Commonwealth Day: Which countries call Charles head of state?
King Charles has shared an address of unity on Commonwealth Day, but what is the Commonwealth, which members call Charles III head of state, and which countries are members?
King Charles has urged unity in the face of global crisis as he marks Commonwealth Day on Monday by hailing the partnerships as a force for good.
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The Monarch will attend a ceremony at Westminster Abbey on March 9 where he is expected to pay tribute to the spirit of the nations, while also addressing the world’s challenges.
“We join together on this Commonwealth Day at a time of great challenge and great possibility,” his speech, released on Sunday, said.
"Across our world, communities and nations face the increasing pressures of conflict, climate change and rapid transformation.
"Yet it is often in such testing moments that the enduring spirit of the Commonwealth is most clearly revealed."
The King has faced calls to cancel his planned trip to the US, in light of the Trump administration striking Iran.
The Commonwealth has come into public eye in recent weeks, as countries in the “realm,” which call Charles III their head of state, come out in favour of removing Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from the line of succession.
Here is what you need to know about the Commonwealth.
What is the Commonwealth?
The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of 56 countries, which seek to collaborate on issues such as democracy, trade and climate change, states the government.
The vast majority of the nations were part of the British Empire, but the Commonwealth has existed as an entity since 1949 with the British monarch as the de facto leader. It became established to connect nations once in the Empire as British colonialism in the 20th century.
In 2022, Gabon and Togo joined - becoming the first former French colonies to do so, which had no part of the British Empire.
Other members have come and gone as their countries have been engulfed in civil war or unrest, with Fiji, Nigeria, and Pakistan having all been suspended and readmitted. Zimbabwe is currently applying to be let back in, having left in 2003.
Every Commonwealth country that has King Charles as its head of state
All members are considered equal, although 15 of the nations recognise King Charles as head of state - and these are said to be in the Commonwealth Realm.
Although Charles is the head of state, he has little to do with the runnings of each country and nations are free to leave the Realm, with Barbados having been a recent example, breaking away in 2021.
The nations in the Commonwealth Realm are:
- Australia,
- Bahamas,
- Belize,
- Canada,
- Grenada,
- Jamaica,
- New Zealand,
- Saint Kitts and Nevis.
- Solomon Islands,
- Tuvalu,
- United Kingdom
Every Commonwealth nation
The government states that day-to-day decision making for the Commonwealth is undertaken by the Secretary General, currently Baroness Scotland, although the King is at the head.
Every two years, Commonwealth Heads of Government meet and there is also Commonwealth Day. Here are the 56 nations within the union:
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Australia
- Bahamas
- Bangladesh
- Barbados
- Belize
- Botswana
- Brunei
- Cameroon
- Canada
- Cyprus
- Dominica
- Eswatini
- Fiji
- Gabon
- Gambia
- Ghana
- Grenada
- Guyana
- India
- Jamaica
- Kenya
- Kiribati
- Lesotho
- Malawi
- Malaysia
- Maldives
- Malta
- Mauritius
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- Nauru
- New Zealand
- Nigeria
- Pakistan
- Papua New Guinea
- Rwanda
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Samoa
- Seychelles
- Sierra Leone
- Singapore
- Solomon Islands
- South Africa
- Sri Lanka
- Tanzania
- Togo
- Tonga
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Tuvalu
- Uganda
- United Kingdom
- Vanuatu
- Zambia