Canberra, 16 April 1973
Royal Style and Titles
The Queen is Head of State of the following nine countries where she is represented by Governors-General
Australia
Barbados
Canada
Fiji
Jamaica
Malta
Mauritius
New Zealand
Trinidad and Tobago
The words ‘Elizabeth the Second’ appear in the Royal Style and Titles Act of each of the nine countries and in documents where Her name is used.
Two other points of interest which emerge from research:
‘By the Grace of God’
These words are in the Royal Style and Titles Act of all nine countries, with the exception of Mauritius.
‘Defender of the Faith’
These words appear only in the Acts of Australia, Canada and New Zealand.
While in theory, agreement of the Queen and the other eight member countries should be sought before Australia amends the Royal Style and Titles Act, this provision agreed in 1953 seems to have been honoured more in the breach than in the observance.
1 N.J. Flanagan, Department of the Special Minister of State.
[NAA: Al209, 1973/6398]