Viceregalism: The Crown as Head of State in Political Crises in the Postwar Commonwealth

This book examines how the Crown has performed as Head of State across the UK and post war Commonwealth during times of political crisis. It explores the little-known relationships, powers and imperial legacies regarding modern heads of state in parliamentary regimes where so many decisions occur without parliamentary or public scrutiny. This original study highlights how the Queen’s position has been replicated across continents with surprising results. It also shows the topicality and contemporary relevance of this historical research to interpret and understand crises of governance and the enduring legacy of monarchy and colonialism to modern politics. This collection uniquely brings together a diverse set of states including specific chapters on England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Brunei, Ghana, Nigeria, Zimbabwe/Rhodesia, Australia, Tuvalu, and the Commonwealth Caribbean. Viceregalism is written and conceptualised to remind that the Crown is not just aceremonial part of the constitution, but a crucial political and international actor of real importance.

About the Author

H. Kumarasingham is Senior Lecturer in British Politics at the University of Edinburgh, UK. He is a political historian of Britain, the British Empire and the Commonwealth. His recent work covers the decolonization of the British Empire and subsequent state-building that followed. He is currently writing a history of the Crown’s legacy in South Asia and co-editing The Cambridge Constitutional History of the United Kingdom . He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.