King Charles III, officially the head of the Commonwealth, remains the king of 14 nations aside from the U.K.David Ramos/Getty Images

The end of the British Empire – POLITICO

23 Oct 2024, 02:00 by Dan Bloom · POLITICO

ABOARD THE PRIME MINISTER’S PLANE TO SAMOA — As a symbol of the decline of British power, it could hardly be more stark.

This week King Charles III and his prime minister, Keir Starmer, will host 55 nations in Samoa for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), a biennial gathering of state leaders associated with the fraying ends of the British empire.

But a glance at this year’s guest list highlights how the British monarch’s convening power is not what it was.