1.The Monarchy

Britain，a capitalist country as it is，still keeps its old-fashioned government.Its political system is constitutional monarchy，which means that the power of the monarch is limited by the country’s constitution；the legal authority is given to parliament；and the executive authority to the government.Before the Norman Conquest in 1066，the Anglo-Saxon kings consulted the Great Council（an assembly of the leading men from each district）before taking major decisions.Between 1066and 1215the king ruled alone，and personally executed supreme executive，legislative and judicial power.But in 1215the nobles forced King John to accept Magna Carta，which took away some of the king’s power.This was the first time in English history that the king was forced to take advice.In 1264the first parliament of nobles met together.Since then the British constitution has evolved.In other words，it has grown up slowly，as a result of countless Acts of parliament.So there is no complete written constitution in Britain.In 1688British parliament invited William and Mary to be the king and queen of the country.They became the first constitutional monarchs in Britain.The Bill of Rights，passed by parliament in 1689，was the first legal step towards constitutional monarchy.The Bill strengthened Parliament and stimulated the growth of political parties by causing the election of MPs at least every three years，and it compelled the king to summon Parliament yearly.It made it illegal for the king to obtain money without parliamentary authority and granted citizens the right to petition the government for redress of grievances.No part of this bill has been repealed，although elections to Parliament now have to take place at least every five years.Since 1689，however，the power of parliament has grown steadily，while the power of the monarch has weakened.

Queen ElizabethⅡ（1952- ）

Order of the Garter

Order of Thistle

Order of Merit

The present sovereign is Queen ElizabethⅡ，11th generation of the House of Hanover.She came to the throne on Feb.6，1952.According to legislation，the full title of the present Queen is“Elizabeth the Second by the Grace of God 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”.Theoretically，the Queen is the official head of state，the head of the legal system of Britain，the commander-in-chief of all armed forces and the head（or the supreme governor）of the Church of England.Many important government processes require the participation of the queen，including the summoning，prorogation and dissolution of parliament.Several bills，too，require her official approval.She also gives many important honours and awards，mostly on the advice of the Prime Minister，although she herself personally selects the people who receive the Order of the Garter¹，the Order of the Thistle²，the Order of Merit³ and the Royal Victorian Order⁴.By convention she invites the leader of a party winning ageneral election to form a government.In international affairs，the queen has the power to declare war and make peace，as well as to recognize foreign states and governments，conclude treaties and annex or cede territory.The queen also appoints many important office holders，including government ministers，judges，diplomats and bishops in the Church of England.She also has the power to forgive all or part of sentence passed on a criminal by granting a“royal pardon”.The queen seems to have an unlimited power，but practically everything she does is done on the advice of her ministers，and everything has been decided in advance by Parliament or the Prime Minister together with his or her cabinet.The Queen does it automatically without any alternative.However，this does not mean that the monarchy is a useless relic of a bygone age and a tremendous waste of public money.Most probably its real importance lies in its effect on public attitudes.The Queen has long been regarded with considerable respect and affection by many of her subjects.Although she hasn’t any power she prevents any other single person from having it just by being there.Besides she is above party politics，serving as a symbol of national unity，and lending dignity and significance to all things done in her name.

Royal Victoria Order

The succession to the throne is not decided by the royal family alone.According to the Act of Settlement（1701），there is little chance for a Catholic to become king or queen.Only the Protestant descendants are eligible.The sons of sovereign and their descendants have precedence over daughters.The daughter takes precedence over descendants of the sovereign’s brother.In both cases seniority enjoys precedence.The eldest son of the reigning king or queen is traditionally given the title of Prince of Wales，who is heir to the throne.The present Prince of Wales is Prince Charles，the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth.The Monarch’s eldest daughter is usually called the princess royal.She cannot be titled Princess of Wales，which is actually given to the wife of the Prince of Wales.The queen’s husband gets the title of the Duke of Edinburgh.Prince Philip now holds this title，who was born in 1921and served in the Royal Navy both before and for some years after his marriage in 1947to the then Princess Elizabeth.The monarch’s consort is usually chosen from a noble family with the consent of parliament.Otherwise，be forfeits his position，as King EdwardⅧdid in 1936.

Queen Elizabeth and Her Husband

The cost of the monarchy is very large.Taking the year 1985-86for example，the civil list，apayment approved by Parliament for the maintenance of the royal household and family，was fixed at￡5，180，000，of which￡3，967，200were intended for the Queen.The civil list payment covers the salaries of the household staff，travel，entertaining，and public engagements at home and abroad.Certain“civil-list pensions”are payable to distinguished scientists or practitioners of the arts at the discretion of the Prime Minister.Besides the civil list，the income from the Duchy of Lancaster，which consists of some 52，000acres of land，is managed for the upkeep of the sovereign.The royal palaces，the Crown jewels and royal collections of treasures are state property and must be handed down to successors.