The London Declaration, which was negotiated and declared on 26 April 1949, was a show of statesmanship and vision, said Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma. He was speaking at a flag-raising ceremony held at Marlborough House in London on Monday, 27 April 2009, to mark the 60th anniversary of the modern Commonwealth. The Declaration by Heads of Government from Australia, Britain, Sri Lanka (then Ceylon), India, New Zealand, Pakistan and South Africa, and the Canadian Secretary of State for External Affairs, paved the way for republics to maintain their links with the Commonwealth. It heralded a ‘free and equal association’ which recognised the then King, George VI, as Head of this unique family of nations.