Queen Elizabeth II became Head of the Commonwealth upon the death of her father, King George VI, on 6 February 1952 and remained Head of the Commonwealth until her death on 8 September 2022. During that time, she toured the Commonwealth of Nations widely. She visited all member states except for Cameroon, and the three most recently joined member states, Rwanda, Togo and Gabon. [1] [2] [3] Her first foreign tour was before her accession when she accompanied her parents to the countries of Southern Africa in 1947.
Tours of the British Islands are excluded from the list below.
Date | Country | Host |
---|---|---|
6 February 1952 [4] | Kenya | Governor Mitchell |
24–25 November 1953 [4] | Bermuda | Governor Hood |
25–27 November 1953 [4] | Jamaica | Governor Foot |
17–19 December 1953 [4] | Fiji | Governor Garvey |
19–20 December 1953 [4] | Tonga | Queen Sālote Tupou III |
23 December 1953 – 30 January 1954 [4] | New Zealand | Governor-General Norrie |
3 February 1954 – 1 April 1954 [4] | Australia | Governor-General Slim |
5 April 1954 [4] | Cocos Islands | Governor Nicoll |
10–21 April 1954 [4] | Ceylon | Governor-General Ramsbotham |
27 April 1954 [4] | Aden | Governor Hickinbotham |
28–30 April 1954 [4] | Uganda | Governor Cohen |
3–7 May 1954 [4] | Malta | Governor Creasy |
10 May 1954 [4] | Gibraltar | Governor MacMillan |
28 January – 16 February 1956 [4] [5] | Nigeria | Governor-General Robertson |
12–16 October 1957 [4] | Canada | Governor General Massey |
18 June – 1 August 1959 [4] | Canada | Governor General Massey |
Date | Country | Host |
---|---|---|
17 March – 1 April 2000 [4] | Australia | Governor-General Deane |
18–20 February 2002 [4] | Jamaica | Governor-General Cooke |
22–27 February 2002 [4] | New Zealand | Governor-General Cartwright |
27 February – 3 March 2002 [4] | Australia (for 17th CHOGM) | Governor-General Hollingworth |
4–15 October 2002 [4] | Canada | Governor General Clarkson |
3–6 December 2003 [4] | Nigeria (for 18th CHOGM) | President Obasanjo |
17–25 May 2005 [4] | Canada | Governor General Clarkson |
23–26 November 2005 [4] | Malta (for 19th CHOGM) | President Fenech Adami |
11–16 March 2006 [4] | Australia | Governor-General Jeffery |
16–18 March 2006 [4] | Singapore | President Nathan |
20 November 2007 [4] | Malta | President Fenech Adami |
21–24 November 2007 [4] | Uganda (for 20th CHOGM) | President Museveni |
24–26 November 2009 | Bermuda | Governor Gozney |
26–28 November 2009 | Trinidad and Tobago (for 21st CHOGM) | President Richards |
Date | Country | Host |
---|---|---|
28 June – 6 July 2010 [4] | Canada | Governor General Jean |
19–29 October 2011 [4] | Australia (for 22nd CHOGM) [4] | Governor-General Bryce |
26–28 November 2015 [11] | Malta (for 24th CHOGM) | President Coleiro Preca |
British overseas territories |
---|
British Antarctic Territory |
British Indian Ocean Territory |
Falkland Islands |
Pitcairn Islands, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands |
Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha (never visited as Queen) |
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands |
Other territories |
---|
Australian Antarctic Territory (external territory of Australia) [lower-alpha 1] |
Ashmore and Cartier Islands (external territory of Australia) [lower-alpha 1] |
Christmas Island (external territory of Australia) [lower-alpha 1] |
Coral Sea Islands (external territory of Australia) [lower-alpha 1] |
Heard Island and McDonald Islands (external territory of Australia) [lower-alpha 1] |
Niue (Realm of New Zealand) |
Ross Dependency (dependency of New Zealand) [lower-alpha 1] |
Tokelau (dependency of New Zealand) |
Commonwealth countries |
---|
Cameroon |
Eswatini (never visited as Queen) |
Gabon |
Lesotho (never visited as Queen) |
Maldives (never visited while the country has been a member) |
Rwanda |
Togo |
Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon was Queen of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 to 6 February 1952 as the wife of King George VI. She was concurrently the last Empress of India until the British Raj was dissolved in August 1947. After her husband died, she was officially known as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, to avoid confusion with her daughter Queen Elizabeth II.
A Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state that has Charles III as its monarch and head of state. All the realms are equal with and independent of the others, though one person, resident in the United Kingdom, acts as monarch of each. The phrase Commonwealth realm is an informal description not used in any law.
The Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II marked the 25th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952. It was celebrated with large-scale parties and parades throughout the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth throughout 1977, culminating in June with the official "Jubilee Days", held to coincide with the Queen's Official Birthday. The anniversary date itself was commemorated in church services across the land on 6 February 1977, and continued to be for the rest of that month. In March, preparations started for large parties in every major city of the United Kingdom, as well as for smaller ones for countless individual streets throughout the country.
The Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II was the international celebration held in 2002 marking the 50th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952. It was intended by the Queen to be both a commemoration of her 50 years as monarch and an opportunity for her to officially and personally thank her people for their loyalty.
Elizabeth II was the only queen of the State of Malta, which existed from 1964 to 1974. The State of Malta was an independent sovereign state and a constitutional monarchy, which shared a monarch with other Commonwealth realms, including the United Kingdom. Elizabeth's constitutional roles in Malta were mostly delegated to a governor-general.
