King of South Africa

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History of South Africa

General periods
Ancient (before 1652) (1652 to 1815) (1815 to 1910) (1910 to 1948) (1948 to 1994) Modern (1994 to 1999) 2000s (2000-)
Specific themes
Apartheid · Economics · Military Early history · Religious · Social
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The King or Queen of South Africa was titular head of state of the Union of South Africa during the state's existence as a Dominion of the British Empire and later a Commonwealth Realm from May 31, 1910 to May 31, 1961, when the country became the Republic of South Africa. Since the Union of South Africa was a British dominion the British monarch served as South Africa's monarch represented by the Governor-General of the Union of South Africa.

Prior to 1927 the King was considered "King in South Africa" rather than "King of South Africa," as, until the passage of the Royal and Parliamentary Titles Act 1927, constitutional law held that there was a single indivisible monarchy with the Dominions treated as territories of the United Kingdom Sovereign. After 1927, and particularly after the Statute of Westminster, 1931 the concept of a shared crown emerged. Still, until the coronation of Elizabeth II, the Monarch of South Africa did not have a distinct title, instead being styled as "King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the British dominions beyond the seas." With Elizabeth II's ascension occurring during the transformation of the British Empire into the Commonwealth of Nations, the Commonwealth countries (save for India, which was by then a republic) collectively decided to each create a title for the Sovereign within their own jurisdictions, though it would retain the common format of "Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom, [relevant country] and Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith." Thus Elizabeth bore the title of Queen of South Africa while her predecessors were kings of South Africa in law but not in title.

The last South African Monarch to visit South Africa as sovereign was George VI in 1947, accompanied by the then Princess Elizabeth, as the following year saw the election of the pro-republican National Party. Following a referendum, South Africa became a republic in 1961, and Queen Elizabeth II would not visit the country until 1995, no longer as Head of State, but merely Head of the Commonwealth.