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Monarchy of India
Federal
Emblem of India   Badge of the Monarchy of India
The Emblem and the Royal Badge of India
George VI, King of India
Details
StyleHis Imperial Majesty
1947–1948
His Majesty
1948–1950
Formation15 August 1947
Abolition26 January 1950
ResidenceUnited Kingdom United Kingdom
Buckingham Palace
Dominion of India India
Viceroy's House

The Monarchy of India was the system of government in which a hereditary monarch was the sovereign of the India from 1947 to 1950. India shared the same person as its sovereign with the United Kingdom and the other Dominions in the British Commonwealth of Nations.[1][2][3][4] The monarch's constitutional roles were mostly carried out by the Governor-General of India. The royal succession was governed by the Act of Settlement 1701.

The monarchy was abolished on 26 January 1950, when India became a republic within the Commonwealth, the first Commonwealth country to do so.[5][6]

History

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The Monarchy of India was created by the Indian Independence Act 1947, which divided British India into the independent sovereign constitutional monarchies of India and Pakistan.

On 22 June 1948, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth abandoned the titles King-Emperor and Queen-Empress. India adopted a new constitution in 1950 which abolished the monarchy.[7]

"His Majesty's Indian Forces" [1] charles birth: [2]

Reign

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King George VI, on an Indian one-rupee coin. The coins with the King's portrait were in circulation from 1947 to 1950.[8]

Under the Indian Independence Act 1947, British India was to be divided into the independent sovereign states of India and Pakistan.[9] From 1947 to 1950, George VI was the sovereign of India, which shared the same person as its sovereign with the United Kingdom and the other Dominions in the British Commonwealth of Nations.[1][10][11][12][13] The monarch's constitutional roles were mostly carried out by the Governor-General of India.[10]

On 15 August 1947, India became independent and leaders in Delhi toasted the nation and the King.[14] King George VI sent a congratulatory message to his people in the Dominion of India, which was read by Lord Mountbatten during the midnight session of the Constituent Assembly. The King sent the following message:[15][16]

On this historic day when India takes her place as a free and independent Dominion in the British Commonwealth of Nations, I send you all my greetings and heartfelt wishes.

Freedom loving people everywhere will wish to share in your celebrations, for with this transfer of power by consent comes the fulfillment of a great democratic ideal to which the British and Indian peoples alike are firmly dedicated. It is inspiring to think that all this has been achieved by means of peaceful change.

Heavy responsibilities lie ahead of you, but when I consider the statesmanship you have already shown and the great sacrifices you have already made, I am confident that you will be worthy of your destiny.

I pray that the blessings of the Almighty may rest upon you and that your leaders may continue to be guided with wisdom in the tasks before them. May the blessings of friendship, tolerance and peace inspire you in your relations with the nations of the world. Be assured always of my sympathy in all your efforts to promote the prosperity of your people and the general welfare of mankind.

Following India's independence, King George VI continued to confer awards and honours in the Dominion of India in his name. Most of them were awarded on the advice of "His Majesty's Indian Ministers".[17][18][19]

On 28 April 1948, the Prime Minister of the Dominion of India, Jawaharlal Nehru advised King George VI that Chakravarty Rajagopalachari should succeed Lord Mountbatten as the next Governor-General of India.[20]

Rajagopalachari was appointed following the resignation of Lord Mountbatten on 21 June 1948.[20][21]

A 1948 friendship treaty between India and Switzerland, carried out in the name of King George VI[22]

On 22 June 1948, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth abandoned the titles King-Emperor and Queen-Empress.[23] The Indian Cabinet desired the country to become a republic, but not to leave the Commonwealth as a consequence of no longer having George VI as king, as happened to Ireland. The issue came to a head in April 1949 at a Commonwealth prime ministers' meeting in London. Under the London Declaration, devised by Canadian prime minister Louis St. Laurent, India agreed that, when it became a republic in January 1950, it would remain in the Commonwealth and accept the British Sovereign as a "symbol of the free association of its independent member nations and as such the Head of the Commonwealth". Upon hearing this, George VI told the Indian politician Krishna Menon: "So, I've become 'as such'".[24]

