List of sovereign states headed by Elizabeth II facts for kids

Queen Elizabeth II was the head of state for many different countries during her 70 years as queen. She was the queen of 32 independent countries in total.

As Queen of the United Kingdom, she was also the monarch of three special areas called Crown Dependencies. These are Guernsey, Jersey (where she was known as the Duke of Normandy), and the Isle of Man (where she was known as the Lord of Mann).

As Queen of New Zealand, she was also the monarch of two associated states: the Cook Islands and Niue. These places became associated states in 1965 and 1974.

There were two countries where her role was a bit different. In the 1960s, a place called Rhodesia said Elizabeth II was their queen. But she did not accept this, and no other country recognized it.

Also, Fiji became a republic in 1987 after a military takeover. Even after this, a group of leaders in Fiji still called Elizabeth II their "Paramount Chief of Fiji." This was just a special title, and she didn't have any role in their government. This title was removed in 2012.

Countries Elizabeth II Ruled

Queen Elizabeth II was the head of state for many countries. These countries are often called her "realms." When she became queen in 1952, she was the monarch of seven independent countries. Over time, more countries became independent and chose her as their queen. Some countries also became republics, meaning they chose their own head of state instead of the monarch.

Countries that Remained Realms until 2022

When Queen Elizabeth II passed away in 2022, she was still the queen of 15 independent countries. These countries are:

• United Kingdom (since 1952)
• Canada (since 1952)
• Australia (since 1952)
• New Zealand (since 1952)
• Jamaica (since 1962)
• The Bahamas (since 1973)
• Grenada (since 1974)
• Papua New Guinea (since 1975)
• Solomon Islands (since 1978)
• Tuvalu (since 1978)
• Saint Lucia (since 1979)
• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (since 1979)
• Belize (since 1981)
• Antigua and Barbuda (since 1981)
• Saint Kitts and Nevis (since 1983)

Countries that Became Republics

During her reign, 17 countries that had Elizabeth II as their queen became republics. This means they changed their system of government and no longer had the British monarch as their head of state.

• South Africa (from 1952 to 1961)
• Pakistan (from 1952 to 1956)
• Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) (from 1952 to 1972)
• Ghana (from 1957 to 1960)
• Nigeria (from 1960 to 1963)
• Sierra Leone (from 1961 to 1971)
• Tanganyika (from 1961 to 1962)
• Trinidad and Tobago (from 1962 to 1976)
• Uganda (from 1962 to 1963)
• Kenya (from 1963 to 1964)
• Malawi (from 1964 to 1966)
• Malta (from 1964 to 1974)
• The Gambia (from 1965 to 1970)
• Guyana (from 1966 to 1970)
• Barbados (from 1966 to 2021)
• Mauritius (from 1968 to 1992)
• Fiji (from 1970 to 1987)

Images for kids

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  The realms, territories, and protectorates of Elizabeth II from 1952 to 2022

See also

• Commonwealth realm
• Country
• List of prime ministers of Elizabeth II
• Personal union
• Timeline of country and capital changes