text:
Monarchy of the United Kingdom
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
This article is about the monarchy of the United Kingdom. For information on the other countries which share the same person as monarch, see Commonwealth realm. For the current monarch of the United Kingdom, see Elizabeth II.
"British sovereign" redirects here. For the coin, see Sovereign (British coin).
Queen of the United Kingdom
Royal coat of arms
Incumbent
Elizabeth II
since 6 February 1952 (1952-02-06)
Details
Heir apparent
Charles, Prince of Wales
Residence
List
Appointer
Hereditary
Website
royal.uk
United Kingdom
This article is part of a series on the
politics and government of
the United Kingdom
Constitution[show]
Constitution
Cabinet Manual
Erskine May
Taxation
The Crown[show]
British Monarchy
Monarch
Queen Elizabeth II
Heir apparent
The Prince of Wales
Royal family
Succession to the British throne
Royal prerogative
Executive[show]
HM Government
Prime Minister
Theresa May
Cabinet
Current ministry
Her Majesty's Civil Service
Departments
Executive agencies
Public bodies
Privy Council
Crown-in-Council
Queen Elizabeth II
Legislature[show]
Parliament
(56th Parliament)
Crown-in-Parliament
Queen Elizabeth II
House of Lords
Lord Speaker
The Lord Fowler
House of Commons
Speaker
John Bercow
Leader of the Opposition
Jeremy Corbyn
Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition
Shadow Cabinet
State Opening of Parliament
Prime Minister's Questions
Act of Parliament
Statutory Instruments
Judiciary[show]
Supreme Court
President
The Baroness Hale of Richmond
Deputy President
The Lord Mance
Judges of the Supreme Court
Courts of the United Kingdom
Courts of England and Wales
Courts of Scotland
Courts of Northern Ireland
Devolution[show]
Joint Ministerial Committee
Scotland
Government
Parliament
Wales
Government
National Assembly
Reserved matters
Northern Ireland
Executive
Assembly
Administrative geography[show]
England
Subdivisions of England
Local government in England
Scotland
Subdivisions of Scotland
Local government in Scotland
Wales
Local government in Wales
Northern Ireland
Local government in Northern Ireland
Elections[show]
Parliament constituencies
Political parties
Last election
Next election
Referendums
Foreign relations[show]
History
Foreign policy
UK and the United Nations
Politics of the European Union
Commonwealth of Nations
United Kingdom portal
Other countries
Atlas
v
t
e
The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the constitutional monarchy of the United Kingdom, its dependencies and its overseas territories. The current monarch and head of state, Queen Elizabeth II, ascended the throne on the death of her father, King George VI, on 6 February 1952.
The monarch and his or her immediate family undertake various official, ceremonial, diplomatic and representational duties. As the monarchy is constitutional, the monarch is limited to non-partisan functions such as bestowing honours and appointing the Prime Minister. The monarch is commander-in-chief of the British Armed Forces. Though the ultimate formal executive authority over the government of the United Kingdom is still by and through the monarch's royal prerogative, these powers may only be used according to laws enacted in Parliament and, in practice, within the constraints of convention and precedent.
The British monarchy traces its origins from the petty kingdoms of early medieval Scotland and Anglo-Saxon England, which consolidated into the kingdoms of England and Scotland by the 10th century AD. In 1066, the last crowned Anglo-Saxon monarch, Harold Godwinson, was defeated and killed during the Norman conquest of England and the English monarchy passed to the Normans' victorious leader, William the Conqueror, and his descendants.
From the 1080s, the lordships of South Wales were held by a succession of Norman families inter-married with older Welsh houses loyal to the English throne, with many lordships also held by the English King in his own right. The process was completed in the 13th century when the north of Wales, as a principality, became a client state of the English kingdom, while Magna Carta began a process of reducing the English monarch's political powers.
From 1603, when the Scottish monarch James VI inherited the English throne as James I, both the English and Scottish kingdoms were ruled by a single sovereign. From 1649 to 1660, the tradition of monarchy was broken by the republican Commonwealth of England, which followed the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. The Act of Settlement 1701 excluded Roman Catholics, or those who married Catholics, from succession to the English throne. In 1707, the kingdoms of England and Scotland were merged to create the Kingdom of Great Britain, and in 1801, the Kingdom of Ireland joined to create the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The British monarch became nominal head of the vast British Empire, which covered a quarter of the world's surface at its greatest extent in 1921.
In the early 1920s, five-sixths of Ireland seceded from the Union as the Irish Free State, and the Balfour Declaration recognised the evolution of the dominions of the empire into separate, self-governing countries within a Commonwealth of Nations. After the Second World War, the vast majority of British colonies and territories became independent, effectively bringing the empire to an end. George VI and his successor, Elizabeth II, adopted the title Head of the Commonwealth as a symbol of the free association of its independent member states.
The United Kingdom and fifteen other Commonwealth monarchies that share the same person as their monarch are called Commonwealth realms. The terms British monarchy and British monarch are frequently still employed in reference to the shared individual and institution; however, each country is sovereign and independent of the others, and the monarch has a different, specific, and official national title and style for each realm.
Contents
[hide]
1 Constitutional role
1.1 Appointment of the Prime Minister
1.2 Dissolution of Parliament
1.3 Royal Prerogative
2 History
2.1 English monarchy
2.2 Scottish monarchy
2.3 Personal union and republican phase
2.4 After the 1707 Acts of Union
2.5 Shared monarchy
2.6 Monarchy in Ireland
2.7 Modern status
3 Religious role
4 Succession
4.1 Restrictions by gender and religion
4.2 Regency
5 Finances
6 Residences
7 Style
8 Arms
9 See also
10 Notes
11 References
12 External links
Constitutional role[edit]
In the uncodified Constitution of the United Kingdom, the Monarch (otherwise referred to as the Sovereign or "His/Her Majesty", abbreviated H.M.) is the Head of State. Oaths of allegiance are made to the Queen and her lawful successors.[1] "God Save the Queen" (or "God Save the King") is the British national anthem,[2] and the monarch appears on postage stamps, coins and banknotes.[3]
The Monarch takes little direct part in Government. The decisions to exercise sovereign powers are delegated from the Monarch, either by statute or by convention, to Ministers or officers of the Crown, or other public bodies, exclusive of the Monarch personally. Thus the acts of state done in the name of the Crown, such as Crown Appointments,[4] even if personally performed by the Monarch, such as the Queen's Speech and the State Opening of Parliament, depend upon decisions made elsewhere:
Legislative power is exercised by the Queen-in-Parliament, by and with the advice and consent of Parliament, the House of Lords and the House of Commons.
Executive power is exercised by Her Majesty's Government, which comprises Ministers, primarily the Prime Minister and the Cabinet, which is technically a committee of the Privy Council. They have the direction of the Armed Forces of the Crown, the Civil Service and other Crown Servants such as the Diplomatic and Secret Services (the Queen receives certain foreign intelligence reports before the Prime Minister does[5]).
Judicial power is vested in the Judiciary, who by constitution and statute[6] have judicial independence of the Government.
The Church of England, of which the Monarch is the head, has its own legislative, judicial and executive structures.
Powers independent of government are legally granted to other public bodies by statute or Statutory Instrument such as an Order in Council, Royal Commission or otherwise.
The Sovereign's role as a constitutional monarch is largely limited to non-partisan functions, such as granting honours. This role has been recognised since the 19th century. The constitutional writer Walter Bagehot identified the monarchy in 1867 as the "dignified part" rather than the "efficient part" of government.[7]
The English Bill of Rights of 1689 curtailed the monarch's governmental power.
Appointment of the Prime Minister[edit]
Whenever necessary, the Monarch is responsible for appointing a new Prime Minister (who by convention appoints and may dismiss every other Minister of the Crown, and thereby constitutes and controls the government). In accordance with unwritten constitutional conventions, the Sovereign must appoint an individual who commands the support of the House of Commons, usually the leader of the party or coalition that has a majority in that House. The Prime Minister takes office by attending the Monarch in private audience, and after "kissing hands" that appointment is immediately effective without any other formality or instrument.[8]
In a hung parliament where no party or coalition holds a majority, the monarch has an increased degree of latitude in choosing the individual likely to command the most support, though it would usually be the leader of the largest party.[9][10] Since 1945, there have only been three hung parliaments. The first followed the February 1974 general election when Harold Wilson was appointed Prime Minister after Edward Heath resigned following his failure to form a coalition. Although Wilson's Labour Party did not have a majority, they were the largest party. The second followed the May 2010 general election, in which the Conservatives (the largest party) and Liberal Democrats (the third largest party) agreed to form the first coalition government since World War II. The third occurred shortly thereafter, in June 2017, when the Conservative Party lost its majority in a snap election, though the party remained in power as a minority government.
Dissolution of Parliament[edit]
In 1950 the King's Private Secretary Sir Alan "Tommy" Lascelles, writing pseudonymously to The Times newspaper asserted a constitutional convention: according to the Lascelles Principles, if a minority government asked to dissolve Parliament to call an early election to strengthen its position, the monarch could refuse, and would do so under three conditions. When Harold Wilson requested a dissolution late in 1974, the Queen granted his request as Heath had already failed to form a coalition. The resulting general election gave Wilson a small majority.[11] The monarch could in theory unilaterally dismiss a Prime Minister, but a Prime Minister's term now comes to an end only by electoral defeat, death, or resignation. The last monarch to remove a Prime Minister was William IV, who dismissed Lord Melbourne in 1834.[12] The Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 removed the monarch's authority to dissolve Parliament; the Act specifically retained the monarch's power of prorogation however, which is a regular feature of the parliamentary calendar.
Royal Prerogative[edit]
Main article: Royal prerogative in the United Kingdom
Some of the government's executive authority is theoretically and nominally vested in the Sovereign and is known as the royal prerogative. The monarch acts within the constraints of convention and precedent, exercising prerogative only on the advice of ministers responsible to Parliament, often through the Prime Minister or Privy Council.[13] In practice, prerogative powers are exercised only on the Prime Minister's advice – the Prime Minister, and not the Sovereign, has control. The monarch holds a weekly audience with the Prime Minister. No records of these audiences are taken and the proceedings remain fully confidential.[14] The monarch may express his or her views, but, as a constitutional ruler, must ultimately accept the decisions of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet (providing they command the support of the House). In Bagehot's words: "the Sovereign has, under a constitutional monarchy ... three rights – the right to be consulted, the right to encourage, the right to warn."[15]
Although the Royal Prerogative is extensive and parliamentary approval is not formally required for its exercise, it is limited. Many Crown prerogatives have fallen out of use or have been permanently transferred to Parliament. For example, the monarch cannot impose and collect new taxes; such an action requires the authorisation of an Act of Parliament. According to a parliamentary report, "The Crown cannot invent new prerogative powers", and Parliament can override any prerogative power by passing legislation.[16]
The Royal Prerogative includes the powers to appoint and dismiss ministers, regulate the civil service, issue passports, declare war, make peace, direct the actions of the military, and negotiate and ratify treaties, alliances, and international agreements. However, a treaty cannot alter the domestic laws of the United Kingdom; an Act of Parliament is necessary in such cases. The monarch is commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces (the Royal Navy, the British Army, and the Royal Air Force), accredits British High Commissioners and ambassadors, and receives diplomats from foreign states.[16]
