queen elizabeth ii

The  monarchy of Britain is among the older established monarchies worldwide and though the monarchy has changed quite a lot in the intervening centuries, the English sovereign is still one of the most familiar world figureheads. When most north Americans think about a queen, they think of the UK monarch.

So what does the UK sovereign, now Queen Elizabeth II, do as the Queen? The Brit sovereign is the chief of state in Great Britain, and the states’s face. The Brit sovereign has the authority over the courts, is commander-in-chief of the armed forces and is the head of the Church of England. As a consequence, Queen Elizabeth appoints ministers, judges, politicians, bishops, governors and some officials in the armed forces. She’s head of the executive branch of administration in Great Britain and must officially agreement to a Bill from Parliament for it to become a law. The British sovereign King John found his royal powers and privileges hobbled in 1215, with the signing of the Magna Carta. The Brit had not been especially keen on unconditional monarchy, and the lords and nobles of the realm had, fairly simply, had all they could take from the UK sovereign and his decrees. Royal power and royal obligations modified and dropped over the centuries.

The result today is that, while Queen Elizabeth is sovereign over her country, Parliament holds the genuine power. The Queen can suggest or counsel, but the times of the UK sovereign telling Parliament what it’ll and won’t pass are long over. The Queen also opens the session of Parliament each year, and makes a talk setting forth her government’s objectives for the year to come. One of the most evident commitments of the Brit sovereign is walkabout. Walkabout is the name for the tours, openings and appearances Queen Elizabeth makes all over her country, and anywhere she visits.

The Queen frequently shakes hands with her subjects, accepts bouquets and gifts and sometimes presents a public, charitable face, whereby her subjects can see her. Walkabout has seriously increased the fondness for the Brit sovereign. The Brit sovereign also visits other heads of state and / or govt., and is her states’s “public relations” person. Queen Elizabeth’s visits help set the tone for relations between states. She attends State dinners in her very own and other states, and Buckingham Palace is the location of most state functions. The UK sovereign is more of a figurehead nowadays, but he can help poke the country in varied directions and so, is still a player in Central authority .