| Head of the Commonwealth | |
|---|---|
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| Commonwealth of Nations | |
| Seat | Marlborough House, London |
| Appointer | Commonwealth heads of government |
| Term length | Life tenure |
| Inaugural holder | George VI |
| Formation | 28 April 1949 |
| Website | thecommonwealth.org |
The Head of the Commonwealth is the ceremonial leader who symbolises "the free association of independent member nations" of the Commonwealth of Nations, an intergovernmental organisation that currently comprises 56 sovereign states. There is no set term of office or term limit and the role itself has no constitutional relevance to any of the member states within the Commonwealth. The position is currently held by King Charles III.[1] Head of the Commonwealth is also a title of the monarch of each of the Commonwealth realms according to the Royal Style and Titles Act.
By 1949, what was then called the British Commonwealth was a group of eight countries, each having King George VI as monarch. India, however, desired to become a republic, but not to leave the Commonwealth by doing so. This was accommodated by the creation of the title Head of the Commonwealth for the King and India became a republic in 1950. Subsequently, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, other nations, including Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Ghana, and Singapore, also became republics, but, as members of the Commonwealth, recognised her as the organisation's head.[2] Per agreement reached at the CHOGM in 2018, Charles III succeeded Elizabeth II as head of the Commonwealth upon her death on 8 September 2022.[3]
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
:0was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Our history". Commonwealth. Archived from the original on 11 September 2022. Retrieved 11 September 2022.
- ^ "Charles 'to be next Commonwealth head'". BBC News. 20 April 2018. Retrieved 20 April 2018.