The British Empire was a world power until the end of the Second World War, and its influence was the same as, for example, the United States or the Soviet Union. Elizabeth’s father, George VI, stood beside Winston Churchill and Allied soldiers in Great Britain during the Second World War. Her daughter ascended the throne as an inconspicuous twenty-five year old woman with little experience. He had a great empire in his hands.

“The Commonwealth was created as an alternative to maintaining close ties based on voluntary friendship and common interests in English-speaking countries. Most of them were countries that were British colonies,” historian Cindy McCreey explains for the news website France24.

According to constitutional law lecturer Craig Prescott, Commonwealth countries are Queen Elizabeth’s priority. “He is the main reason why this community is still alive. He traveled to all these countries several times. He always stresses the importance of it in his Christmas or Commonwealth Day speeches,” added Prescott on the France 24 website.

His last trip abroad was to Malta, where he attended the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. “Elizabeth is very influential. It tries to bridge the gap between countries and their leaders and makes people feel that their country is relevant as a member of the Commonwealth,” McCreey said.

Nature where the sun never sets

At the beginning of the reign of Elizabeth II. The British Empire is vast. Apart from Canada and Australia, India and South Africa also came under its influence. The Commonwealth’s borders today end in Oceania itself. Its members are, for example, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru or Tonga. It’s no exaggeration to say that the sun doesn’t really set over the British Empire and then the Commonwealth. People who spend their holidays in, for example, the Maldives, Cyprus or Jamaica are also under the influence of the British royal crown.

Many countries are eliminating their dependence on Great Britain, at least as far as the rule of the British monarch is concerned. Elizabeth II. at the end of his life he ruled Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Great Britain and Northern Ireland itself. Other countries already have their own presidents, and the crown has only symbolic influence there.

Countries ruled by an English monarch are usually responsible for a governor. “Australia and the UK have a very close relationship defined by a common heritage, shared values, strong people-to-people ties in both countries, close strategic interests and shared interests in investment and trade,” the Australian government described in it. website.

The Australian government has also released figures on how many people have visited each other between the two countries. In 2019, nearly 720,000 Britons traveled to Australia, while around 670,000 Australians traveled. Many people travel to each country for work or study. Nearly 38,000 Britons work in Australia and 6,800 study here.

The difference from other organizations is the independence of each country. According to Britannica.com, individual countries do not have to fulfill any obligations to the Commonwealth. “They are united by a common tradition and experience. Communities are held together on the basis of mutual communication and meetings. Each member country sends its representatives to the capitals of other member countries,” he explained Britannica.

The head of the Commonwealth, king of England, has a major ceremonial function. The Commonwealth Secretariat, on the other hand, organizes various activities between member states. One of them is the Commonwealth Games. Teams mainly from Australasia (Australia and New Zealand), United Kingdom, Canada, South Africa, but also other member countries compete in a series of competitions in various sports, such as athletics, boxing, wrestling or swimming.