By Olakunle Agboola – Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until she died in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during her lifetime and 15 at the time of her death. Her reign of 70 years and 214 days, the longest of any British monarch, the longest recorded of any female head of state in history, and the second-longest verified reign of any sovereign in history.
Elizabeth was born in Mayfair, London, as the first child of the Duke and Duchess of York (later King George VI and Queen Elizabeth). Her father acceded to the throne in 1936 upon the abdication of his brother, King Edward VIII, making Elizabeth the heir presumptive. She was educated privately at home and began to undertake public duties during the Second World War, serving in the Auxiliary Territorial Service. In November 1947, she married Philip Mountbatten, a former prince of Greece and Denmark, and their marriage lasted 73 years until he died in 2021. They had four children: Charles, Anne, Andrew, and Edward.
As well as being the head of the Royal Family for more than seven decades, Queen Elizabeth II was an important figure in several other countries as the head of the Commonwealth. Formerly known as the British Commonwealth, the Commonwealth is a voluntary association of countries around the world that were once part of the British Empire.
Following a vote in 2018, Charles III is the current head of the Commonwealth. He is King of 14 member states, while 36 other members are republics and five have different monarchs. The Commonwealth’s root goes as far back as the British Empire, but today any country can join. The last two countries to join the Commonwealth are Gabon and Togo in 2022.
Member states have no legal obligations to one another but are connected through their use of the English language and historical ties. The Commonwealth Charter defines their shared values of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law, as promoted by the Commonwealth Games, which happens every four years.
The future role of the monarchy is likely to come under renewed scrutiny, following the death of Her Majesty, The Queen as questions are being tossed, as to if King Charles will remain king over the commonwealth nations, or how many countries might be willing to pull out. Also, another question is, if The Queen’s death might affect the debate about colonialism, reparation, and the future of the commonwealth in most African countries.
Ambassador Sarafa Tunji Isola, Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the UK since 2021, cleared the air. He thinks that having good bilateral relations between the UK and Nigeria is the most important, and does not see Nigeria pulling out of the Commonwealth under the direction of King Charles lll. He expressed his view of deepening the relationship between Nigeria and the United Kingdom, especially through the international partnership commission having a periodic review of a memorandum of understanding.
“What we have in Britain today is a Britain of a multicultural society. Her Majesty The Queen during her reign has undertaken policies that the decision of the commonwealth has somehow become part of Britain. In Nigeria today, we have an estimated 250,000 British Nigerian citizens. Among these we have about 7,000 Nigerians in the British Government, 7 Nigerians in the House of Commons, the present secretary of international trade is also a British Nigerian and the director of the community project Buckingham palace also happens to be a Nigerian.
Also given the fact that although Her Majesty, The Queen might have departed the institution of royalty is dated back to almost 1000 years. The institution has been strengthening and things remain the same. Before the demise of Her Majesty, The Queen, the present King has been given certain responsibilities most especially within the commonwealth nations and this present terrain is not new to him.
We should not also forget that Her Majesty, The Queen played a prominent role in the process of bringing various political parties to the round table of discussion and the declaration of Nigeria’s independence in 1960. So, Nigeria is very strategic in the commonwealth and the late Queen has always accorded us that way.
The outpouring of condolences from Nigeria shows that the queen is well respected and loved. She is loved for promoting peace, her longevity, and her stance towards a more redefined global community where the culture and idiosyncrasy of various components must be respected. The institution built in the Commonwealth, is believed to be sustained by King Charles lll all because he is aware of being part of the institution.”
Commonwealth member countries benefit from being part of a mutually supportive community of independent and sovereign states, aided by more than 80 Commonwealth organizations. The Commonwealth Secretariat, established in 1965, supports Commonwealth member countries to achieve development, democracy, and peace.
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