What does the British monarch actually do?

Question

You guys probably get this a lot in here, but it didn't come up in search, so I wanted to ask. What are the actual duties of being the King/Queen of Britain?

Answer 1

A figurehead.

To maintain the pomp and ceremony.

They actually earn a lot of money for the country by bringing Great Britain to the forefront on their state visits.

Answer 2

Try http://www.royal.gov/uk

Here's a sample of what they say about the duties of the present monarch:

"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 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.

She also hosts garden parties to which guests from all backgrounds are invited, most of whom are nominated by charities or public sector organisations for their service to their communities.

And in the thousands of messages sent by The Queen each year to people celebrating their 100th birthdays or diamond weddings, The Queen is able to give special and personal recognition of remarkable individuals.

The Queen also supports service to others, through close relationships with the voluntary and charitable sector. About 3,000 organisations list a member of the Royal Family as patron or president. The Queen has over 600 patronages and The Duke of Edinburgh over 700.

In all these roles, The Queen is supported by members of the Royal Family, who carry out many of the engagements which The Queen cannot undertake in person."

At the above mentioned site,the constitutional monarchy is explained in more detail.

Answer 3

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...

In addition to a monarch's constitutional duties, The King/Queen and the royal family all have an important role to play in public. As a national figurehead, the monarch and its royal family provides a focus for identity, offers recognition of achievement of all kinds, and supports the ideals of public and charitable work.

For example, Her Majesty The Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, acts as a focus for national unity and pride by means of regular visits in the UK, her other realms, the Commonwealth and overseas destinations. The Queen is supported by other members of the Royal Family, who also carry out thousands of visits each year.

The Queen recognises excellence and achievement. This takes place in many ways: through Royal visits which provide a 'seal of approval' to a charity or community; through the award of honours and prizes to outstanding individuals; and through messages sent to those celebrating special birthdays or wedding anniversaries.

The Queen and the Royal Family also play an important part in the public and voluntary sector. Through involvement with hundreds of charities, military units and other organisations, they promote the ideal of service to others.

Answer 4

The Queen only has titular duties.

Answer 5

Give Royal assent to all acts of Parliament (they do not become law til they get Royal assent)

Answer 6

The monarchy is largely symbolic and they don't have any real substantive duties or power outside of the influence that the populus allows them to have.  They are involved with the parliment but they don't make decisions - the Houses of Lords and Commons do.

Answer 7

Act moody at every possible occasion, snub people, sponge money from the people in the UK have stupid dogs and be generally irritating.