It is the prerogative of the monarch to summon and prorogue Parliament. Each parliamentary session begins with the monarch's summons. The new parliamentary session is marked by the State Opening of Parliament, during which the Sovereign reads the Speech from the throne in the Chamber of the House of Lords, outlining the Government's legislative agenda.[17] Prorogation usually occurs about one year after a session begins, and formally concludes the session.[18] Dissolution ends a parliamentary term, and is followed by a general election for all seats in the House of Commons. A general election is normally held five years after the previous one under the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011, but can be held sooner if the Prime Minister loses a motion of confidence, or if two-thirds of the members of the House of Commons vote to hold an early election.
Before a bill passed by the legislative Houses can become law, the royal assent (the monarch's approval) is required.[19] In theory, assent can either be granted (making the bill law) or withheld (vetoing the bill), but since 1707 assent has always been granted.[20]
The monarch has a similar relationship with the devolved governments of Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The Sovereign appoints the First Minister of Scotland on the nomination of the Scottish Parliament,[21] and the First Minister of Wales on the nomination of the National Assembly for Wales.[22] In Scottish matters, the Sovereign acts on the advice of the Scottish Government. However, as devolution is more limited in Wales, in Welsh matters the Sovereign acts on the advice of the Prime Minister and Cabinet of the United Kingdom. The Sovereign can veto any law passed by the Northern Ireland Assembly, if it is deemed unconstitutional by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.[23]
The Sovereign is deemed the "fount of justice"; although the Sovereign does not personally rule in judicial cases, judicial functions are performed in his or her name. For instance, prosecutions are brought on the monarch's behalf, and courts derive their authority from the Crown. The common law holds that the Sovereign "can do no wrong"; the monarch cannot be prosecuted for criminal offences. The Crown Proceedings Act 1947 allows civil lawsuits against the Crown in its public capacity (that is, lawsuits against the government), but not lawsuits against the monarch personally. The Sovereign exercises the "prerogative of mercy", which is used to pardon convicted offenders or reduce sentences.[13][16]
The monarch is the "fount of honour", the source of all honours and dignities in the United Kingdom. The Crown creates all peerages, appoints members of the orders of chivalry, grants knighthoods and awards other honours.[24] Although peerages and most other honours are granted on the advice of the Prime Minister, some honours are within the personal gift of the Sovereign, and are not granted on ministerial advice. The monarch alone appoints members of the Order of the Garter, the Order of the Thistle, the Royal Victorian Order and the Order of Merit.[25]
History[edit]
English monarchy[edit]
See also: List of English monarchs
The Bayeux Tapestry depicts the Norman Conquest of 1066.
Following Viking raids and settlement in the ninth century, the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Wessex emerged as the dominant English kingdom. Alfred the Great secured Wessex, achieved dominance over western Mercia, and assumed the title "King of the English".[26] His grandson Æthelstan was the first king to rule over a unitary kingdom roughly corresponding to the present borders of England, though its constituent parts retained strong regional identities. The 11th century saw England become more stable, despite a number of wars with the Danes, which resulted in a Danish monarchy for one generation.[27] The conquest of England in 1066 by William, Duke of Normandy, was crucial in terms of both political and social change. The new monarch continued the centralisation of power begun in the Anglo-Saxon period, while the Feudal System continued to develop.[28]
William was succeeded by two of his sons: William II, then Henry I. Henry made a controversial decision to name his daughter Matilda (his only surviving child) as his heir. Following Henry's death in 1135, one of William I's grandsons, Stephen, laid claim to the throne and took power with the support of most of the barons. Matilda challenged his reign; as a result, England descended into a period of disorder known as the Anarchy. Stephen maintained a precarious hold on power, but agreed to a compromise under which Matilda's son Henry would succeed him. Henry accordingly became the first Angevin king of England and the first monarch of the Plantagenet dynasty as Henry II in 1154.[29]
The reigns of most of the Angevin monarchs were marred by civil strife and conflicts between the monarch and the nobility. Henry II faced rebellions from his own sons, the future monarchs Richard I and John. Nevertheless, Henry managed to expand his kingdom, forming what is retrospectively known as the Angevin Empire. Upon Henry's death, his elder son Richard succeeded to the throne; he was absent from England for most of his reign, as he left to fight in the Crusades. He was killed besieging a castle, and John succeeded him.
John's reign was marked by conflict with the barons, particularly over the limits of royal power. In 1215, the barons coerced the king into issuing Magna Carta (Latin for "Great Charter") to guarantee the rights and liberties of the nobility. Soon afterwards, further disagreements plunged England into a civil war known as the First Barons' War. The war came to an abrupt end after John died in 1216, leaving the Crown to his nine-year-old son Henry III.[30] Later in Henry's reign, Simon de Montfort led the barons in another rebellion, beginning the Second Barons' War. The war ended in a clear royalist victory and in the death of many rebels, but not before the king had agreed to summon a parliament in 1265.[31]
The next monarch, Edward Longshanks, was far more successful in maintaining royal power and responsible for the conquest of Wales. He attempted to establish English domination of Scotland. However, gains in Scotland were reversed during the reign of his successor, Edward II, who also faced conflict with the nobility.[32] In 1311, Edward II was forced to relinquish many of his powers to a committee of baronial "ordainers"; however, military victories helped him regain control in 1322.[33] Nevertheless, in 1327, Edward was deposed by his wife Isabella. His 14-year-old son became Edward III. Edward III claimed the French Crown, setting off the Hundred Years' War between England and France.
His campaigns conquered much French territory, but by 1374, all the gains had been lost. Edward's reign was also marked by the further development of Parliament, which came to be divided into two Houses. In 1377, Edward III died, leaving the Crown to his 10-year-old grandson Richard II. Like many of his predecessors, Richard II conflicted with the nobles by attempting to concentrate power in his own hands. In 1399, while he was campaigning in Ireland, his cousin Henry Bolingbroke seized power. Richard was deposed, imprisoned, and eventually murdered, probably by starvation, and Henry became king as Henry IV.[34]
Henry IV was the grandson of Edward III and the son of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster; hence, his dynasty was known as the House of Lancaster. For most of his reign, Henry IV was forced to fight off plots and rebellions; his success was partly due to the military skill of his son, the future Henry V. Henry V's own reign, which began in 1413, was largely free from domestic strife, leaving the king free to pursue the Hundred Years' War in France. Although he was victorious, his sudden death in 1422 left his infant son Henry VI on the throne and gave the French an opportunity to overthrow English rule.[35]
The unpopularity of Henry VI's counsellors and his belligerent consort, Margaret of Anjou, as well as his own ineffectual leadership, led to the weakening of the House of Lancaster. The Lancastrians faced a challenge from the House of York, so called because its head, a descendant of Edward III, was Richard, Duke of York. Although the Duke of York died in battle in 1460, his eldest son, Edward IV, led the Yorkists to victory in 1461. The Wars of the Roses, nevertheless, continued intermittently during his reign and those of his son Edward V and brother Richard III. Edward V disappeared, presumably murdered by Richard. Ultimately, the conflict culminated in success for the Lancastrian branch led by Henry Tudor, in 1485, when Richard III was killed in the Battle of Bosworth Field.[36]
Now King Henry VII, he neutralised the remaining Yorkist forces, partly by marrying Elizabeth of York, a Yorkist heir. Through skill and ability, Henry re-established absolute supremacy in the realm, and the conflicts with the nobility that had plagued previous monarchs came to an end.[37] The reign of the second Tudor king, Henry VIII, was one of great political change. Religious upheaval and disputes with the Pope led the monarch to break from the Roman Catholic Church and to establish the Church of England (the Anglican Church).[38]
Wales – which had been conquered centuries earlier, but had remained a separate dominion – was annexed to England under the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542.[39] Henry VIII's son and successor, the young Edward VI, continued with further religious reforms, but his early death in 1553 precipitated a succession crisis. He was wary of allowing his Catholic elder half-sister Mary I to succeed, and therefore drew up a will designating Lady Jane Grey as his heiress. Jane's reign, however, lasted only nine days; with tremendous popular support, Mary deposed her and declared herself the lawful sovereign. Mary I married Philip of Spain, who was declared king and co-ruler, pursued disastrous wars in France, and attempted to return England to Roman Catholicism, burning Protestants at the stake as heretics in the process. Upon her death in 1558, the pair were succeeded by her Protestant half-sister Elizabeth I. England returned to Protestantism and continued its growth into a major world power by building its navy and exploring the New World.[40]
Scottish monarchy[edit]
See also: List of Scottish monarchs
In Scotland, as in England, monarchies emerged after the withdrawal of the Roman empire from Britain in the early fifth century. The three groups that lived in Scotland at this time were the Picts in the north east, the Britons in the south, including the Kingdom of Strathclyde, and the Gaels or Scotti (who would later give their name to Scotland), of the Irish petty kingdom of Dál Riata in the west. Kenneth MacAlpin is traditionally viewed as the first king of a united Scotland (known as Scotia to writers in Latin, or Alba to the Scots).[41] The expansion of Scottish dominions continued over the next two centuries, as other territories such as Strathclyde were absorbed.
Early Scottish monarchs did not inherit the Crown directly; instead the custom of tanistry was followed, where the monarchy alternated between different branches of the House of Alpin. As a result, however, the rival dynastic lines clashed, often violently. From 942 to 1005, seven consecutive monarchs were either murdered or killed in battle.[42] In 1005, Malcolm II ascended the throne having killed many rivals. He continued to ruthlessly eliminate opposition, and when he died in 1034 he was succeeded by his grandson, Duncan I, instead of a cousin, as had been usual. In 1040, Duncan suffered defeat in battle at the hands of Macbeth, who was killed himself in 1057 by Duncan's son Malcolm. The following year, after killing Macbeth's stepson Lulach, Malcolm ascended the throne as Malcolm III.[43]
With a further series of battles and deposings, five of Malcolm's sons as well as one of his brothers successively became king. Eventually, the Crown came to his youngest son, David I. David was succeeded by his grandsons Malcolm IV, and then by William the Lion, the longest-reigning King of Scots before the Union of the Crowns.[44] William participated in a rebellion against King Henry II of England but when the rebellion failed, William was captured by the English. In exchange for his release, William was forced to acknowledge Henry as his feudal overlord. The English King Richard I agreed to terminate the arrangement in 1189, in return for a large sum of money needed for the Crusades.[45] William died in 1214, and was succeeded by his son Alexander II. Alexander II, as well as his successor Alexander III, attempted to take over the Western Isles, which were still under the overlordship of Norway. During the reign of Alexander III, Norway launched an unsuccessful invasion of Scotland; the ensuing Treaty of Perth recognised Scottish control of the Western Isles and other disputed areas.[46]
Alexander III's unexpected death in a riding accident in 1286 precipitated a major succession crisis. Scottish leaders appealed to King Edward I of England for help in determining who was the rightful heir. Edward chose Alexander's three-year-old Norwegian granddaughter, Margaret. On her way to Scotland in 1290, however, Margaret died at sea, and Edward was again asked to adjudicate between 13 rival claimants to the throne. A court was set up and after two years of deliberation, it pronounced John Balliol to be king. However, Edward proceeded to treat Balliol as a vassal, and tried to exert influence over Scotland. In 1295, when Balliol renounced his allegiance to England, Edward I invaded. During the first ten years of the ensuing Wars of Scottish Independence, Scotland had no monarch, until Robert the Bruce declared himself king in 1306.[47]
Robert's efforts to control Scotland culminated in success, and Scottish independence was acknowledged in 1328. However, only one year later, Robert died and was succeeded by his five-year-old son, David II. On the pretext of restoring John Balliol's rightful heir, Edward Balliol, the English again invaded in 1332. During the next four years, Balliol was crowned, deposed, restored, deposed, restored, and deposed until he eventually settled in England, and David remained king for the next 35 years.[48]
