Monarchy
The Monarchy is the oldest institution of government. There have been Kings in England (save for the briefest intervals) ever since its settlement by the English nearly fifteen hundred years ago; perhaps, indeed, even earlier, for it is doubtful whether the older "Welsh" inhabitants ever completely lost their independence under Roman rule, and some of their chiefs, at least, were probably called "Kings." For many centuries these so-called Kings ruled over only small parts of the country, or, rather, over small groups of people. Then, by a slow process of combination, the numerous petty kingdoms (of which the names of some are known to us) became the seven Kingdoms of the Heptarchy, and, finally, the one Kingdom of England, under the Wessex House of Cerdic, in the ninth century AD.
Until the Norman Conquest, at least, the Witan, or Council of Elders, claimed and exercised the right to choose the fittest member of the Royal House to fill the throne. The Norman Conquest, however, in 1066, though it maintained the pretences both of inheritance and election, was really a forcible revolution. The Norman House and its successors, the Angevins and Plantagenets, added an increase of territory, by the partial conquest of Ireland in the twelfth century AD, and the conquest and incorporation of Wales in the thirteenth and sixteenth. Meanwhile, by the loss of its Continental possessions (Normandy, Anjou, Maine, etc.), in the disastrous reign of John, it had become more purely English. The union of the Crowns of England and Scotland, on the accession of James VI of Scotland and I of England in 1603, though at first only a family arrangement, paved the way for a union of the two Kingdoms a century later.
In the seventeenth century Parliament definitely challenged (first in the Civil War, then in the Revolution) the ill-defined "prerogatives," or special privileges, of the Crown, and established itself as the supreme representative of the national will. By accepting the throne on the definite terms of a great Parliamentary statute, known as the " Bill of Rights," in 1688, William of Orange and his consort not merely recognized the fact that Parliament shared equally in the establishment of the Kingship, but, in effect, admitted that the final disposal of the throne lay with Parliament.
The Queen's full title is 'Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith'. In addition to being the Sovereign of the United Kingdom, The Queen is Head of State of 15 other realms and Head of the Commonwealth. In each country where she is Head of State, Her Majesty is represented by a Governor-General, appointed by her on the advice of the ministers of the country concerned and independent of the UK Government. In the Isle of Man, Jersey and the Bailiwick of Guernsey Her Majesty is represented by a Lieutenant-Governor. In the Overseas Territories The Queen is usually represented by a Governor who is a member of the Diplomatic Service responsible to the UK Government.
The title to the Crown derives partly from statute and partly from common law rules of descent. Despite interruptions in the direct line of succession, inheritance has always been how the Monarchy has passed down the generations, with sons of the Sovereign coming before daughters in succeeding to the throne. When a daughter does succeed, she becomes Queen Regnant, and has the same powers as a king. The 'consort' of a king takes her husband's rank and style, becoming Queen. No special rank or privileges are given to the husband of a Queen Regnant.
Under the Act of Settlement of 1701, only Protestant descendants of Princess Sophia, the Electress of Hanover (a granddaughter of James I of England and VI of Scotland), are eligible to succeed. The first seven members of the Royal Family in order of succession to the Throne are: The Prince of Wales, Prince William of Wales, Prince Henry of Wales, The Duke of York, Princess Beatrice of York, Princess Eugenie of York and The Earl of Wessex. Lady Louise Windsor, the daughter of The Earl and Countess of Wessex, became eighth in line to the throne on her birth in November 2003.
The Sovereign succeeds to the throne as soon as his or her predecessor dies: there is no interval without a ruler. He or she is at once proclaimed at an Accession Council, to which all members of the Privy Council are called. Members of the House of Lords, the Lord Mayor, Aldermen and other leading citizens of the City of London are also invited.
Public funds (known as the 'Civil List') and government departments together meet the costs of The Queen's official duties. In 2000 a Royal Trustees' Report recommended that Civil List payments should remain at the 1991 level of £7.9 million a year for a further ten years from 2001. About 70 per cent of The Queen's Civil List provision is needed to meet the cost of staff. Under the Civil List, the Duke of Edinburgh receives an annual parliamentary allowance of £359,000 to enable him to carry out his public duties. Parliamentary annuities paid to other members of the Royal Family to carry out royal duties are reimbursed by The Queen. In return for the Civil List and other financial support, The Queen surrenders the income from the Crown Estate (£171 million in 2002/03) and other hereditary revenues to the nation. The Prince of Wales does not receive a parliamentary allowance since he is entitled to the annual net revenues of the Duchy of Cornwall.
According to the annual report of Civil List expenditure, issued in June 2004, The Queen's total expenditure as Head of State in 2003/04 was £36.8 million, of which £16.5 million was spent on the upkeep of the royal palaces and £4.7 million on royal travel. The Queen's private expenditure as Sovereign comes from the Privy Purse, which is financed mainly from the revenues of the Duchy of Lancaster. The Duchy of Lancaster is a landed estate that has been held in trust for the Sovereign since 1399. It is kept quite apart from his or her other possessions and is separately administered by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. Her expenditure as a private individual is met from her own personal resources. Since 1993 The Queen has paid income tax on all personal and Privy Purse income. She also pays tax on realised capital gains on private investments and on assets in the Privy Purse. The Prince of Wales pays tax on the income from the Duchy of Cornwall that is used for private purposes.
Over time the Monarchy's power has been gradually reduced. The Queen's influence is mainly informal and, having expressed her views, she abides by the advice of her ministers. The Queen continues to perform a range of duties, such as summoning and dissolving Parliament, and giving Royal Assent to legislation passed by the UK or Scottish Parliament or, when it is sitting, by the Northern Ireland Assembly. She formally appoints important office holders, including the Prime Minister and other government ministers, the First Minister in Scotland, judges, officers in the Armed Forces, governors, diplomats, bishops and some other senior clergy of the Church of England. The Queen confers peerages, knighthoods and other honours. In international affairs, as Head of State, she has the power to declare war and make peace, to recognise foreign states and conclude treaties.
The Queen holds Privy Council meetings, gives audiences to her ministers and officials in the United Kingdom and overseas, receives accounts of Cabinet decisions, reads dispatches and signs State papers. She is consulted on many aspects of national life, and must show complete impartiality.
The Privy Council was once the chief source of executive power in the State, but as the system of Cabinet government developed in the 18th century, the Cabinet took on much of its role. The Privy Council remains the main way in which ministers advise The Queen on the approval of Orders in Council (such as those granting Royal Charters or enacting subordinate legislation) or on the issue of royal proclamations (such as the summoning or dissolving of Parliament).
The Privy Council consists of all members of the Cabinet, other senior politicians, senior judges and some individuals from the Commonwealth. Appointment is for life but only members of the Government participate in its policy work. The Prime Minister recommends membership of the Privy Council to the Sovereign. In August 2004 there were some 530 members.
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