Elizabeth II

=== Political reforms and crises ===
{{Multiple image|total_width=400|align= right |direction= horizontal
|image1=Elizabeth II in Queensland, Australia, 1970.jpg
|alt1=Elizabeth waving from a car
|caption1=In [[Queensland]], Australia, 1970
|image2=Stevan Kragujevic, Elizabeth II i Josip Broz Tito,1972, u Beogradu.jpg
|alt2=
|caption2=With [[President Tito]] of [[Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia|Yugoslavia]] in Belgrade, 1972
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The 1960s and 1970s saw an acceleration in the [[decolonisation of Africa]] and the Caribbean. More than 20 countries gained independence from Britain as part of a planned transition to self-government. In 1965, however, the Rhodesian prime minister, [[Ian Smith]], in opposition to moves towards [[majority rule]], [[Rhodesia's Unilateral Declaration of Independence|unilaterally declared independence]] while expressing "loyalty and devotion" to Elizabeth, declaring her "[[Queen of Rhodesia]]".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Williams |first=Kate |author-link=Kate Williams (historian) |date=18 August 2019 |title=As The Crown returns, watch out for these milestones |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2019/aug/18/tv-show-the-crown-returns-series-three-historian-kate-williams |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210704002344/https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2019/aug/18/tv-show-the-crown-returns-series-three-historian-kate-williams |archive-date=4 July 2021 |access-date=5 July 2021 |work=The Guardian |mode=cs2}}</ref> Although Elizabeth formally dismissed him, and the international community applied sanctions against Rhodesia, his regime survived for over a decade.{{Sfnm|ps=none|Bond|2006|1p=66|Pimlott|2001|2pp=345–354}} As Britain's ties to its former empire weakened, the British government sought entry to the [[European Community]], a goal it [[Accession of the United Kingdom to the European Communities|achieved in 1973]].{{Sfnm|ps=none|Bradford|2012|1pp=123, 154, 176|Pimlott|2001|2pp=301, 315–316, 415–417}}

In 1966, the Queen was criticised for waiting eight days before visiting the village of [[Aberfan]], where [[Aberfan disaster|a mining disaster]] claimed the lives of 116 children and 28 adults. Martin Charteris said that the delay, made on his advice, was a mistake that she later regretted.<ref>{{Cite news |date=10 September 2022 |title=Aberfan disaster: The Queen's regret after tragedy |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-42101460 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221123064943/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-42101460 |archive-date=23 November 2022 |access-date=20 December 2022 |work=BBC News |mode=cs2}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=17 November 2019 |title=How filming the agony of Aberfan for The Crown revealed a village still in trauma |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2019/nov/17/television-drama-the-crown-portrays-aberfan-disaster |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221221000005/https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2019/nov/17/television-drama-the-crown-portrays-aberfan-disaster |archive-date=21 December 2022 |access-date=20 December 2022 |website=The Guardian |mode=cs2}}</ref>

Elizabeth toured [[Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia|Yugoslavia]] in October 1972, becoming the first British monarch to visit a [[communist country]].{{Sfn|ps=none|Hoey|2022|page=58}} She was received at the airport by President [[Josip Broz Tito]], and a crowd of thousands greeted her in [[Belgrade]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=18 October 1972 |title=Big Crowds in Belgrade Greet Queen Elizabeth |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1972/10/18/archives/big-crowds-in-belgrade-greet-queen-elizabeth.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220606155117/https://www.nytimes.com/1972/10/18/archives/big-crowds-in-belgrade-greet-queen-elizabeth.html |archive-date=6 June 2022 |access-date=8 September 2022 |work=The New York Times |mode=cs2}}</ref>

In February 1974, the British prime minister [[Edward Heath]] advised Elizabeth to call [[February 1974 United Kingdom general election|a general election]] in the middle of her tour of the [[Austronesia]]n [[Pacific Rim]], requiring her to fly back to Britain.{{Sfnm|ps=none|Bradford|2012|1p=181|Pimlott|2001|2p=418}} The election resulted in a [[hung parliament]]; Heath's Conservatives were not the largest party but could stay in office if they formed a coalition with the [[Liberal Party (UK)|Liberals]]. When discussions on forming a coalition foundered, Heath resigned, and Elizabeth asked the [[Leader of the Opposition (United Kingdom)|Leader of the Opposition]], [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]]'s [[Harold Wilson]], to form a government.{{Sfnm|ps=none|Bradford|2012|1p=181|Marr|2011|2p=256|Pimlott|2001|3p=419|Shawcross|2002|4pp=109–110}}

