Samtliga samväldesriken är medlemmar av Samväldet (engelska: Commonwealth of Nations), en mellanstatlig organisation som är sammanslutning bestående av 53 självständiga stater, varav de flesta en gång i tiden utgjorde delar av det brittiska imperiet. Flertalet samväldesstater är numera republiker eller har en helt inhemsk monarki.
Samväldesrikenas regeringar kom i december 1952 överens om att varje land eller dominion själv får lagstifta om de kungliga titlarna[1], och den sista lagen som reglerade monarkens titlar i hela imperiet var Titulärakten från 1927.
Utanför Förenade konungariket Storbritannien och Nordirland utnämner monarken, efter förslag av varje samväldesrikes regeringschef, en generalguvernör som sin personliga representant. Samväldesrikenas generalguvernörer är inte statschefer i egen rätt, men kan använda sig av i stort sett alla de befogenheter som tillkommer kungen i egenskap av vicekunglig representant, men i de flesta sammanhang fyller dessa endast en ceremoniell och upphöjd roll över dagspolitiken.
I samväldesriken som också är förbundsstater, Australien och Kanada, finns också en guvernör eller viceguvernör i varje delstat respektive provins som på lägre nivå fullföljer motsvarande plikter som i generalguvernörer i enhetsstater. Sedan Balfourdeklarationen 1926[2] får en generalguvernör inte längre agera på uppdrag av Förenade konungariket Storbritannien och Nordirlands regering utan skall representera monarken personligen eller respektive lands regering.
Tidigare har ytterligare nitton stater, förutom de femton befintliga, under någon period varit samväldesriken. Efter att de har avskaffat monarkin och infört ett republikanskt eller annat styrelseskick, har de dock med några få undantag kvarstått som medlemmar i Samväldet. Som medlemmar erkänner de fortsatt den brittiska kungen som överhuvud för den mellanstatliga organisationenSamväldet.
^”Australia” (på engelska). www.royal.uk. Royal Household. https://www.royal.uk/australia. Läst 17 december 2021. ”Australia is a constitutional monarchy with The Queen as Sovereign. As a constitutional monarch, The Queen, by convention, is not involved in the day-to-day business of the Australian Government, but she continues to play important ceremonial and symbolic roles. The Queen's relationship to Australia is unique. In all her duties, she speaks and acts as Queen of Australia, and not as Queen of the United Kingdom.”
^”The Bahamas” (på engelska). www.royal.uk. Royal Household. https://www.royal.uk/bahamas. Läst 17 december 2021. ”The Bahamas is a ‘constitutional monarchy’, meaning that The Queen has a unique relationship with the country. In all of her official duties relating to the many islands which make up The Bahamas, Her Majesty speaks and acts as Queen of The Bahamas, rather than Queen of the UK.”
^”Belize” (på engelska). www.royal.uk. Royal Household. https://www.royal.uk/belize. Läst 17 december 2021. ”Her Majesty is Head of State in Belize, meaning that she has a unique relationship with the central American country. In all her official duties relating to Belize, she speaks and acts as Queen of Belize, and not as Queen of the UK.”
^”Grenada” (på engelska). www.royal.uk. Royal Household. https://www.royal.uk/grenada. Läst 17 december 2021. ”Her Majesty is The Queen of Grenada, an island country in the Eastern Caribbean. This means that she has a unique relationship with the country: in all of her official duties relating to Grenada, she speaks and acts as Queen of Grenada, completely separate to her role as Queen of the UK.”
^”Jamaica” (på engelska). www.royal.uk. Royal Household. Arkiverad från originalet den 21 juni 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210621221442/https://www.royal.uk/jamaica. Läst 17 december 2021. ”Her Majesty is The Queen of Jamaica and, as such, continues to play an important ceremonial and symbolic role in Jamaican life. Jamaica is a constitutional monarchy with The Queen as Sovereign. In all of her official duties relating to Jamaica, The Queen speaks and acts as Queen of Jamaica, quite distinct from her role in the UK.”
^”Canada” (på engelska). www.royal.uk. Royal Household. https://www.royal.uk/canada. Läst 17 december 2021. ”The Queen has a unique relationship with Canada, entirely separate from her role as Queen of the United Kingdom or any of her other realms. As in all her realms, The Queen of Canada is a constitutional monarch, acting entirely on the advice of Canadian Government ministers.”
^”New Zealand” (på engelska). www.royal.uk. Royal Household. https://www.royal.uk/new-zealand. Läst 17 december 2021. ”New Zealand is a constitutional monarchy with The Queen as Sovereign. The Sovereign and the House of Representatives together make up the Parliament of New Zealand. As a constitutional monarch, The Queen of New Zealand acts entirely on the advice of New Zealand Government Ministers.”
^”Papua New Guinea” (på engelska). www.royal.uk. Royal Household. https://www.royal.uk/papua-new-guinea. Läst 17 december 2021. ”The Queen is Head of State in the South Pacific country of Papua New Guinea where she is known as 'Missis Kwin' and 'Mama belong big family' in Tok Pisin - a creole language spoken throughout the 600-plus islands which make up this sovereign state. The Queen's relationship to Papua New Guinea is unique. In all her duties relating to Papua New Guinea , she speaks and acts as its Queen, and not as Queen of the United Kingdom.”
^”St Christopher and Nevis” (på engelska). www.royal.uk. Royal Household. https://www.royal.uk/st-christopher-and-nevis. Läst 17 december 2021. ”Her Majesty is The Queen of St Christopher and Nevis, often known as St Kitts and Nevis, and as such she has a unique relationship with these two mountainous islands in the Eastern Caribbean. The Queen receives regular updates via her Governor-General on day-to-day matters of Government on the islands.”
^”St Lucia” (på engelska). www.royal.uk. Royal Household. https://www.royal.uk/st-lucia. Läst 17 december 2021. ”As Queen of St Lucia, Her Majesty maintains a unique relationship with this beautiful Eastern Caribbean island, keeping informed of day-to-day Government matters via her representative in the country, the Governor-General. The Queen is a ‘constitutional monarch’ in St Lucia, meaning that she acts entirely on the advice of her Government ministers on the island who brief her regularly via her private secretaries.”
^”St Vincent and the Grenadines” (på engelska). www.royal.uk. Royal Household. https://www.royal.uk/st-vincent-and-grenadines. Läst 17 december 2021. ”Her Majesty is The Queen of St Vincent and the Grenadines, a tropical island chain which lies at the southern tip of the Caribbean. Her Majesty is in regular contact with Government ministers in the country, and plays a significant symbolic role in island life: appearing on the nation's bank notes, and as the focus of annual birthday parade celebrations. The Queen is a ‘constitutional Monarch’ in St Vincent and the Grenadines, meaning that she is not involved in the day-to-day business of Government, but she continues to play important ceremonial and symbolic roles.”
^”Solomon Islands” (på engelska). www.royal.uk. Royal Household. https://www.royal.uk/solomon-islands. Läst 17 december 2021. ”Her Majesty is Queen of the Solomon Islands, and as such, she has a unique relationship with this remote group of islands in the south-west Pacific. The Solomon Islands is a ‘constitutional monarchy’, meaning that The Queen is Head of State, though she acts entirely on the advice of her Government ministers in the country.”
^”Tuvalu” (på engelska). www.royal.uk. Royal Household. https://www.royal.uk/tuvalu. Läst 17 december 2021. ”The Queen speaks and acts Queen of Tuvalu, not as Queen of the UK. She keeps up-to-date with local affairs via her Governor-General and Government ministers, and maintains an important symbolic role in Tuvalu, appearing on stamps and coins.”