After the war, as the Polish territory came under the control of the communist Polish People's Republic, the government-in-exile remained in existence albeit without effective power. It lost recognition of the majority of states upon formation of the Provisional Government of National Unity on 5 July 1945 though continued to be hosted and informally supported by the United Kingdom, while the last country to withdraw its diplomatic recognition on 19 October 1972 was the Holy See (the Vatican City). However, only after the end of communist rule in Poland did the government-in-exile formally pass its responsibilities and insignia onto the government of the Third Polish Republic at a special ceremony held on 22 December 1990 at the Royal Castle in Warsaw, while the liquidation of its apparatus was declared accomplished on 31 December 1991.
