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	George V
Last monarch	Elizabeth II
Residence	United Kingdom: Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle. Union of South Africa: Government House.
Appointer	Hereditary

From 1910 to 1961, the Union of South Africa was a self-governing country that shared a monarch with the United Kingdom and the other Dominions of the British Empire. The monarch's constitutional roles were mostly delegated to the governor-general of the Union of South Africa.

South Africa became a republic and left the Commonwealth of Nations on 31 May 1961. On 31 May 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	Reign	Death	Consort	Succession right
	George V	3 June 1865	31 May 1910 – 20 January 1936	20 January 1936	Mary of Teck	Monarch of the United Kingdom since 6 May 1910; son of Edward VII
	Edward VIII	23 June 1894	20 January 1936 – 10 December 1936	28 May 1972	None while reigning	Son of George V
	George VI	14 December 1895	10 December 1936 – 6 February 1952	6 February 1952	Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon	Son of George V
	Elizabeth II	21 April 1926	6 February 1952 – 31 May 1961	8 September 2022	Philip Mountbatten	Daughter of George VI

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 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 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 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 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 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

George VI, his wife Elizabeth, and their daughters Elizabeth and Margaret, visited South Africa in 1947.

Elizabeth II, accompanied by her husband Philip, visited South Africa in her capacity as Head of the Commonwealth, in 1995 and 1999.

See also

• State President of South Africa
• President of South Africa
• Flag of South Africa (1928–1994)
• South African Police
• House of Assembly (South Africa)
• Tricameral Parliament
• House of Representatives (South Africa)