Yesterday, the news of the death of Queen Elizabeth II, who has occupied the British throne for 70 years, was released. In this context, the Crown assesses the impact of its losses and fears on the independence of several countries that are part of the Commonwealth.

What is the Commonwealth?

The Commonwealth of Nations, also known as the Commonwealth of Nations, is an organization of 54 independent and semi-independent sovereign states from Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas with historical ties to the United Kingdom. It was created with the aim of uniting the countries that were under British rule, thereby promoting international cooperation in political and economic matters.

In 1926, Britain and the Dominions (colonies) agreed that all nations were equal within the empire and would have independence in their governments, but owed allegiance to the British monarch. However, when the states became independent, conditions changed. In this regard, the important point is that although the monarch of England is the head of the organization, since 1950 membership of the Commonwealth has not meant submission to the Crown. In this scenario, only 14 states recognize the British monarchy as their head of state.

Crown Disintegration?

Now, what is the Crown’s concern? with death Isabel II, Charles III he became the leader, which, in his face, this should not be a problem. However, the concerns some of the 14 countries are experiencing are not new, something that has sparked alarm in the UK.

For example, on November 30, 2021, Barbados, after various constitutional reforms, achieved its independence after four centuries of British sovereignty. Similarly, other countries such as Malta, India and South Africa made the same decision.

Therefore, the fear of the monarchy is neither unreasonable nor paranoid, for the queen’s death marked a turning point in her history. In this context, Australia is one of the countries showing considerable interest in declaring independence. According to the latest poll, about 54% of its citizens agree to leave the Kingdom.

Another example is Canada, where despite the fact that honor is given to European families for death, the government has been studying for several months the opinion of the population about ownership. In April, a survey conducted by the Angus Reid Institute reported that only 26% of those consulted agreed to continue with a constitutional monarchy, while 24% stated that they were unsure of their position. Moreover, a relevant fact is that half of those surveyed are convinced that the Kingdom does not play a bigger role in the development of the country.

Similarly, countries in the Caribbean region, such as Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Belize, Granada, Jamaica and Saint Kitts and Nevis, have initiated related procedures to cease being part of the Commonwealth, following the independence of Barbados.

In this way, it is not surprising that in the coming months several countries have made the decision to leave the British Empire. For this reason, the new king will have a key role in the negotiations if he is to change the opinions of these countries and avoid the disintegration of the British Empire.