Changes in British sovereignty
A list of former British colonies, dependencies and dates when they severed legal ties with Britain:
Gains in sovereignty
Losses in sovereignty or other jurisdiction
- Weihai (1930) – fully restored to
Republic of China sovereignty on 1 October.
Australia,
Canada, the
Irish Free State,
New Zealand,
Dominion of Newfoundland, and
Union of South Africa (1931) – Sovereignty over these relinquished on 11 December as per the Statute of Westminster
British India (1947) – partitioned on 15 August into the independent dominions of India and Pakistan.
Burma and
Dominion of Ceylon (1948) – independence to Burma as a republic granted on 4 January; to Ceylon on 4 February.
Newfoundland and Labrador (1949) – incorporated into Canada as a province on 31 March.
Gold Coast (as
Ghana) (1957) – independence granted on 6 March.
- States of
Malacca and
Penang (1957) – joined
Malaya on 31 August.
Republic of Cyprus (1960) – independence granted on 16 August.
Sierra Leone and
Tanganyika (1961) – independence granted to Sierra Leone on 27 April; to Tanganyika on 9 December.
Jamaica,
Trinidad and Tobago and
Uganda (1962) – independence granted to Jamaica on 6 August; to Trinidad and Tobago on 31 August; and to Uganda on 9 October.
- States of
Sabah (as
North Borneo),
Sarawak, and
Singapore (1963) – states formed
Malaysia with the Federation of Malaya on 16 September;
Nigeria and
Kenya independence granted to Nigeria as federal republic on 1 October; Kenya on 12 December.
Malawi (as
Nyasaland), Malta, and Zambia (1964) – independence granted to Malawi on 6 July; Malta on 21 September; Zambia on 24 October.
The Gambia (1965) – independence granted on 18 February.
Guyana (as
British Guiana),
Botswana (as
Bechuanaland Protectorate),
Lesotho (as Basutoland), and
Barbados (1966) – independence granted to Guyana on 26 May; Botswana on 30 September; Lesotho on 4 October; Barbados on 30 November.
- State of
Aden (1967) – joined
South Yemen on 30 November.
Mauritius and
Swaziland (1968) – independence granted to Mauritius on 12 March; to Swaziland on 6 September.
Fiji (1970) – independence granted on 10 October.
The Bahamas (1973) – independence granted on 10 July.
Seychelles,
Tuvalu, and the Commonwealth of
Dominica (1978) – independence granted to Seychelles on 29 June; to Tuvalu on 1 October; to Dominica as a republic on 3 November.
Saint Lucia,
Kiribati, and
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (1979) – independence granted to Saint Lucia on 22 February; to Kiribati on 12 July; to Saint VIncent and the Grenadines on 27 October.
Zimbabwe (as
Southern Rhodesia) and
Vanuatu (as
New Hebrides) (1980) – independence to Zimbabwe as a republic granted on 17 April; to Vanuatu on 1 July.
Antigua and Barbuda (1981) – independence granted on 1 November.
Saint Kitts and Nevis (1983) – independence granted on 19 September.
Hong Kong (1997) – returned to the People's Republic of China as a Special Administrative Region on 1 July as per the Sino-British Joint Declaration.
Termination of personal union or other connection with the United Kingdom's monarchy
Ireland (1949) – ended dominion status by unilateral legislative act on 18 April.
India (1950) – ended dominion status by constitutional amendment on 26 January.
Pakistan (1956) – dominion status ended with new constitution on 23 March.
Ghana (1960) – dominion status ended by referendum on 1 July.
South Africa (1961) – dominion status ended by referendum on 31 May.
Tanganyika (1962) – dominion status ended on 9 December.
Uganda (1963) – dominion status ended by Constitution of Uganda constitutional amendment on 9 October.
Kenya (1964) – dominion status ended with new constitution on 12 December.
Nigeria and the
Malawi (1966) – dominion status ended by Nigeria via constitutional amendment on 24 May; Malawi via new constitution on 6 July.
Guyana and
The Gambia (1970) – end of dominion statuses by Guyana via constitutional amendment effective 17 March; The Gambia via referendum on 14 April.
Sierra Leone (1971) – dominion status ended on 19 April.
Sri Lanka (1972) – dominion status ended on 22 May.
Malta (1974) – dominion status ended on 13 December.
Trinidad & Tobago (1976) – dominion status ended on 1 March.
Mauritius (1992) – dominion status ended on 12 March.
Other changes
Canada (1982) – severed legal ties with Britain, but retains Elizabeth II as head of state.
Australia and
New Zealand (1986) – severed legal ties with Britain, but each individually retains Elizabeth II as head of state.
Fiji (1987) – post-coup end of dominion status accepted on 15 October. Elizabeth II remains traditional (though unofficial) Paramount Chief.
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