India, which was by title an empire in its own right, was left out, though it joined the Commonwealth after it was granted independence in 1947. The declaration was formalized in the Statute of Westminster in 1931, officially recognizing the sovereign rights of Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Ireland, and Newfoundland. Territories, British Crown Dependencies and EU member states.

The Balfour Declaration, as the agreement was called, was the launching pad for the British Commonwealth of Nations. List of Commonwealth countries, British Overseas. Foreign & Commonwealth Office was replaced by Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has closed.

There, they agreed that all nations were 'equal in status, in no way subordinate one to another in any aspect of their domestic or external affairs, though united by common allegiance to the Crown.' In the fall of 1926, prime ministers of Britain and its dominions, including Australia, Canada, India, and South Africa, gathered for a conference in London. The Commonwealth was born out of the British Empire, heralding a new era of gradual independence for its former colonies - while still swearing loyalty to the crown. Queen Elizabeth II in Honiara, Solomon Islands, in 1982 as part of a Commonwealth Tour of South Pacific nations. Account icon An icon in the shape of a person's head and shoulders.

What is the british commonwealth