{{EngvarB|date=July 2016}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2016}} {{Infobox summit meeting | summit_name = 1911 Imperial Conference | other_titles = | image = | alt = | caption = | country = {{flagicon|United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland}} United Kingdom | dates = {{nowrap|23 May 1911}}&ndash;<br />{{nowrap|20 June 1911}} | venues = | cities = London | participants = <!-- X (of members) --> | heads_of_state_label = {{nowrap|Heads of Government}} | heads_of_state = 6 | chairperson = H. H. Asquith<br />(Prime Minister) | follows = 1907 | precedes = Imperial War Conference<br>(1917–1918) | website = <!-- {{URL|example.com}} --> | keypoints = Imperial constitutional arrangements, Imperial Federation, international relations and treaties }} The '''1911 Imperial Conference''' convened in London on 23 May 1911 and concluded on 20 June 1911. It was held to mark the occasion of the coronation of King George V on 22 June 1911.

The conference discussed Empire-wide constitutional arrangements, with proposals by New Zealand's prime minister Sir Joseph Ward for an imperial council made up of representatives of the dominions which would advise the British government on imperial matters. Ward developed this idea into a proposal for an Imperial Parliament (see Imperial Federation) which would be responsible for the Empire's foreign policy including the declaration of war and would be presided over by an Imperial executive. British prime minister H. H. Asquith rejected these proposals as infringing on British autonomy in making foreign policy, but he agreed it was necessary to consult with dominion prime ministers on certain matters. Asquith proposed a standing committee on foreign affairs, but the dominion prime ministers could not agree on a final resolution.<ref name=dic>{{cite book |editor-first1=James S. |editor-last1=Olson |editor-first2=Robert |editor-last2=Shadle |title=Historical Dictionary of the British Empire: A-J |year=1996 |publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group |location=London |pages=548–549 |url={{google books|L-X-XYB_ZkIC|plainurl=yes|page=548}} |isbn=0-3132-9366-X}}</ref> The adoption of a new flag for the British Empire was also meant to be discussed, but this ultimately was not covered due to much of the conference being focused on the aforementioned topics.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Kelly |first=Ralph |date=8 August 2017 |title=A flag for the Empire |url=https://www.flaginstitute.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/ICV27-B8-Kelly.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230813214957/https://www.flaginstitute.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/ICV27-B8-Kelly.pdf |archive-date=13 August 2023 |access-date=13 August 2023 |website=The Flag Institute |page=9}}</ref>

The conference came to an agreement on the negotiation of treaties that affect various dominions and that the British government would consult the dominions when preparing its proposals for proposed international Peace Conferences and that future international peace treaties and some international agreements would be circulated to the dominions for comment prior to the British government signing them.<ref name=dic/>

Australia expressed concern about Japan's growing naval power, and it was agreed that the British government would consult Australia when negotiating renewal of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance. Britain also agreed to consult South Africa about negotiations with Germany, considering its colonial aspirations in Africa.<ref name=dic/><ref>{{cite book |last1=Kendle |first1=J.E. |author-link1=John Kendle |year=1967 |title=The Colonial and Imperial Conferences, 1887-1911: A Study in Imperial Organization |url=https://academic.oup.com/ahr/article-abstract/74/3/999/91500 |series=Imperial Studies |volume=XXVIII |publication-place=London |publisher=Longmans for the Royal Commonwealth Society |asin=B0000CO3QA |doi=10.1086/ahr/74.3.999 }}</ref>

==Participants== The conference was hosted by King-Emperor George V, with his Prime Ministers and members of their respective cabinets:<ref>{{cite book |title=Minutes of Proceedings of the 1911 Imperial Conference, 1911 |date=25 November 2023 |location=London |publisher=His Majesty's Stationery Office |page=20 |url=https://archive.org/stream/1911minutesofpro00impeuoft#page/20/mode/2up}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" |- ! Nation ! Name ! Portfolio |- | rowspan=12|{{flagcountry|United Kingdom}} | H. H. Asquith | Prime Minister (Chairman) |- | Lewis Harcourt | Secretary of State for the Colonies |- | David Lloyd George | Chancellor of the Exchequer |- | Sir Edward Grey | Foreign Secretary |- | Lord Loreburn | Lord Chancellor |- | Viscount Haldane | Secretary of State for War |- | Sydney Buxton, | President of the Board of Trade |- | Winston Churchill | Home Secretary |- | Herbert Samuel | Postmaster General of the United Kingdom |- | Sir Rufus Isaacs | Attorney General for England and Wales |- | John Burns | President of the Local Government Board |- | Thomas McKinnon Wood | Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs |- | rowspan=3|{{flagcountry|Australia}} | Andrew Fisher | Prime Minister |- | Egerton Lee Batchelor | Minister for External Affairs |- | George Pearce | Minister for Defence |- | rowspan=3|{{flagcountry|Canada|1868}} | Sir Wilfrid Laurier | Prime Minister |- | Sir Frederick William Borden | Minister of Militia and Defence |- | Sir Louis-Philippe Brodeur | Minister of Marine and Fisheries |- | rowspan=2|{{flagcountry|Dominion of Newfoundland|Newfoundland}} | Sir E. P. Morris | Prime Minister |- | Robert Watson | Colonial Secretary |- | rowspan=2|{{flagcountry|New Zealand}} | Sir Joseph Ward | Prime Minister |- | John Findlay | Minister of Justice and Attorney-General |- | rowspan=3|{{flagcountry|Union of South Africa|variant=1910}} | Louis Botha | Prime Minister |- | F. S. Malan | Minister of Education |- | Sir David Pieter de Villiers Graaff | Minister of Public Works and of Posts and Telegraphs |}

==See also== *Imperial Conference

== References == {{reflist}}

==External links== *[https://archive.org/stream/1911minutesofpro00impeuoft#page/50/mode/2up Minutes of the 1911 Imperial Conference]

{{Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Imperial Conference 1911}} Category:Imperial Conference Category:1911 in London Category:1911 in international relations Category:1911 in the British Empire Category:1911 conferences Category:May 1911 in the United Kingdom Category:June 1911 in the United Kingdom Category:George V Category:H. H. Asquith Category:David Lloyd George Category:Winston Churchill Category:Premiership of Wilfrid Laurier {{British-Empire-stub}}