What power does the queen have?

Jamesdavid3 said:
Im sure 95% of england dont like her.


She does NOTHING at all, we dont need her at all. There would be no change if we had her on not.
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Well tourism would be hit for a start.

The English monarchy from William I onwards provides some of the most interesting historical reading there is and the current Queen is a fantastic figurehead for the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, not to mention her being respected both here and internationally.

I for one would not like to see the Republic of Great Britain. Long may the monarchy continue.
 
Jamesdavid3 said:
Im sure 95% of england dont like her.


She does NOTHING at all, we dont need her at all. There would be no change if we had her on not.
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You reckon?

How about the fact that she gives our country a bit of Identity.

Without the monarch we would be even more worthless than we already are in this current climate.
 
Von Smallhausen said:
Well tourism would be hit for a start.

The English monarchy from William I onwards provides some of the most interesting historical reading there is and the current Queen is a fantastic figurehead for the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, not to mention her being respected both here and internationally.

I for one would not like to see the Republic of Great Britain. Long may the monarchy continue.
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AMEN TO THAT!

In answer to the question, on paper, she has a lot of power, but in practise, she has given a lot of it away, so really, she doesn't really have any considerable power. She could refuse to sign a Bill, but that would just cause political uproar, as most people have said, her role is mostly just traditional.
However, the monarchy should never be abolished, it does a lot for our image, and plus, Good Old Liz only has like 6/7 years left until she overtakes Vic and becomes the longest serving Monarch in our history :) (IIRC)
 
tuffty747 said:
AMEN TO THAT!

Good Old Liz only has like 6/7 years left until she overtakes Vic and becomes the longest serving Monarch in our history :) (IIRC)
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7 years.

She is still behind George III who reigned for 60 years, 4 less than Queen Victoria but although he died in 1820, he was declared insane after 1811 when his son, the future George IV, became Regent. He was still the monarch for 60 years though.
 
Jamesdavid3 said:
Im sure 95% of england dont like her.


She does NOTHING at all, we dont need her at all. There would be no change if we had her on not.
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It may be that 95% of the people in England are as ignorant as you are, but that has nothing to do with reality.

i) The whole monarchy costs this country buttons and we make far more than that back from monarchy-related tourism alone. So even if none of them did anything (which is not the case) they'd still be a benefit to the country.

ii) It's worth paying for our heritage. So even if we lost money on the monarchy (which is not the case), it's a worthwhile expense.

iii) The Queen in particular does no end of international relations work. If she didn't, we'd have to pay someone else to do it less well. So even if we lost money on the monarchy (which we don't), we wouldn't save anywhere near as much as you think. In fact, given the tendency for politicians to ride the gravy train, it would probably end up costing us more, for much less.

iv) The Queen in particular does a lot of diplomatic work. There's no substitute for that role.


So, to sum up...the country makes a shipload of money from the Queen and couldn't get anyone else to do all the same work anyway.
 
Raymond Lin said:
My Constitional law is rusty but

She signs ALL legislation
Dissolve parliment
Form new government

Granted, it's mostly just procedural, it's been a few hundred years since a monarch has refused to sign a law passed in parliment.
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Though not all that long ago since she dissolved a parliament .

Technically she dissolved the Aussie parliament in 1975 - In reality it was the Governor-General who did - but basically it was the same principles - the Governor General in Australia has similar reserve powers to the Queen in the UK including being able to dissolve parliament so in theory it could occur over here too in the right circumstances.
 
Raymond Lin said:
My Constitional law is rusty but

She signs ALL legislation
Dissolve parliment
Form new government

Granted, it's mostly just procedural, it's been a few hundred years since a monarch has refused to sign a law passed in parliment.
Click to expand...

About 200, if I recall correctly. Queen...someone refused to grant royal assent to a bill that was something about militia in Scotland in 179...something.

Google to fill in the details...well, I was wrong. It was Queen Anne and it was about militia in Scotland, but it was 1708.

As far as I know, the last time the monarch used their power in politics was when William IV forced the Great Reform Act through in 1832 after it failed to pass the vote.
 
Raymond Lin said:
My Constitional law is rusty but

She signs ALL legislation
Dissolve parliment
Form new government

Granted, it's mostly just procedural, it's been a few hundred years since a monarch has refused to sign a law passed in parliament.
Click to expand...


Couldn't we just get some foreigner to do that?

Oh wait.........
 
Her Majesty Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, Ireland and the British Dominions beyond the Seas Queen, Defender of the Faith, Duchess of Edinburgh, Countess of Merioneth, Baroness Greenwich, Duke of Lancaster, Lord of Mann, Duke of Normandy, Sovereign of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath, Sovereign of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle, Sovereign of the Most Illustrious Order of Saint Patrick, Sovereign of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George, Sovereign of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, Sovereign of the Distinguished Service Order, Sovereign of the Imperial Service Order, Sovereign of the Most Exalted Order of the Star of India, Sovereign of the Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire, Sovereign of the Order of British India, Sovereign of the Indian Order of Merit, Sovereign of the Order of Burma, Sovereign of the Royal Order of Victoria and Albert, Sovereign of the Royal Family Order of King Edward VII, Sovereign of the Order of Mercy, Sovereign of the Order of Merit, Sovereign of the Order of the Companions of Honour, Sovereign of the Royal Victorian Order, Sovereign of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem, Commander-in-Chief of the Australian Defence Force, Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian Forces, Commander-in-Chief of the New Zealand Defence Force, Commander-in-Chief of the British Armed Forces, Lord High Admiral of the Royal Navy.
 
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