David II died childless in 1371 and was succeeded by his nephew Robert II of the House of Stuart. The reigns of both Robert II and his successor, Robert III, were marked by a general decline in royal power. When Robert III died in 1406, regents had to rule the country; the monarch, Robert III's son James I, had been taken captive by the English. Having paid a large ransom, James returned to Scotland in 1424; to restore his authority, he used ruthless measures, including the execution of several of his enemies. He was assassinated by a group of nobles. James II continued his father's policies by subduing influential noblemen but he was killed in an accident at the age of thirty, and a council of regents again assumed power. James III was defeated in a battle against rebellious Scottish earls in 1488, leading to another boy-king: James IV.[49]
In 1513 James IV launched an invasion of England, attempting to take advantage of the absence of the English King Henry VIII. His forces met with disaster at Flodden Field; the King, many senior noblemen, and hundreds of soldiers were killed. As his son and successor, James V, was an infant, the government was again taken over by regents. James V led another disastrous war with the English in 1542, and his death in the same year left the Crown in the hands of his six-day-old daughter, Mary I. Once again, a regency was established.
Mary, a Roman Catholic, reigned during a period of great religious upheaval in Scotland. As a result of the efforts of reformers such as John Knox, a Protestant ascendancy was established. Mary caused alarm by marrying her Catholic cousin, Lord Darnley, in 1565. After Lord Darnley's assassination in 1567, Mary contracted an even more unpopular marriage with the Earl of Bothwell, who was widely suspected of Darnley's murder. The nobility rebelled against the Queen, forcing her to abdicate. She fled to England, and the Crown went to her infant son James VI, who was brought up as a Protestant. Mary was imprisoned and later executed by the English queen Elizabeth I.[50]
Personal union and republican phase[edit]
In 1603 James VI and I became the first monarch to rule over England, Scotland, and Ireland together.
Elizabeth I's death in 1603 ended Tudor rule in England. Since she had no children, she was succeeded by the Scottish monarch James VI, who was the great-grandson of Henry VIII's older sister and hence Elizabeth's first cousin twice removed. James VI ruled in England as James I after what was known as the "Union of the Crowns". Although England and Scotland were in personal union under one monarch – James I became the first monarch to style himself "King of Great Britain" in 1604[51] – they remained two separate kingdoms. James I's successor, Charles I, experienced frequent conflicts with the English Parliament related to the issue of royal and parliamentary powers, especially the power to impose taxes. He provoked opposition by ruling without Parliament from 1629 to 1640, unilaterally levying taxes and adopting controversial religious policies (many of which were offensive to the Scottish Presbyterians and the English Puritans). His attempt to enforce Anglicanism led to organised rebellion in Scotland (the "Bishops' Wars") and ignited the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. In 1642, the conflict between the King and English Parliament reached its climax and the English Civil War began.[52]
The Civil War culminated in the execution of the king in 1649, the overthrow of the English monarchy, and the establishment of the Commonwealth of England. Charles I's son, Charles II, was proclaimed King of Great Britain in Scotland, but he was forced to flee abroad after he invaded England and was defeated at the Battle of Worcester. In 1653, Oliver Cromwell, the most prominent military and political leader in the nation, seized power and declared himself Lord Protector (effectively becoming a military dictator, but refusing the title of king). Cromwell ruled until his death in 1658, when he was succeeded by his son Richard. The new Lord Protector had little interest in governing; he soon resigned.[53] The lack of clear leadership led to civil and military unrest, and for a popular desire to restore the monarchy. In 1660, the monarchy was restored and Charles II returned to Britain.[54]
Charles II's reign was marked by the development of the first modern political parties in England. Charles had no legitimate children, and was due to be succeeded by his Roman Catholic brother, James, Duke of York. A parliamentary effort to exclude James from the line of succession arose; the "Petitioners", who supported exclusion, became the Whig Party, whereas the "Abhorrers", who opposed exclusion, became the Tory Party. The Exclusion Bill failed; on several occasions, Charles II dissolved Parliament because he feared that the bill might pass. After the dissolution of the Parliament of 1681, Charles ruled without a Parliament until his death in 1685. When James succeeded Charles, he pursued a policy of offering religious tolerance to Roman Catholics, thereby drawing the ire of many of his Protestant subjects. Many opposed James's decisions to maintain a large standing army, to appoint Roman Catholics to high political and military offices, and to imprison Church of England clerics who challenged his policies. As a result, a group of Protestants known as the Immortal Seven invited James II's daughter Mary and her husband William III of Orange to depose the king. William obliged, arriving in England on 5 November 1688 to great public support. Faced with the defection of many of his Protestant officials, James fled the realm and William and Mary (rather than James II's Catholic son) were declared joint Sovereigns of England, Scotland and Ireland.[55]
James's overthrow, known as the Glorious Revolution, was one of the most important events in the long evolution of parliamentary power. The Bill of Rights 1689 affirmed parliamentary supremacy, and declared that the English people held certain rights, including the freedom from taxes imposed without parliamentary consent. The Bill of Rights required future monarchs to be Protestants, and provided that, after any children of William and Mary, Mary's sister Anne would inherit the Crown. Mary died childless in 1694, leaving William as the sole monarch. By 1700, a political crisis arose, as all of Anne's children had died, leaving her as the only individual left in the line of succession. Parliament was afraid that the former James II or his supporters, known as Jacobites, might attempt to reclaim the throne. Parliament passed the Act of Settlement 1701, which excluded James and his Catholic relations from the succession and made William's nearest Protestant relations, the family of Sophia, Electress of Hanover, next in line to the throne after his sister-in-law Anne.[56] Soon after the passage of the Act, William III died, leaving the Crown to Anne.
After the 1707 Acts of Union[edit]
England and Scotland were united as Great Britain under Queen Anne in 1707.
See also: List of British monarchs
After Anne's accession, the problem of the succession re-emerged. The Scottish Parliament, infuriated that the English Parliament did not consult them on the choice of Sophia's family as the next heirs, passed the Act of Security 1704, threatening to end the personal union between England and Scotland. The Parliament of England retaliated with the Alien Act 1705, threatening to devastate the Scottish economy by restricting trade. The Scottish and English parliaments negotiated the Acts of Union 1707, under which England and Scotland were united into a single Kingdom of Great Britain, with succession under the rules prescribed by the Act of Settlement.[57]
In 1714, Queen Anne was succeeded by her second cousin, and Sophia's son, George I, Elector of Hanover, who consolidated his position by defeating Jacobite rebellions in 1715 and 1719. The new monarch was less active in government than many of his British predecessors, but retained control over his German kingdoms, with which Britain was now in personal union.[58] Power shifted towards George's ministers, especially to Sir Robert Walpole, who is often considered the first British prime minister, although the title was not then in use.[59] The next monarch, George II, witnessed the final end of the Jacobite threat in 1746, when the Catholic Stuarts were completely defeated. During the long reign of his grandson, George III, Britain's American colonies were lost, the former colonies having formed the United States of America, but British influence elsewhere in the world continued to grow, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was created by the Acts of Union 1800.[60]
The union of Great Britain and Ireland into the United Kingdom occurred in 1801 during the reign of King George III.
From 1811 to 1820, George III suffered a severe bout of what is now believed to be porphyria, an illness rendering him incapable of ruling. His son, the future George IV, ruled in his stead as Prince Regent. During the Regency and his own reign, the power of the monarchy declined, and by the time of his successor, William IV, the monarch was no longer able to effectively interfere with parliamentary power. In 1834, William dismissed the Whig Prime Minister, William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne, and appointed a Tory, Sir Robert Peel. In the ensuing elections, however, Peel lost. The king had no choice but to recall Lord Melbourne. During William IV's reign, the Reform Act 1832, which reformed parliamentary representation, was passed. Together with others passed later in the century, the Act led to an expansion of the electoral franchise and the rise of the House of Commons as the most important branch of Parliament.[61]
The final transition to a constitutional monarchy was made during the long reign of William IV's successor, Victoria. As a woman, Victoria could not rule Hanover, which only permitted succession in the male line, so the personal union of the United Kingdom and Hanover came to an end. The Victorian era was marked by great cultural change, technological progress, and the establishment of the United Kingdom as one of the world's foremost powers. In recognition of British rule over India, Victoria was declared Empress of India in 1876. However, her reign was also marked by increased support for the republican movement, due in part to Victoria's permanent mourning and lengthy period of seclusion following the death of her husband in 1861.[62]
Victoria's son, Edward VII, became the first monarch of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in 1901. In 1917, the next monarch, George V, changed "Saxe-Coburg and Gotha" to "Windsor" in response to the anti-German sympathies aroused by the First World War. George V's reign was marked by the separation of Ireland into Northern Ireland, which remained a part of the United Kingdom, and the Irish Free State, an independent nation, in 1922.[63]
Shared monarchy[edit]
Map of the British Empire in 1921
Map of the Commonwealth realms today
During the twentieth century, the Commonwealth of Nations evolved from the British Empire. Prior to 1926, the British Crown reigned over the British Empire collectively; the Dominions and Crown Colonies were subordinate to the United Kingdom. The Balfour Declaration of 1926 gave complete self-government to the Dominions, effectively creating a system whereby a single monarch operated independently in each separate Dominion. The concept was solidified by the Statute of Westminster 1931,[64] which has been likened to "a treaty among the Commonwealth countries".[65]
The monarchy thus ceased to be an exclusively British institution, although it is often still referred to as "British" for legal and historical reasons and for convenience. The monarch became separately monarch of the United Kingdom, monarch of Canada, monarch of Australia, and so forth. The independent states within the Commonwealth would share the same monarch in a relationship likened to a personal union.[66][67][68][69]
George V's death in 1936 was followed by the accession of Edward VIII, who caused a public scandal by announcing his desire to marry the divorced American Wallis Simpson, even though the Church of England opposed the remarriage of divorcées. Accordingly, Edward announced his intention to abdicate; the Parliaments of the United Kingdom and of other Commonwealth countries granted his request. Edward VIII and any children by his new wife were excluded from the line of succession, and the Crown went to his brother, George VI.[70] George served as a rallying figure for the British people during World War II, making morale-boosting visits to the troops as well as to munitions factories and to areas bombed by Nazi Germany. In June 1948 George VI relinquished the title Emperor of India, although remaining head of state of the Dominion of India.[71]
At first, every member of the Commonwealth retained the same monarch as the United Kingdom, but when the Dominion of India became a republic in 1950, it would no longer share in a common monarchy. Instead, the British monarch was acknowledged as "Head of the Commonwealth" in all Commonwealth member states, whether they were realms or republics. The position is purely ceremonial, and is not inherited by the British monarch as of right but is vested in an individual chosen by the Commonwealth heads of government.[72] Member states of the Commonwealth that share the same person as monarch are known as Commonwealth realms.
Monarchy in Ireland[edit]
See also: Monarchy of Ireland
