{"id":4965,"date":"2019-12-11T12:16:08","date_gmt":"2019-12-11T12:16:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/evanevanstours.com\/blog\/?p=4965"},"modified":"2025-07-16T16:58:26","modified_gmt":"2025-07-16T15:58:26","slug":"what-is-the-commonwealth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/evanevanstours.com\/blog\/what-is-the-commonwealth\/","title":{"rendered":"What is the Commonwealth?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/thecommonwealth.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Commonwealth of Nations<\/a>, often simply referred to as the <strong>Commonwealth<\/strong>, is a voluntary association of 56 sovereign states, mainly former <a href=\"https:\/\/evanevanstours.com\/blog\/is-the-uk-a-country-the-union-explained\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">British Empire territories<\/a>, united by shared values in democracy, human rights, and sustainable development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Its roots go back to the 17th-century term meaning \u201ccommon well-being,\u201d and it evolved into a formal association in the 20th century. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>In this article, we answer the following questions:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Why is it called the Commonwealth?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What are the Commonwealth key dates?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Who governs the Commonwealth, and how is it structured?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What is a Commonwealth Realm?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Which countries are in the Commonwealth today?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What are the Commonwealth Games?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What are the Commonwealth&#8217;s priorities for the future?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Let&#8217;s dive in!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why is it called the Commonwealth?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The term &#8216;Commonwealth&#8217; actually came from the era of Oliver Cromwell, when the infamous Lord Protector&#8217;s fledgling republic was nicknamed \u2018The Commonwealth of England\u2019. The term, quite literally, means<em> &#8216;common well-being&#8217;.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What are the Commonwealth key dates?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\"><strong>1926<\/strong>: The Balfour Declaration recognised the sovereignty of Dominions like Canada, Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand.<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>1931<\/strong>: The Statute of Westminster legally solidified Dominion autonomy, though some only implemented it years later.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>1949<\/strong>: The London Declaration inaugurated the modern Commonwealth, dropping \u201cBritish\u201d and welcoming republics and realms alike.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Who governs the Commonwealth, and how is it structured?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Head of the Commonwealth<\/strong>: A symbolic, non-political role currently held by <strong>King Charles III<\/strong>, separate from any constitutional authority in member states.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Secretariat<\/strong>: Based at Marlborough House, London, and led by Secretary-General <strong>Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey<\/strong> (the first African woman in this role), elected in June 2025.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Charter Principles<\/strong>: Rooted in the 1971 Singapore Declaration and later reaffirmed (e.g., Harare 1991), outlining democracy, human rights, gender equality, environmental sustainability, and economic cooperation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DIBdgcMMte3\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\" style=\" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);\"><div style=\"padding:16px;\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DIBdgcMMte3\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" style=\" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;\" target=\"_blank\"> <div style=\" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;\"> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"padding: 19% 0;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;\"><svg width=\"50px\" height=\"50px\" viewBox=\"0 0 60 60\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\"><g stroke=\"none\" stroke-width=\"1\" fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><g transform=\"translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)\" fill=\"#000000\"><g><path d=\"M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631\"><\/path><\/g><\/g><\/g><\/svg><\/div><div style=\"padding-top: 8px;\"> <div style=\" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;\">View this post on Instagram<\/div><\/div><div style=\"padding: 12.5% 0;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;\"><div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);\"><\/div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;\"><\/div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);\"><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin-left: 8px;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)\"><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin-left: auto;\"> <div style=\" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);\"><\/div> <div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);\"><\/div><\/div><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;\"><\/div><\/div><\/a><p style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DIBdgcMMte3\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;\" target=\"_blank\">A post shared by The Royal Family (@theroyalfamily)<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is a Commonwealth Realm?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p> A &#8216;Commonwealth Realm&#8217; is a country which had Queen Elizabeth II as its constitutional monarch. Despite this association, it should be noted that these countries are all self-governing, sovereign states and united only in their (entirely voluntary) connection with the British monarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Which countries are in the Commonwealth today?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/f\/fa\/Commonwealth_of_Nations_members_with_territories.png\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>With <strong>56 members<\/strong>, it goes without saying that the Commonwealth comprises a large part of the world and its population, with states from Europe, Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, the Americas and the Pacific. That&#8217;s around <strong>2.7 billion <\/strong>people. With so many members, it goes without saying that there are plenty of incredible places to visit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Visit the whitest sand beach in the world, the incredible Great Barrier Reef and lush rainforests of Australia, explore the crystal-clear glacial lakes and mountains of Canada or go on a safari adventure in South Africa &#8211; the possibilities are endless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Here&#8217;s the full list of Commonwealth countries across the world as of 2025: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th><strong>Africa (21)<\/strong><\/th><th><strong>Asia (8)<\/strong><\/th><th><strong>Caribbean &amp; Americas (13)<\/strong><\/th><th><strong>Europe (3)<\/strong><\/th><th><strong>Pacific (11)<\/strong><\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Botswana<\/td><td>Bangladesh<\/td><td>Antigua