British Empire Vs Commonwealth

Image Getty

I had always believed that the member countries of the Commonwealth were all former British Empire countries, but this is not the case. Indeed any country can join the commonwealth, and currently, 4 countries never had colonial British ties. 

• Mozambique
• Rwanda
• Togo
• Gabon

The last two joined the commonwealth in 2022.

Other countries in the list of commonwealth countries were formally part of other countries and so do not appear in the lists of Former British Empire countries or colonies. 

Image Express

While others such as the Gambia have left and later rejoined. 

The Commonwealth 

Overwhelmed

Feeling a little overwhelmed.

The British Empire was large.

https://vividmaps.com/british-empire-at-its-territorial-peak/

Having listed the 57 former British Empire countries, I looked at which still have a Navy. 

37 have a navy

6 have no coastline

3 have no military

1 is no longer a country it is now part of Australia

5 I am still trying to find out if they have a military/navy

3 have coastguard, 1 maritime unit, 1 maritime squadron and 1 has an inland navy

My current thoughts are 57 former British Empire countries, 37 with a navy and 6 with other maritime forces, that's 43 to research in a year, I may need to cut back at some point and research a small number of these for the MA.

The day after

Today is still somewhat of a surreal day, with the loss of Her Majesty the Queen yesterday the world is mostly in mourning, except for a few individuals. 

Newspapers around the world carry her photo on the front cover. Sports events in the UK were postponed, and sports events in the US held two minutes of silence. World leaders paid their respects including Ukraine and Russia.

The death salute fired in her honour, with one shell for every year of her life, was the longest salute ever fired with 96 shells. 

The nation's television has been taken up all day with memorials and protocols. People mourning, and the new King meeting the new Prime Minister. We have seen lovely photographs and films of a young Queen, and people's memories.

The navy will of course be preparing the gun carriage for a state funeral as is the custom in the UK since the death of Queen Victoria in 1901. 

https://debretts.com/royal-family/royal-funerals/

https://www.commsmuseum.co.uk/dykes/navyfunerals/navyfunerals.htm

God Bless the Queen, Long Live the King

 

After a busy and pleasant day on a training session and then catching up with friends, I was saddened to read on Twitter that the Queen was ill. As the day went on it was clear that this was serious. 

Reports that her children and grandsons were heading to Scotland, it was very clear that this could be the moment many of us have dreaded for some time.

At around 1830 (6.30pm) as we all now know the news broke that Her Majesty the Queen had passed away. 

Of course, the Queen has been a figurehead not only of a nation and the commonwealth but of the Royal Navy, in which her late husband Prince Phillip served. 

The Royal Navy has a long-established relationship with many members of the Royal Family having served in it.

Indeed the Royal Navy wears the crown of the Monarch on much of their insignia, such as the officer's cap badge.

Cap badge with the Queen's Crown of the late Queen Elizabeth II.

Cap badge with a King's Crown of the late King George IV, the Queen's Father and King Charles III grandfather who passed away in 1952.

Royal Family Website

Indian Navy White Ensign

It was announced today that the Indian Navy have changed their White Ensign. The change sees the removal of the St Georges Cross, the national flag of England, and a part of the Union Flag (or Union Jack) and the British Royal Navy White Ensign on which the Indian Navy White Ensign was originally based.

While this may not seem relevant to my research and I guess it isn't headwear, it is an example of the British Royal Navy's influence over the former empire countries.

More on this story here Forces Net


Images from Wikipedia Indian Ensign