Monarchy in the Commonwealth Realms
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Countries that are Commonwealth Realms share the same monarch. The present Head of State in these countries is Queen Elizabeth II. The Queen's constitutional roles outside the United Kingdom have been almost entirely delegated to the Governors-General of these countries.
This makes the Monarch of the United Kingdom also Monarch of
- Antigua and Barbuda since 1981
- Australia since federation in 1901
- The Bahamas since independence in 1973
- Barbados since independence in 1966
- Belize since independence in 1981
- Canada since 1867
- Grenada since independence in 1974
- Jamaica since independence in 1962
- New Zealand since adoption of the Statute of Westminster in 1947
- Papua New Guinea since independence in 1975
- Saint Kitts and Nevis since independence in 1983
- Saint Lucia since independence in 1979
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines since independence in 1979
- The Solomon Islands since independence in 1978
- Tuvalu since independence in 1978
Additionally, under the 1981 Cook Islands Constitution, the Queen in right of New Zealand is head of state, but any change in the succession made by New Zealand would have no effect in the Cook Islands unless separately ratified there.
Royal succession is governed by the English Act of Settlement of 1701, which is part of the constitutional law of the Commonwealth Realms.
Though the Queen's constitutional powers are virtually identical in each Realm, she does not usually act as political Head of State except in the UK, nor does she commonly perform ceremonial duties, except on occasions of significant historical or political importance. This results from the fact that she resides in the UK, even though she usually visits the other major Commonwealth Realms at least once every five or six years. Day-to-day political and ceremonial duties are instead performed in each Realm by a Governor-General who serves as the Queen's representative. Outside the United Kingdom, the Queen, on the advice of the prime minister of each Realm or, in the cases of Papua New Guinea and the Solomons, by parliamentary vote, appoints a Governor-General to act as her representative. She is also represented by a Governor in each state of Australia, and by a Lieutenant-Governor in each province of Canada. These officials exercise almost all the powers of the constitutional monarch with mostly symbolic, figurehead duties, but they also have reserve powers, called the Royal Prerogative.
[edit] See also
Categories: British Empire | Politics of Antigua and Barbuda | Politics of Australia | Politics of the Bahamas | Politics of Barbados | Politics of Belize | Politics of Canada | Politics of Grenada | Politics of Jamaica | Politics of New Zealand | Politics of Papua New Guinea | Politics of Saint Kitts and Nevis | Politics of Saint Lucia | Politics of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Politics of the Solomon Islands | Politics of Tuvalu | Politics of the Cook Islands | Commonwealth of Nations | British monarchy | Commonwealth realms