and Barbuda<\/td><td>Cyprus<\/td><td>Australia<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Cameroon<\/td><td>Brunei Darussalam<\/td><td>The Bahamas<\/td><td>Malta<\/td><td>Fiji<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Gabon<\/td><td>India<\/td><td>Barbados<\/td><td>United Kingdom<\/td><td>Kiribati<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>The Gambia<\/td><td>Malaysia<\/td><td>Belize<\/td><td><\/td><td>Nauru<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Ghana<\/td><td>Maldives<\/td><td>Canada<\/td><td><\/td><td>New Zealand<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Kenya<\/td><td>Pakistan<\/td><td>Dominica<\/td><td><\/td><td>Papua New Guinea<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Eswatini (Swaziland)<\/td><td>Singapore<\/td><td>Grenada<\/td><td><\/td><td>Samoa<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Lesotho<\/td><td>Sri Lanka<\/td><td>Guyana<\/td><td><\/td><td>Solomon Islands<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Malawi<\/td><td><\/td><td>Jamaica<\/td><td><\/td><td>Tonga<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Mauritius<\/td><td><\/td><td>Saint Lucia<\/td><td><\/td><td>Tuvalu<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Mozambique<\/td><td><\/td><td>St Kitts and Nevis<\/td><td><\/td><td>Vanuatu<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Namibia<\/td><td><\/td><td>St Vincent &amp; the Grenadines<\/td><td><\/td><td><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Nigeria<\/td><td><\/td><td>Trinidad and Tobago<\/td><td><\/td><td><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Rwanda<\/td><td><\/td><td><\/td><td><\/td><td><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Seychelles<\/td><td><\/td><td><\/td><td><\/td><td><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Sierra Leone<\/td><td><\/td><td><\/td><td><\/td><td><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>South Africa<\/td><td><\/td><td><\/td><td><\/td><td><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Togo<\/td><td><\/td><td><\/td><td><\/td><td><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Uganda<\/td><td><\/td><td><\/td><td><\/td><td><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>United Republic of Tanzania<\/td><td><\/td><td><\/td><td><\/td><td><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Zambia<\/td><td><\/td><td><\/td><td><\/td><td><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What are the Commonwealth Games?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s even a Commonwealth Games, a multi-sport event similar to the Olympics, that occurs every four years and involves all members of the Commonwealth. The games began in 1930 in Canada and have been ongoing ever since.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Currently, the 2026 Games are actively preparing: The King\u2019s Baton Relay was launched on 10 March\u202f2025, with stops starting in Trinidad &amp; Tobago, moving through all regions, and featuring bespoke batons for each of the 74 Commonwealth Games Associations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DBavDLOuae8\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\" style=\" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);\"><div style=\"padding:16px;\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DBavDLOuae8\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" style=\" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;\" target=\"_blank\"> <div style=\" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;\"> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"padding: 19% 0;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;\"><svg width=\"50px\" height=\"50px\" viewBox=\"0 0 60 60\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\"><g stroke=\"none\" stroke-width=\"1\" fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><g transform=\"translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)\" fill=\"#000000\"><g><path d=\"M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631\"><\/path><\/g><\/g><\/g><\/svg><\/div><div style=\"padding-top: 8px;\"> <div style=\" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;\">View this post on Instagram<\/div><\/div><div style=\"padding: 12.5% 0;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;\"><div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);\"><\/div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;\"><\/div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);\"><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin-left: 8px;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)\"><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin-left: auto;\"> <div style=\" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);\"><\/div> <div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);\"><\/div><\/div><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;\"><\/div><\/div><\/a><p style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DBavDLOuae8\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;\" target=\"_blank\">A post shared by SNOC (@sgolympics)<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What are the Commonwealth&#8217;s priorities for the future?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Democracy, human rights &amp; good governance<\/strong> remain central, as reaffirmed in successive declaration frameworks.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Climate action &amp; sustainable development<\/strong>, highlighted in messages from King Charles III for 2025 Commonwealth Day.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Trade \u2018togetherness\u2019<\/strong> and <strong>digital\/green transitions<\/strong>, championed at the 2025 Trade Ministers meeting.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Youth empowerment<\/strong>, <strong>gender equality<\/strong>, <strong>education<\/strong>, <strong>healthcare<\/strong> and <strong>local government capacity-building<\/strong>, supported through Commonwealth foundations and agencies.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>If you want to learn more about British history, take one of our excellent <a href=\"https:\/\/evanevanstours.com\/tours\/london-tours\/walking-tours\/?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=article&amp;utm_campaign=what-is-commonwealth\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">guided walking tours<\/a> and follow in Churchill&#8217;s historical footsteps in London, and more!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Read on to learn about the oldest political association in the world.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":4966,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1330,1329],"tags":[778,1487],"class_list":{"0":"post-4965","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-british-culture","8":"category-british-history","9":"tag-british-history","10":"tag-commonwealth"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>What is the Commonwealth? | Evan Evans Tours<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"What is the Commonwealth, and why was it founded? Discover the history of the Commonwealth with our guide.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/evanevanstours.com\/blog\/what-is-the-commonwealth\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What is the Commonwealth? | Evan Evans Tours\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"What is the Commonwealth, and why was it founded? Discover the history of the Commonwealth with our guide.