In 1155 the only English pope, Adrian IV, authorised King Henry II of England to take possession of Ireland as a feudal territory nominally under papal overlordship. The pope wanted the English monarch to annex Ireland and bring the Irish church into line with Rome, despite this process already underway in Ireland by 1155.[73] An all-island kingship of Ireland had been created in 854 by Máel Sechnaill mac Máele Ruanaid. His last successor was Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair, who had become King of Ireland in early 1166, and exiled Diarmait Mac Murchada, King of Leinster. Diarmait asked Henry II for help, gaining a group of Anglo-Norman aristocrats and adventurers, led by Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke, to help him regain his throne. Diarmait and his Anglo-Norman allies succeeded and he became King of Leinster again. De Clare married Diarmait's daughter, and when Diarmait died in 1171, de Clare became King of Leinster.[74] Henry was afraid that de Clare would make Ireland a rival Norman kingdom, so he took advantage of the papal bull and invaded, forcing de Clare and the other Anglo-Norman aristocrats in Ireland and the major Irish kings and lords to recognise him as their overlord.[75] English lords came close to colonising the entire island, but a Gaelic resurgence from the 1260s resulted in the island divided between Gaelic-Irish and Anglo-Irish lords by 1400. Many of the latter became completely Gaelicised, and did not recognise England's kings except perhaps nominally. Some, such as Manus O'Donnell and Conn O'Neill, 1st Earl of Tyrone, were kings themselves.
By 1541, King Henry VIII of England had broken with the Church of Rome and declared himself Supreme Head of the Church of England. The pope's grant of Ireland to the English monarch became invalid, so Henry summoned a meeting of the Irish Parliament to change his title from Lord of Ireland to King of Ireland.[76] However much of the island was beyond English control, resulting in the extended Tudor conquest of Ireland that only made the Kingdom of Ireland a reality in 1603, at the conclusion of the Nine Years' War (Ireland). Nevertheless, Ireland retained its own parliament, becoming an independent state in 1642-1649 (Confederate Ireland), and again in 1688-91. Only warfare such as the Williamite War in Ireland and subsequent occupation enabled the English crown from 1692, and successive British states from 1707, to retain the country.
In 1800, as a result of the Irish Rebellion of 1798, the Act of Union merged the kingdom of Great Britain and the kingdom of Ireland into the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The whole island of Ireland continued to be a part of the United Kingdom until 1922, when what is now the Republic of Ireland won independence as the Irish Free State, a separate Dominion within the Commonwealth. The Irish Free State was renamed Éire (or "Ireland") in 1937, and in 1949 declared itself a republic, left the Commonwealth and severed all ties with the monarchy. Northern Ireland remained within the Union. In 1927, the United Kingdom changed its name to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, while the monarch's style for the next twenty years became "of Great Britain, Ireland and the British Dominions beyond the Seas, King, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India".
Modern status[edit]
In the 1990s, republicanism in the United Kingdom grew, partly on account of negative publicity associated with the Royal Family (for instance, immediately following the death of Diana, Princess of Wales).[77] However, polls from 2002 to 2007 showed that around 70–80% of the British public supported the continuation of the monarchy.[78][79][80][81]
Religious role[edit]
The sovereign is the Supreme Governor of the established Church of England. Archbishops and bishops are appointed by the monarch, on the advice of the Prime Minister, who chooses the appointee from a list of nominees prepared by a Church Commission. The Crown's role in the Church of England is titular; the most senior clergyman, the Archbishop of Canterbury, is the spiritual leader of the Church and of the worldwide Anglican Communion.[82][83] The monarch takes an oath to preserve Church of Scotland and he or she holds the power to appoint the Lord High Commissioner to the Church's General Assembly, but otherwise plays no part in its governance, and exerts no powers over it.[84][85] The Sovereign plays no formal role in the disestablished Church in Wales or Church of Ireland.
Succession[edit]
Main articles: Succession to the British throne and Coronation of the British monarch
The relationship between the Commonwealth realms is such that any change to the laws governing succession to the shared throne requires the unanimous consent of all the realms. Succession is governed by statutes such as the Bill of Rights 1689, the Act of Settlement 1701 and the Acts of Union 1707. The rules of succession may only be changed by an Act of Parliament; it is not possible for an individual to renounce his or her right of succession. The Act of Settlement restricts the succession to the legitimate Protestant descendants of Sophia of Hanover (1630–1714), a granddaughter of James I.
Upon the death of a sovereign, his or her heir immediately and automatically succeeds (hence the phrase "The king is dead, long live the king!"), and the accession of the new sovereign is publicly proclaimed by an Accession Council that meets at St James's Palace.[86] Upon their accession, a new sovereign is required by law to make and subscribe several oaths: the Accession Declaration as first required by the Bill of Rights, and an oath that they will "maintain and preserve" the Church of Scotland settlement as required by the Act of Union. The monarch is usually crowned in Westminster Abbey, normally by the Archbishop of Canterbury. A coronation is not necessary for a sovereign to reign; indeed, the ceremony usually takes place many months after accession to allow sufficient time for its preparation and for a period of mourning.[87]
After an individual ascends the throne, he or she reigns until death. The only voluntary abdication, that of Edward VIII, had to be authorised by a special Act of Parliament, His Majesty's Declaration of Abdication Act 1936. The last monarch involuntarily removed from power was James VII and II, who fled into exile in 1688 during the Glorious Revolution.
Restrictions by gender and religion[edit]
See also: Succession to the Crown Act 2013
Succession was largely governed by male-preference cognatic primogeniture, under which sons inherit before daughters, and elder children inherit before younger ones of the same gender. The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, David Cameron, announced at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2011 that all 16 Commonwealth realms, including the United Kingdom, had agreed to abolish the gender-preference rule for anyone born after the date of the meeting, 28 October 2011.[88] They also agreed that future monarchs would no longer be prohibited from marrying a Roman Catholic – a law which dated from the Act of Settlement 1701. However, since the monarch is also the Supreme Governor of the Church of England, the law which prohibits a Roman Catholic from acceding to the throne remains. The necessary UK legislation making the changes received the royal assent on 25 April 2013 and was brought into force in March 2015 after the equivalent legislation was approved in all the other Commonwealth realms.[89]
Only individuals who are Protestants may inherit the Crown. Roman Catholics are prohibited from succeeding.[90][91][92] An individual thus disabled from inheriting the Crown is deemed "naturally dead" for succession purposes, and the disqualification does not extend to the individual's legitimate descendants.
Regency[edit]
Main articles: Regency Acts and Counsellor of State
The Regency Acts allow for regencies in the event of a monarch who is a minor or who is physically or mentally incapacitated. When a regency is necessary, the next qualified individual in the line of succession automatically becomes regent, unless they themselves are a minor or incapacitated. Special provisions were made for Queen Elizabeth II by the Regency Act 1953, which stated that the Duke of Edinburgh (the Queen's husband) could act as regent in these circumstances.[93]
During a temporary physical infirmity or an absence from the kingdom, the sovereign may temporarily delegate some of his or her functions to Counsellors of State, the monarch's spouse and the first four adults in the line of succession. The present Counsellors of State are: the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Cambridge, Prince Harry and the Duke of York.[94]
Finances[edit]
Main article: Finances of the British royal family
Until 1760 the monarch met all official expenses from hereditary revenues, which included the profits of the Crown Estate (the royal property portfolio). King George III agreed to surrender the hereditary revenues of the Crown in return for the Civil List, and this arrangement persisted until 2012. An annual Property Services Grant-in-aid paid for the upkeep of the royal residences, and an annual Royal Travel Grant-in-Aid paid for travel. The Civil List covered most expenses, including those for staffing, state visits, public engagements, and official entertainment. Its size was fixed by Parliament every 10 years; any money saved was carried forward to the next 10-year period.[95] From 2012 until 2020, the Civil List and Grants-in-Aid are to be replaced with a single Sovereign Grant, which will be set at 15% of the revenues generated by the Crown Estate.[96]
The Crown Estate is one of the largest property owners in the United Kingdom, with holdings of £7.3 billion in 2011.[97] It is held in trust, and cannot be sold or owned by the Sovereign in a private capacity.[98] In modern times, the profits surrendered from the Crown Estate to the Treasury have exceeded the Civil List and Grants-in-Aid.[95] For example, the Crown Estate produced £200 million in the financial year 2007–8, whereas reported parliamentary funding for the monarch was £40 million during the same period.[99]
Like the Crown Estate, the land and assets of the Duchy of Lancaster, a property portfolio valued at £383 million in 2011,[100] are held in trust. The revenues of the Duchy form part of the Privy Purse, and are used for expenses not borne by the parliamentary grants.[101] The Duchy of Cornwall is a similar estate held in trust to meet the expenses of the monarch's eldest son. The Royal Collection, which includes artworks and the Crown Jewels, is not owned by the Sovereign personally and is held in trust,[102] as are the occupied palaces in the United Kingdom such as Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle.[103]
The sovereign is subject to indirect taxes such as value-added tax, and since 1993 the Queen has paid income tax and capital gains tax on personal income. Parliamentary grants to the Sovereign are not treated as income as they are solely for official expenditure.[104] Republicans estimate that the real cost of the monarchy, including security and potential income not claimed by the state, such as profits from the duchies of Lancaster and Cornwall and rent of Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, is £334 million a year.[105]
Estimates of the Queen's wealth vary, depending on whether assets owned by her personally or held in trust for the nation are included. Forbes magazine estimated her wealth at US$450 million in 2010,[106] but no official figure is available. In 1993, the Lord Chamberlain said estimates of £100 million were "grossly overstated".[107] Jock Colville, who was her former private secretary and a director of her bank, Coutts, estimated her wealth in 1971 at £2 million[108][109] (the equivalent of about £26 million today[110]).
Residences[edit]
Buckingham Palace, the monarch's principal residence
Holyrood Palace, the monarch's official Scottish residence
Main article: List of British royal residences
The Sovereign's official residence in London is Buckingham Palace. It is the site of most state banquets, investitures, royal christenings and other ceremonies.[111] Another official residence is Windsor Castle, the largest occupied castle in the world,[112] which is used principally at weekends, Easter and during Royal Ascot, an annual race meeting that is part of the social calendar.[112] The Sovereign's official residence in Scotland is the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh. The monarch stays at Holyrood for at least one week each year, and when visiting Scotland on state occasions.[113]
Historically, the Palace of Westminster and the Tower of London were the main residences of the English Sovereign until Henry VIII acquired the Palace of Whitehall. Whitehall was destroyed by fire in 1698, leading to a shift to St James's Palace. Although replaced as the monarch's primary London residence by Buckingham Palace in 1837, St James's is still the senior palace[114] and remains the ceremonial Royal residence. For example, foreign ambassadors are accredited to the Court of St James's,[111][115] and the Palace is the site of the meeting of the Accession Council.[86] It is also used by other members of the Royal Family.[114]
Other residences include Clarence House and Kensington Palace. The palaces belong to the Crown; they are held in trust for future rulers, and cannot be sold by the monarch.[116] Sandringham House in Norfolk and Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire are privately owned by the Queen.[103]
Style[edit]
Main article: Style of the British sovereign
The present Sovereign's full style and 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".[117] The title "Head of the Commonwealth" is held by the Queen personally, and is not vested in the British Crown.[72] Pope Leo X first granted the title "Defender of the Faith" to King Henry VIII in 1521, rewarding him for his support of the Papacy during the early years of the Protestant Reformation, particularly for his book the Defence of the Seven Sacraments.[118] After Henry broke from the Roman Church, Pope Paul III revoked the grant, but Parliament passed a law authorising its continued use.[119]
The Sovereign is known as "His Majesty" or "Her Majesty". The form "Britannic Majesty" appears in international treaties and on passports to differentiate the British monarch from foreign rulers. The monarch chooses his or her regnal name, not necessarily his or her first name – King George VI, King Edward VII and Queen Victoria did not use their first names.
