what countries are part of the british commonwealth

The Queen was head of state for as many as 32 countries in her 70-year reign by the time of her death, just 14 other than the UK remained. Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh are greeted in Bridgetown, Barbados, 18 February 1966. In depth: Who will King Charles III rule over? Health | One in 10 adults in the UK have turned to private healthcare in the past year amid record NHS waiting lists, new research reveals.Ĭancer research | Doctors have told health services to prepare for a new era of cancer screening after a study found a simple blood test could spot multiple cancer types in patients before they develop clear symptoms.Ĭhris Kaba | Sky News has apologised after one of its reporters incorrectly told viewers that a protest march after the killing of Chris Kaba, who was shot by a Metropolitan police officer on Monday, was instead a gathering of people marking the death of the Queen.Įnergy crisis | Paris city hall is expected to propose this week that the Eiffel Tower, which is among the most visited monuments in the world, should go dark more than an hour earlier than usual because of the energy crisis. Ukraine | Russia targeted infrastructure facilities in central and eastern Ukraine on Sunday evening in a response to a dramatic Ukrainian counter-offensive in Kharkiv province that has reshaped the war and left Moscow reeling. Welcoming the announcement, Commonwealth Secretary-General The Rt Hon Patricia Scotland, QC, said: ‘The Commonwealth, which began as eight nations in 1949, is growing to 56.Today’s newsletter is about those threats to the monarchy around the world – and what differentiates the countries where Charles is being accepted as king from those with an appetite for change. The Commonwealth admitted Gabon and Togo as its 55th and 56th members respectively earlier this year.

Zimbabwe also left voluntarily in 2003, President Emmerson Mnangagwa applied for the country to rejoin the Commonwealth in 2018.

Membership is voluntary and former members of the Commonwealth include Ireland which left in 1949 and Maldives which withdrew in 2016.

What countries are part of the british commonwealth