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King Carlos III reigns in 15 countries.
Elizabeth II was known worldwide as the queen of England, but the truth is that her crown -which has now been inherited by her son, King Charles III- encompassed many other territories.
And it is that the deceased monarch reigned in 14 other countries and, in addition, headed the Commonwealth of Nations or Commonwealth, an organization of sovereign states that has 56 members from all over the world, including the United Kingdom.
The new King of England, Charles III, assumed the role of head of this Commonwealth following the death of Elizabeth II. However, this is not a hereditary position and his appointment is the result of a decision made by the heads of government of these countries during a summit held in 2018.
Despite retaining the role of his mother at the head of the Commonwealth, it is not clear that in the future Carlos III can continue to be monarch of several of the States over which Elizabeth II reigned, since some of them have hinted or announced their interest in become republics.
Last week, shortly following the proclamation of Carlos III as king, the prime minister of Old and beardedGaston Browne, announced his intention to hold a referendum in the next three years to make a transition to a purely republican system.
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Carlos III is also monarch of Granada.
The government of Jamaica has plans and a similar schedule. Last March, Prime Minister Andrew Holness informed Prince William and his wife Kate, who were on an official visit to the Caribbean country, of his intentions.
The current Prime Minister of AustraliaPresident Anthony Albanese has also said he wants to hold a referendum to turn his country into a republic, but has made it clear he does not plan to do so during his first term in office, which ends in 2025.
In the case of New ZealandThe Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, has said that she supports her country’s transition to a republic, but following the death of Elizabeth II, she made it clear that she will not promote this change during her government.
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As then crown prince, King Charles III traveled to Barbados in November 2021, where he participated in charity activities and in that country’s transition to a republic.
The last country over which Elizabeth II reigned that decided to become a republic was Barbados, in November 2021. Her then heir, the current King Carlos III, attended the ceremony in which the change to the country was certified as a representative of the monarch.
a long reign
The territories in which Elizabeth II reigned and where her son now reigns cover the more than 15,000 kilometers that separate Buckingham Palace in London from the small island of Tuvalu, the most remote of the places under her reign, in the middle of the Indian Ocean. .
The reason? Although most of the territories and colonies under British rule achieved their independence during the decolonization period of the decades following World War II, many of these became constitutional monarchies and they kept Elizabeth II as their queen and head of state.
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During her reign, Elizabeth II made official trips to countries of the Commonwealth of Nations, such as this visit to Nigeria in 1956.
Several are found on the American continent.
Most are islands in the Caribbean Seaalthough the list includes the second largest state on the planet and the largest in America: Canada.
The others are: Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Belize, Grenada, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincentand the Grenadines.
Outside the American continent and the United Kingdom, the countries in which Carlos III reigns are Australia, New Zealand, Tuvalu, Solomon Islands y Papua New Guinea.
Colonies and territories
To the states mentioned must be added the so-called “British Overseas Territories”, which are a set of colonies and territories that did not become independent.
In the Western Hemisphere, this list includes the islands Malvinas/Falklands, as well as to Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Montserrat; and the Turks and Caicos Islands.
As they are constitutional monarchies, the role of Carlos III in those countries where he has the role of head of state is mostly symbolic and representative, and depends on the current legal system approved by the authorities of each state.
Thus, their reign in these places depends on the sovereign will of their citizens.
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