On Wednesday, 6 February 1952, while staying in a remote part of Kenya ,Princess Elizabeth received the news of her father's death and her own accession to the throne. She is now celebrating sixty years as Monarch . It is her Diamond Jubilee.
But what does the Queen do ?
The Queen is, of course, the titular head of government. But she is not political, not Conservative, Liberal or Labour. She is the symbol of sovereign Britain. The Queen signs all acts of Parliament to make them laws.This is called Royal Assent. But it is only a formality. Because, though theoretically she has the right of veto, the Queen has got no real power to use it. She regularly holds meetings with the Prime Minister to discuss government policy and be informed on the state of the nation. She opens each session of Parliament with a speech prepared for her by the Prime Minister and dissolves Parliament at the request of the Prime Minister when new elections become necessary.But what is, perhaps , her most important role in government is her position as head of the armed forces. The British army swears allegiance to the Queen, not to the government.
Critics of the monarchy ask how the Queen, the richest woman in the world, can have any relationship to the British people. These critics add that the Queen is a needless public expense because, besides her vast personal fortune, she is paid a yearly wage by the British people.
Of course the Queen works very hard.She is constantly travelling around the world promoting British interests . She is a representative of the British people in everything she does throughout the world.
Now that the British people are beginning to ask themselves if they really need a queen, it is important to understand what her role is. We must not abolish our monarchy simply because it is the fashion of the times, nor must retain it merely for sentimental reasons.
Would you like to send a message to the Queen ? Remember to say something nice !
No comments:
Post a Comment