Why Queen Elizabeth II was queen of 15 countries

The Commonwealth, explained.

After centuries of colonizing much of the world, the British Empire began its fast descent in the 1960s amid a global wave of independence movements. But when Queen Elizabeth II died in 2022, she was not only still queen of 14 countries besides the United Kingdom; she was also still the leader of an organization that, on a map, looks a lot like the British Empire.

The British Empire created the first iteration of the Commonwealth to appease white settler colonies looking for more autonomy. It granted them more independence to govern themselves but kept them under the crown. As British leaders realized their power might be at risk throughout their colonies worldwide, the monarchy made a play to keep ties and preserve their global influence by allowing newly independent republics to join the Commonwealth, too. The only catch: They had to accept the queen as the leader of the organization. With her death, this vestige of the British Empire is now under the leadership of King Charles III. So what exactly is the Commonwealth? Why is it still here? And will it survive?

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