Charles III will be officially crowned King of the United Kingdom this Saturday, May 6, but he is also the head of the Commonwealth realms. If the sovereign is officially their head of state, these countries are more and more willing to become republics.
On Saturday May 6, 2023, Charles III will be officially crowned King of the United Kingdom. But the monarch has also headed 14 other states since the death of Elizabeth II. These countries form the realms of the Commonwealth.
They have the same king, but each crown is very different because each kingdom has its own sovereignty. This partly explains the many trips of the royal family around the world. They have diplomatic roles to perform throughout the Commonwealth.
These states emerged from the British colonial empire. Despite their independence, they have in common to have kept the King of the United Kingdom as Head of State.
These kingdoms are all governed by the Westminster system which is the parliamentary system in operation in the United Kingdom. The Palace of Westminster is the seat of the British Parliament.
Some of these kingdoms aspire to emerge from this monarchical regime to become republics. Barbados is the latest state in the Commonwealth to become a state in 2021. On Thursday, May 4, 2023, Jamaican Minister for Constitutional Affairs, Marlene Malahoo Forte spoke to Sky News: “The time has come. The Jamaica in Jamaican hands”. She then detailed her argument: “Jamaicans do not identify with King Charles. He is the most foreign to us.”
The prime minister of Belize shares this republican aspiration. He told The Guardian newspaper that it is “very likely” that his state will become a republic. Le Figaro recalls that: “The government of Belize passed a law last year aimed at creating a constitutional commission which must study several avenues of reform, including the transformation of the country into a republic.”
The colonial past of the British Empire is also a reason for this desire for emancipation. This week, representatives of indigenous peoples and many Commonwealth politicians demanded that King Charles III issue a formal apology for the effects of British colonization, make reparations by redistributing the wealth of the British crown, and return artifacts and human remains in UK museums.
The royal family never issued an official apology, Charles III merely calling slavery a “terrible atrocity”, while his son William expressed his “deep sadness”. The Prime Minister of Belize, in his interview with The Guardian, was emotional over the refusal of British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to apologize for the UK’s role in the triangular trade. Sunak defended himself in front of his Parliament: “I think we should focus, of course, on understanding our history in all its components, and not turn away from it, but make sure that today we have a inclusive and tolerant society for people of all backgrounds.”
