The empire as such no longer exists, though its legacy can still be appreciated today, be it through the popularity of traditional British sports such as football, cricket, rugby and golf; or from the status of [[English]] as the current global [[lingua franca]]; or from the use of the [[Westminster system]] of government and English common law around the world.
The Empire's successor is the [[Commonwealth of Nations]], which still features the British monarch [[Queen Elizabeth II]] as the [[Head of the Commonwealth]]. The commonwealth consists of the UK, [[Commonwealth Realms]] which still have the British monarch as Head of State, and republics.
In 1999, [[Australia]]ns voted in a referendum to retain the British monarch as their [[Head of State]], rather than declare Australia a republic.<ref>Leduc, L. [https://books.google.com/books?id=bawKFKxDFZoC&lpg=PA73&dq=Australian%20republic%20referendum&pg=PA73#v=onepage&q=%22The%20Australian%20republic%20referendum%22&f=false ''The Politics of Direct Democracy: Referendums in Global Perspective'']; Broadview Press; Ontario. Page 73, (2003)</ref>