The history of monarchy in Canada stretches from pre-colonial times through to the present day. The date monarchy was established in Canada varies; some sources say it was when the French colony of New France was founded in the name of King Francis I in 1534, while others state it was in 1497, when John Cabot made landfall in what is thought to be modern day Newfoundland or Nova Scotia, making a claim in the name of King Henry VII. Europeans in the 16th and 17th centuries often considered the territories belonging to different aboriginal groups to be kingdoms. Nevertheless, the present Canadian monarchy can trace itself back to the Anglo-Saxon period and ultimately to the kings of the Angles and the early Scottish kings; monarchs reigning over Canada have included those of France, those of the United Kingdom, and those of Canada. Canadian historian Father Jacques Monet said of Canada's Crown, "[it is] one of an approximate half-dozen that have survived through uninterrupted inheritance from beginnings that are older than our Canadian institution itself."
The republics in the Commonwealth of Nations are the sovereign states in the organisation with a republican form of government. As of June 2022, 36 out of the 56 member states were republics. While Charles III is the titular Head of the Commonwealth, the King is not the head of state of the republican members. The King is however, the reigning monarch in the Commonwealth realms. The Head of the Commonwealth role does not carry with it any power; instead, it is a symbol of the free association of Commonwealth members.
Royal tours of Australia by the British royal family have been taking place since 1867. Since then, there have been over fifty visits by a member of the Royal Family, though only six of those came before 1954. Elizabeth II is the only reigning monarch of Australia to have set foot on Australian soil; she first did so on 3 February 1954, when she was 27 years old. During her sixteen journeys, the Queen visited every Australian state and the two major territories.
Elizabeth II was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states over the course of her lifetime and remained the monarch of 15 realms by the time of her death. Her reign of over 70 years is the longest of any British monarch, the longest of any female monarch, and the second longest verified reign of any monarch of a sovereign state in history.
The monarchy of Papua New Guinea is a system of government in which a hereditary monarch is the sovereign and head of state of Papua New Guinea. The current Papua New Guinean monarch and head of state, since 8 September 2022, is King Charles III. As sovereign, he is the personal embodiment of the Papua New Guinean Crown. Although the person of the sovereign is equally shared with 14 other independent countries within the Commonwealth of Nations, each country's monarchy is separate and legally distinct. As a result, the current monarch is officially titled King of Papua New Guinea and, in this capacity, he and other members of the royal family undertake public and private functions domestically and abroad as representatives of Papua New Guinea. However, the King is the only member of the royal family with any constitutional role.
The monarchy of Saint Lucia is a system of government in which a hereditary monarch is the sovereign and head of state of Saint Lucia. The current monarch and head of state, since 8 September 2022, is King Charles III. As sovereign, he is the personal embodiment of the Saint Lucian Crown. Although the person of the sovereign is equally shared with 14 other independent countries within the Commonwealth of Nations, each country's monarchy is separate and legally distinct. As a result, the current monarch is officially titled King of Saint Lucia and, in this capacity, he and other members of the Royal Family undertake public and private functions domestically and abroad as representatives of the Saint Lucian state. However, the King is the only member of the royal family with any constitutional role.
The monarchy of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is a system of government in which a hereditary monarch is the sovereign and head of state of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The current Vincentian monarch and head of state, since 8 September 2022, is King Charles III. As sovereign, he is the personal embodiment of the Vincentian Crown. Although the person of the sovereign is equally shared with 14 other independent countries within the Commonwealth of Nations, each country's monarchy is separate and legally distinct. As a result, the current monarch is officially titled King of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and, in this capacity, he and other members of the royal family undertake public and private functions domestically and abroad as representatives of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. However, the King is the only member of the royal family with any constitutional role.
From 1947 to 1956, the Dominion of Pakistan was a self-governing country within the Commonwealth of Nations that shared a monarch with the United Kingdom and the other Dominions of the Commonwealth. The monarch's constitutional roles in Pakistan were mostly delegated to a vice-regal representative, the governor-general of Pakistan.
Elizabeth II was Queen of Ghana from 1957 to 1960, when Ghana was an independent sovereign state and a constitutional monarchy. She was also queen of the United Kingdom and other sovereign states. Her constitutional roles in Ghana were delegated to the governor-general of Ghana.
Elizabeth II was Queen of Guyana from 1966 to 1970, when Guyana was independent sovereign state with a constitutional monarchy. She was also the sovereign of the other Commonwealth realms, including the United Kingdom. Her constitutional roles were delegated to the governor-general of Guyana.
Elizabeth II was Queen of Kenya from 1963 to 1964, when Kenya was an independent sovereign state with a constitutional monarchy. She was also the sovereign of the other Commonwealth realms, including the United Kingdom. Her roles as the Kenyan head of state were delegated to the governor-general of Kenya.
Elizabeth II was Queen of Uganda as well as the head of state of Uganda from 1962 to 1963, when the country was an independent constitutional monarchy. She was also the sovereign of other countries in the Commonwealth of Nations, including the United Kingdom.
Elizabeth II was Queen of Trinidad and Tobago from the independence of Trinidad and Tobago on 31 August 1962 until the country became a republic on 1 August 1976. Her constitutional role as head of state was delegated to a governor-general, who acted on the advice of government ministers.
The Queen has yet to visit Cameroon and Rwanda
The Queen has made it to every single nation in the Commonwealth, except two of the more recent entrants, Rwanda and Cameroon.
The Queen has visited every country in the Commonwealth (with the exception of Cameroon, which joined in 1995 and Rwanda which joined in 2009)