Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations facts for kids

The Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations was an important job in the Government of the United Kingdom. This person was a special minister who looked after the UK's relationships with countries in the Commonwealth of Nations. These countries were often former parts of the British Empire. The office that helped this minister was called the Commonwealth Relations Office (CRO).

This role was created in 1947. It combined two older jobs: the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs and the Secretary of State for India. Over time, the job changed. In 1966, it joined with the Secretary of State for the Colonies. This created a new role: the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs. Then, in 1968, this job merged again with the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. This led to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs. Today, a similar job is the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs.

What Was the Commonwealth Relations Secretary?

The Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations was a top government official. Their main job was to manage the UK's connections with countries in the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth is a group of independent countries. Many of them used to be part of the British Empire. This minister helped keep good relationships and worked on shared interests.

How the Role Changed Over Time

The role of Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations did not last forever. It was created in 1947 to handle new relationships. Before that, there were separate ministers for "Dominions" (like Canada or Australia) and for India. As countries gained independence, the UK needed a new way to work with them.

In 1966, the job changed. It merged with the Secretary of State for the Colonies. This meant one minister looked after both Commonwealth countries and remaining colonies. Just two years later, in 1968, the role merged again. It joined with the Foreign Secretary's job. This created a single minister for all foreign and Commonwealth affairs. This change made the UK's international relations simpler.

Important Leaders: Secretaries of State (1947-1966)

Many important people held the position of Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations. They served during a time when many countries were becoming independent. Below is a list of the people who held this role. It shows when they served and which political party they belonged to. The "Ministry" column shows which Prime Minister was in charge at the time.

Portrait		Name	Term of office		Political party	Ministry
		Christopher Addison The Viscount Addison	7 July 1947	7 October 1947	Labour		Attlee (I & II)
		Philip Noel-Baker MP for Derby	7 October 1947	28 February 1950	Labour
		Patrick Gordon Walker MP for Smethwick	28 February 1950	26 October 1951	Labour
		General Hastings Ismay The Lord Ismay	28 October 1951	12 March 1952	–		Churchill III
		Robert Gascoyne-Cecil The Marquess of Salisbury	12 March 1952	24 November 1952	Conservative
		Philip Cunliffe-Lister The Viscount Swinton	24 November 1952	7 April 1955	Conservative
		Alec Douglas-Home The Earl of Home	7 April 1955	27 July 1960	Conservative		Eden
							Macmillan (I & II)
		Duncan Sandys MP for Streatham	27 July 1960	16 October 1964	Conservative
							Douglas-Home
		Arthur Bottomley MP for Middlesbrough East	18 October 1964	1 August 1966	Labour		Wilson (I & II)