The State of Malta, known unofficially in common parlance as Malta, was a predecessor to modern-day Malta. It existed between 21 September 1964 and 13 December 1974, when Malta became a republic within the Commonwealth.When British rule ended in 1964, the Malta Independence Act 1964 transformed the British Crown Colony of Malta into an independent sovereign Commonwealth realm; the British monarch, Elizabeth II, became Queen of Malta (Reġina ta' Malta).