 Fijian coup d'état.^[1]

Contents 1 Title 2 Use in different languages 3 Position 4 History 5 List of Heads of the Commonwealth 6 See also 7 Footnotes

[edit] Title

The title was devised in 1949 (see below), however, was not added to the monarch's style until 1953. In that year, a Royal Style and Titles Act was passed separately in each of the seven Realms then existing (except Pakistan), which gave formal recognition to the separateness and the equality of the Realms by entitling the Queen as "Queen of [Realm] and her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth."

[edit] Use in different languages

Language	Title	Used in
Afrikaans	Hoof van die Statebond (lit. Chief of the Confederation)	South Africa
French	Chef du Commonwealth	Cameroon, Canada, Seychelles, Vanuatu, United Kingdom Crown Dependencies of Jersey and Guernsey
Latin	Consortionis Populorum Princeps	Various (as secondary title)[2]
Malay	Ketua Komanwel	Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore
Maltese	Kap tal-Commonwealth	Malta
Māori	Upoko o Nga Herenga ki Ingarangi	New Zealand
Portuguese	Chefe da Commonwealth	Mozambique

[edit] Position

The role of the "Head" of the Commonwealth is perhaps best compared to that of a ceremonial president, but for life: unlike a chairman or secretary general of any other international organisation, the Head of the Commonwealth is a symbol of the association – without executive power, yet playing a very important role in shaping the Commonwealth. In this sense it reflects the more traditional role of monarchy; Elizabeth II's powers are theoretically very large, but in practice are never exercised. Elizabeth II serves more as a figurehead, while real power is invested in other roles within the Commonwealth, including the Commonwealth Secretary-General, (currently Kamalesh Sharma), and Commonwealth Chairperson-in-Office, (currently Yoweri Museveni).

The title is not vested in the Crown. This refers to the Crown as shared amongst the Commonwealth realms, and the Commonwealth's members may not agree that the next monarch should automatically succeed as Head of the Commonwealth upon accession to the Throne. However, the assumption is that the title itself would become extinct were it not held by the shared monarch, and no new suggestions have ever been put forward by any of the Commonwealth member-countries as to who, if anyone, should take on the role currently exercised by Queen Elizabeth II. In all probability, therefore, her successor as monarch will also succeed to the role of the Head of the Commonwealth. The position of Head of the Commonwealth was discussed at the 1997 Edinburgh Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. The consensus was that the title should remain annexed to the Sovereign.^{[citation needed]} This meeting was attended by Elizabeth II.^[3]

In its current role, the Head of the Commonwealth is recognised by its members as the "symbol of their free association", attends Commonwealth Heads of Government summits and the Commonwealth Games, which are held every four years, and on every Commonwealth Day, which is the second Monday in March, broadcasts a message to all member countries.

Every two years a Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) is held, at locations throughout the Commonwealth. The Head of the Commonwealth is normally present in the host country, and has a series of private meetings with the Commonwealth countries' leaders and attends a CHOGM reception and dinner, and makes a speech there. The latest CHOGM was held in November 2007 in Uganda; the next meeting will be held in 2009 in Trinidad and Tobago.

[edit] History

The London Declaration of 1949, devised by Canadian Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent, stated that the monarch would be a symbol of the free association of independent countries, and as such the Head of the Commonwealth. These words meant that kingdoms that were not Commonwealth Realms, as well as republics, could remain members - they could recognise the monarch as Head of the Commonwealth without accepting the person as the country's head of state. Thus when the Union of India was dissolved and the Republic of India formed as a result of the new Indian Constitution on January 26 1950, it recognised George VI as the symbol of the association, but not as India's head of state.

When Elizabeth II came to the throne in 1952 she became Head of the Commonwealth. On her accession she announced:

“

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.[4]

”

In December 1960, the Queen had a personal flag created to symbolise her as an individual and not associated with her role as Queen of the United Kingdom. Over time, the flag started to be used in place of the Royal Standard when the Queen visited Commonwealth countries where she was not head of state and for Commonwealth occasions in the United Kingdom to symbolise the Queen's role as Head of the Commonwealth. When the Queen visits Marlborough House in London, headquarters of the Commonwealth Secretariat, her personal standard is raised and not the Royal Standard.^[5]

[edit] List of Heads of the Commonwealth

Name	Portrait	Birth	Death	Start	End
George VI		14 December 1895	6 February 1952	28 April 1949[6]	6 February 1952
Elizabeth II		21 April 1926	Living	6 February 1952[7]	Incumbent

[edit] See also

• List of titles and honours of King George VI
• List of titles and honours of Queen Elizabeth II
• Commonwealth realm
• Republics in the Commonwealth of Nations
• History of the Commonwealth of Nations

[edit] Footnotes

v • d • e Queen Elizabeth II Crowns Queen of Antigua and Barbuda · Queen of Australia · Queen of the Bahamas · Queen of Barbados · Queen of Belize · Queen of Canada · Queen of Grenada · Queen of Jamaica · Queen of New Zealand · Queen of Papua New Guinea · Queen of Saint Kitts and Nevis · Queen of Saint Lucia · Queen of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines · Queen of the Solomon Islands · Queen of Tuvalu · Queen of the United Kingdom · Prime Ministers Titles and honours List of titles and honours · Head of the Commonwealth · Her Majesty's Ship · Paramount Chief of Fiji Overseas visits State visits · Commonwealth visits Public celebrations Silver Jubilee · Golden Jubilee · Queen's Official Birthday · Victoria Day

v • d • e  Commonwealth of Nations topics History British Empire · Balfour Declaration · Statute of Westminster · London Declaration · Singapore Declaration · Harare Declaration Governance Head of the Commonwealth (Elizabeth II) · Secretariat · Secretary-General (Kamalesh Sharma) · Deputy Secretaries-General · Secretariat Directors · Marlborough House Heads of Government Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (2007 · 2009) · Chairperson-in-Office (Yoweri Museveni) · Ministerial Action Group Commonwealth Family Association of Commonwealth Universities · Commonwealth Business Council · Commonwealth Foundation · Commonwealth Games Federation · Commonwealth Parliamentary Association · Commonwealth War Graves Commission BECM · CAP · CBA · CET · CFA · CHRI · CJIA · CoL · CLA · CLGF · CPSU · CPU · CSFP · ESU · ICS · RCS · ROSL · SSI Members List of members · Membership criteria · Special membership · Suspension · Commonwealth realm · Commonwealth republic Culture English language · Commonwealth Games (2006 · 2010)  · Commonwealth Flag · Commonwealth Day · Commonwealth Writers' Prize · Round Table movement · The Round Table Journal · Commonwealth citizenship Lists Commonwealth Family · Extreme points · Member states · Prime Ministers · Tallest structures · Visits by Queen Elizabeth II