Royal Style and Titles Act 1953

Legislation au C1953A00032 Not in force Act

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ROYAL STYLE AND TITLES.

 

No. 32 of 1953.

An Act relating to the Royal Style and Titles.

[Reserved for Her Majesty’s pleasure, 18th March, 1953.]

[Queen’s Assent, 3rd April, 1953.]

[Queen’s Assent proclaimed, 7th May, 1953.]

Preamble.

WHEREAS it was recited in the preamble to the Statute of Westminster, 1931 that it would be in accord with the established constitutional position of all the members of the British Commonwealth of Nations in relation to one another that any alteration in the law touching the Royal Style and Titles should, after the enactment of that Act, “require the assent as well of the Parliaments of all the Dominions as of the Parliament of the United Kingdom”:


And whereas the Style and Titles appertaining to the Crown at the time of the enactment of the Statute of Westminster, 1931 had been declared by His then Majesty King George V. in a Proclamation in pursuance of the Royal and Parliamentary Titles Act, 1927 of the United Kingdom, and were, in consequence of the establishment of the Republic of India, subsequently altered with the assent as well of the Parliaments of Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the Union of South Africa as of the Parliament of the United Kingdom:

And whereas it was agreed between the Prime Ministers and other representatives of Her Majesty’s Governments in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Union of South Africa, Pakistan and Ceylon assembled in London in the month of December, One thousand nine hundred and fifty-two, that the Style and Titles at present appertaining to the Crown are not in accord with current constitutional relationships within the British Commonwealth and that there is a need for a new form which would, in particular, “reflect the special position of the Sovereign as Head of the Commonwealth”:

And whereas it was concluded by the Prime Ministers and other representatives that, in the present stage of development of the British Commonwealth relationship, it would be in accord with the established constitutional position that each member country should use for its own purposes a form of the Royal Style and Titles which suits its own particular circumstances but retains a substantial element which is common to all:

And whereas it was further agreed by the Prime Ministers and other representatives that the various forms of the Royal Style and Titles should, in addition to the appropriate territorial designation, have as their common element the description of the Sovereign as “Queen of Her other Realms and Territories and Head of the Commonwealth”:

And whereas it was further agreed by the Prime Ministers and other representatives that the procedure of prior consultation between all Governments of the British Commonwealth should be followed in future if occasion arose to propose a change in the form of the Royal Style and Titles used in any country of the British Commonwealth:

Be it therefore enacted by the Queen’s Most Excellent Majesty, the Senate, and the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Australia, as follows:—

Short title.

1. This Act may be cited as the Royal Style and Titles Act 1953.

Commencement.

2. This Act shall come into operation on the day on which it receives the Royal Assent.

Definition.

3. In this Act, “the United Kingdom” means the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.


Assent to adoption of Royal Style and Titles in relation to Australia.

4.—(1.) The assent of the Parliament is hereby given to the adoption by Her Majesty, for use in relation to the Commonwealth of Australia and its Territories, in lieu of the Style and Titles at present appertaining to the Crown, of the Style and Titles set forth in the Schedule to this Act, and to the issue for that purpose by Her Majesty of Her Royal Proclamation under such seal as Her Majesty by Warrant appoints.

(2.) The Proclamation referred to in the last preceding sub-section shall be published in the Gazette and shall have effect from the date upon which it is so published.

Assent to adoption of Royal Style and Titles in relation to other countries of British Commonwealth.

5. The assent of the Parliament is hereby given to the adoption by Her Majesty, for use in relation to Her other Realms and Territories, in lieu of the Style and Titles at present appertaining to the Crown, of such Style and Titles as Her Majesty thinks fit, in accordance with the principles that were formulated by the Prime Ministers and other representatives of British Commonwealth countries assembled in London, as recited in the Preamble to this Act.

 

THE SCHEDULE. Section 4.

—

The Royal Style and Titles.

Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of the God of the United Kingdom. Australia and her other Realms and Territories Queen. Head of the Commonwealth. Defender of the Faith.

 

Overview

The Royal Style and Titles Act 1953 was enacted to address the need for a new form of the Royal Style and Titles that would reflect the evolving constitutional relationships within the British Commonwealth. This Act was passed by the Queen’s Most Excellent Majesty, the Senate, and the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Australia, following the agreement of the Prime Ministers and other representatives of British Commonwealth countries that the existing Style and Titles were no longer in accord with these relationships. The policy objective was to establish a new form of the Royal Style and Titles that retains a substantial common element suitable for all member countries, specifically identifying the Sovereign as "Queen of Her other Realms and Territories and Head of the Commonwealth." The Act provides the assent for Her Majesty to adopt this new Style and Titles in relation to Australia and other countries of the British Commonwealth, ensuring that any future changes to the Style and Titles are made through prior consultation among all Commonwealth Governments.

Scope and Application

The Royal Style and Titles Act 1953 applies to the adoption of a new Royal Style and Titles for Her Majesty, the Queen, in relation to the Commonwealth of Australia and its territories. This Act grants the Parliament's assent for Her Majesty to adopt a new style and titles that reflect the constitutional relationships within the British Commonwealth. The new titles are set forth in the Schedule to the Act and will be issued by Her Majesty in a Royal Proclamation, which will take effect from the date of its publication in the Gazette. Additionally, the Act extends the Parliament's assent for the adoption of similar new styles and titles for use in Her Majesty's other realms and territories, in line with the principles agreed upon by the Prime Ministers and representatives of the British Commonwealth countries, as outlined in the Act's Preamble. The Act does not specify any exclusions, exemptions, or thresholds, and its application may be extended or restricted through subordinate instruments as necessary.

Key Provisions

The Royal Style and Titles Act 1953 (section 1) is a legislative instrument that formalises the adoption of a new royal style and titles for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, in relation to the Commonwealth of Australia and its territories. The Act came into operation upon receiving Royal Assent (section 2). Section 3 of the Act defines the term “the United Kingdom” as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The core provisions of the Act are contained in sections 4 and 5. Section 4 grants the Parliament’s assent to the adoption of the new royal style and titles for use in Australia and its territories, as set forth in the Schedule to the Act, and for the issuance of a Royal Proclamation to that effect. The new style and titles are to be published in the Gazette and will take effect on the date of publication. Section 5 extends the Parliament’s assent to the adoption of the new royal style and titles for use in Her Majesty’s other realms and territories, in accordance with the principles agreed upon by the Prime Ministers and representatives of the British Commonwealth countries. The Act imposes specific obligations on the parties it governs. The primary obligation is the assent to the new royal style and titles for Australia and Her Majesty’s other realms and territories, as outlined in the Act. This assent is provided through the formal legislative process, requiring the agreement of both the Senate and the House of Representatives. Additionally, the Act mandates the issuance of a Royal Proclamation, which formalises the adoption of the new style and titles. This proclamation must be published in the Gazette, ensuring public notification and legal effect from the date of publication. Failure to comply with the provisions of the Act may result in legal consequences. While the Act does not explicitly detail offences or penalties, breaches of legislative mandates typically attract civil or criminal penalties under general law principles. In the context of parliamentary assent, failure to comply with the legislative process could result in legal challenges regarding the validity of the Act or the royal proclamation. Additionally, any actions taken under the authority of the Act that contravene its provisions could potentially give rise to legal disputes or consequences under the common law. The specific penalties would depend on the nature of the breach and would be determined by the courts.

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Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation at 26 August 2026. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to https://www.legislation.gov.au.