Why does Britain have a monarchy and a prime minister. does that mean that the queen is just a figurehead?

Question

i was just curious. thanx ahead of time for your answers.

Answer 1

The UK is a constitutional monarchy meaning that the Queen has very little power but is Head Of State and most of the Power rests with the Head of Government. It's very similar to other countries where the President is a purely ceremonial post and the power rests with the Prime Minister e.g. Israel. There are a few countries where the President is head of State and Head of government e.g USA, France.

Many countries in Europe are constutional monarchies.

Answer 2

The Queen is advisor and ceremonial head of state while,whatever political office is in power  works with her to run the government. From http://www.royal.gov/uk

here is what the Queen's role is:

"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.

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...

Constitutional monarchy is a form of government in which a king or queen acts as Head of State, while the ability to make and pass legislation resides with an elected Parliament.

The Sovereign governs according to the constitution - that is, according to rules, rather than according to his or her own free will.

Although the United Kingdom does not have a written constitution which sets out the rights and duties of the Sovereign, they are established by conventions. These are non-statutory rules which can bind just as much as formal constitutional rules.

As a constitutional monarch, The Queen cannot make or pass legislation, and must remain politically neutral. On almost all matters The Queen acts on the advice of ministers.

However, the Sovereign retains an important political role as Head of State, formally appointing prime ministers, approving certain legislation and bestowing honours.

The Queen also has official roles to play in other organisations, such as the Armed Forces and the Church of England.

As a system of government, constitutional monarchy has many strengths. One is that it separates out the ceremonial and official duties of the Head of State from party politics.

Another is that it provides stability, continuity and a national focus, since the Head of State remains the same even as governments come and go.  

  The Bill of Rights Act of 1689 set out the foundations of constitutional monarchy.

Rights obtained by Parliament included:

Freedom from Royal interference with the law;

Freedom from taxation by Royal prerogative;

Freedom to petition the King;

Freedom to elect members of Parliament without interference from the Sovereign.

The origins of constitutional monarchy in Britain go back a long way. Until the end of the seventeenth century, British monarchs were executive monarchs, which means that they had the right to make and pass legislation.

But even in early times there were occasions when the Sovereign had to act in accordance with the law and take into account the will of his people.

With the signing of the Magna Carta in 1215, for example, the leading noblemen of England succeeded in forcing King John to accept that they and other freemen had rights against the Crown.

In the seventeenth century, the Stuart kings propagated the theory of the divine right of kings, claiming that the Sovereign was subject only to God and not to the law.

Widespread unrest against their rule led to civil war in the second half of the seventeenth century. In 1688-9 Parliamentarians drew up a Bill of Rights, which established basic tenets such as the supremacy of Parliament.

The constitutional monarchy we know today really developed in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, as day-to-day power came to be exercised by Ministers in Cabinet, and by Parliaments elected by a steadily-widening electorate."

You can find out more about her job at the aforementioned website.

Answer 3

yeah i guess its that way. many people see the queen as a "decoration"

Answer 4

Yeah, pretty much.

Answer 5

Yeup. I sometimes wonder why we even bother keeping them around...

Answer 6

Well, sort of.   Technically Queen Elizabeth II is queen not only of Great Britain, but also of Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, and Saint Kitts and Nevis, in each of which she is represented by a Governor-General.  

  In theory her powers are vast; in practice (and in accordance with convention) she herself never intervenes in political matters.  In the United Kingdom at least, however, she is known to take an active behind-the-scenes interest in the affairs of state, meeting regularly to establish a working relationship with her government ministers.

Elizabeth II holds a variety of other positions, among them Head of the Commonwealth, Supreme Governor of the Church of England, Duke of Normandy, Lord of Mann, and Paramount Chief of Fiji.

Answer 7

yup.

Answer 8

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 9

"Prime minister" simply denotes the leader of the majority party.  It is true that today the queen is primarily a figurehead.  However, it is possible to have both a functional monarch and a prime minister in a country.