Monarchy of Ceylon (1948–1972)

From 1948 to 1972, the Dominion of Ceylon functioned as an independent constitutional monarchy in which a hereditary monarch was the sovereign and head of state of the country. Ceylon shared the sovereign with the other Commonwealth realms, with the country's monarchy being separate and legally distinct. The monarch's constitutional and ceremonial duties were mostly delegated to their representative, the governor-general of Ceylon.

The Ceylon Independence Act 1947 transformed the British Crown Colony of Ceylon into an independent sovereign state known as the Dominion of Ceylon. Upon independence in 1948, King George VI became the monarch of Ceylon and reigned until his death in 1952; he was succeeded by his elder daughter Queen Elizabeth II. In 1953, Elizabeth II was granted the official title of Queen of Ceylon by the country's parliament and, in this capacity, she visited the island nation in April 1954. The Crown primarily functioned as a guarantor of continuous and stable governance and a nonpartisan safeguard against the abuse of power.

On 22 May 1972, Ceylon changed its name to Sri Lanka and became a republic within the Commonwealth, thereby ending the island's 2,500-year-old monarchical system.

The British East India Company's conquest of Ceylon occurred during the wars of the French Revolution (1792–1801). In 1802, Ceylon was made a crown colony, and, by the Treaty of Amiens with France, British possession of maritime Ceylon was confirmed. With the help of local Kandyan chiefs whose relations with King Vikrama Rajasinha had been deteriorating, the British succeeded in taking over the kingdom in 1815. With the signing of the Kandyan Convention, the British guaranteed Kandyans their privileges and rights, as well as the preservation of customary laws, institutions, and religion. In 1833, steps were taken to adopt a unitary administrative and judicial system for the whole island. The reforms reduced the autocratic powers of the governor and set up Executive and Legislative councils to share in the task of government.

In 1934, the crown and throne of the kings of Kandy, which were taken to Britain in 1815, were returned to Ceylon during a royal tour by Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester. The transfer of the regalia symbolised the grant of a degree of self-government as the Donoughmore Constitution had established the State Council of Ceylon and enabled general elections with adult universal suffrage to the people of Ceylon in 1931.

In 1944, the British government appointed a commission under the chairmanship of Lord Soulbury to visit Ceylon for purposes of examining and discussing proposals for constitutional reform. The commission issued its report the next year. In May 1946, a draft constitution was presented to the court at Buckingham Palace. The Ceylon Independence Order in Council followed in December 1947. The new Constitution went into effect on 4 February of the following year; the day was celebrated as Ceylon Independence Day which was marked with special services held by different religious organisations across the country. Ceylon's decision to remain in the Commonwealth was supported by local newspapers. One of the papers stated:

Ceylon rejoices with the rest of the Commonwealth ... As long as Ceylon chooses to remain within the family of free nations linked by allegiance to democratic ideals and as long as constitutional monarchy remains consistent with those ideals Britain's King is Ceylon's King.

On 4 February 1948, Sir Henry Monck-Mason Moore, the last colonial governor, was sworn in as the first governor-general of Ceylon at a solemn but brief ceremony at Queen's House, Colombo. Instruments of independence were officially handed over by the British to Prime Minister Don Stephen Senanayake, who had been voted in by the people at the first parliamentary election in August 1947.