Constitutional Monarchy

Do you guys know who either woman pictured above is? Chances are, if you recognize one, its the woman on the left. If you recognize both, then good for you!

On the left is Queen Elizabeth II, current monarch of the UK and on the right is Theresa May, the current Prime Minister. They are both figures of power across the nation but have very different roles. When I first arrived in the UK, I often wondered why there is still a monarch if there is another government system in place.

Like the United States, the UK has a three-branched system of government which functions much like ours. However, their system is known as a Constitutional Monarchy. So where does the monarch play into all this.

As the diagram shows, the Queen is the face of the UK and she signs Bills for them to become Laws so does this mean she does have some executive power?

While the Queen does sign Bills, she only does so for ceremonial purposes once it has already been passed. In fact, this is the basis of most of her duties. 

The Queen is also symbol of national identity and relations to maintain consistency through shifts from Prime Minister to Prime Minister. She is also in charge of any public recognition that needs to be given and is a symbol for voluntary service, as her life is devoted to the country. 

Additionally, any war declared and any treaty signed, whether done so in the knowledge of the Queen or not, is done on her authority. In this way she is also a symbol of unity.

In addition to the powers listed above setting the standard for fun hats, the Queen also has a few other unexpected powers endowed by her role.

She technically owns all swans and dolphins within 3 miles of the British coastline, as well as sturgeons, porpoises and whales because they are considered 'fishes royal'. She also does not require a driver's license or passport as they are both issued in her name. Despite this fact, she still drives and travels quite frequently.

She also has her own personal poet, has the ability to appoint Lords to sit at Parliament and doesn't have to pay taxes (though she still does). She can still appoint knights as well and is not required to disclose any information about the Royal Family. 

She is also technically the head of the state of Australia and therefore has the right to fire their government but hasn't done this since 1975. Lastly, she has the right to take the power of the UK in a 'grave constitutional crisis'. 

While she doesn't have any legislative power, the Queen still has many duties and responsibilities, and at 93 years-old she has had this responsibility for longer than any other British monarch in history. She has been in power for 67 years.

What do you guys think of the role of the monarch in the UK? Would you want this role? How many of you knew who she was before this post?