Commonwealth Realm
In 1970, 96 years of British rule came to an end, and Fiji became a Commonwealth realm, an independent sovereign state within the Commonwealth of Nations. The official name of the state was the "Dominion of Fiji". As a Commonwealth realm, Fiji's Head of State was Elizabeth II, represented by a Governor-General. The Commonwealth realms share a single monarch, and include countries such as Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. They are all independent from one another, and the Queen acts independently in each realm, but they share the same person as monarch. As a constitutional monarchy, executive power is held by a prime minister, usually the leader of the majority party in an elected legislature. The prime minister is appointed by a Governor-General in all realms except the United Kingdom, where the Queen appoints a prime minister personally.
Read more about this topic: Queen Of Fiji
Famous quotes containing the words commonwealth and/or realm:
“Was I not born in this Realm? Were my parents born in any foreign country?... Is not my Kingdom here? Whom have I oppressed? Whom have I enriched to other’s harm? What turmoil have I made to this Commonwealth that I should be suspected to have no regard of the same?”
—Elizabeth I (1533–1603)
“Too many photographers try too hard. They try to lift photography into the realm of Art, because they have an inferiority complex about their Craft. You and I would see more interesting photography if they would stop worrying, and instead, apply horse-sense to the problem of recording the look and feel of their own era.”
—Jessie Tarbox Beals (1870–1942)