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/evanevanstours.com\/blog\/what-is-the-commonwealth\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Evan Evans Tours\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/evanevanstours\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-12-11T12:16:08+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-07-16T15:58:26+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/evanevanstours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/what-is-the-commonwealth.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"667\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Evan Evans\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Evan Evans\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"What is the Commonwealth? | Evan Evans Tours","description":"What is the Commonwealth, and why was it founded? Discover the history of the Commonwealth with our guide.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/evanevanstours.com\/blog\/what-is-the-commonwealth\/","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"What is the Commonwealth? | Evan Evans Tours","og_description":"What is the Commonwealth, and why was it founded? Discover the history of the Commonwealth with our guide.","og_url":"https:\/\/evanevanstours.com\/blog\/what-is-the-commonwealth\/","og_site_name":"Evan Evans Tours","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/evanevanstours\/","article_published_time":"2019-12-11T12:16:08+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-07-16T15:58:26+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1000,"height":667,"url":"https:\/\/evanevanstours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/what-is-the-commonwealth.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Evan Evans","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Evan Evans","Estimated reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/evanevanstours.com\/blog\/what-is-the-commonwealth\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/evanevanstours.com\/blog\/what-is-the-commonwealth\/"},"author":{"name":"Evan Evans","@id":"https:\/\/evanevanstours.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/4040a5b368eb5a4082c8466e946526dd"},"headline":"What is the Commonwealth?","datePublished":"2019-12-11T12:16:08+00:00","dateModified":"2025-07-16T15:58:26+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/evanevanstours.com\/blog\/what-is-the-commonwealth\/"},"wordCount":737,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/evanevanstours.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/evanevanstours.com\/blog\/what-is-the-commonwealth\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/evanevanstours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/what-is-the-commonwealth.jpg","keywords":["british history","commonwealth"],"articleSection":["British Culture","British History"],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/evanevanstours.com\/blog\/what-is-the-commonwealth\/","url":"https:\/\/evanevanstours.com\/blog\/what-is-the-commonwealth\/","name":"What is the Commonwealth? | Evan Evans Tours","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/evanevanstours.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/evanevanstours.com\/blog\/what-is-the-commonwealth\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/evanevanstours.com\/blog\/what-is-the-commonwealth\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/evanevanstours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/what-is-the-commonwealth.jpg","datePublished":"2019-12-11T12:16:08+00:00","dateModified":"2025-07-16T15:58:26+00:00","description":"What is the Commonwealth, and why was it founded? Discover the history of the Commonwealth with our guide.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/evanevanstours.com\/blog\/what-is-the-commonwealth\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/evanevanstours.com\/blog\/what-is-the-commonwealth\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/evanevanstours.com\/blog\/what-is-the-commonwealth\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/evanevanstours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/what-is-the-commonwealth.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/evanevanstours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/what-is-the-commonwealth.jpg","width":1000,"height":667,"caption":"what is the commonwealth"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/evanevanstours.com\/blog\/what-is-the-commonwealth\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/evanevanstours.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"What is the Commonwealth?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/evanevanstours.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/evanevanstours.com\/blog\/","name":"Evan Evans Tours","description":"Britain&#039;s Finest Sightseeing Since 1933","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/evanevanstours.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/evanevanstours.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/evanevanstours.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Evan Evans Tours","url":"https:\/\/evanevanstours.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/evanevanstours.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/evanevanstours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/ee-logo-amp.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/evanevanstours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/ee-logo-amp.jpg","width":600,"height":60,"caption":"Evan Evans Tours"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/evanevanstours.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/evanevanstours\/","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/evanevanstours\/?hl=en","https:\/\/www.pinterest.co.uk\/evanevanstours\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCRiqWang9hRy-X_C3VnTXiA"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/evanevanstours.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/4040a5b368eb5a4082c8466e946526dd","name":"Evan Evans","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8ccd687c1d5e592b8f3dd124c75ee687d6d931f784fa34f1f66047190b0fb1f1?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8ccd687c1d5e592b8f3dd124c75ee687d6d931f784fa34f1f66047190b0fb1f1?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8ccd687c1d5e592b8f3dd124c75ee687d6d931f784fa34f1f66047190b0fb1f1?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Evan Evans"},"description":"Since 1933, Evan Evans provides unforgettable journeys and experiences to Britain\u2019s most iconic locations. Journey deep into the heart of Britain\u2019s incredible history, culture and legends on an expert-guided tour with London\u2019s longest-running sightseeing operator."}]}},"modified_by":"Evan Evans","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/evanevanstours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4965","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/evanevanstours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/evanevanstours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/evanevanstours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/evanevanstours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4965"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/evanevanstours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4965\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/evanevanstours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4966"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/evanevanstours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4965"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/evanevanstours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4965"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/evanevanstours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4965"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}