Eleanor Finch
The death of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022 brought renewed visibility to the role of the British monarch in the Commonwealth. Commonwealth realms are sovereign states that are united by a voluntary connection to the monarchy, the succession, and the King himself. There are 15 Commonwealth realms, including the United Kingdom, that recognise King Charles III as their head of state. In contrast, constitutional monarchies range from countries where the constitution grants substantial discretionary powers to the sovereign, to countries where the monarch retains significantly less personal discretion in the exercise of their authority.
Differences between Commonwealth realms and constitutional monarchies
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of countries | 15 Commonwealth realms |
| Range of countries for constitutional monarchies, including Liechtenstein, Monaco, Morocco, Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Bhutan, UK, Netherlands, Spain, Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Lesotho, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, and Japan | |
| Monarch | King Charles III |
| Constitutional monarchies can be elective monarchies, such as Malaysia and Cambodia | |
| Constitutional monarchies can be absolute monarchies, such as the United Arab Emirates | |
| Semi-constitutional monarchies are constitutional monarchies where the monarch retains substantial powers | |
| Sovereign | The Commonwealth realms are sovereign states |
| The republics in the Commonwealth of Nations are sovereign states with a republican form of government | |
| Governance | The Commonwealth realms share the same person as hereditary monarchy under the Westminster system of constitutional governance |
| Constitutional monarchies can have varying levels of power, ranging from substantial discretionary powers to significantly less personal discretion | |
| Constitutional monarchies can be crowned republics, such as the UK and Australia | |
| Constitutional monarchies can be federal countries with an elective monarchy, such as Malaysia | |
| In constitutional monarchies, the monarch may act as a non-party political ceremonial head of state | |
| In constitutional monarchies, the monarch may have reserve powers to be used in times of extreme emergency or constitutional crises | |
| In constitutional monarchies, the monarch may have a religious role, such as the sovereign as head of the Church of England |
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What You'll Learn
- Commonwealth realms are sovereign states with the same monarch and head of state
- Constitutional monarchies can range from countries where the constitution grants substantial powers to the sovereign, to countries where the monarch retains significantly less power
- The monarch of a constitutional monarchy acts as a non-party political ceremonial head of state
- Commonwealth realms share the same person as their hereditary monarchy under the Westminster system of constitutional governance
- The monarch of a constitutional monarchy may be the head of the Commonwealth, a non-constitutional role
Commonwealth realms are sovereign states with the same monarch and head of state
Commonwealth realms are sovereign states that share the same monarch and head of state. As of 2025, 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. These realms are united only by their voluntary connection to the monarchy and the monarch, currently King Charles III. The monarch is the head of state in each of these countries and is represented by a governor-general, who carries out most constitutional and ceremonial duties on the monarch's behalf. The governor-general is appointed on the advice of the prime minister or premier of the respective country or state and may have additional requirements.
The Commonwealth realms are constitutional monarchies, where the monarch acts as a non-party political ceremonial head of state. The monarch's role in these realms is largely symbolic, and they have limited legislative and executive powers, which are often carried out by viceroys such as the governor-general. The monarch's powers in the Commonwealth realms are significantly less than in some other constitutional monarchies, such as Liechtenstein, Monaco, and Morocco, where the sovereign has substantial discretionary powers.
The Commonwealth realms are also referred to as the "international monarchy," as the monarch is the head of state in these 15 realms and also holds the position of Head of the Commonwealth, a non-constitutional role. This role, primarily shaped by Queen Elizabeth II, portrays the monarch as the head of a "family of nations," a multicultural and multiracial group of independent states. However, the monarch's role as the constitutional head of state in the Commonwealth realms has been questioned, especially with the rise of republicanism in some realms following the death of Queen Elizabeth II and the accession of King Charles III.
The Commonwealth of Nations has 56 independent member states, 36 of which are republics as of June 2022. The republics within the Commonwealth are sovereign states with a republican form of government. While King Charles III is the titular Head of the Commonwealth, he is not the head of state of these republican members. The monarch's role as Head of the Commonwealth is symbolic of the free association of Commonwealth members and does not carry any power.
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Constitutional monarchies can range from countries where the constitution grants substantial powers to the sovereign, to countries where the monarch retains significantly less power
A constitutional monarchy is a system of government in which a monarch acts as a non-party political ceremonial head of state under the constitution. The monarch may have substantial powers, or they may have a largely ceremonial role.
The Commonwealth realms are sovereign states that share the same monarch and head of state, currently King Charles III. They are united only by their voluntary connection to the monarchy and the person of the sovereign. The monarch in the Commonwealth realms is typically represented by a governor-general, who carries out most constitutional and ceremonial duties on the monarch's behalf. The monarch may perform constitutional duties in person on occasions of national importance, such as granting royal assent or issuing a royal proclamation.
The extent of the monarch's powers in the Commonwealth realms varies. They hold significant "reserve" or "prerogative" powers, which can be used in times of extreme emergency or constitutional crisis, usually to uphold parliamentary government. For example, during the 1975 Australian constitutional crisis, the Governor-General dismissed the Australian Prime Minister, Gough Whitlam.
Some constitutional monarchies are elective monarchies, where the ruler is selected by an electoral college, as in Malaysia and Cambodia. In Papua New Guinea, sovereignty is vested in the citizenry, and the monarch is requested by the people to become the head of state. Similarly, in Spain, the constitution does not recognise the monarch as sovereign, but as the head of state, with sovereignty belonging to the Spanish people.
