But in 2020 Jenny Hocking, an Australian historian, secured the release of papers from the palace showing that the queen’s private secretary, Martin Charteris, had told Sir John in advance that he had the power to dismiss the government. Sir John said he had informed Buckingham Palace of his decision only after making it. His act remains one of the most controversial, and disputed, moments in Australian history.

Labor’s supporters were distraught in 1977 Sir John had to resign after enduring two years of protests and criticism. To break it Sir John Kerr, the governor-general, or queen’s representative, of Australia personally dismissed the Labor government. In 1975 a deadlock between the House of Representatives and the Senate created a national crisis. The British monarch’s notional sway over its national affairs has long seemed anachronistic.

The death of Elizabeth II marks the end of an era Īustralia is a particularly interesting case.

Obituary: Elizabeth II never laid down the heavy weight of the crown.

The Commonwealth will miss Queen Elizabeth.

The queen’s passing provides an opportunity for others to make the break in a tasteful, diplomatic way. Before Barbados, the last country to sever ties with the British monarchy was Mauritius, in 1992.

Jacinda Ardern, the prime minister of New Zealand, has said she expects her country to become a republic “within my lifetime”. Last November her country replaced the queen as head of state with Dame Sandra Mason, previously the island’s governor-general. “The time has come to fully leave our colonial past behind,” declared Mia Mottley, Barbados’s prime minister, in September 2020. Many see maintaining links with Britain’s monarch as a colonial anachronism. But as King Charles III takes over from his mother, for some of the 15 remaining realms even that limited interaction may be too much. Her face appeared on banknotes and coins prime ministers met her parliaments were opened on her behalf.

And for most of the subjects that she retained, the queen maintained a mere ceremonial presence in their lives. At her death she remained so for just 15. O ver the course of her long reign Elizabeth II served as head of state of 32 countries, most of them colonies.

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