The USA – the previous colony not part of the CWG

They have been as soon as a British colony however in contrast to most others, they aren’t part of the Commonwealth Games.

The non-participation of the US, in contrast to their neighbours Canada who’re a Commonwealth Games powerhouse, has usually attracted just a few curious questions. One of the explanations, in line with the Birmingham Mail, is battle.

The Commonwealth is a gaggle of 54 nations that have been as soon as a part of the British Empire. The US grew to become impartial from the UK in 1776, after 13 American colonies broke away and declared themselves a republic, refusing to recognise the British monarch as their head of state.

This – the necessity to recognise the king or queen as the pinnacle of state – was a prerequisite to remaining part of the Commonwealth. However, after India grew to become impartial in 1947, it wished to proceed being part of the Commonwealth whereas additionally changing into a republic. This prompted the London Declaration of 1949, which said that ‘republics and other countries could be part of the Commonwealth.’

So, India continued to be part of the Commonwealth – and thus, the CWG – despite the fact that it doesn’t recognise the Queen as its head of state. In the case of the US, it was seen as a special case.

“Since the USA practically battled against a foreign ruling monarch, their re-entry into the Commonwealth was unlikely,” the Birmingham Mail reported.

In 2017, the Telegraph reported that the US may grow to be an affiliate member of the Commonwealth however no step has been taken in that path since.