If only one monarch has used a particular name, no ordinal is used; for example, Queen Victoria is not known as "Victoria I", and ordinals are not used for English monarchs who reigned before the Norman conquest of England. The question of whether numbering for British monarchs is based on previous English or Scottish monarchs was raised in 1953 when Scottish nationalists challenged the Queen's use of "Elizabeth II", on the grounds that there had never been an "Elizabeth I" in Scotland. In MacCormick v Lord Advocate, the Scottish Court of Session ruled against the plaintiffs, finding that the Queen's title was a matter of her own choice and prerogative. The Home Secretary told the House of Commons that monarchs since the Acts of Union had consistently used the higher of the English and Scottish ordinals, which in the applicable four cases has been the English ordinal.[120] The Prime Minister confirmed this practice, but noted that "neither The Queen nor her advisers could seek to bind their successors".[121] Future monarchs will apply this policy.[122]
Traditionally, the signature of the monarch includes their regnal name but not ordinal, followed by the letter R, which stands for rex or regina (Latin for king and queen, respectively). The present monarch's signature is "Elizabeth R". From 1877 until 1948 reigning monarchs added the letter I to their signatures, for imperator or imperatrix (emperor or empress in Latin), from their status as Emperor or Empress of India. For example, Queen Victoria signed as "Victoria RI" from 1877.
Arms[edit]
Main article: Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom
The Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom are "Quarterly, I and IV Gules three lions passant guardant in pale Or [for England]; II Or a lion rampant within a double tressure flory-counter-flory Gules [for Scotland]; III Azure a harp Or stringed Argent [for Ireland]". The supporters are the Lion and the Unicorn; the motto is "Dieu et mon droit" (French: "God and my Right"). Surrounding the shield is a representation of a Garter bearing the motto of the Chivalric order of the same name; "Honi soit qui mal y pense". (Old French: "Shame be to him who thinks evil of it"). In Scotland, the monarch uses an alternative form of the arms in which quarters I and IV represent Scotland, II England, and III Ireland. The mottoes are "In Defens" (an abbreviated form of the Scots "In My Defens God Me Defend") and the motto of the Order of the Thistle; "Nemo me impune lacessit". (Latin: "No-one provokes me with impunity"); the supporters are the unicorn and lion, who support both the escutcheon and lances, from which fly the flags of Scotland and England.
The coat of arms of Elizabeth II in the United Kingdom. The design, in use since the accession of Queen Victoria in 1837, features the arms of England in the first and fourth quarters, Scotland in the second, and Ireland in the third. In Scotland a separate version is used (shown right) whereby the Arms of Scotland take precedence.
The monarch's official flag in the United Kingdom is the Royal Standard, which depicts the Royal Arms in banner form. It is flown only from buildings, vessels and vehicles in which the Sovereign is present.[123] The Royal Standard is never flown at half-mast because there is always a sovereign: when one dies, his or her successor becomes the sovereign instantly.[124]
The Royal Standard of the United Kingdom: The Monarch's official flag
The Royal Standard of the United Kingdom as used in Scotland
When the monarch is not in residence, the Union Flag is flown at Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and Sandringham House, whereas in Scotland the Royal Standard of Scotland is flown at Holyrood Palace and Balmoral Castle.[123]
Union Flag of the United Kingdom
The Royal Standard of Scotland
See also[edit]
Commonwealth realms portal
Monarchy portal
United Kingdom portal
States headed by Elizabeth II
List of monarchies
House of Windsor
Notes[edit]
Jump up ^ e.g. Citizenship ceremonies, Home Office: UK Border Agency, retrieved 10 October 2008
Jump up ^ Symbols of the Monarchy: National Anthem, Official website of the British Monarchy, archived from the original on 2 September 2014, retrieved 18 June 2010
Jump up ^ Symbols of the Monarchy: Coinage and bank notes, Official website of the British Monarchy, retrieved 18 June 2010
Jump up ^ Crown Appointments Act 1661 c.6
Jump up ^ "In London, the revelations from [1989 Soviet defector Vladimir] Pasechnik were summarized into a quick note for the Joint Intelligence Committee. The first recipient of such reports is always Her Majesty, The Queen. The second is the prime minister, who at the time was [Margaret] Thatcher." Hoffman, David E. (Emanuel), The Dead Hand: The Untold Story of the Cold War Arms Race and Its Dangerous Legacy (N.Y.: Doubleday, 1st ed. [1st printing?] (ISBN 978-0-385-52437-7) 2009), p. 336 (author contributing editor & formerly U.S. White House, diplomatic, & Jerusalem correspondent, Moscow bureau chief, & foreign news asst. managing editor for The Wash. Post).
Jump up ^ s3. Constitutional Reform Act 2005
Jump up ^ Bagehot, p. 9.
Jump up ^ Brazier, p. 312.
Jump up ^ Waldron, pp.59–60
Jump up ^ Queen and Prime Minister, Official website of the British Monarchy, retrieved 18 June 2010
Jump up ^ Results and analysis: General election, 10 October 1974, Political Science Resources, 11 March 2008, retrieved 10 October 2008
Jump up ^ Brock, Michael (September 2004; online edition, January 2008). "William IV (1765–1837)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 10 October 2008 (subscription required)
^ Jump up to: a b Durkin, Mary; Gay, Oonagh (21 December 2005), The Royal Prerogative (PDF), House of Commons Library, archived from the original (PDF) on 25 June 2008, retrieved 10 October 2008
Jump up ^ The Queen's working day > Evening, retrieved March 11, 2013
Jump up ^ Bagehot, p.75
^ Jump up to: a b c PASC Publishes Government Defence of its Sweeping Prerogative Powers, UK Parliament, 2002, archived from the original on 4 January 2004, retrieved 10 October 2008
Jump up ^ About Parliament: State Opening of Parliament, UK Parliament, 2008, archived from the original on 19 November 2002, retrieved 27 April 2008
Jump up ^ A Guide to Prorogation, BBC News, 7 November 2007, retrieved 27 April 2008
Jump up ^ Crabbe, p.17
Jump up ^ Royal Assent, BBC News, 24 January 2006, retrieved 27 April 2008
Jump up ^ UK Politics: Dewar appointed First Minister, BBC News, 17 May 1999, retrieved 10 October 2008
Jump up ^ Brief overview – Government of Wales Act 2006, Welsh Assembly Government, archived from the original on 26 October 2011, retrieved 30 August 2011
Jump up ^ Northern Ireland Act 1998, Office of Public Sector Information, retrieved 10 October 2008
Jump up ^ Dyer, Clare (21 October 2003), "Mystery lifted on Queen's powers", The Guardian, retrieved 9 May 2008
Jump up ^ Orders of Chivalry, The UK Honours System, 30 April 2007, archived from the original on 19 August 2007, retrieved 9 May 2008
Jump up ^ Cannon and Griffiths, pp.12–13 and 31
Jump up ^ Cannon and Griffiths, pp.13–17
Jump up ^ Cannon and Griffiths, pp.102–127
Jump up ^ Fraser, pp.30–46
Jump up ^ Fraser, pp.54–74
Jump up ^ Fraser, pp.77–78
Jump up ^ Fraser, pp.79–93
Jump up ^ Ashley, pp.595–597
Jump up ^ Fraser, pp.96–115
Jump up ^ Fraser, pp.118–130
Jump up ^ Fraser, pp.133–165
Jump up ^ Cannon and Griffiths, p.295; Fraser, pp.168–176
Jump up ^ Fraser, pp.179–189
Jump up ^ Cannon and Griffiths, pp.194, 265, 309
Jump up ^ Ashley, pp.636–647 and Fraser, pp.190–211
Jump up ^ Cannon and Griffiths, pp.1–12, 35
Jump up ^ Weir, pp.164–177
Jump up ^ Ashley, pp.390–395
Jump up ^ Ashley, pp.400–407 and Weir, pp.185–198
Jump up ^ Cannon and Griffiths, p.170
Jump up ^ Ashley, pp.407–409 and Cannon and Griffiths, pp.187, 196
Jump up ^ Ashley, pp.409–412
Jump up ^ Ashley, pp.549–552
Jump up ^ Ashley, pp.552–565
Jump up ^ Ashley, pp.567–575
Jump up ^ Royal Arms, Styles, and Titles of Great Britain: Westminster, 20 October 1604
Jump up ^ Fraser, pp.214–231
Jump up ^ Cannon and Griffiths, pp.393–400
Jump up ^ Fraser, p.232
Jump up ^ Fraser, pp.242–245
Jump up ^ Cannon and Griffiths, pp.439–440
Jump up ^ Cannon and Griffiths, pp.447–448
Jump up ^ Cannon and Griffiths, pp.460–469
Jump up ^ Sir Robert Walpole, BBC, retrieved 14 October 2008
Jump up ^ Ashley, pp.677–680
Jump up ^ Cannon and Griffiths, pp.530–550
Jump up ^ Fraser, pp.305–306
Jump up ^ Fraser, pp.314–333
Jump up ^ Statute of Westminster 1931, Government of Nova Scotia, 11 October 2001, retrieved 20 April 2008
Jump up ^ Justice Rouleau in O'Donohue v. Canada, 2003 CanLII 41404 (ON S.C.)
Jump up ^ Zines, Leslie (2008). The High Court and the Constitution, 5th ed. Annandale, New South Wales: Federation Press. ISBN 978-1-86287-691-0. p.314
Jump up ^ Corbett, P. E. (1940), "The Status of the British Commonwealth in International Law", The University of Toronto Law Journal, 3 (2): 348–359, doi:10.2307/824318, JSTOR 824318
Jump up ^ Scott, F. R. (January 1944), "The End of Dominion Status", The American Journal of International Law, 38 (1): 34–49, doi:10.2307/2192530, JSTOR 2192530
Jump up ^ R v Foreign Secretary; Ex parte Indian Association, (1982). QB 892 at 928; as referenced in High Court of Australia: Sue v Hill HCA 30; 23 June 1999; S179/1998 and B49/1998
Jump up ^ Matthew, H. C. G. (September 2004), "Edward VIII", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, retrieved 20 April 2008
Jump up ^ Matthew, H. C. G. (September 2004), "George VI", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, retrieved 20 April 2008
^ Jump up to: a b Head of the Commonwealth, Commonwealth Secretariat, archived from the original on 6 July 2010, retrieved 26 September 2008
Jump up ^ Sayer, Jane E. (September 2004), "Adrian IV", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, retrieved 20 April 2008 (Subscription required)
Jump up ^ Flanagan, M. T. (September 2004), "Dermot MacMurrough", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, retrieved 20 April 2008 (Subscription required)
Jump up ^ Flanagan, M. T. (2004), "Clare, Richard fitz Gilbert de, second earl of Pembroke (c.1130–1176)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, retrieved 14 October 2008 (Subscription required)
Jump up ^ Ives, E. W. (September 2004), "Henry VIII", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, retrieved 20 April 2008 (Subscription required)
Jump up ^ Seely, Robert (5 September 1997), Can the Windsors survive Diana's death?, Britannia Internet Magazine, retrieved 20 April 2008
Jump up ^ Grice, Andrew (9 April 2002), "Polls reveal big rise in support for monarchy", The Independent, retrieved 20 April 2008
Jump up ^ Monarchy poll, Ipsos MORI, April 2006, retrieved 6 August 2016
Jump up ^ Monarchy Survey (PDF), Populus Ltd, 14–16 December 2007, p. 9, archived from the original (PDF) on 11 May 2011, retrieved 30 November 2011
Jump up ^ Poll respondents back UK monarchy, BBC, 28 December 2007, retrieved 30 November 2011
Jump up ^ Queen and the Church of England, Official website of the British Monarchy, archived from the original on 2 December 2010, retrieved 18 June 2010
Jump up ^ Roles and Responsibilities: Overview, The Archbishop of Canterbury, archived from the original on 3 August 2008, retrieved 9 October 2008
Jump up ^ Queen and Church of Scotland, Official website of the British Monarchy, archived from the original on 2 December 2010, retrieved 18 June 2010
Jump up ^ Queen, State and Kirk, Church of Scotland official website, archived from the original on 17 April 2009, retrieved 10 May 2009
^ Jump up to: a b Accession, Official website of the British Monarchy, archived from the original on 31 May 2015, retrieved 14 May 2009
Jump up ^ Coronation, Official website of the British Monarchy, retrieved 14 May 2009
Jump up ^ Girls Equal in British throne succession, British Broadcasting Corporation, 28 October 2011, retrieved 28 October 2011
Jump up ^ Baby destined to become a monarch, ITV News, 22 July 2013, retrieved 7 November 2013
Jump up ^ Act of Settlement 1700(c.2), Article II, retrieved 14 May 2010
Jump up ^ Union with Scotland Act 1706 (c.11), Article II, retrieved 14 May 2010
Jump up ^ Union with England Act 1707 (c.7), Article II, retrieved 14 May 2010
Jump up ^ Regency Act 1953, Ministry of Justice, retrieved 9 October 2008
Jump up ^ Queen and Government: Counsellors of State, Official website of the British Monarchy, retrieved 18 June 2010
^ Jump up to: a b Royal Finances: The Civil List, Official web site of the British Monarchy, retrieved 18 June 2010
Jump up ^ Royal funding changes become law, BBC, 18 October 2011
Jump up ^ About Us, Crown Estate, 6 July 2011, archived from the original on 1 September 2011, retrieved 1 September 2011
Jump up ^ FAQs, Crown Estate, archived from the original on 3 September 2011, retrieved 1 September 2011
Jump up ^ Royal Finances: Head of State Expenditure, Official web site of the British Monarchy, archived from the original on 14 May 2010, retrieved 18 June 2010
Jump up ^ Accounts, Annual Reports and Investments, Duchy of Lancaster, 18 July 2011, archived from the original on 12 October 2011, retrieved 18 August 2011
Jump up ^ Royal Finances: Privy Purse and Duchy of Lancaster, Official web site of the British Monarchy, retrieved 18 June 2010
Jump up ^ FAQs, Royal Collection, retrieved 30 March 2012
Royal Collection, Royal Household, retrieved 9 December 2009
^ Jump up to: a b The Royal Residences: Overview, Royal Household, archived from the original on 1 May 2011, retrieved 9 December 2009
Jump up ^ Royal Finances: Taxation, Official web site of the British Monarchy, retrieved 18 June 2010
Jump up ^ "Royal finances". Republic. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
Jump up ^ Serafin, Tatiana (7 July 2010), "The World's Richest Royals", Forbes, retrieved 13 January 2011
