The Wayback Machine - https://web.archive.org/web/20060930063803/http://www.thecommonwealth.org/Internal/150757/head_of_the_commonwealth/
  1. The Commonwealth Home
  2. Key Declarations
    1. Harare Commonwealth Declaration, 1991
    2. The Millbrook Commonwealth Action Programme on the Harare Declaration, 1995
    3. Singapore Declaration of Commonwealth Principles 1971
  3. Members
  4. Head of the Commonwealth
  5. History
    1. Modern Commonwealth
    2. Timeline
  6. Commonwealth Day
    1. Commonwealth Day 2005
  7. Symbol and Flag
  8. Civil Society
    1. Core Information 1 to 3
    2. Core Information 4 to 7
    3. Core Information 8
    4. Core Information 9 and 10
    5. Staff and Contact Information
  9. Commonwealth Family
    1. Association of Commonwealth Amnesty International Sections (ACAIS)
    2. Association of Commonwealth Archivists and Records Managers (ACARM)
    3. Association of Commonwealth Examination and Accreditation Bodies (ACEAB)
    4. Association for Commonwealth Literature and Language Studies (ACLALS)
    5. Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU)
    6. British Empire and Commonwealth Museum
    7. Commonwealth Association of Architects (CAA)
    8. Commonwealth Association of Indigenous Peoples (CAIP)
    9. Commonwealth Association for Local Action and Economic Development (COMMACT)
    10. Commonwealth Association for Mental Handicap and Developmental Disabilities (CAMHADD)
    11. Commonwealth Association of Museums
    12. Commonwealth Association for Paediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition (CAPGAN)
    13. Commonwealth Association of Planners (CAP)
    14. Commonwealth Association of Professional Centres
    15. Commonwealth Association for Public Administration and Management (CAPAM)
    16. Commonwealth Association of Public Sector Lawyers
    17. Commonwealth Association of Science, Technology and Mathematics Educators (CASTME)
    18. Commonwealth Association of Surveying and Land Economy (CASLE)
    19. Commonwealth Association of Tax Administrators (CATA)
    20. Commonwealth Broadcasting Association (CBA)
    21. Commonwealth Business Council (CBC)
    22. Commonwealth Centre for Electronic Governance (CCEG)
    23. Commonwealth Consortium for Education (CCfE)
    24. Commonwealth Council for Educational Administration and Management (CCEAM)
    25. Commonwealth Countries’ League (CCL)
    26. Commonwealth Countries’ League Education Fund
    27. Commonwealth Dental Association (CDA)
    28. Commonwealth Engineers Council (CEC)
    29. Commonwealth Forestry Association (CFA)
    30. Commonwealth Foundation
    31. Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF)
    32. Commonwealth Geographical Bureau (CGB)
    33. Commonwealth Group of Family Planning Associations
    34. Commonwealth Hansard Editors Association
    35. Commonwealth Historians Society
    36. Commonwealth Human Ecology Council (CHEC)
    37. Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI)
    38. Commonwealth Institute
    39. The Commonwealth Jewish Council and Trust
    40. The Commonwealth Journalists Association (CJA)
    41. Commonwealth Judicial Education Institute (CJEI)
    42. Commonwealth Lawyers Association (CLA)
    43. Commonwealth of Learning (COL)
    44. Commonwealth Legal Advisory Service (CLAS)
    45. Commonwealth Legal Education Association (CLEA)
    46. Commonwealth Library Association (COMLA)
    47. Commonwealth Local Government Forum (CLGF)
    48. Commonwealth Magistrates’ and Judges’ Association (CMJA)
    49. Commonwealth Medical Association (CMA)
    50. Commonwealth Medical Trust (Commat)
    51. Commonwealth Network of Information Technology for Development (COMNET-IT)
    52. Commonwealth Nurses Federation
    53. Commonwealth Organisation for Social Work (COSW)
    54. Representative to Commonwealth Institutions (UK)
    55. The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA)
    56. Commonwealth Partnership for Technology Management (CPTM)
    57. Commonwealth Pharmaceutical Association (CPA)
    58. Commonwealth Policy Studies Unit (CPSU)
    59. Commonwealth Press Union (CPU)
    60. Commonwealth Relations Trust
    61. Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan (CSFP)
    62. The Commonwealth Society for the Deaf – Sound Seekers
    63. Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO)
    64. Commonwealth Tourism Centre
    65. Commonwealth Universities Study Abroad Consortium (CUSAC)
    66. Commonwealth Veterinary Association (CVA)
    67. Commonwealth War Graves Commission
    68. Commonwealth Women’s Network
    69. Commonwealth Youth Exchange Council (CYEC)
    70. Conference of Commonwealth Auditors-General
    71. Conference of Commonwealth Meteorologists
    72. Conference of Commonwealth Speakers and Presiding Officers
    73. The Council of Commonwealth Societies (CCS)
    74. Council for Education in the Commonwealth (CEC)
    75. The English-Speaking Union of the Commonwealth (ESU)
    76. Institute of Commonwealth Studies
    77. League for the Exchange of Commonwealth Teachers (LECT)
    78. Organisation of Commonwealth United Nations Associations (OCUNA)
    79. The Round Table: Commonwealth Journal of International Affairs
    80. Royal Agricultural Society of the Commonwealth (RASC)
    81. Royal Commonwealth Ex-Services League (RCEL)
    82. The Royal Commonwealth Society (RCS)
    83. Royal Over-Seas League
    84. Sight Savers International (The Royal Commonwealth Society for the Blind)
    85. Soroptimist International Commonwealth Group
    86. Standing Committee on Commonwealth Forestry
    87. Victoria League for Commonwealth Friendship
    88. Women Speakers for the Commonwealth
  10. FAQs

Head of the Commonwealth

HM Queen Elizabeth II
The London Declaration of 1949 stated that the British monarch would be a symbol of the free association of independent countries, and as such the Head of the Commonwealth. These words meant that republics could be members - they could accept the monarch as Head of the Commonwealth without being their own Head of State. Thus when Elizabeth II came to the throne in 1952 she became Head of the Commonwealth.

Today the Queen is head of state in 16 of the 53 Commonwealth member countries, all of them fully independent in which – apart from the UK – she is represented by a governor-general.

When the Queen dies or if she abdicates, her heir will not automatically become Head of the Commonwealth. It will be up to the Commonwealth heads of government to decide what they want to do about this symbolic role.

The Queen has laid considerable stress on her role as Head of the Commonwealth, and made a great contribution to the association.

“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."

The sense of a new Commonwealth was noted by Queen Elizabeth at her accession to the throne. She said “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.’

The Queens role now includes, by developing tradition, a number of symbolic functions which enhance the sense of family and the vitality of the Commonwealth connection. She holds discussions with Commonwealth leaders, in national capitals, in London and during Heads of Government Meetings. She visits the host country during each summit, meeting the leaders in individual audience and at larger formal functions.

Her state visits have included most Commonwealth countries – not only those in which she is head of state – meeting the people as well as leaders. She delivers a Commonwealth Day broadcast and is present at other Commonwealth Day events including the multi-faith observance – traditionally held at Westminster Abbey – and the Commonwealth Secretary-General’s reception.

Related Links: