History UsefulNotes / TheCommonwealthOfNations

There is one major country that satisfies all the criteria for Commonwealth membership, but hasn’t expressed any interest in joining - UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates. It is eligible due to its initially constituent Thirteen Colonies being British possessions, but having fought UsefulNotes/TheAmericanRevolution to break away. Not to mention that the Commonwealth had evolved out of the British Empire of the 19th Century and its gradual decolonization in the 20th, the US having left long before the beginning of each. The US lack of interest in joining the Commonwealth may be largely due to acknowledgement of King Charles III as the Head of the Commonwealth, being a compulsory condition for membership. Strong anti-royal political sentiment in the US precludes this.

Highlighting the fact that membership is possible for nations that are not former British colonies, in 1956 British Prime Minister [[UsefulNotes/AnthonyEden Anthony Eden]] extended an informal invitation for ''France'' to join the Commonwealth (with the potential for a complete merger of France and the UK), which French PM Guy Mollet briefly but seriously considered. Though the Normandy region of France ''was'' once under English rule - as were considerable chunks of the rest of France, under the Angevins and the Plantagenets. Nor was this even the first time the UK and France considered merging into a single nation (which, considering that the two nations are LikeAnOldMarriedCouple, is not entirely surprising).

Highlighting the fact that membership is possible for nations that are not former British colonies, in 1956 British Prime Minster [[UsefulNotes/AnthonyEden Anthony Eden]] extended an informal invitation for ''France'' to join the Commonwealth (with the potential for a complete merger of France and the UK), which French PM Guy Mollet briefly but seriously considered. Though the Normandy region of France ''was'' once under English rule - as were considerable chunks of the rest of France, under the Angevins and the Plantagenets. Nor was this even the first time the UK and France considered merging into a single nation (which, considering that the two nations are LikeAnOldMarriedCouple, is not entirely surprising).

A few former British colonies in UsefulNotes/TheMiddleEast have expressed at least mild interest in joining. {{UsefulNotes/Palestine}} has indicated that it will apply once/if it gets its independence; {{UsefulNotes/Israel}} has indicated that it might join at the same time (any attempt to join right now by either of them would be such an invitation for needless rancor that they haven't bothered). UsefulNotes/{{Sudan}}'s application was held up by its civil wars; with those now settled, both Sudan and UsefulNotes/SouthSudan have applied, although the former's dictatorial regime prevent it from meeting the criteria (generally speaking, new members are expected to be at least vaguely democratic), and now the latter's instability/civil strife have put those plans on back burner. UsefulNotes/{{Yemen}} has also applied, although its current instability (by which we mean an all-out civil war) has put plans on hold for the moment. Afghanistan, where cricket is rising and which has strengthening ties with India, has expressed an interest in having an interest.

A few former British colonies in UsefulNotes/TheMiddleEast have expressed at least mild interest in joining. {{UsefulNotes/Palestine}} has indicated that it will apply once/if it gets its independence; Israel has indicated it might join at the same time (any attempt to join right now by either of them would be such an invitation for needless rancor that they haven't bothered). UsefulNotes/{{Sudan}}'s application was held up by its civil wars; with those now settled, both Sudan and UsefulNotes/SouthSudan have applied, although the former's dictatorial regime prevent it from meeting the criteria (generally speaking, new members are expected to be at least vaguely democratic), and now the latter's instability/civil strife have put those plans on back burner. UsefulNotes/{{Yemen}} has also applied, although its current instability (by which we mean an all-out civil war) has put plans on hold for the moment. Afghanistan, where cricket is rising and which has strengthening ties with India, has expressed an interest in having an interest.