Queen Elizabeth and the Commonwealth: 56 countries, 2.5 billion people, one Queen

No other institution except the monarchy bore the stamp of the Queen’s personality as clearly as the Commonwealth. She was smitten with this sprawling collection of countries and always had been. It is not universally admired but in a sense it was her life’s work. Its expansion on her watch was her proudest accomplishment on the world stage. Her plea, in London in 2018, that Charles be allowed to succeed her as its head was unprecedented, and it’s no coincidence that most of its 56 member states will be represented, some many times over, at her funeral.

The Queen’s role as head of the Commonwealth was significant because it gave the lie to the notion that she was powerless. As leader of such a vast