Changes in British sovereignty

A list of former British colonies, dependencies and dates when they severed legal ties with Britain:

Gains in sovereignty

• Rockall (1955) – annexed to the Crown on 18 September.

Losses in sovereignty or other jurisdiction

• The Thirteen Colonies declared independence from Great Britain on 4 July 1776.
• Egypt (1922) – see Unilateral Declaration of Egyptian Independence.
• Australia, Canada, the Irish Free State, New Zealand, Dominion of Newfoundland, and Union of South Africa (1926) – Dominions at the time of the Balfour Declaration of 1926.
• Weihai (1930) – fully restored to Republic of China sovereignty on 1 October.
• Australia, Canada, the Irish Free State, New Zealand, Dominion of Newfoundland, and Union of South Africa (1931) – Sovereignty over these relinquished on 11 December as per the Statute of Westminster
• British Raj (1947) – partitioned on 15 August into the independent dominions of India and Pakistan.
• Burma and Dominion of Ceylon (1948) – independence to Burma as a republic granted on 4 January; to Ceylon on 4 February.
• Dominion of Newfoundland (1949) – incorporated into Canada as a province on 31 March.
• Sudan (1956) – independence granted on 1 January (was a condominium with Egypt)
• Gold Coast (as Ghana) (1957) – independence granted on 6 March.
• States of Malacca and Penang (1957) – joined Malaya on 31 August.
• British Somaliland (1960) – became part of a unified Somalia on 1 July.
• Cyprus and the Federation of Nigeria (1960) – independence granted to Cyprus on 16 August; to Nigeria on 1 October.
• Sierra Leone and Tanganyika (1961) – independence granted to Sierra Leone on 27 April; to Tanganyika on 9 December.
• British Cameroon (1961) – incorporated into Cameroon on 1 October.
• Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and Uganda (1962) – independence granted to Jamaica on 6 August; to Trinidad and Tobago on 31 August; and to Uganda on 9 October.
• States of Sabah (as North Borneo), Sarawak, and Singapore (1963) – states formed Malaysia with the Federation of Malaya on 16 September
• Nigeria and Kenya independence granted to Nigeria as federal republic on 1 October; Kenya on 12 December.
• Malawi (as Nyasaland), Malta, and Zambia (1964) – independence granted to Malawi on 6 July; Malta on 21 September; Zambia on 24 October.
• The Gambia (1965) – independence granted on 18 February.
• Guyana (as British Guiana), Botswana (as Bechuanaland Protectorate), Lesotho (as Basutoland), and Barbados (1966) – independence granted to Guyana on 26 May; Botswana on 30 September; Lesotho on 4 October; Barbados on 30 November.
• State of Aden (1967) – joined South Yemen on 30 November.
• Mauritius and Swaziland (1968) – independence granted to Mauritius on 12 March; to Swaziland on 6 September.
• Fiji (1970) – independence granted on 10 October.
• The Bahamas (1973) – independence granted on 10 July.
• Seychelles, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, and Dominica (1978) – independence granted to Seychelles on 29 June; to Solomon Islands on 7 July; to Tuvalu on 1 October; to Dominica as a republic on 3 November.
• Saint Lucia, Kiribati, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (1979) – independence granted to Saint Lucia on 22 February; to Kiribati on 12 July; to Saint VIncent and the Grenadines on 27 October.
• Zimbabwe (as Southern Rhodesia) and Vanuatu (as New Hebrides) (1980) – independence to Zimbabwe as a republic granted on 17 April; to Vanuatu on 1 July.
• Belize and Antigua and Barbuda (1981) – independence granted to Belize on 21 September; to Antigua and Barbuda on 1 November.
• Saint Kitts and Nevis (1983) – independence granted on 19 September. Anguilla remains a British overseas territory.
• Hong Kong (1997) – 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

• Ireland (1949) – dominion status ended by unilateral legislative act on 18 April and left the Commonwealth.
• India (1950) – dominion status ended by constitutional amendment on 26 January.
• Pakistan (1956) – dominion status ended with new constitution on 23 March.
• Ghana (1960) – dominion status ended by referendum on 1 July.
• South Africa (1961) – dominion status ended by referendum on 31 May and left the Commonwealth.
• Tanganyika (1962) – dominion status ended on 9 December.
• Uganda (1963) – dominion status ended by Constitution of Uganda constitutional amendment on 9 October.
• Kenya (1964) – dominion status ended with new constitution on 12 December.
• Nigeria and the Malawi (1966) – dominion status ended by Nigeria via constitutional amendment on 24 May; Malawi via new constitution on 6 July.
• Guyana and The Gambia (1970) – dominion statuses ended by Guyana via constitutional amendment effective 17 March; The Gambia via referendum on 14 April.
• Sierra Leone (1971) – dominion status ended on 19 April.
• Ceylon (1972) – dominion status ended on 22 May; renamed Sri Lanka.
• Malta (1974) – dominion status ended on 13 December.
• Trinidad & Tobago (1976) – dominion status ended on 1 March.
• Mauritius (1992) – dominion status ended on 12 March.

Other changes

• Canada (1982) – severed legal ties with Britain, but retains Elizabeth II as head of state.
• Australia and New Zealand (1986) – severed legal ties with Britain, but both individually retain Elizabeth II as head of state.
• Fiji (1987) – post-coup end of dominion status accepted on 15 October. Elizabeth II remains traditional (though unofficial) Paramount Chief.
• New Zealand (2003) – court of final appeal transferred from the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council to the Supreme Court of New Zealand, which was created in 2004.