Commonwealth of Nations

The Commonwealth of Nations, commonly called to as Commonwealth, is a political organization composed of 54 member nations, virtually all of which were once British colonial territory. It is headquartered in London. The Commonwealth Secretariat, which focuses on intergovernmental elements of the organisation, and the Commonwealth Foundation, which focuses on non-governmental connections among member nations, are the organization's two primary organisations.

Historically, the Commonwealth can be traced to the first part of the twentieth century, when the British Empire was decolonised and its territories gained more self-governance, thereby establishing the Commonwealth. Initial creation as the British Commonwealth of Nations occurred during the 1926 Imperial Conference, and it was formalised by the United Kingdom via the Statute of Westminster in 1931. It was initially known as the British Commonwealth of Nations. Currently, the Commonwealth of Nations was legally created in 1949 by the London Declaration, which modernised the community and defined the member nations as "free and equal."

King Charles, Prince of Wales, was named as her intended successor during the 2018 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. Although the role is not hereditary, Queen Elizabeth II has served as head of the Commonwealth since her coronation in 1952. There are 15 member nations collectively referred to as the Commonwealth realms, with Elizabeth II serving as their head of state. The other 34 member states are republics, while the remaining 5 countries have separate monarchs.

Despite the fact that member governments have no legal duties to one another, they are linked by their shared use of the English language and historical links. The Commonwealth Charter, which enshrines their declared common ideals of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law, as well as the quadrennial Commonwealth Games, serve to promote these values.