Published by the History of Parliament Trust to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the modern Commonwealth, this illustrated history traces its evolution, from the earliest English colonies in America and the Caribbean, through the demise of Empire and milestones such as the London Declaration of 1949, to the present diverse, informal and resilient organization. In telling that history, the book’s emphasis is on the influence of English, then British, representative democracy on political institutions throughout the Commonwealth.