Head of the Commonwealth
The Head of the Commonwealth is the figurehead and "symbol of the free association of [the] independent member nations" of the Commonwealth of Nations (commonly known as the Commonwealth), an intergovernmental organisation that currently comprises 53 sovereign states. There is no set term of office or term limit and the role itself involves no part in the day-to-day governance of any of the member states within the Commonwealth.
By 1949, the then British Commonwealth was a group of eight countries, each having George VI as king. India, however, desired to become a republic, but not depart the Commonwealth by doing so. This was accommodated by the creation of the title Head of the Commonwealth for the King and India became a republic in 1950. The title is currently held by the eldest daughter of George VI, Queen Elizabeth II.
Title
The title was devised in the London Declaration as a result of discussions at the 1949 Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference. Since 1953, it has formed a part of the monarch's title in each Commonwealth realm.