Chapter 2 The Constitutional Monarchy in Great Britain

1、Chapter 2 The Constitutional Monarchy in Great BritainKey points:l1. the main political roles of the sovereign in the UK.l2. the roles of the Royal family in the UKlDiscussion:lGive examples of the Royal family members functions in the UK.Defining constitutional monarchylMonarchy: a king or queen se

2、rves as the head of state.lConstitutional monarchy: a form of government in which a monarch acts as head of state within the parameters of a written or unwritten constitution. lMost constitutional monarchies employ a parliamentary system in which the monarch is the ceremonial head of state and a dir

3、ectly- or indirectly-elected prime minister is the head of government and exercises effective political power. lContemporary constitutional monarchies include Australia, Belgium, Cambodia, Canada, Denmark, Japan, Luxembourg, Malaysia, The Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Thailand and the United K

4、ingdom.The MonarchlQueen Elizabeth IIlReal name: Elizabeth Alexandra Mary WindsorlBirth: 21 April 1926 in LondonlChildren: 3 sons, 1 daughterThe role of the SovereignlThe British Sovereign can be seen as having two roles: Head of State, and Head of the Nation. lAs Head of State, The Queen undertakes

5、 political duties which have developed over one thousand years of history. lThere are inward duties: lTo appoint a new Prime Minister; lTo summon, prorogue and dissolve Parliament;lTo sign acts of Parliament,;lTo hold meetings with the Prime Minister. lTo serve as the commander-in-chief of the Armed

6、 forces and the Supreme governor the Church of England.lThere are also outward duties of State, when The Queen represents Britain to the rest of the world: lTo receive foreign ambassadors and high commissioners;lTo entertains visiting Heads of State, lTo make State visits overseas to other countries

7、.lAs Head of Nation, The Queens role is less formal, but no less important for the social and cultural functions it fulfils. lThese include: providing a focus for national identity, unity and pride; giving a sense of stability and continuity; recognising success, achievement and excellence; and supp

8、orting service to others, particularly through public service and the voluntary sector. National Anthem of UKlGod Save the Queen lGod save our gracious Queen, Long live our noble Queen, God save the Queen: Send her victorious, Happy and glorious, Long to reign over us: God save the Queen. Thy choice

9、st gifts in store On her be pleased to pour Long may she reign May she defend our laws And give us ever cause To sing with heart and voice God save the QueenNoImageThe Queen and the CommonwealthlThe Commonwealth is a voluntary association of 53 independent countries, almost all of which were formerl

10、y under British rule.lThe Queen has been Head of the Commonwealth. l*The Commonwealth celebrates its 60th anniversary in 2009 .The role of the Royal FamilylThe close family of the Queen:Consort (spouse) of the queenlPrince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, born 10 June 1921, the husband of Queen Elizabeth

11、II since 20 November 1947, and her consort since 6 February 1952. Philip was originally a royal prince of Greece and Denmark. On the day before Philip was married, he was granted the style of His Royal Highness by King George VI and, the next day, was made Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth and Ba

12、ron Greenwich. Queen Elizabeth made Philip a Prince of the United Kingdom in 1957. lIssue:lPrince Charles, Prince of Wales (1948)lPrincess Anne, Princess Royal (1950) lPrince Andrew, Duke of York (1960) lPrince Edward, Earl of Wessex (1964)namebirthspouseissuePrince Charles, Prince of Wales14,Nov. 1

13、948Lady Diana Spencer, Camilla Parker-Bowles Prince Harry of Wales, Prince of WilliamPrincess Anne, Princess Royal15, Aug. 1950Mark PhillipsPeter PhilipsZara PhillipsPrince Andrew, Duke of York19, Feb. 1960Sarah Ferguson Princess Beatrice of YorkPrincess Eugenie of YorkPrince Edward, Earl of Wessex1

14、0 March 1964Sophie Rhys-JonesLady Louise WindsorJames, Viscount SevernlPrince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the Heir Apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The current Prince of Wales is Prince Charles, the eldest son of Queen Eli

15、zabeth II. lThe prince is well known for his charity work. Since 1958, his major title has been The Prince of Wales. However, he may use other titles depending on where he visits, for example The Duke of Rothesay when visiting Scotland, or The Duke of Cornwall when visiting southwestern England.lPri

16、ncess Royal Anne, (Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise; is the only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and is the seventh holder of the title Princess Royal . She is known for her charitable work, also known for equestrian talents; she won two silver and one gold medal at th

17、e European Eventing Championships, and is the only member of the British Royal Family to have competed in the Olympic Games. lThe Prince Andrew, Duke of York (Andrew Albert Christian Edward;), is the second son and third child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh , and is known

18、 for his military service and participation in the Falklands War.lThe Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex (Edward Antony Richard Louis) is the third son and fourth child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. The role of the Royal FamilylMembers of the Royal Family support The Queen i

19、n her many State and national duties, as well as carrying out important work in the areas of public and charitable service, and helping to strengthen national unity and stability. lThe Duke of Edinburgh the Prince of Waleslcarrying out official engagements throughout the UK and worldwide. Members of

20、 the Royal Family often carry out official duties in the UK and abroad where The Queen cannot be present in person. lsupporting The Queen when official events such as receptions, State banquets and garden parties are held, in making her guests welcome. lRepresents The Queen and the nation in Commonw