The monarchy was abolished on 26 January 1950, when India adopted a new constitution and became a republic within the Commonwealth, the first Commonwealth country to do so.[25][26]

On 6 February 1952, Nehru announced the death of King George VI in Parliament, a few minutes after the news had reached Delhi that afternoon. He said that the news of the King's death had come as a "surprise and shock". Addressing the House of the People, he said, in part:[27][28][29]

Whatever the views of persons may be here or elsewhere on the question of royalty and republicanism, each country decides for itself; we decided in favour of a republic and we are the Republic of India but it is a significant thing in this world of Republics how the British Royal House has stood firm, firm not in law merely, but firm in the affection of the people of the United Kingdom.

After the speech, the Speaker of the House sent a telegram to George's widow, Queen Elizabeth, in which he conveyed India's "deep sorrow". It was announced that Parliament will not meet the next day in view of the King's death.[27][30]

As the position of the Head of the Commonwealth was non-hereditary, Elizabeth II's succession to that role needed to be endorsed by all the nations of the Commonwealth, and by India in particular. This diplomatic uncertainty was clarified on 8 February 1952, when Nehru sent a message of condolence to the new monarch, Elizabeth II, which said:[31][32]

May I welcome Your Majesty as the new Head of the Commonwealth and earnestly trust that this great fellowship will continue to work for the cause of human understanding and peace throughout the world.

The other nations of the Commonwealth also recognised the new Queen as the new Head of the Commonwealth. The next year, Queen Elizabeth II became the first monarch to have "Head of the Commonwealth" included in her official title.[31]

Norman Hartnell, the designer of the Queen's Coronation gown had embroidered the gown with the floral emblems of each Commonwealth nation, and included the lotus flower for India.[31] Jawaharlal Nehru and his daughter Indira Gandhi also attended the Coronation of the Queen at Westminster Abbey on 2 June 1953, where they also took part in the carriage procession.[33]

[edit]
  • King George VI, on an Indian one-rupee coin. The coins with the King's portrait were in circulation from 1947 to 1950.[34]
    King George VI, on an Indian one-rupee coin. The coins with the King's portrait were in circulation from 1947 to 1950.[34]
  • Following independence in 1947, George VI banknote series continued to be legal tender till 1950 when post-independence notes were issued.[35]
    Following independence in 1947, George VI banknote series continued to be legal tender till 1950 when post-independence notes were issued.[35]
  • Jawaharlal Nehru's proposal to King George VI that Rajagopalachari should be the next governor-general of India
    Jawaharlal Nehru's proposal to King George VI that Rajagopalachari should be the next governor-general of India
  • The Indian Independence Medal created in 1948 bearing the Royal Badge of India and the inscription GEORGIUS VI (Latin: George VI)
    The Indian Independence Medal created in 1948 bearing the Royal Badge of India and the inscription GEORGIUS VI (Latin: George VI)
  • A 1948 friendship treaty between India and Switzerland, carried out in the name of King George VI[36]
    A 1948 friendship treaty between India and Switzerland, carried out in the name of King George VI[36]
  • Nehru (far right) with the King and other Commonwealth Prime Ministers in London for the 1949 Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference
    Nehru (far right) with the King and other Commonwealth Prime Ministers in London for the 1949 Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference

List of Indian Monarchs

[edit]
House of Windsor
Portrait Name Birth Death Monarch From Monarch Until Relationship with Predecessor(s)
George VI
King of India[37] 		14 December 1895 6 February 1952 15 August 1947 26 January 1950 None (position ceded)

List of Indian Consorts

[edit]
Portrait Name Birth Death Consort From Consort Until Relationship with Monarch
Queen Elizabeth
Queen-consort of India[38] 		4 August 1900 30 March 2002 15 August 1947 26 January 1950 Wife of King George VI

List of Indian Heirs

[edit]
Portrait Name Birth Death Heir From Heir Until Relationship with Monarch
The Princess Elizabeth,
Duchess of Edinburgh 		21 April 1926 15 August 1947 26 January 1950 Daughter of King George VI

