It is a struggle to explain the point of today’s Commonwealth. It claims to have two chief aims: to strengthen democracy among its members and to nurture economic development
Most of Britain’s dependencies broke free in the first few decades of Elizabeth’s reign. Created in 1949, the Commonwealth was promoted as a kind of post-imperial alternative under Britain’s cosy patronage. It dropped the prefix “British” before she took the throne. These days its boosters make much of its demographic and geopolitical reach.
Still, the Commonwealth struggles to prove its relevance. Guided by a modest secretariat in London, it has aevery two years, where King Charles will preside. It has two main official aims: to strengthen democracy among its members and to nurture economic development. But it has no beefy mechanism for enforcing the first and no big pot of cash for ensuring the second.
This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline"Realms and republics"
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