The exit from Empire was uncomfortable for some Brits, not least for the two monarchs and two Prime Ministers under whom it started to happen. So to help soften the blow the “British Commonwealth” was created. Churchill and Attlee saw it as “Empire Lite” and George and Elizabeth could persuade themselves that they were successors to the nineteenth century Empress Queen. It was all bunkum.
The descriptor “British” was dropped to imply that having once been possessions of Imperial power was no longer the only thing that held the Commonwealth nations together. More delusion of course. True most of the nations spoke English as a first or second language but that’s now the case of most of the world. And unremarkable.
The modern world is comprised of a very few big sovereign countries and a few more power blocks united economically (EU) or militarily (NATO). The Commonwealth is neither. Nor does it have a common culture either between its members nor with its once Imperial master. The Head of the Commonwealth is also the Head of the Church of England, but there are more Hindus and Muslims in the Commonwealth than there are Christians.
Dean Acheson’s observation that ‘Great Britain Has Lost an Empire But Not Yet Found a Role’ remains as true today as when it was made in 1962. The idea that we could have a role via the Commonwealth had probably vanished then and it’s certainly anachronistic nonsense now.
Paddy’s Blogs in a crazy world 
Any peaceful organisation or one with that intent must be a good thing. No matter what its origins.
However, to be useful to the world it must achieve some positive results that benefit mankind. The Commonwealth it seems to me achieves nothing more than any other private club. It comforts the members and allows them to indulge themselves. The self-justifying rhetoric of The Commonwealth Club is nauseating. The wasteful expense could be used directly to benefit the poor in the population of its contributors.
It’s time to be abolished. HRH Liz 11 who was its primary supporter has gone.
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