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The monarch of a constitutional monarchy acts as a non-party political ceremonial head of state
A constitutional monarchy is a system of government in which a monarch acts as a non-party political ceremonial head of state under the constitution, whether codified or uncodified. The monarch of a constitutional monarchy, therefore, acts as a non-party political ceremonial head of state.
Commonwealth realms are sovereign states that are united by their voluntary connection to the institution of the monarchy, the succession, and the King himself. There are 15 Commonwealth realms, including the United Kingdom, and they share the same monarch and head of state, currently King Charles III. The monarch is represented by a governor-general in each realm, except for the United Kingdom.
The monarch in a constitutional monarchy has limited powers and typically acts on the advice of local ministers or according to conventions or statutes. The extent of the monarch's powers can vary across different constitutional monarchies. For example, in some countries like Liechtenstein and Monaco, the constitution grants substantial discretionary powers to the sovereign, while in other countries like the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms, the monarch's powers are more limited.
In the Commonwealth realms, the monarch and their governors-general hold significant "reserve" or "prerogative" powers that can be exercised in times of extreme emergency or constitutional crises to uphold parliamentary government. For instance, during the 1975 Australian constitutional crisis, the Governor-General of Australia dismissed the Australian Prime Minister, Gough Whitlam.
While the monarch in a constitutional monarchy is a non-party political head of state, they can still retain certain political roles and significant authorities, such as through reserve powers. Additionally, the monarch may have a role in the international sphere as the head of a commonwealth or union of nations, as seen with the Commonwealth of Nations and the King of the United Kingdom, who is also the Head of the Commonwealth.
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Commonwealth realms share the same person as their hereditary monarchy under the Westminster system of constitutional governance
The Commonwealth realms are sovereign states that share the same person as their hereditary monarchy under the Westminster system of constitutional governance. There are 15 Commonwealth realms, including the United Kingdom, that recognise King Charles III as their head of state. The other 14 Commonwealth realms are 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, and Tuvalu.
The Commonwealth realms are united by their voluntary connection to the monarchy and the person of the sovereign, with the monarch acting as the leader of the Commonwealth. The monarch is represented in each of the realms by a governor-general, who performs most constitutional and ceremonial duties on behalf of the king. The governor-general is appointed on the advice of the prime minister or premier of the respective realm and may have additional requirements. The monarch may perform certain constitutional duties in person, such as granting royal assent or issuing a royal proclamation.
The Commonwealth of Nations consists of 56 independent member states, of which 36 are republics as of June 2022. The republics within the Commonwealth have evolved into their current form of government while retaining a connection to the British monarchy. For example, some republics continue to recognise the right of appeal to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.
The concept of the Commonwealth realms as a grouping of countries sharing the same monarch has been described as "an achievement without parallel in the history of international relations or constitutional law" by political scientist Peter Boyce. The unique nature of this arrangement has also led to debates about the role of the British monarch in the Commonwealth, especially following the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022 and the accession of King Charles III.
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The monarch of a constitutional monarchy may be the head of the Commonwealth, a non-constitutional role
The Commonwealth realms are sovereign states that are united by their voluntary connection to the institution of the monarchy, the succession, and the King himself. The monarch of a constitutional monarchy may be the head of the Commonwealth, a non-constitutional role. The current monarch, King Charles III, is the head of the Commonwealth, but he is not the head of state of the republican members. The King is the reigning monarch in the Commonwealth realms, which number 15, including the United Kingdom.
The Commonwealth of Nations has 56 independent member states, but only 15 have Charles III as their head of state. The Head of the Commonwealth role does not carry any power and is instead a symbol of the free association of Commonwealth members. The monarch's position as head of the Commonwealth conveys the image of the head of a multicultural and multiracial "family of nations".
The Commonwealth realms share the same person as their hereditary monarchy under the Westminster system of constitutional governance. The monarch and their Governors-General in the Commonwealth realms hold significant "reserve" or "prerogative" powers, which can be wielded in times of extreme emergency or constitutional crisis, usually to uphold parliamentary government. The monarch appoints viceroys to perform most constitutional and ceremonial duties on their behalf in the other realms. These include a governor-general as their personal national representative, a lieutenant governor as their representative in each of the Canadian provinces, and a governor as their representative in each of the Australian states.
The role of the monarch as the head of a constitutional monarchy in their 14 "other realms" might undermine the legitimacy of the monarchy, both internationally and nationally, particularly in the context of global demands for decolonial reparations and justice.
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Frequently asked questions
Commonwealth realms are sovereign states in the Commonwealth of Nations that have the same monarch and head of state as the other realms. The current monarch of the 15 Commonwealth realms is King Charles III.
Constitutional monarchies are countries where the constitution grants substantial discretionary powers to the sovereign. The monarch acts as a non-party political ceremonial head of state under the constitution, whether codified or uncodified. Examples include Liechtenstein, Monaco, Morocco, Jordan, and the United Kingdom.
All Commonwealth realms are constitutional monarchies, but not all constitutional monarchies are Commonwealth realms. Constitutional monarchies can have their own individual monarchs, while Commonwealth realms share the same monarch, currently King Charles III.