A year later, at the height of the [[1975 Australian constitutional crisis]], the Australian prime minister, [[Gough Whitlam]], was dismissed from his post by Governor-General [[Sir John Kerr]], after the Opposition-controlled [[Australian Senate|Senate]] rejected Whitlam's budget proposals.{{Sfnm|ps=none|Bond|2006|1p=96|Marr|2011|2p=257|Pimlott|2001|3p=427|Shawcross|2002|4p=110}} As Whitlam had a majority in the [[Australian House of Representatives|House of Representatives]], Speaker [[Gordon Scholes]] appealed to Elizabeth to reverse Kerr's decision. She declined, saying she would not interfere in decisions reserved by the [[Constitution of Australia]] for the [[Governor-General of Australia|governor-general]].{{Sfn|ps=none|Pimlott|2001|pp=428–429}} The crisis fuelled [[Australian republicanism]].{{Sfnm|ps=none|Bond|2006|1p=96|Marr|2011|2p=257|Pimlott|2001|3p=427|Shawcross|2002|4p=110}}

[[File:Jimmy Carter with Queen Elizabeth - NARA - 174724.jpg|thumb|[[3rd G7 summit|Leaders of the G7 states]], members of the royal family and Elizabeth (centre), London, 1977]]
In 1977, Elizabeth marked the [[Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II|Silver Jubilee]] of her accession. Parties and events took place throughout the Commonwealth, many coinciding with [[List of events during the Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II|her associated national and Commonwealth tours]]. The celebrations re-affirmed Elizabeth's popularity, despite virtually coincident negative press coverage of Princess Margaret's separation from her husband, Lord Snowdon.{{Sfn|ps=none|Pimlott|2001|p=449}} In 1978, Elizabeth endured a state visit to the United Kingdom by [[Socialist Republic of Romania|Romania]]'s communist leader, [[Nicolae Ceaușescu]], and his wife, [[Elena Ceaușescu|Elena]],{{Sfnm|ps=none|Hardman|2011|1p=137|Roberts|2000|2pp=88–89|Shawcross|2002|3p=178}} though privately she thought they had "blood on their hands".<ref>Elizabeth to her staff, quoted in {{Harvnb|Shawcross|2002|p=178}}</ref> The following year brought two blows: the unmasking of [[Anthony Blunt]], former [[Surveyor of the Queen's Pictures]], as a communist spy and the [[assassination of Lord Mountbatten]] by the [[Provisional Irish Republican Army]].{{Sfnm|ps=none|Pimlott|2001|1pp=336–337, 470–471|Roberts|2000|2pp=88–89}}

According to [[Paul Martin Sr.]], by the end of the 1970s, Elizabeth was worried [[the Crown]] "had little meaning for" [[Pierre Trudeau]], the Canadian prime minister.<ref name="Post" /> [[Tony Benn]] said Elizabeth found Trudeau "rather disappointing".<ref name="Post">{{Cite news |last=Heinricks |first=Geoff |date=29 September 2000 |title=Trudeau: A drawer monarchist |work=[[National Post]] |location=Toronto |page=B12 |mode=cs2}}</ref> Trudeau's supposed [[Republicanism in Canada|republicanism]] seemed to be confirmed by his antics, such as sliding down banisters at Buckingham Palace and pirouetting behind Elizabeth's back in 1977, and the removal of various [[Canadian royal symbols]] during his term of office.<ref name="Post" /> In 1980, Canadian politicians sent to London to discuss the [[patriation]] of the [[Canadian constitution]] found Elizabeth "better informed&nbsp;... than any of the British politicians or bureaucrats".<ref name="Post" /> She was particularly interested after the failure of Bill C-60, which would have affected her role as head of state.<ref name="Post" />