Royal Style and Titles Act

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In the Commonwealth realms, a Royal Style and Titles Act or a Royal Titles Act is an Act of Parliament passed in the relevant jurisdiction which defines the sovereign's formal title in that jurisdiction. The most significant of these acts is the Royal and Parliamentary Titles Act 1927 of the United Kingdom, which recognised the creation of the Irish Free State, a development that necessitated a change in King George V's title.

In December 1952, the governments of Commonwealth realms agreed that each realm would adopt its own royal titles.

Australia[]

Main article: Monarchy of Australia § Title

In Australia, the monarch's title has been since 1973: "Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God Queen of Australia and Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth".[1][2] Typically, though, the sovereign is styled Queen of Australia and is addressed as such when in Australia or performing duties on behalf of Australia abroad. The sovereign is the only member of the Royal Family to have a title established through Australian law; other members are accorded a title via letters patent in the United Kingdom.

Canada[]

Main article: Title and style of the Canadian monarch

The Canadian parliament passed in 1947 the Royal Style and Titles Act and an Order in Council was issued on 22 June the following year to remove the term Emperor of India from the sovereign's Canadian title.[3] In 1953, the Canadian parliament passed the Royal Style and Titles Act, consenting to the issue of a royal proclamation changing the royal style and titles.[4] Subsequently, the relevant royal proclamation was issued on May 28 declaring the official styles in Canada to be, in English: Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom, Canada and Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith, and, in French: Elizabeth Deux, par la grâce de Dieu Reine du Royaume-Uni, du Canada et de ses autres royaumes et territoires, Chef du Commonwealth, Défenseur de la Foi.[5]

Ceylon[]

The Royal Titles Act 1953 of the Parliament of Ceylon granted the Ceylonese monarch a separate title for use in Ceylon.[6] Under the act, the title and style of the Ceylonese monarch was: "Elizabeth the Second, Queen of Ceylon and of Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth".[7]

The Gambia[]

The Royal Style and Titles Act 1965 of the Parliament of Gambia granted the monarch a separate title for use in the Gambia, in her role as Queen of the Gambia. Under the Act, the title and style of the Gambian monarch was: "Elizabeth the Second, Queen of The Gambia and all Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth".[8][9]

Ghana[]

The Royal Style and Titles Act 1957 of the Parliament of Ghana granted the monarch a separate title for use in Ghana. Under the Act, the title and style of the Ghanaian monarch was: "Elizabeth the Second, Queen of Ghana and of Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth".[10][11]

New Zealand[]

One of the first post-Second World War examples of New Zealand's status as an independent monarchy was the alteration of the monarch's title by the Royal Titles Act 1953. For the first time, the official New Zealand title mentioned New Zealand separately from the United Kingdom and the other realms, to highlight the monarch's role specifically as Queen of New Zealand, as well as the shared aspect of the Crown throughout the realms; the title at that time was Elizabeth II, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Her Other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith. Since the passage of the Royal Titles Act 1974, the monarch's title in New Zealand has been Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God Queen of New Zealand and Her Other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith.[12]

Although the Queen's New Zealand title includes the phrase 'Defender of the Faith', neither the Queen nor the governor-general has any religious role in New Zealand; there has never been an established church in the country.[13] This is one of the key differences from the Queen's role in England, where she is Supreme Governor of the Church of England.[14]

Nigeria[]

The Royal Style and Titles Act 1957 of the Parliament of Ghana granted the monarch a separate title for use in Ghana. Under the Act, the title and style of the Ghanaian monarch was: "Elizabeth the Second, Queen of Nigeria and of Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth".[15]

An introductory part of the style, By the Grace of God, was nevertheless added in official use.[16]

Sierra Leone[]

The Royal Style and Titles Act 1961 of the Sierra Leonean Parliament granted the monarch a separate title in her role as Queen of Sierra Leone. Under the Act, the official title of the Sierra Leonean monarch became: "Elizabeth the Second, Queen of Sierra Leone and of Her Other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth".[17]

Solomon Islands[]

The Royal Style and Titles Act 2013 of the National Parliament of Solomon Islands granted the monarch a separate title in her role as Queen of Solomon Islands. The new style was already in non-statutory use since 1988, when it was included in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade Manual.[18][19]

The current style of the monarch of Solomon Islands is: Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, Queen of Solomon Islands and Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth.[18][19]

South Africa[]

The Royal Style and Titles Act 1953 of the Parliament of South Africa granted the monarch a separate title in her role as Queen of South Africa. The new style was rendered in three languages:

  • In English: Elizabeth II, Queen of South Africa and of Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth[20][21]
  • In Afrikaans: Elizabeth II, Koningin van Suid-Afrika en van Haar ander Koninkryke en Gebiede, Hoof van die Statebond[20][21]
  • In Latin: Elizabeth II, Africae Australis regnorumque suo rum ceterorum Regina, consortionis populorum Princeps[20]

Tuvalu[]

The Royal Style and Title Act 1987 of the Tuvaluan Parliament granted the monarch a separate title in her role as Queen of Tuvalu.[22]

The current style of the Tuvaluan monarch is: Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God Queen of Tuvalu and of Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth.[23]

United Kingdom[]

Main article: Style of the British sovereign

The Royal Titles Act 1901 allowed for the addition of the words "and of the British Dominions beyond the Seas" to the monarch's title.

