Editing British Empire (section)

=== End of empire<!-- This is a turn of phrase, please do not change to say "the" empire or add quotation marks around it to suggest it is a specific quote from a specific source--> ===
{{See also|Falklands War|Handover of Hong Kong|Patriation}}

By 1981, aside from a scattering of islands and outposts, the process of decolonisation that had begun after the Second World War was largely complete. In 1982, Britain's resolve in defending its remaining overseas territories was tested when [[1982 invasion of the Falkland Islands|Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands]], acting on a long-standing claim that dated back to the [[Spanish Empire]].{{Sfn|James|2001|pp=624–625}} Britain's successful military response to retake the [[Falkland Islands]] during the ensuing [[Falklands War]] contributed to reversing the downward trend in Britain's status as a world power.{{Sfn|James|2001|p=629}}

The 1980s saw Canada, Australia, and New Zealand sever their final constitutional links with Britain. Although granted legislative independence by the [[Statute of Westminster 1931]], vestigial constitutional links had remained in place. The British Parliament retained the power to amend key Canadian constitutional statutes, meaning that an act of the British Parliament was required to make certain changes to the [[Constitution of Canada|Canadian Constitution]].{{Sfn|Gérin-Lajoie|1951}} The British Parliament had the power to pass laws extending to Canada at Canadian request. Although no longer able to pass any laws that would apply to Australian Commonwealth law, the British Parliament retained the power to legislate for the individual [[States and territories of Australia|Australian states]]. With regard to New Zealand, the British Parliament retained the power to pass legislation applying to New Zealand with the [[New Zealand Parliament]]'s consent. In 1982, the last legal link between Canada and Britain was severed by the [[Canada Act 1982]], which was passed by the British parliament, formally [[patriation|patriating]] the Canadian Constitution. The act ended the need for British involvement in changes to the Canadian constitution.{{Sfn|Brown|1998|p=594}} Similarly, the [[Australia Act 1986]] (effective 3 March 1986) severed the constitutional link between Britain and the Australian states, while New Zealand's [[Constitution Act 1986]] (effective 1 January 1987) reformed the constitution of New Zealand to sever its constitutional link with Britain.{{Sfn|Brown|1998|p=689}}

On 1 January 1984, Brunei, Britain's last remaining Asian protectorate, was granted full independence.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Trumbull |first=Robert |date=1 January 1984 |title=Borneo Sultanate Now Independent |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/01/01/world/boreno-sultanate-now-independent.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200715221145/https://www.nytimes.com/1984/01/01/world/boreno-sultanate-now-independent.html |archive-date=15 July 2020 |access-date=15 July 2020 |work=The New York Times}}</ref> Independence had been delayed due to the opposition of the [[List of sultans of Brunei|Sultan]], who had preferred British protection.{{Sfn|Brown|1998|p=202}}

In September 1982 the Prime Minister, [[Margaret Thatcher]], travelled to Beijing to negotiate with the Chinese Communist government, on the future of Britain's last major and most populous overseas territory, Hong Kong.{{Sfn|Brendon|2007|p=654}} Under the terms of the 1842 [[Treaty of Nanking]] and 1860 [[Convention of Peking]], [[Hong Kong Island]] and [[Kowloon Peninsula]] had been respectively ceded to Britain ''in perpetuity'', but the majority of the colony consisted of the [[New Territories]], which had been acquired under a [[Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory|99-year lease in 1898]], due to expire in 1997.<ref>{{Harvnb|Joseph|2010|p=355}}; {{Harvnb|Rothermund|2006|p=100}}.</ref> Thatcher, seeing parallels with the Falkland Islands, initially wished to hold Hong Kong and proposed British administration with Chinese sovereignty, though this was rejected by China.{{Sfn|Brendon|2007|pp=654–655}} A deal was reached in 1984—under the terms of the [[Sino-British Joint Declaration]], Hong Kong would become a [[special administrative region of the People's Republic of China]].{{Sfn|Brendon|2007|p=656}} The [[Hong Kong handover ceremony|handover ceremony]] in 1997 marked for many,{{Sfn|Brendon|2007|p=660}} including King Charles III, then Prince of Wales, who was in attendance, "the end of Empire", though many British territories that are remnants of the empire still remain.{{Sfn|Brown|1998|p=594}}