Rich221976 If I remember correctly from my Aussie friends, isn’t Australia technically part of the UK.
Not in that sense.
As Dave said, the United Kingdom is England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland.
(Let’s sidestep the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man for a moment).
But the Commonwealth of Nations includes 56 countries, large and small, bound by tradition, trade, language, hopefully democratic principles, and friendship.
Of the 56 Commonwealth countries, many are Commonwealth Realms, which means that they share a Queen or King (currently King Charles III) as their sovereign. Canada, Australia, New Zealand, are the most prominent. And the Commonwealth Realms have full equal status with the founding United Kingdom.
Thus Charles wears many crowns at the same time—he is King of Canada, King of Australia, King of the United Kingdom, and so forth, all equal.
Fortunately his ears are helpful to steady all those crowns.
Barbados became a republic in 2021, meaning that they still are a Commonwealth country, but NOT a Commonwealth Realm (no longer using the King/Queen as their sovereign). Jamaica and others may follow.
But it would seem true the the formal and informal ties between the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, may be even more helpful in the future—as the USA looks on from outside, and as the United Kingdom has left the E.U.
