Does the queen have power?

Question

Does the queen have power?

Answer 1

Money is power, so yes - plus some 'political' power left over from yester-year..

Answer 2

Yes a nod in the right direction can do wonders, or no nighthood

Answer 3

only with the corgis

Answer 4

She has more power than she can practically use

Answer 5

Technically yes, under the English Bill of Rights 1689.

Answer 6

Constituionally she has very little. She has the power to appoint the Prime Minister  and has in her time directly appointed the Prime minister, but nowadays invites the leader of the largest party in the House of Commons to try and form a Government. If there was dead heat in a General election she would make the choice, but if that person couldn't form a coalition then she would invite the other leader to try and form a coalition.

Answer 7

The British monarchy is a system of government in which a hereditary monarch is the sovereign of the United Kingdom and its overseas territories, and holds the now constitutional position of head of state. According to convention, the Queen's powers are exercised upon the advice of her prime minister. She does however possess certain reserve powers which she may exercise at her own discretion.

In the UK, the Queen (or King, when there is a male monarch) has numerous theoretical personal prerogatives. In practice, however, with the exception of the appointment of a prime minister, which is done with every prime minister, there are few circumstances in modern British government where these could be justifiably exercised; they have rarely been exercised in the last century. These powers could be exercised in an emergency such as a constitutional crisis. The monarch's personal prerogatives are:

- The refusal to dissolve Parliament when requested by the Prime Minister.

- To appoint a Prime Minister of her own choosing.

- The dismissal of a Prime Minister and his Government on the Monarch's own authority.

- The refusal of the Royal Assent.

- The refusal of the "Queen's Consent," where direct monarchical assent is required for a bill affecting, directly or by implication, the prerogative, hereditary revenues—including ultimus haeres, treasure trove, and bona vacantia—or the personal property or interests of the Crown to be heard in Parliament.

It has long been established in the uncodified Constitution of the United Kingdom that political power is ultimately exercised by the Parliament of the United Kingdom, of which the Sovereign is a non-partisan component, along with the House of Lords and the House of Commons, and by the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Thus, as the modern British monarchy is a constitutional one, the Sovereign's role is in practice limited to non-partisan functions (such as being the fount of honour).

In practice, political power is exercised today through Parliament and by the Prime Minister and Cabinet. The sovereign also holds the title of Supreme Governor of the established Church of England. The monarch holds a weekly audience with the Prime Minister, as well as regular audiences with other members of the Cabinet. The monarch may express his or her views, but, as a constitutional ruler, must ultimately accept the Prime Minister's and Cabinet's decisions.

Read more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_mon...

Answer 8

certainly for me she the queen has great power. as i have sworn my oath to obey her as this is to me great power.

Answer 9

If you have money you have power no matter what you are

Answer 10

no thank God.  Can you imagine an out of touch old woman having any real power.  That's almost as scary as George W Bush having power

Answer 11

Theres lights on in Buckingham palace, so I would say yes.

Answer 12

yes or how would she do the cooking and ironing?

Answer 13

Which queen?   The queen of England?  Or the queen at the g*y bar?

Answer 14

Every bill which is to be passed by the parliament has to be signed by the Queen, so she might have the power of veto, when she refuses to sign such a bill. The problem is that in Britain such a power hasn't been used for the last 200 years or so.

Answer 15

She has some,bit Parliament really runs things. Here's her job description(From http://www.royal.gov/uk ):

"In a monarchy a king or queen is Head of State. The British monarchy is known as a constitutional monarchy. This means that, while The Queen is Head of State, the ability to make and pass legislation resides with an elected Parliament. Although the British Sovereign no longer has a political or executive role, he or she continues to play an important part in the life of the nation.

The Queen's role is to:

Perform the ceremonial and official duties of Head of State, including

representing Britain to the rest of the world;

Provide a focus for national identity and unity;

Provide stability and continuity in times of change;

Recognise achievement and excellence;

Encourage public and voluntary service.

As Head of State, The Queen undertakes constitutional and representational duties which have developed over one thousand years of history. In addition to these State duties, The Queen has a less formal role as 'Head of Nation'. She acts as a focus for national identity, unity and pride; gives a sense of stability and continuity; officially recognises success and excellence; and supports the ideal of public and voluntary service.

In all these roles The Queen is supported by members of her immediate family...

The British Sovereign can be seen as having two roles: Head of State, and 'Head of the Nation'.

As Head of State, The Queen undertakes constitutional and representational duties which have developed over one thousand years of history.

There are inward duties, with The Queen playing a part in State functions in Britain. Parliament must be opened, Orders in Council have to be approved, Acts of Parliament must be signed, and meetings with the Prime Minister must be held.

There are also outward duties of State, when The Queen represents Britain to the rest of the world. For example, The Queen receives foreign ambassadors and high commissioners, entertains visiting Heads of State, and makes State visits overseas to other countries, in support of diplomatic and economic relations.

As 'Head of Nation', The Queen's role is less formal, but no less important for the social and cultural functions it fulfils.

   These include: providing a focus for national identity, unity and pride; giving a sense of stability and continuity; recognising success, achievement and excellence; and supporting service to others, particularly through public service and the voluntary sector.

These roles are performed through different types of engagement.

By means of regular visits through every part of the United Kingdom, The Queen is able to act as a focus for national unity and identity.

Through her engagements and walkabouts, The Queen is able to meet people from every walk of life. The Queen's unifying role as Sovereign is also shown in her special relationships with the devolved assemblies in Scotland and Wales.

In addition, at times of national celebration or tragedy, The Queen publicly represents the nation's mood - for example, at annual commemoration of the war dead on Remembrance Sunday, or at celebrations for a national sporting victory.

The Queen also has an essential role in providing a sense of stability and continuity in times of political and social change. The system of constitutional monarchy bridges the discontinuity of party politics.

While political parties change constantly, the Sovereign continues as Head of State, providing a stable framework within which a government can introduce wide-ranging reforms.

With more than five decades of reading State papers, meeting Heads of State and ambassadors and holding a weekly audience with the Prime Minister, The Queen has an unequalled store of experience upon which successive Prime Ministers have been able to draw.

The Queen is able to recognise success and achievement in a personal way. These include honours, awards, visits, patronage and sponsorship. At Investitures, for example, The Queen honours individuals for public service or outstanding achievement..."

You can read more about her role at the aforementioned site.

Answer 16

No. The Monarchy lost most of its powers to the government centuries ago. She calls the Prime Minister to create a government and opens parliament but both are purely ceremony, the Monarch lost the power to refuse with one of the Kings (James I think). Now the Monarch acts only as a figure head and dignitary, a lot like an ambassador.

Answer 17

Political-yes

Money-yes

The Queen has lots of power.

Answer 18

the only power that the queen has is the power to attract tourism to the the uk. also she can't be arrested.

Answer 19

she has the power to remind that working poor that they will never be her.

Answer 20

theoretically yes, she just chooses not to. she's the head of the church, the armed forces and can dissolve the parliament if she wishes. she also has loads of dosh and land  which are instruments of power in themselves.

Answer 21

Sure, Elton John has a lot of power!

Ohhhh....THAT queen!  Sorry!  Never mind!

Answer 22

of course, although not constutionally, she exercises it in a very dicreet way.