Monarchy of South Africa

For traditional monarchies of South Africa, see List of current constituent African monarchs § South Africa.

Monarchy of South Africa
Coat of arms of South Africa
King George VI and Queen Elizabeth on a South African stamp, commemorating their tour of 1947
Details
Style	His Majesty 1910–1952 Her Majesty 1952–1961
First monarch	King George V
Last monarch	Queen Elizabeth II
Formation	31 May 1910
Abolition	31 May 1961
Residence	United Kingdom Buckingham Palace Union of South Africa Government House
Appointer	Hereditary

The monarchy of South Africa was the system of government in which a hereditary monarch was the sovereign of the Union of South Africa from 1910 to 1961. South Africa shared the Sovereign with the United Kingdom, other Dominions, and latterly other Commonwealth realms. The monarch's constitutional roles were mostly delegated to the Governor-General of the Union of South Africa. The royal succession was the same as the succession to the British throne.

The monarchy was abolished on 31 May 1961, when South Africa became a republic and left the Commonwealth. On 1 June 1994 South Africa rejoined the Commonwealth as a republic, after the end of Apartheid.

History

The monarchy was created by the South Africa Act 1909 which united four British colonies in southern Africa: Cape of Good Hope, Natal, Orange River Colony and Transvaal. The Act also made provisions for admitting Southern Rhodesia as a fifth province of the Union in the future, but Southern Rhodesian voters rejected this option in a referendum held in 1922. South-West Africa became a League of Nations mandate of the Union in 1915. Following a referendum on the subject, South Africa adopted a new constitution in 1961 which abolished the monarchy.

List of monarchs

House of Windsor
Portrait	Name	Birth	Death	Monarch from	Monarch until	Consort	Heir
	King George V	3 June 1865	20 January 1936	31 May 1910	20 January 1936	Queen Mary	Son: Edward, Prince of Wales
	King Edward VIII	23 June 1894	28 May 1972	20 January 1936	10 December 1936 (Abdicated)	None	Brother: Prince Albert, Duke of York
	King George VI	14 December 1895	6 February 1952	10 December 1936	6 February 1952	Queen Elizabeth	Daughter: Princess Elizabeth (Duchess of Edinburgh from 1947)
	Queen Elizabeth II	21 April 1926		6 February 1952	31 May 1961	Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh	Son: Charles, Prince of Wales

Titles
George V 31 May 1910 – 13 May 1927 By the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of the British Dominions beyond the Seas King, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India 13 May 1927 – 20 January 1936 His Majesty George V, by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, Ireland and of the British Dominions beyond the Seas King, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India
Edward VIII 20 January 1936 – 10 December 1936 By the Grace of God, of Great Britain, Ireland and of the British Dominions beyond the Seas King, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India
George VI 10 December 1936 – 22 June 1948 By the Grace of God, of Great Britain, Ireland and of the British Dominions beyond the Seas King, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India 22 June 1948 – 6 February 1952 By the Grace of God, of Great Britain, Ireland and of the British Dominions beyond the Seas King, Defender of the Faith
Elizabeth II 6 February 1952 – 29 May 1953 By the Grace of God, of Great Britain, Ireland and of the British Dominions beyond the Seas Queen, Defender of the Faith 29 May 1953 – 31 May 1961 By the Grace of God, Queen of South Africa and of Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth

Visits

King George VI, his wife Queen Elizabeth, and their daughters Elizabeth and Margaret, visited South Africa in 1947. Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh visited South Africa, after it became a republic, in 1995 and 1999.

See also

• State President of South Africa
• President of South Africa