Titles

[edit]
  • 15 August 1947 – 22 June 1948: George VI, by the Grace of God of Great Britain, Ireland and the British Dominions beyond the Seas King, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India[39]
  • 22 June 1948 – 26 January 1950: George VI, by the Grace of God, King of Great Britain, Ireland, and the British Dominions beyond the Seas, Defender of the Faith.[40]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b *Winegard, Timothy C. (2011), Indigenous Peoples of the British Dominions and the First World War, Cambridge University Press, p. 2, ISBN 978-1-107-01493-0 Quote: “The first collective use (of the word "dominion") occurred at the Colonial Conference (April to May 1907) when the title was conferred upon Canada and Australia. New Zealand and Newfoundland were afforded the designation in September of that same year, followed by South Africa in 1910. These were the only British possessions recognized as Dominions at the outbreak of war. In 1922, the Irish Free State was given Dominion status, followed by the short-lived inclusion of India and Pakistan in 1947 (although India was officially recognized as the Union of India). The Union of India became the Republic of India in 1950, while the became the Islamic Republic of Pakistan in 1956.”
  2. ^ Panickar, Sreejith (15 August 2015). "Why August 15 should not be Independence Day". DailyO. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
  3. ^ Daniyal, Shoaib (15 August 2015). "Five things you didn't know about India's Independence Day". Scroll.in. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
  4. ^ "Did India really achieve freedom in 1947?". Deccan Herald. 15 August 2020. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
  5. ^ Winegard, Timothy C. (2011), Indigenous Peoples of the British Dominions and the First World War, Cambridge University Press, pp. 2–, ISBN 978-1-107-01493-0
  6. ^ Beg, Sahil M (15 August 2020). "For dominion India, real independence did not come in 1947". The Indian Express. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
  7. ^ Townsend, Peter (1975). The Last Emperor. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson. ISBN 978-0-297-77031-2.
  8. ^ "Republic India Coinage". Reserve Bank Of India. Retrieved 9 May 2021. India won its independence on 15th August, 1947. During the period of transition India retained the monetary system and the currency and coinage of the earlier period and introduced a new distinctive series of coins on 15th August, 1950. ...[The Anna Series] was introduced on 15th August, 1950 and represented the first coinage of Republic India. The King's Portrait was replaced by the Lion Capital of the Ashoka Pillar.
  9. ^ Matthew, H. C. G. (September 2004). "George VI". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/33370. Retrieved 20 April 2008. India and Pakistan remained among the king's dominions but both were set on republican courses, becoming republics within the Commonwealth in 1950 and 1956 respectively. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  10. ^ a b Kumarasingham, Harshan (2013), THE 'TROPICAL DOMINIONS': THE APPEAL OF DOMINION STATUS IN THE DECOLONISATION OF INDIA, PAKISTAN AND CEYLON, vol. 23, Transactions of the Royal Historical Society, p. 223, Few today, including those who work on the subcontinent, recollect that India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka did not become republics the day British rule ended. Even distinguished scholars of Empire like Perry Anderson and A. G. Hopkins have made the common assumption that India naturally became a republic upon independence on 15 August 1947. Instead, all three of these South Asian states began their independent life as Realms within the British Commonwealth and mirrored the style and institutions of the Dominions of Canada, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand. Though their sovereignty was in no way impaired by this seemingly ambiguous position they all held the British sovereign as their head of state who was represented in each capital by a governor- general appointed on the advice of the local prime minister. India, Pakistan and Ceylon were Realms from 1947 to 1950, 1947 to 1956 and 1948 to 1972 respectively.
  11. ^ Panickar, Sreejith (15 August 2015). "Why August 15 should not be Independence Day". DailyO. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
  12. ^ Daniyal, Shoaib (15 August 2015). "Five things you didn't know about India's Independence Day". Scroll.in. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
  13. ^ "Did India really achieve freedom in 1947?". Deccan Herald. 15 August 2020. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
