'The Colonies Rally Round the Old Flag of England', commemorative printed handkerchief, 1899 (c)

A large number of the troops fighting for Britain in South Africa came from distant parts of the Empire including New Zealand, Canada and Australia. Over 20,000 Australians fought for the 'mother country'. This relationship was commemorated in items of memorabilia, such as this handkerchief.

In fact, the Boer War (1899-1902) encouraged a new sense of independence amongst the colonies, contributing to the steady decline of the British Empire throughout the 20th century.