The Armed Forces Memorial will be closed between 10am and 1pm on Thursday 7 July for a private event. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.
Commemorating the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and celebrating the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, this exhibition explores the Queen's role as Head of the Commonwealth and the symbolic leader of a group of nations and territories which make up a third of the world’s population.
The exhibition also charts the history of the Commonwealth and the Commonwealth Games, looking at the comradery of serving communities from across the Commonwealth.
The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of 54 independent and equal countries, with roots dating back to the British Empire.
It is often described as a 'family' of nations, who are all working towards shared goals of prosperity, democracy and peace.
Queen Elizabeth II is the Head of the Commonwealth. While this role carries no power to govern any of the nations, it holds symbolic significance which unifies each of the member states. The Queen is also the recognised head of state of 14 Commonwealth member states known as Commonwealth realms, which include Australia and New Zealand.
