| 1926 Imperial Conference | |
|---|---|
 The King (front, centre) with his prime ministers. Standing (left to right):W.S. Monroe (Newfoundland),Gordon Coates (New Zealand),Stanley Bruce (Australia),J. B. M. Hertzog (Union of South Africa),W. T. Cosgrave (Irish Free State). Seated:Stanley Baldwin (United Kingdom), King George V,William Mackenzie King (Canada). | |
| Host country |  United Kingdom |
| Date | 19 October 1926– 23 November 1926 |
| Cities | London |
| Heads of State or Government | 8 |
| Chair | Stanley Baldwin (Prime Minister) |
| Follows | 1923 |
| Precedes | 1930 |
| Key points | |
Balfour Declaration, constitutional arrangements | |
The1926 Imperial Conference was the fifthImperial Conference bringing together the prime ministers of theDominions of theBritish Empire. It was held in London from 19 October to 23 November 1926.[1] The conference was notable for producing theBalfour Declaration, which established the principle that the dominions are all equal in status, and "autonomous communities within the British Empire" not subordinate to the United Kingdom.[1] The term "Commonwealth" was officially adopted to describe the community.[2]
The conference was arranged to follow directly after the 1926Assembly of theLeague of Nations (inGeneva,Switzerland), to reduce the amount of travelling required for the dominions' representatives.
The conference created the Inter-Imperial Relations Committee, chaired byArthur Balfour, to look into future constitutional arrangements for the Commonwealth. In the end, the committee rejected the idea of acodified constitution, as espoused by South Africa's former Prime MinisterJan Smuts, but also fell short of endorsing the "end of empire" espoused by Smuts's arch-rival,Barry Hertzog.[1] The recommendations were adopted unanimously by the conference on 15 November, followed by an equally warm reception in the newspapers.[1]
The conference was hosted byKing-EmperorGeorge V, with his Prime Ministers and members of their respective cabinets:
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