21、ealth or other countries, at events such as State funerals or national festivities, or through longer visits to strengthen Britains diplomatic and economic relations. lsupporting and encouraging the public and charity sectors. lrecognising and supporting the work of the Armed Services. Members of th

22、e Royal Family have official relationships with many units of the Forces, paying regular visits to soldiers, sailors and airmen serving at home and abroad. lstrengthening national unity. Members of the Royal Family are able to recognise and participate in community and local events in every part of

23、the UK, from the opening of new buildings to celebrations or acts of commemoration. SuccessionlThe succession to the throne is regulated not only through descent, but also by statute; the Act of Settlement confirmed that it was for Parliament to determine the title to the throne. lSons of the Sovere

24、ign have precedence over daughters.lTHE LINE OF SUCCESSIONlSovereign1. The Prince of Wales2. Prince William of Wales3. Prince Henry of Wales4. The Duke of York5. Princess Beatrice of York6. Princess Eugenie of York7. The Earl of Wessex8. Viscount Severn9. The Lady Louise Windsor10. The Princess Roya

25、lThe Royal Householdl the Private Secretarys Office l the Privy Purse and Treasurers Office l the Masters Departmentl the Lord Chaberlains Officel the Royal CollectionLord ChamberlainlThe Lord Chamberlain is the senior official of the Royal Household.lHis role is to oversee the conduct and general b

26、usiness of the Royal Household and to be a source and focal point for important matters which have implications for the Household as a whole. His role is non-executive and the post is part-time.The Private Secretarys Officelresponsible for supporting The Queen in her duties as Head of State.lThe rol

27、e of the Private Secretarythe channel of communication between the Head of State and the Government.linforms and advises The Queen on constitutional, governmental and political matters.lorganises The Queens official programme at home and overseas; and deals with The Queens official correspondence.lp

28、repares The Queens speeches and messages, and arranges photographs and official presents, portraits and messages of congratulation.lLadies-in-Waiting and Equerries are also members of the Private Secretarys Office. lLadies-in-Waiting are appointed personally by The Queen and other female members of

29、the Royal Family to accompany them on public engagements.lThey often deal with the flowers, cards and presents which Her Majesty and other members of the Royal Family receive during their visits and walkabouts. They also help with The Queens private correspondence and reply to letters from children.

30、lThe Equerry to The Queen supports Her Majesty in her official duties and private life, as a member of a small team responsible for the detailed planning and execution of The Queens daily programme.The Master of the Households DepartmentlThe Department is the largest in the Royal Household, and is r

31、esponsible for all hospitality, catering and housekeeping arrangements for official and private entertaining at all the Royal residences. The Lord Chamberlains OfficelThe Lord Chamberlains Office is responsible for organising those elements of The Queens programme that involve ceremonial activity.lD

32、espite its name, the Lord Chamberlains Office is as independent of the Lord Chamberlain as the other Departments. It is headed by the Comptroller.the Royal Collection departmentlEstablished in 1987, the Royal Collection department manages the public opening of the official residences of Her Majesty

33、The Queen and of the official London residence of Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall. It is also responsible for the care of the Royal Collection, one of the worlds greatest art collections. The Royal ResidenceslBuckingham Palace has served as the official London

34、residence of Britains sovereigns since 1837 and today is the administrative headquarters of the Monarch. Windsor CastlelWindsor Castle is an official residence of The Queen and the largest occupied castle in the world. A Royal home and fortress for over 900 years, the Castle remains a working palace

35、 today. Windsor CastlelThe Queen uses the Castle both as a private home, where she usually spends the weekend, and as a Royal residence at which she undertakes certain formal duties.lThe Queen is also in residence for a week in June, when she attends the Royal Ascot race meeting. l* Royal Ascot race

36、 is a famous English racecourse, located in the small town of Ascot, Berkshire, used for thoroughbred horse racing. Palace of HolyroodhouselThe Queens official residence in Scotland. St. Jamess Palacelthe senior Palace of the Sovereign, with a long history as a Royal residence. As the home of severa

37、l members of the Royal Family and their household offices, it is often in use for official functions and is not open to the public. Clarence HouselClarence House, which stands beside St Jamess Palace, is the official London residence of The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, and Princes Wi

38、lliam and Harry. It is open to the public during the summer months each year. Kensington PalacelSandringham HouselBalmoral Castle Royal finances lHead of State expenditure is the official expenditure relating to The Queens duties as Head of State and Head of the Commonwealth. lHead of State expendit

39、ure is met from public funds in exchange for the surrender by The Queen of the revenue from the Crown Estate. Sources of fundinglfour sources of funding : lthe Civil List;lthe Grants-in-Aid ;lthe Privy Purse ;lThe Queens personal wealth and income.The Civil Listlthe amount of money provided by Parli

40、ament to meet the official expenses of The Queens Household, so that The Queen can carry out her role as Head of State and Head of the Commonwealth. The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh are the only members of the Royal Family to receive an annual parliamentary allowance.Grant-in-Aid lThe Royal Household receives annual funding to meet the costs of official travel through the Department of Transport. lA separate grant is voted by Parliament each year, through the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, to cover the upkeep of the Royal residences，including: Buc