The principal topic of the conference was the relationship of India,[1] which was intending to become a republic, to the Commonwealth, which, hitherto, had been an association of Britain and British dominions united by sharing a constitutional link by sharing the British sovereign as their head of state, in particular whether a Commonwealth state could become a republic and remain in the Commonwealth, if so, whether it had the same status in the Commonwealth as the dominions who had the British sovereign as their head of state.[2] The Canadian government feared that if India was not permitted to remain in the Commonwealth as an autonomous republic then Pakistan, Ceylon, and South Africa would soon leave as well, resulting in the Commonwealth's collapse. Australian prime minister Ben Chifley was on one pole during the conference, arguing for maintaining a strong British connection, while South Africa's newly elected nationalist prime minister, D. F. Malan, was on the other pole arguing for complete independence.
In the London Declaration, Commonwealth prime ministers agreed to India's continued membership in the Commonwealth as a republic and that the King would have a new role in the Commonwealth not as a joint head of state but as "the symbol of the free association of its member nations, and as such Head of the Commonwealth."
Four days before the Conference met, Ireland formally declared itself a republic.[3] The other members of the Commonwealth chose to regard that declaration as terminating Ireland's membership of the Commonwealth. Ireland had not participated in Commonwealth affairs since the 1930s but this was the first conference to be held after Ireland's membership was regarded as terminated.
^Rajan, Mannaraswamighala Sreeranga (1963). The post war transformation of the Commonwealth: reflections on the Asian-African contribution. Asia Pub. House. pp. 6–14.
^Banerji, Arun Kumar (1977). India and Britain, 1947-1968: the evolution of post-colonial relations. Minerva Associates. pp. 14–18. ISBN978-0-88386-903-1.
^"Ireland leaves the Commonwealth, 1949". Royal Irish Academy. 18 April 2019. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
This article about politics is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
1949, commonwealth, prime, ministers, conference, fourth, meeting, heads, government, commonwealth, nations, held, united, kingdom, april, 1949, hosted, that, country, prime, minister, clement, attlee, commonwealth, prime, ministers, conferencethe, commonwealt. The 1949 Commonwealth Prime Ministers Conference was the fourth meeting of the Heads of government of the Commonwealth of Nations It was held in the United Kingdom in April 1949 and was hosted by that country s prime minister Clement Attlee 4th Commonwealth Prime Ministers ConferenceThe Commonwealth prime ministers with King George VI at Buckingham Palace for the Conference 1949Host country United KingdomDates22 29 April 1949CitiesLondonParticipants8ChairClement Attlee Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Follows1948Precedes1951Key pointsDominion of India London Declaration Commonwealth citizenship role of the Monarchy King Queen Head of the Commonwealth The principal topic of the conference was the relationship of India 1 which was intending to become a republic to the Commonwealth which hitherto had been an association of Britain and British dominions united by sharing a constitutional link by sharing the British sovereign as their head of state in particular whether a Commonwealth state could become a republic and remain in the Commonwealth if so whether it had the same status in the Commonwealth as the dominions who had the British sovereign as their head of state 2 The Canadian government feared that if India was not permitted to remain in the Commonwealth as an autonomous republic then Pakistan Ceylon and South Africa would soon leave as well resulting in the Commonwealth s collapse Australian prime minister Ben Chifley was on one pole during the conference arguing for maintaining a strong British connection while South Africa s newly elected nationalist prime minister D F Malan was on the other pole arguing for complete independence In the London Declaration Commonwealth prime ministers agreed to India s continued membership in the Commonwealth as a republic and that the King would have a new role in the Commonwealth not as a joint head of state but as the symbol of the free association of its member nations and as such Head of the Commonwealth Four days before the Conference met Ireland formally declared itself a republic 3 The other members of the Commonwealth chose to regard that declaration as terminating Ireland s membership of the Commonwealth Ireland had not participated in Commonwealth affairs since the 1930s but this was the first conference to be held after Ireland s membership was regarded as terminated Participants editNation Name Portfolio nbsp United Kingdom Clement Attlee Prime Minister Chairman nbsp Australia Ben Chifley Prime Minister nbsp Canada Lester Pearson Secretary of State for External Affairs nbsp Ceylon Don Stephen Senanayake Prime Minister nbsp India Jawaharlal Nehru Prime Minister nbsp New Zealand Peter Fraser Prime Minister nbsp Pakistan Liaquat Ali Khan Prime Minister nbsp South Africa Daniel Francois D F Malan Prime MinisterReferences edit Rajan Mannaraswamighala Sreeranga 1963 The post war transformation of the Commonwealth reflections on the Asian African contribution Asia Pub House pp 6 14 Banerji Arun Kumar 1977 India and Britain 1947 1968 the evolution of post colonial relations Minerva Associates pp 14 18 ISBN 978 0 88386 903 1 Ireland leaves the Commonwealth 1949 Royal Irish Academy 18 April 2019 Retrieved 22 March 2021 nbsp This article about politics is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title 1949 Commonwealth Prime Ministers 27 Conference amp oldid 1192277407, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
