Just Britain. Учебно-методическое пособие

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 tittle Head of the Commonwealth as a symbol of the free association of its independent member states.

The Commonwealth includes both republics and monarchies. 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.

CONSTITUTIONAL ROLE

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.

God Save the Queen (or God Save the King) is the British national anthem, and the monarch appears on postage stamps, coins and banknotes.

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.

APPOINTMENT OF THE PRIME MINISTER

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.

ROYAL PREROGATIVE

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.