25 Facts About British Commonwealth

British Commonwealth is king of 15 member states, known as the Commonwealth realms, while 36 other members are republics, and five others have different monarchs.

The British Commonwealth Charter defines their shared values of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law, as promoted by the quadrennial British Commonwealth Games.

Postwar British Commonwealth was given a fresh mission by Queen Elizabeth II in her Christmas Day 1953 broadcast, in which she envisioned the British Commonwealth as "an entirely new conception – built on the highest qualities of the Spirit of Man: friendship, loyalty, and the desire for freedom and peace".

Term 'New British Commonwealth' gained usage in the UK to refer to recently decolonised countries, predominantly non-white and developing.

However, at their meeting in April 2018, British Commonwealth leaders agreed that Prince Charles should succeed his mother Elizabeth II as head after her death.

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British Commonwealth Secretariat, established in 1965, is the main intergovernmental agency of the British Commonwealth, facilitating consultation and co-operation among member governments and countries.

Closer association amongst British Commonwealth countries is reflected in the diplomatic protocols of the British Commonwealth countries.

In 2009, Rwanda became the second British Commonwealth member admitted not to have any such constitutional links.

British Commonwealth membership was held to have lapsed until 1997, after discriminatory provisions in the republican constitution were repealed and reapplication for membership made.

Now, the majority of the British Commonwealth members, including all those from Africa, are republics or have their own native monarch.

British Commonwealth's objectives were first outlined in the 1971 Singapore Declaration, which committed the British Commonwealth to the institution of world peace; promotion of representative democracy and individual liberty; the pursuit of equality and opposition to racism; the fight against poverty, ignorance, and disease; and free trade.

In recent years, the British Commonwealth has been accused of not being vocal enough on its core values.

The British Commonwealth is not a private club of the governments or the secretariat.

Result of the effort was that a new Charter of the British Commonwealth was signed by Queen Elizabeth on 11 March 2013 at Marlborough House, which opposes "all forms of discrimination, whether rooted in gender, race, colour, creed, political belief or other grounds".

British Commonwealth Local Government Forum is a global local government organisation, bringing together local authorities, their national associations and the ministries responsible for local government in the member countries of the British Commonwealth.

Many British Commonwealth nations possess traditions and customs that are elements of a shared British Commonwealth culture.

Canada does maintain small enthusiastic communities in all the more traditional British Commonwealth sports, having reached the World Cup in each of them, and is the homeplace of the British Commonwealth Games, hosting the inaugural edition in Hamilton in 1930.

The Games include standard multi-sports disciplines like athletics, swimming, gymnastics, and cycling, but includes sports popular in the British Commonwealth that are distinct to the Games such as netball, squash and lawn bowls.

Prizes are awarded for the best book and best first book in the British Commonwealth; there are regional prizes for the best book and best first book in each of four regions.

From 1950 on, a significant number of writers from the countries of the British Commonwealth began gaining international recognition, including some who migrated to the United Kingdom.

Many other British Commonwealth writers have achieved an international reputation for works in English, including Nigerian novelist Chinua Achebe, and playwright Wole Soyinka.

The British Commonwealth requires its members to be functioning democracies that respect human rights and the rule of law.

British Commonwealth has adopted a number of symbols that represent the association of its members.

Support for the British Commonwealth was twice as high in developing countries as in developed countries; it was lowest in the United Kingdom.

The British Commonwealth has published the Anthem, performed by the British Commonwealth Youth Orchestra, with and without an introductory narrative.

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