He had long styled himself the Tui Viti (King of Fiji), but had not been recognised as such by other chiefs, and he exercised no direct authority outside his domain of Bau until he united the country under his leadership in 1871.
On 10 October 1874, Cakobau signed the Deed of Cession, that granted the British Empire sovereignty over the islands.
From 1874 to 1970, the British monarch was Fiji's formal head of state.
The Queen of Fiji was represented by a governor-general, who acted on the advice of the Fijian government.
Fiji was proclaimed a republic on 7 October 1987,[5] upon the deposition of the Fijian monarchy following two military coups.