Jump up ^ Darnton, John (12 February 1993), "Tax Report Leaves Queen's Wealth in Dark", The New York Times, retrieved 18 June 2010
Jump up ^ "£2m estimate of the Queen's wealth 'more likely to be accurate'", The Times: 1, 11 June 1971
Jump up ^ Pimlott, Ben (2001). The Queen: Elizabeth II and the Monarchy. London: HarperCollins. ISBN 0-00-255494-1, p. 401
Jump up ^ UK Retail Price Index inflation figures are based on data from Clark, Gregory (2017). "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved 6 November 2017.
^ Jump up to: a b "Buckingham Palace", Official website of the British Monarchy, The Royal Household, archived from the original on 27 March 2010, retrieved 14 July 2009
^ Jump up to: a b "Windsor Castle", Official website of the British Monarchy, The Royal Household, retrieved 14 July 2009
Jump up ^ "The Palace of Holyroodhouse", Official website of the British Monarchy, The Royal Household, retrieved 14 July 2009
^ Jump up to: a b "Royal Residences: St. James's Palace", Official website of the British Monarchy, The Royal Household, retrieved 14 July 2009
Jump up ^ "Ambassadors credentials", Official website of the British Monarchy, The Royal Household, archived from the original on 9 March 2009, retrieved 14 July 2009
Jump up ^ A brief history of Historic Royal Palaces, Historic Royal Palaces, archived from the original on 18 December 2007, retrieved 20 April 2008
Jump up ^ Royal proclamation reciting the altered Style and Titles of the Crown
Jump up ^ Fraser, p.180
Jump up ^ Royal Styles: 1521–1553, Archontology, 18 August 2007, retrieved 10 October 2008
Jump up ^ Royal Titles Bill. Hansard, 3 March 1953, vol. 512, col. 251
Jump up ^ Royal Style and Title. Hansard, 15 April 1953, vol. 514, col. 199
Jump up ^ Debrett's, 2008 edition, p. 43
^ Jump up to: a b Union Jack, The Royal Household, archived from the original on 5 November 2015, retrieved 9 May 2011
Jump up ^ Royal Standard, Official website of the British Monarchy, archived from the original on 28 December 2009, retrieved 18 June 2010
References[edit]
Ashley, Mike (1998). The Mammoth Book of British Kings and Queens. London: Robinson. ISBN 1-84119-096-9.
Bagehot, Walter; edited by Paul Smith (2001). The English Constitution. Cambridge University Press.
Brazier, Rodney (1997). Ministers of the Crown. Oxford University Press.
Brock, Michael (September 2004; online edition, January 2008). "William IV (1765–1837)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 22 April 2008 (subscription required).
Castor, Helen (2010). She-Wolves: the Women who Ruled England Before Elizabeth. Faber and Faber.
Cannon, John; Griffiths, Ralph (1988). The Oxford Illustrated History of the British Monarchy. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-822786-8
Crabbe, V.C.R.A.C. (1994). Understanding Statutes. Cavendish Publishing.
Flanagan, M. T. (2004). "Mac Murchada, Diarmait (c.1110–1171)" and Clare, Richard fitz Gilbert de, second earl of Pembroke (c.1130–1176)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 14 October 2008 (subscription required).
Fraser, Antonia (Editor) (1975). The Lives of the Kings & Queens of England. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson. ISBN 0-297-76911-1.
Ives, E. W. (September 2004; online edition, January 2008). "Henry VIII (1491–1547)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 20 April 2008 (subscription required).
Matthew, H. C. G. (2004). "Edward VIII (later Prince Edward, duke of Windsor) (1894–1972)" and "George VI (1895–1952)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 14 October 2008 (subscription required).
Pimlott, Ben. The Queen: A Biography of Elizabeth II. (1998)
Sayers, Jane E. (2004). "Adrian IV (d. 1159)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 20 April 2008 (subscription required).
Tomkins, Adam (2003). Public Law. N.Y.: Oxford University Press (Clarendon Law ser.).
Waldron, Jeremy (1990). The Law. Routledge.
Weir, Alison (1996). Britain's Royal Families: The Complete Genealogy. (Revised edition). London: Pimlico. ISBN 0-7126-7448-9.
External links[edit]
Official website of the British Monarchy
Official YouTube channel
Official Facebook Page
[show]
Links to related articles
[show]
v
t
e
United Kingdom articles
History
Chronology
Formation
Georgian era
Victorian era
Edwardian era
First World War
Interwar
Second World War
UK since 1945 (social history)
By topic
Economic
Empire
Maritime
Military
Geography
Administrative
Countries of the United Kingdom
Crown dependencies
Overseas territories
City status
Towns
Former colonies
Physical
British Isles
terminology
Great Britain
Coastline
Geology
Northern Ireland
Lakes and lochs
Mountains
Rivers
Volcanoes
Resources
Energy/Renewable energy
Biodiesel
Coal
Geothermal
Hydraulic frac.
Hydroelectricity
Marine
North Sea oil
Solar
Wind
Food
Agriculture
Fishing
English
Scottish
Hunting
Materials
Flora
Forestry
Mining
Politics
Constitution
Courts
Elections
Foreign relations
History
Human rights
Intersex
LGBT
Transgender
Judiciary
Law
Law enforcement
Legislation
Monarchy
monarchs
Nationality
Parliament
House of Commons
House of Lords
Political parties
Government
Cabinet
list
Civil service
Departments
Prime Minister
list
Military
Royal Navy
Army
Royal Air Force
Weapons of mass destruction
Economy
Banks
Bank of England
Budget
Economic geography
Manufacturing
Pound (currency)
Stock Exchanges (London Exchange)
Taxation
Telecommunications
Tourism
Transport
British Rail
Society
Affordability of housing
Crime
Demography
Drug policy
Education
Ethnic groups
Health care
Immigration
Innovation
Languages
Poverty
Food banks
Prostitution
Public holidays
Social care
Social structure
Culture
Art
Cinema
Cuisine
Identity
Literature
Media
television
Music
Religion
Sport
Symbols
Theatre
[show]
Countries of the United Kingdom
England
History
social
timeline
Geography
Politics
Law
Economy
tourism
Education
Health care
Culture
Religion
Symbols
Northern Ireland
History
Geography
Politics
Assembly
Executive
First Minister and deputy
Law
Economy
tourism
Education
Health care
Culture
Religion
Symbols
Scotland
History
timeline
Geography
Politics
Parliament
Government
First Minister
Law
Economy
tourism
Education
Health care
Culture
Religion
Symbols
Wales
History
Geography
Welsh Government
Politics
Assembly
First Minister
Law
Economy
tourism
Education
Health care
Culture
Religion
Symbols
Outline
Index
Book
Category
Portal
[show]
v
t
e
Commonwealth realms and dominions
Current
Antigua and Barbuda (monarchy)
Australia (monarchy)
Bahamas (monarchy)
Barbados (monarchy)
Belize (monarchy)
Canada (monarchy)
Grenada (monarchy)
Jamaica (monarchy)
Realm of New Zealand
Cook Islands
New Zealand
Niue
Papua New Guinea (monarchy)
Saint Kitts and Nevis (monarchy)
Saint Lucia (monarchy)
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (monarchy)
Solomon Islands (monarchy)
Tuvalu (monarchy)
United Kingdom (monarchy)
Former
Ceylon
Fiji (monarchy)
The Gambia
Ghana
Guyana
India
Ireland (monarchy)
Kenya
Malawi
Malta (monarchy)
Mauritius
Newfoundland1
Nigeria
Pakistan
Rhodesia2
Sierra Leone
South Africa (monarchy)
Tanganyika
Trinidad and Tobago
Uganda
1 Annexed by Canada in 1949
2 Rhodesia unilaterally declared independence in 1965, but this was not recognised internationally. Declared itself a republic in 1970.
[show]
v
t
e
Monarchies
List of current sovereign monarchs
List of current constituent monarchs
Type
Absolute
Constitutional
Diarchy
Elective
Federal
Hereditary
By region
or entity
Africa
Lesotho
Morocco
Swaziland
Asia
Bahrain
Bhutan
Brunei
Cambodia
Japan
Jordan
Kuwait
Malaysia
Oman
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
Thailand
United Arab Emirates
Europe
Andorra
Belgium
Denmark
Luxembourg
Liechtenstein
Monaco
Netherlands
Norway
Spain
Sweden
Vatican City
United Kingdom
Oceania
Australia
Tonga
New Zealand
Cook Islands
Niue
Papua New Guinea
Solomon Islands
Tuvalu
Americas
Antigua and Barbuda
Bahamas
Barbados
Belize
Canada
Grenada
Jamaica
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
[show]
v
t
e
Queen Elizabeth II
Monarchies
Antigua and Barbuda
Australia
Bahamas
Barbados
Belize
Canada
Grenada
Jamaica
New Zealand
Papua New Guinea
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Solomon Islands
Tuvalu
United Kingdom
Ancestry
and family
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (husband)
wedding
wedding dress
Charles, Prince of Wales (son)
Anne, Princess Royal (daughter)
Prince Andrew, Duke of York (son)
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex (son)
George VI (father)
Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother (mother)
Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon (sister)
Mountbatten-Windsor (family)
Accession and
coronation
Coronation
Royal Guests
Participants in the procession
Coronation gown
Medal
Honours
Award
The Queen's Beasts
Treetops Hotel
Proclamation of accession
MacCormick v Lord Advocate
Reign
Annus horribilis
Household
Lithgow Plot
Marcus Sarjeant incident
Michael Fagan incident
Personality and image
Prime Ministers
Operation London Bridge
Jubilees
Silver Jubilee
Events
Medal
Honours
Jubilee Gardens
Jubilee line
Jubilee Walkway
Golden Jubilee
Prom at the Palace
Party at the Palace
Medal
Honours
Jubilee Odyssey
Diamond Jubilee
Pageant
Armed Forces Parade and Muster
Thames Pageant
Gloriana
Spirit of Chartwell
Concert
Gibraltar Flotilla
Medal
Honours
Sapphire Jubilee
Sapphire Jubilee
Commonwealth
tours
Australia
Official openings
Canada
Ships used
HMS Vanguard (23)
SS Gothic (1947)
HMY Britannia
State visits
Outgoing
State visit to Ireland
Incoming
Pope Benedict XVI
President Michael D. Higgins
President Xi Jinping
Titles and
honours
Head of the Commonwealth
List of things named after Queen Elizabeth II
Royal Family Order
Elizabeth Cross
Queen's Official Birthday
Flags
Depictions
Documentaries
Royal Journey (1951)
A Queen Is Crowned (1953)
The Queen in Australia (1954)
The Royal Tour of the Caribbean (1966)
Royal Family (1969)
Elizabeth R: A Year in the Life of the Queen (1992)
Monarchy: The Royal Family at Work (2007)
The Queen (TV serial)
The Diamond Queen (2012)
Elizabeth at 90: A Family Portrait (2016)
The Coronation (2018)
Film and
television
A Question of Attribution (1992 TV)
Her Majesty (2001)
The Queen (2006)
Happy and Glorious (2012)
A Royal Night Out (2015)
The Crown (2016–)
Plays
A Question of Attribution (1988)
The Audience (2013)
Handbagged
Portraits
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II – An 80th Birthday Portrait
Pietro Annigoni's Portraits
The Queen
Songs
God Save the Queen
Her Majesty
Stamps
Machin series (List)
Wilding series
Castle series
Canadian domestic rate stamp
Country definitives
Animals
Corgis
Dookie
Susan
Horses
Aureole
Burmese
Carrozza
Dunfermline
Estimate
Height of Fashion
Highclere
Pall Mall
Winston
Related
Elizabeth II's jewels
Sagana Lodge
Villa Guardamangia
Children's Party at the Palace
Jeannette Charles
[show]
v
t
e
Heads of state and government of Europe
Heads
of state
UN members
and observers
Albania
Andorra
Armenia1
Austria
Azerbaijan1
Belarus
Belgium
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bulgaria
Croatia
Cyprus1
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Georgia1
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
Kazakhstan1
Latvia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macedonia
Malta
Moldova
Monaco
Montenegro
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Russian Federation1
San Marino
Serbia
Slovakia
Slovenia
Sovereign Military Order of Malta
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Turkey1
Ukraine
United Kingdom
Vatican City
Partially recognised2
Abkhazia1
Kosovo
Northern Cyprus1
South Ossetia1
Unrecognised states3
Artsakh1
Transnistria
Former countries
Czechoslovakia
East Germany
Serbia and Montenegro
Soviet Union1
Yugoslavia
Heads of
government
UN members
and observers
Albania
Andorra
Armenia1
Austria
Azerbaijan1
Belarus
Belgium
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bulgaria
Croatia
Cyprus1
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Georgia1
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
Kazakhstan1
Latvia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macedonia
Malta
Moldova
Monaco
Montenegro
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Russian Federation1
San Marino
Serbia
Slovakia
Slovenia
Sovereign Military Order of Malta
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Turkey1
Ukraine
United Kingdom
Vatican City
Partially recognised2
Abkhazia1
Kosovo
Northern Cyprus1
South Ossetia1
Unrecognised states3
Artsakh1
Transnistria
Former countries
Czechoslovakia
East Germany
Serbia and Montenegro
Soviet Union1
Yugoslavia
1. Partially or entirely in Asia, depending on geographical definition.
2. Recognised by at least one United Nations member.
3. Not recognised by any United Nations members.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Monarchy_of_the_United_Kingdom&oldid=824276128"
Categories:
British monarchy
Government of the United Kingdom
Westminster system
Commonwealth realms
Kingdoms
Heads of state of the United Kingdom
Hidden categories:
Featured articles
Use dmy dates from October 2012
Navigation menu
Personal tools
Not logged in
Talk
Contributions
Create account
Log in
Namespaces
Article
Talk
Variants
Views
Read
Edit
View history
More
Search
Navigation
Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikipedia store
Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page
Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page
Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version
In other projects
Wikimedia Commons
Wikibooks
Languages
Afrikaans
العربية
বাংলা
Dansk
Deutsch
Ελληνικά
Español
Esperanto
فارسی
Français
हिन्दी
Hrvatski
Bahasa Indonesia
Íslenska
Italiano
עברית
Magyar
Bahasa Melayu
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Русский
Scots
Српски / srpski
Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски
Suomi
Svenska
Tagalog
தமிழ்
ไทย
Türkçe
Українська
Tiếng Việt
粵語
中文
Edit links
This page was last edited on 6 February 2018, at 11:15.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Cookie statement
Mobile view
Enable previews

