On 26 June 1868, a group of individuals in London established a ‘literary and scientific body’ dedicated to the greater understanding of what were then British colonies. A year later it was granted a Royal Charter from Queen Victoria, elevating it to the level of other Royal Societies. The Society became increasingly progressive in the early decades of the twentieth century, encouraging a young and diverse membership. It was given its present name, The Royal Commonwealth Society, in 1958.
The Commonwealth of Nations
The British Commonwealth of Nations was founded in 1931 as an outgrowth of the British Empire. In 1949 the organization reorganized to allow independent nations be be members. The name was changed to Commonwealth of Nations and the British crown was recognized as a symbol of the free association of its members.
The Commonwealth currently has 53 member states, all working together to promote democracy and good governance, respect for human rights and the rule of law, as well as sustainable environmental, economic and social development. Approximately 2.2 billion people, or 30% of the world’s population belong to member states and over half are young people aged 25 or under.
Commonwealth of Nations Member States
Caribbean and Americas
Antigua and Barbuda
The Bahamas
Barbados
Belize
Canada
Dominica
Grenada
Guyana
Jamaica
St Kitts and Nevis
St Lucia
St Vincent and The Grenadines
Trinidad and Tobago
Europe
Cyprus
Malta
United Kingdom
Africa
Botswana
Cameroon
Ghana
Kenya
Lesotho
Malawi
Mauritius
Mozambique
Namibia
Nigeria
Rwanda
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
South Africa
Swaziland
Uganda
United Republic of Tanzania
Zambia
Asia
Bangladesh
Brunei Darussalam
India
Malaysia
Maldives
Pakistan
Singapore
Sri Lanka
Pacific
Australia
Fiji
Kiribati
Nauru
New Zealand
Papua New Guinea
Samoa
Solomon Islands
Tonga
Tuvalu
Vanuatu

Royal Commonwealth Society Branch Websites
Please apprise us of missing RCS websites.
- Royal Commonwealth Society – England/Wales
- Royal Commonwealth Society – Bath
- Royal Commonwealth Society – Cambridge University
- Royal Commonwealth Society – Canterbury, NZ
- Royal Commonwealth Society – Cyprus
- Royal Commonwealth Society – Canada
- Royal Commonwealth Society – Ottawa, CA
- Royal Commonwealth Society – Edmonton
- Royal Commonwealth Society – Auckland
- Royal Commonwealth Society – Australian Capital Territory
- Royal Commonwealth Society – Western Australia
- Royal Commonwealth Society – South Australia
- Royal Commonwealth Society – Hong Kong