The Queen has served as head of state in the UK for nearly 68 years, having taken the throne in 1952. She has spent the past near seven decades in a neutered position compared to her predecessors but retains influence on British society. The monarch has also preserved similar leadership across the world, a legacy of her antecedents.
Which countries have the Queen as head of state?
The Queen took the throne not long after the end of the British Empire in 1952 after the Commonwealth formed.
vThe Commonwealth of Nations joins countries once held in the British Empire which now receive state aid and a unique international connection.
Some nations didn’t enter the group from the empire, but many did and still have the Queen as head of state.
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In total, the Commonwealth of Nations joins together 54 separate nations.
Those that recognise the Queen as leader became a “Commonwealth Realm”.
Although they see her as a leader, the Queen’s role in these countries is mostly informal, as a Governor-General conducts duties in her stead.
Over time, some have decided to drop her as a leader, while others have elected to keep her on.
Countries have opted in and out of the group, the most recent of which was Barbados.
The Prime Minister of the Caribbean island said residents of the country wanted to depart from their colonial past and take on a local head of state.
Mia Mottley, a longstanding republican and first female premier of the island said Barbados would become a republic by late next year.
She added the country would not conduct a referendum, instead using the constitution and a parliamentary vote requiring a two-thirds majority.
UK Governor-General Dame Sandra Mason read out her speech, which said: “The time has come to fully leave our colonial past behind. Barbadians want a Barbadian head of state.
“This is the ultimate statement of confidence in who we are and what we are capable of achieving. Hence, Barbados will take the next logical step toward full sovereignty and become a republic by the time we celebrate our 55th anniversary of independence.
“Barbados has developed governance structures and institutions that mark us as what has been described as ‘the best governed Black society in the world’.
“Since independence, we Barbadians have sought constantly to improve our systems of law and governance so as to ensure they best reflect our characteristics and values as a nation.”