values: mw-page-base noprint

values: mw-head-base noprint

attrs: alt src width height srcset data-file-width data-file-height

values: This is a featured article. Click here for more information.

attrs: class id

values: firstHeading firstHeading en

values: siteSub noprint

values: jump-to-nav mw-jump

attrs: role class

values:
note
hatnote navigation-not-searchable

value: span

attrs: colspan class style

values: Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (Both Realms).svg

attrs: href class

values: Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom

values:
nofollow
https://www.royal.uk/
external text

values: Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government).svg

values: font-size: 105%; padding: 0.2em 0px 0.4em; text-align: left; display: none;

values:
/wiki/Her_Majesty%27s_Civil_Service
mw-redirect
Her Majesty's Civil Service

values: Speaker of the House of Commons (United Kingdom)

values: Leader of the Opposition (United Kingdom)

values: Her Majesty's Most Loyal Opposition (United Kingdom)

values: Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet (United Kingdom)

values: Acts of Parliament in the United Kingdom

values: President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom

values: Deputy President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom

values: Judges of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom

values: Joint Ministerial Committee (United Kingdom)

values: Administrative geography of the United Kingdom

values: List of United Kingdom Parliament constituencies

values: List of political parties in the United Kingdom

values: History of the foreign relations of the United Kingdom

values: padding:0.3em 0.4em 0.3em;font-weight:bold;border-top: 1px solid #aaa; border-bottom: 1px solid #aaa;

values: Template talk:Politics of the United Kingdom

values: float:right;clear:right;width:22.0em;margin:0 0 1.0em 1.0em;background:#f9f9f9;border:1px solid #aaa;padding:0.2em;border-spacing:0.4em 0;text-align:center;line-height:1.4em;font-size:88%

values: Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom

values: Commander-in-chief of the British Armed Forces

values:
/wiki/Anglo-Saxon_England
mw-redirect
Anglo-Saxon England

values:
/wiki/Union_of_the_crowns
mw-redirect
Union of the crowns

values:
/wiki/Roman_Catholics
mw-redirect
Roman Catholics

values: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland

values:
/wiki/Second_World_War
mw-redirect
Second World War

values: List of titles and honours of Queen Elizabeth II

values:
/wiki/Head_of_State
mw-redirect
Head of State

values: Constitutional convention (political custom)

values:
/wiki/Public_body
mw-redirect
Public body

values:
/wiki/Statutory_Instrument
mw-redirect
Statutory Instrument

values: Edit section: Appointment of the Prime Minister

values: United Kingdom general election, February 1974

values:
/wiki/Sir_Alan_Lascelles
mw-redirect
Sir Alan Lascelles

values: United Kingdom general election, October 1974

values: Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council

values:
/wiki/High_Commissioner
mw-redirect
High Commissioner

values:
/wiki/Order_of_Merit_(Commonwealth)
mw-redirect
Order of Merit (Commonwealth)

values:
/wiki/Plantagenet_dynasty
mw-redirect
Plantagenet dynasty

values: Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester

values:
/wiki/Edward_Longshanks
mw-redirect
Edward Longshanks

values:
/wiki/Conquest_of_Wales_by_Edward_I
mw-redirect
Conquest of Wales by Edward I

values:
/wiki/Henry_Bolingbroke
mw-redirect
Henry Bolingbroke

values:
/wiki/John_of_Gaunt,_Duke_of_Lancaster
mw-redirect
John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster

values:
/wiki/Richard_III
mw-redirect
Richard III

values:
/wiki/Elizabeth_I
mw-redirect
Elizabeth I

values:
/wiki/Western_Isles
mw-redirect
Western Isles

values: Edit section: Personal union and republican phase

values:
/wiki/Immortal_Seven
mw-redirect
Immortal Seven

values:
/wiki/William_III_of_Orange
mw-redirect
William III of Orange

values:
/wiki/Sophia,_Electress_of_Hanover
mw-redirect
Sophia, Electress of Hanover

