As of 2023, there are 15 Commonwealth realms: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, The Bahamas, Belize, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, and the United Kingdom.
Canada first joined the British Commonwealth as an independent state in 1931. The modern Commonwealth came into existence in 1949 with the London Declaration, and Canada has played an important role in its evolution.
The 56 countries in the British Commonwealth are Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Botswana, Brunei, Cameroon, Canada, Cyprus, Dominica, Eswatini, Fiji, Gabon, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, India, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, ...
Ireland and Zimbabwe are the only republic states to have withdrawn from the Commonwealth entirely. In 1948 and 2003 respectively.
In addition to being the head of state of Britain, King Charles III also assumed the role of monarch for 14 other countries, including Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, among others.
This money does not go to the routine expenses of the Queen, but rather to the offices of the Governor General and Lieutenant Governor. Contrary to public rumors, at no time do Canadians "pay money" to Britain or to the Royal Family.
Nowadays, the British monarchy rules over 15 remaining realms, including the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Jamaica, Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Belize, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Tuvalu.
"Any change in the arrangements around the Crown would require the unanimity of all provinces and the federal government. The chances of getting that are not good." Canada is a constitutional monarchy, which means the British sovereign is our ceremonial head of state, represented by the Governor General.
The Constitution Act, 1982 patriated the British North America Act, 1867 to Canada , thus ending any Canadian dependence on the Parliament of Westminster and further defining its complete independence.
How did that come to be? Canada actually joined the British Commonwealth as an independent state in 1931, but the modern organization as it exists today came to be in 1949 with the London Declaration.
Canada left the British Empire in the aftermath of World War I around the same time Australia and other British colonies did. This was part of British attempts to downsize their liabilities in the wake of the expense that World War I brought.
From the late 15th century, French and British expeditions explored, colonized, and fought over various places within North America in what constitutes present-day Canada. The colony of New France was claimed in 1534 with permanent settlements beginning in 1608.
There are a total of 14 UK Overseas Territories (UKOTs) that have retained a constitutional link with the UK. They are inhabited by over 300,000 citizens and cover a combined area seven times that of the UK.
While Canada might not pay money directly to the monarchy, the country's ties to the House of Windsor could cost taxpayers more than $58.7 million per year.
Canada had established complete sovereignty as an independent country under its own monarchy. In 1999, Nunavut became Canada's third territory after a series of negotiations with the federal government.
See more on the expansion from a First Nations viewpoint. Great Britain began acquiring territory in what is now Canada in the 1600s. In 1867, four British colonies (Quebec, Nova Scotia, Ontario, & New Brunswick) joined together as the "Dominion of Canada" and became a self-governing state within the British Empire.
By 1616, although the entire region was known as New France, the area along the great river of Canada and the Gulf of St. Lawrence was still called Canada. Soon explorers and fur traders opened up territory to the west and to the south, and the area known as Canada grew.
After World War II, as Canada became more autonomous, the full name "Dominion of Canada" was used less and less. The country's name was officially changed to "Canada" in 1982 when the Canada Act was passed, and it's been known by that name ever since.
Angus Reid - April, 2023
The April 23 data also finds half (52%) of Canadians do not want Canada to continue as a constitutional monarchy for generations to come, up 1% from 2023, versus 27% who do and 21% unsure.
What do Canadians pay to the Crown? Each Canadian pays approximately $1.55 to the Crown, totalling almost $59 million annually. These fees go to the Governor General, who not only represents the Queen but also carries out the parliamentary duties of the sovereign in their absence.
Despite 69 per cent of respondents having a "mostly favourable" opinion of Queen Elizabeth II as a person, 33 per cent preferred Canada to remain a monarchy; 36 per cent said they would prefer to have an elected head of state, 21 per cent were indifferent, and 11 per cent were unsure.
Though Canada now has full political independence from the U.K., the British monarchy is still part of the Canadian political system to this day, in an unusual state of affairs that is sometimes described as a “shared monarchy” between Canada and Britain.
According to the book "All the Countries We've Ever Invaded: And the Few We Never Got Round To", there are only 22 countries Britain never invaded throughout history. There aren't many gaps on the map, but some of the more notable include Sweden, Belarus and Vatican City.
The British overseas territories (formerly known as British dependent territories or Crown colonies) are: Anguilla; Bermuda; British Antarctic Territory; British Indian Ocean Territory; British Virgin Islands; Cayman Islands; Falkland Islands; Gibraltar; Montserrat; Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands; St ...
Some of the main benefits of being a commonwealth member include a potentially easier visa application and immigration process and access to other services abroad if your home country's consulate is not in this country.