The Commonwealth of Nations as international society – an English School perspective

The Commonwealth of Nations would probably not be created today, but not only does it still exist, celebrating its 77th anniversary in 2026, but its membership continues to grow, with more countries seeking to join. This paper attempts to build on the work of Timothy Shaw and Lucian Ashworth (2010), who considered the modern Commonwealth through the lens of the English School theory and suggested a possible new Commonwealth School of International Relations theory. However, unlike Shaw and Ashworth’s theorisation of a Commonwealth School, this paper suggests that the English School offers a useful International Relations lens through which to analyse the Commonwealth of Nations. At the same time, empirical considerations of the Commonwealth of Nations can indeed shed light on debates in the English School and can reinvigorate the connection between the two, reconceptualising the Commonwealth as (1) an exemplar of international society; (2) a site where pluralism and solidarism coexists; and (3) a potential bridge between an international and a world society.