The Royal Commonwealth Ex-Services League was founded in 1921 in Cape Town, South Africa, as the British Empire Services League by Field Marshal Earl Haig and Field Marshal Jan Smuts in order to link together ex-service organizations from throughout the British Empire. It was renamed the British Commonwealth Ex-Services League (BCEL) in 1958 and then the Commonwealth Ex-Services League (CEL) in 2002. The appellation "Royal" was granted by royal assent in 2003. The RCEL has 57 member organizations from 47 Commonwealth and former Commonwealth nations.
The RCEL's affiliates include: