Formation 31 May 1910 | Abolition 31 May 1961 | |
Style His Majesty1910–1952Her Majesty1952–1961 Residence United KingdomBuckingham Palace Union of South AfricaGovernment House | ||
From 1910 to 1961 the Union of South Africa was a self-governing country that shared a monarch with the United Kingdom, other Dominions of the British Empire, later the British Commonwealth, and latterly other Commonwealth realms. The monarch's constitutional roles were mostly delegated to the Governor-General of the Union of South Africa.
Contents
South Africa became a republic and left the Commonwealth on 31 May 1961. On 31 May 1994, South Africa rejoined the Commonwealth as a republic, after the end of apartheid.
History
The monarchy was created by the South Africa Act 1909 which united four British colonies in southern Africa: Cape of Good Hope, Natal, Orange River Colony and Transvaal. The Act also made provisions for admitting Southern Rhodesia as a fifth province of the Union in the future, but Southern Rhodesian voters rejected this option in a referendum held in 1922. South-West Africa became a League of Nations mandate of the Union in 1915. Following a referendum on the subject, South Africa adopted a new constitution in 1961 which abolished the monarchy.
Visits
King George VI, his wife Queen Elizabeth, and their daughters Elizabeth and Margaret, visited South Africa in 1947. Queen Elizabeth II, accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, visited South Africa in her capacity as Head of the Commonwealth, in 1995 and 1999.