  14. ^ "This day, that year, in Madras". The Hindu. 15 August 2014. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
  15. ^ "Mountbatten confident of India's Destiny". Indian Express. 15 August 2012. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
  16. ^ India, 1947-50: Issued Under the Auspices of the Indian Council of World Affairs · Volume 1, Oxford University Press, 1959, p. 5
  17. ^ "No. 38313". The London Gazette (3rd supplement). 4 June 1948. p. 3401.
  18. ^ "No. 38630". The London Gazette (3rd supplement). 3 June 1949. p. 2833.
  19. ^ "No. 38799". The London Gazette (3rd supplement). 30 December 1949. p. 39.
  20. ^ a b "Reminiscences of the Nehru Age", M. O. Mathai, Vikas Publishing House, p. 22, 1978, ISBN 9781578660667
  21. ^ Facts on File: Volume 8, Facts on File News Services, 1948, p. 146
  22. ^ Treaty of Friendship & Establishment, Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, 14 August 1948, archived from the original on 9 May 2021, retrieved 31 May 2021
  23. ^ Townsend, Peter (1975). The Last Emperor. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson. ISBN 978-0-297-77031-2.
  24. ^ "Staying loyal to George". indianexpress.com.
  25. ^ Winegard, Timothy C. (2011), Indigenous Peoples of the British Dominions and the First World War, Cambridge University Press, pp. 2–, ISBN 978-1-107-01493-0
  26. ^ Beg, Sahil M (15 August 2020). "For dominion India, real independence did not come in 1947". The Indian Express. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
  27. ^ a b PRIME MINISTER EXPRESSES DEEP SORROW ON DEATH OF KING GEORGE VI (PDF), Press Information Bureau Archives, 6 February 1952, archived from the original (PDF) on 29 May 2021, retrieved 31 May 2021
  28. ^ "Selected Works of Jawaharlal Nehru: Second series · Volume 17", Jawaharlal Nehru, S. Gopal, Madhavan K. Palat, Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund, p. 500, 1984
  29. ^ Journal of the Parliaments of the Commonwealth: Volume 33, United Kingdom Branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, 1952, p. 146
  30. ^ "The New York Times Great Stories of the Century: The Major Events of the 20th Century as Reported in the Pages of the New York Times", New York Times, Galahad Books, p. 107, 1999, ISBN 9781578660667
  31. ^ a b c Hardman, Robert (2018), Queen of the World, Random House, ISBN 9781473549647
  32. ^ Select Documents on the Constitutional History of the British Empire and Commonwealth: The dominions and India since 1900, Greenwood Press, 1985, p. 183
  33. ^ "No. 40020". The London Gazette (11th supplement). 17 November 1953. p. 6224.
  34. ^ "Republic India Coinage". Reserve Bank Of India. Retrieved 9 May 2021. India won its independence on 15th August, 1947. During the period of transition India retained the monetary system and the currency and coinage of the earlier period and introduced a new distinctive series of coins on 15th August, 1950. ...[The Anna Series] was introduced on 15th August, 1950 and represented the first coinage of Republic India. The King's Portrait was replaced by the Lion Capital of the Ashoka Pillar.
  35. ^ "British India Issues". Reserve Bank Of India. Retrieved 13 May 2021. The George VI series continued till 1947 and thereafter as a frozen series till 1950 when post independence notes were issued.
  36. ^ Treaty of Friendship & Establishment, Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, 14 August 1948, archived from the original on 9 May 2021, retrieved 31 May 2021
  37. ^ "History revisited: Why did Nehru give up his bitter opposition to the Commonwealth and join in 1947?". Scroll.in. 24 April 2018. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
  38. ^ Storoschuk, Jessica (31 March 2020). "Elizabeth, Last Empress of India". Royal Central. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
  39. ^ "The Gazette of India - Extraordinary" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 August 2017.
  40. ^ "No. 38330". The London Gazette. 22 June 1948. p. 3647. Royal Proclamation of 22 June 1948, made in accordance with the Indian Independence Act 1947, 10 & 11 GEO. 6. CH. 30.('Section 7: ...(2)The assent of the Parliament of the United Kingdom is hereby given to the omission from the Royal Style and Titles of the words " Indiae Imperator " and the words " Emperor of India " and to the issue by His Majesty for that purpose of His Royal Proclamation under the Great Seal of the Realm.'). According to this Royal Proclamation, the King retained the Style and Titles 'George VI by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, Ireland and the British Dominions beyond the Seas King, Defender of the Faith'
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