The queen was the architect of the commonwealth in many ways, and there were cracks in that club showing even before she died. We also know that countries such as barbados had decided that they no longer wanted her as a head f state. It will now need to be seen whether other countries decide that they no long want charles as their head of state. When she came in, britain was basking in the afterglow of an empire, and now it is perhaps no more than a regional power in the north atlantic. The queen as a figure of unity and one of consistency. And with her gone the difficulties with scotland and the question of whether