Still part of the UK - they voted to remain in the commonwealth along with NZ and Canada; they’re subjects not citizens. And they voted to keep “God Save The King/Queen” as their national anthem not “Advance Australia Fair”.
The UK, NZ, and Canada are likewise not free countries. Arbitrary acts by government bureaucrats are the norm in those countries.
There’s that Montreal grave marker for John Laird McCaffery.
Apparently, his wife and mistress penned an inscription that the first character of each line read vertically down, produces “F***Y**”