The Royal and Parliamentary Titles Act 1927 was amended in 1948 by the Indian Independence Act 1947[24] so as to omit the words Emperor of India from the monarch's title in the United Kingdom.[25] King George VI's title became: George VI by the Grace of God of Great Britain, Ireland and the British Dominions beyond the Seas King, Defender of the Faith.

The Royal Titles Act 1953[26] specified that it applied only to the United Kingdom and those overseas territories whose foreign relations were controlled by the UK. The legislation tidied up the use of the title King of Ireland, following Ireland's transition to a republic in 1949.

As authorised by the Act, Elizabeth proclaimed that her title in the United Kingdom would be, equivalently in English and (for the first time) in Latin: "Elizabeth II, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith" and Elizabeth II, Dei Gratia Britanniarum Regnorumque Suorum Ceterorum Regina, Consortionis Populorum Princeps, Fidei Defensor.[27]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Royal Style and Titles Act 1973 (Cth), sch 2". Federal Register of Legislation. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
  2. ^ Proclamation of 19 October 1973. Australian Govemmeait Gazette, 1973, number 152, 19 October 1973, page 5
  3. ^ King, William Lyon Mackenzie, "Order in Council", in Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (ed.), Documents on Canadian External Relations, vol. 14–1, Ottawa: Queen's Printer for Canada, retrieved 8 October 2009
  4. ^ Elizabeth II (12 December 1985), Royal Style and Titles Act, Ottawa: Queen's Printer for Canada, retrieved 23 September 2009
  5. ^ Proclamation of May 28, 1953 published in the Canada Gazette, volume 87, number 6, Extra, 29 May 1953, pages 1-2
  6. ^ Jennings, Sir Ivor (2014), Constitution-Maker: Selected Writings of Sir Ivor Jennings, Cambridge University Press, p. 31, ISBN 9781107091115
  7. ^ "Royal Titles Act, 1953". Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  8. ^ Gambia, Sir Cecil Geraint Ames (1967), The Laws of the Gambia in Force on the 1st Day of July 1966: Volume 7, Government Printer, p. 4381
  9. ^ "The Gambia: Heads of State: 1965-1970". archontology.org. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
  10. ^ Francis Alan Roscoe Bennion (1962), The constitutional law of Ghana, Butterworths, p. 61, ISBN 9780608136073
  11. ^ Directory of Ghana, Diplomatic Press and Publishing Company, 1959, p. 19
  12. ^ Peaslee, Amos J. (1985). Constitutions of Nations (Rev. 4th ed.). Dordrecht: Nijhoff. p. 882. ISBN 9789024729050. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  13. ^ Ahdar, Rex (2014). Religion and the State in New Zealand (PDF). pp. 569–571. Retrieved 17 February 2018. New Zealand has never had an established church.
  14. ^ "The Queen, the Church and other faiths". The Royal Household. 7 January 2016. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  15. ^ Royal Styles and Title Act, 1961, quoted in Benjamin Obi Nwabueze (1982). A Constitutional History of Nigeria. C. Hurst & Co. p. 86. ISBN 0-905838-79-3.
  16. ^ "Nigeria: Heads of State: 1960-1963". archontology.org. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
  17. ^ Sierra Leone (1961), Supplement to the Laws with an Index of Legislation in Force on 31 December 1961, Government Printer, South Africa, p. 411-412
  18. ^ a b "Solomon Islands: Heads of State: 1978-2021". archontology.org. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
  19. ^ a b Royal Style and Titles Act 2013 (passed by the National Parliament 1 Aug 2013, received royal assent 10 Oct 2013) and went into effect upon its publication in a supplement to the Solomon Islands Gazette, No. 82, Extra, 1 Nov 2013.
  20. ^ a b c Act 6 of 1953 "Royal Style and Titles Act, 1953". The Union of South Africa Government Gazette Extraordinary, vol. CLXXI, 4 March 1953, pages 12-13 Archived
  21. ^ a b "South Africa: Heads of State: 1910-1961". archontology.org. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
  22. ^ "ROYAL STYLE AND TITLES ACT" (PDF). Retrieved 6 October 2021.
  23. ^ "The Queen and Tuvalu (style and title)". Official website of the British Monarchy. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
  24. ^ Indian Independence Act 1947 (10 & 11 Geo. 6. c. 30)
  25. ^ "No. 38330". The London Gazette. 22 June 1948. pp. 3647–3647., 22 June 1948
  26. ^ Royal Titles Act 1953, 1 & 2 Eliz. 2 c. 9 [26 March 1953] An Act to provide for an alteration of the Royal Style and Titles.
  27. ^ "No. 39873". The London Gazette (Supplement). 26 May 1953. pp. 3023–3023.

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