Changes in British sovereignty

Gains in sovereignty

• Rockall – annexed to the Crown on 18 September.

  Losses in sovereignty or other jurisdiction

• Weihai – fully restored to Republic of China sovereignty on 1 October.
• ,, the,,, and – Sovereignty over these relinquished on 11 December as per the Statute of Westminster
• – partitioned on 15 August into the independent dominions of India and Pakistan.
• and – independence to Burma as a republic granted on 4 January; to Ceylon on 4 February.
• – incorporated into Canada as a province on 31 March.
• – independence granted on 6 March.
• States of and – joined on 31 August.
• – independence granted on 16 August.
• and – independence granted to Sierra Leone on 27 April; to Tanganyika on 9 December.
• , and – independence granted to Jamaica on 6 August; to Trinidad and Tobago on 31 August; and to Uganda on 9 October.
• States of , , and – states formed with the Federation of Malaya on 16 September
• and independence granted to Nigeria as federal republic on 1 October; Kenya on 12 December.
• , Malta, and Zambia – independence granted to Malawi on 6 July; Malta on 21 September; Zambia on 24 October.
• – independence granted on 18 February.
• , , , and – independence granted to Guyana on 26 May; Botswana on 30 September; Lesotho on 4 October; Barbados on 30 November.
• State of – joined on 30 November.
• and – independence granted to Mauritius on 12 March; to Swaziland on 6 September.
• – independence granted on 10 October.
• – independence granted on 10 July.
• ,, and the Commonwealth of – independence granted to Seychelles on 29 June; to Tuvalu on 1 October; to Dominica as a republic on 3 November.
• ,, and – independence granted to Saint Lucia on 22 February; to Kiribati on 12 July; to Saint VIncent and the Grenadines on 27 October.
• and – independence to Zimbabwe as a republic granted on 17 April; to Vanuatu on 1 July.
• – independence granted on 1 November.
• – independence granted on 19 September.
• – returned to the People's Republic of China as a Special Administrative Region on 1 July as per the Sino-British Joint Declaration.

  Termination of personal union or other connection with the United Kingdom's monarchy

• – dominion status ended by unilateral legislative act on 18 April.
• – dominion status ended by constitutional amendment on 26 January.
• – dominion status ended with new constitution on 23 March.
• – dominion status ended by referendum on 1 July.
• – dominion status ended by referendum on 31 May.
• – dominion status ended on 9 December.
• – dominion status ended by Constitution of Uganda constitutional amendment on 9 October.
• – dominion status ended with new constitution on 12 December.
• and the – dominion status ended by Nigeria via constitutional amendment on 24 May; Malawi via new constitution on 6 July.
• and – dominion statuses ended by Guyana via constitutional amendment effective 17 March; The Gambia via referendum on 14 April.
• – dominion status ended on 19 April.
• – dominion status ended on 22 May.
• – dominion status ended on 13 December.
• – dominion status ended on 1 March.
• – dominion status ended on 12 March.

  Other changes

• – severed legal ties with Britain, but retains Elizabeth II as head of state.
• and – severed legal ties with Britain, but each individually retains Elizabeth II as head of state.
• – post-coup end of dominion status accepted on 15 October. Elizabeth II remains traditional Paramount Chief.