values: Edit section: After the 1707 Acts of Union

values:
/wiki/Elector_of_Hanover
mw-redirect
Elector of Hanover

values:
/wiki/Regent_of_the_United_Kingdom
mw-redirect
Regent of the United Kingdom

values:
/wiki/Empress_of_India
mw-redirect
Empress of India

values:
/wiki/Crown_Colonies
mw-redirect
Crown Colonies

values:
/wiki/Monarch_of_Canada
mw-redirect
Monarch of Canada

values:
/wiki/Monarch_of_Australia
mw-redirect
Monarch of Australia

values:
/wiki/Supreme_Governor
mw-redirect
Supreme Governor

values:
/wiki/Established_church
mw-redirect
Established church

values:
/wiki/Lord_High_Commissioner
mw-redirect
Lord High Commissioner

values: General Assembly of the Church of Scotland

values:
/wiki/Accession_Declaration
mw-redirect
Accession Declaration

values: His Majesty's Declaration of Abdication Act 1936

values:
/wiki/James_VII_and_II
mw-redirect
James VII and II

values: Edit section: Restrictions by gender and religion

values: Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2011

values: Supreme Governor of the Church of England

values:
/wiki/Sovereign_Grant
mw-redirect
Sovereign Grant

values:
/wiki/Value-added_tax_(United_Kingdom)
mw-redirect
Value-added tax (United Kingdom)

values:
/wiki/Protestant_Reformation
mw-redirect
Protestant Reformation

values:
/wiki/Chivalric_order
mw-redirect
Chivalric order

values:
/wiki/Royal_coat_of_arms_of_Scotland
mw-redirect
Royal coat of arms of Scotland

values: min-height:3.1em;width:207px;line-height:1.3em;padding:2px 6px 1px 6px;margin:0px;border:none;border-width:0px

values:
/wiki/Royal_Standard_of_Scotland
mw-redirect
Royal Standard of Scotland

values:
/wiki/File:Royal_Banner_of_Scotland.svg
image
The Royal Standard of Scotland

values: display:table-cell;padding:0.2em 0.2em 0.2em 0.3em;vertical-align:middle

values: margin:0.5em 0 0.5em 1em;border:solid #aaa 1px

values:
/wiki/States_headed_by_Elizabeth_II
mw-redirect
States headed by Elizabeth II

values:
/wiki/Washington_Post
mw-redirect
Washington Post

values:
nofollow
external text
//doi.org/10.2307%2F824318

values:
nofollow
external text
//www.jstor.org/stable/824318

values:
nofollow
external text
//doi.org/10.2307%2F2192530

values:
nofollow
external text
//www.jstor.org/stable/2192530

values:
nofollow
external text
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15492607

values:
nofollow
external text
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15345351

values:
/wiki/Retail_Price_Index
mw-redirect
Retail Price Index

values:
nofollow
https://measuringworth.com/ukearncpi/
external text

values: -moz-column-width: 30em; -webkit-column-width: 30em; column-width: 30em; list-style-type: decimal;

values:
nofollow
external text
https://www.youtube.com/theroyalchannel

values: History of the formation of the United Kingdom

values: History of the United Kingdom during the First World War

values: Political history of the United Kingdom (1945–present)

values: Social history of the United Kingdom (1945–present)

values: List of countries that gained independence from the United Kingdom

values: List of lakes and lochs in the United Kingdom

values: List of mountains and hills of the United Kingdom

values: List of renewable resources produced and traded by the United Kingdom

values: Hydraulic fracturing in the United Kingdom

values:
/wiki/British_food
mw-redirect
British food

values:
/wiki/Fishing_in_Scotland
mw-redirect
Fishing in Scotland

values: Hunting and shooting in the United Kingdom

values: List of the vascular plants of Britain and Ireland

values: Transgender rights in the United Kingdom

values:
/wiki/Judiciary_of_the_United_Kingdom
mw-redirect
Judiciary of the United Kingdom

values: Departments of the United Kingdom Government

values: List of Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom

values: United Kingdom and weapons of mass destruction

values:
/wiki/United_Kingdom_budget
mw-redirect
United Kingdom budget

values: Economic geography of the United Kingdom

values: List of stock exchanges in the United Kingdom, the British Crown Dependencies and United Kingdom Overseas Territories

values: Telecommunications in the United Kingdom

values: Affordability of housing in the United Kingdom

values:
/wiki/Healthcare_in_the_United_Kingdom
mw-redirect
Healthcare in the United Kingdom

values: Immigration to the United Kingdom since 1922

values: List of British innovations and discoveries

values: Symbols of the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man

values:
/wiki/Social_history_of_England
mw-redirect
Social history of England

values: First Minister and deputy First Minister

values: Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland

values: nowraplinks collapsible collapsed navbox-subgroup

values: Index of United Kingdom-related articles

values: nowraplinks hlist collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner

values: Monarchy of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

values: Rhodesia's Unilateral Declaration of Independence

values: nowraplinks collapsible collapsed navbox-inner

values:
/wiki/List_of_Kings_of_Lesotho
mw-redirect
List of Kings of Lesotho

values:
/wiki/List_of_Kings_of_Swaziland
mw-redirect
List of Kings of Swaziland

values:
/wiki/List_of_monarchs_of_Cambodia
mw-redirect
List of monarchs of Cambodia

values: List of sovereigns of Vatican City State

values: navigation navbox Monarchies padding:3px

values:
navbox-image
11
width:1px;padding:0px 0px 0px 2px

values: Wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Philip Mountbatten, Duke of Edinburgh

values: List of royal guests at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II

values: List of participants in Queen Elizabeth II coronation procession

values:
/wiki/Coronation_gown_of_Elizabeth_II
mw-redirect
Coronation gown of Elizabeth II

values: Proclamation of accession of Elizabeth II

values: Personality and image of Queen Elizabeth II

values: List of Prime Ministers of Queen Elizabeth II

values: List of events during the Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II

values: 1977 Silver Jubilee and Birthday Honours

values: Diamond Jubilee Armed Forces Parade and Muster

values: Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal

values: List of Commonwealth visits made by Queen Elizabeth II

values: List of official openings by Elizabeth II in Australia

values: Royal tours of Canada by the Canadian Royal Family

values: List of state visits made by Queen Elizabeth II

values: Queen Elizabeth II's state visit to the Republic of Ireland

values: List of state visits received by Queen Elizabeth II

values: Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the United Kingdom

values: State visit of the President of Ireland to the United Kingdom

values: 2015 Xi Jinping visit to the United Kingdom

values: List of things named after Queen Elizabeth II

values: Royal Family Order of Queen Elizabeth II

values: Elizabeth R: A Year in the Life of the Queen

values: Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II – An 80th Birthday Portrait

values: Pietro Annigoni's portraits of Queen Elizabeth II

values: Queen Elizabeth II domestic rate stamp (Canada)

values:
/wiki/Elizabeth_II%27s_corgis
mw-redirect
Elizabeth II's corgis

values: nowraplinks collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner

values: Template:Heads of state and government of Europe

values: Template talk:Heads of state and government of Europe

values: width:1%;line-height: 1.3em; text-align: center;

values:
row
navbox-group
width:1%;line-height: 1.3em;

values: Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina

values: List of Princes and Grand Masters of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta

values:
/wiki/Swiss_Federal_Council
mw-redirect
Swiss Federal Council

values: List of heads of state of the Soviet Union

values: Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina

values: List of heads of government of Liechtenstein

values: President of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State

values: List of Prime Ministers of Czechoslovakia

values: Category:Government of the United Kingdom

values: Category:Heads of state of the United Kingdom

values: Category:Use dmy dates from October 2012

values: Discussion about edits from this IP address [ctrl-alt-n]

values: A list of edits made from this IP address [ctrl-alt-y]

values: You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory

values: You're encouraged to log in; however, it's not mandatory. [ctrl-alt-o]

values:
/wiki/Monarchy_of_the_United_Kingdom
View the content page [ctrl-alt-c]
c

values: Discussion about the content page [ctrl-alt-t]

values: p-namespaces navigation vectorTabs p-namespaces-label

values:
p-variants
navigation
vectorMenu emptyPortlet
p-variants-label

values: Past revisions of this page [ctrl-alt-h]

values: p-views navigation vectorTabs p-views-label

values:
p-cactions
navigation
vectorMenu emptyPortlet
p-cactions-label

values:
mw-wiki-logo
/wiki/Main_Page
Visit the main page

values:
/wiki/Main_Page
Visit the main page [ctrl-alt-z]
z

values: Featured content – the best of Wikipedia

values: Find background information on current events

values:
/wiki/Special:Random
Load a random article [ctrl-alt-x]
x

values: portal navigation p-navigation p-navigation-label

values: Guidance on how to use and edit Wikipedia

values: About the project, what you can do, where to find things

values: A list of recent changes in the wiki [ctrl-alt-r]

values: portal navigation p-interaction p-interaction-label

values: List of all English Wikipedia pages containing links to this page [ctrl-alt-j]

values: Recent changes in pages linked from this page [ctrl-alt-k]

values:
/wiki/Wikipedia:File_Upload_Wizard
Upload files [ctrl-alt-u]
u

values: A list of all special pages [ctrl-alt-q]

values: Permanent link to this revision of the page

values: Link to connected data repository item [ctrl-alt-g]

values: Printable version of this page [ctrl-alt-p]

values: portal navigation p-wikibase-otherprojects p-wikibase-otherprojects-label

values: Monargie van die Verenigde Koninkryk – Afrikaans

values: الملكية في المملكة المتحدة – Arabic

values: যুক্তরাজ্যের রাজতন্ত্র – Bangla

values: interlanguage-link interwiki-de badge-Q17437796 badge-featuredarticle

values: Μοναρχία του Ηνωμένου Βασιλείου – Greek

values: interlanguage-link interwiki-es badge-Q17437796 badge-featuredarticle

values: پادشاهی بریتانیا – Persian

values: ब्रिटिश एकराट्तंत्र – Hindi

values: interlanguage-link interwiki-id badge-Q17437796 badge-featuredarticle

values: המלוכה הבריטית – Hebrew

values: Egyesült Királyság monarchia – Hungarian

values: Pemerintahan beraja United Kingdom – Malay

values: Monarchie van het Verenigd Koninkrijk – Dutch

values: Британская монархия – Russian

values: Британска монархија – Serbian

values: interlanguage-link interwiki-sh badge-Q17437796 badge-featuredarticle

values: Yhdistyneen kuningaskunnan monarkia – Finnish

values: ஐக்கிய இராச்சியத்தின் அரசர் – Tamil

values: ราชาธิปไตยแห่งสหราชอาณาจักร – Thai

values: Британська монархія – Ukrainian

values: Quân chủ Vương quốc Liên hiệp Anh và Bắc Ireland – Vietnamese

values: 英國君主政體 – Chinese

values: /static/images/wikimedia-button-1.5x.png 1.5x, /static/images/wikimedia-button-2x.png 2x

values: /static/images/poweredby_mediawiki_132x47.png 1.5x, /static/images/poweredby_mediawiki_176x62.png 2x

values:
suggestions
display: none; font-size: 13px;

values: mediawiki ltr sitedir-ltr mw-hide-empty-elt ns-0 ns-subject page-Monarchy_of_the_United_Kingdom rootpage-Monarchy_of_the_United_Kingdom skin-vector action-view