what does it mean to be part of the commonwealth

Professor Twomey said more countries would likely become republics – but she did not expect a huge push. The Queen in Tonga, beside Queen Salote of Tonga, on her tour of the Commonwealth in 1953.

The Commonwealth is made up of 56 countries, but only 15 are realms – countries where the monarch is head of state (and this includes the United Kingdom). It's a voluntary association, sometimes described as a 'family of nations'.

Queen Elizabeth II's state funeral in pictures.

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Philip Murphy, former head of the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, said the organisation lent on the monarch for legitimacy, but had achieved 'nothing tangible' on its own. It's a 'watershed moment', which may spark a rethink of the Commonwealth's role, according to constitutional law expert Anne Twomey. Her death doesn't change a lot about how the Commonwealth runs, but it could prompt the question of whether it has a purpose, experts say. The title isn't inherited, but Commonwealth members have already agreed that King Charles should succeed the Queen. Queen Elizabeth II was head of the Commonwealth for as long as she reigned.

What does it mean to be part of the commonwealth