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Файл:Modern Britain New Realities and Challenges 2000-2020. Textbook
.pdf
3. How did the East India Company carry out its control on the
Indian Subcontinent?
4. Why did the Sepoy Mutiny in India lead to changes in the
governance of the British colony?
5. What changes took place in Great Britain during the Industrial
Revolution?
Text VII
Monarchy in the 20th and 21st centuries: the upheavals
of the two world wars and the end of the British Empire
(1901 – present)
In 1901, Queen Victoria died, bringing an end to the House of
Hanover. She was succeeded by her eldest son Edward VII of the
House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, who was the longest serving heir
apparent in British history until surpassed by Prince Charles on 20
April 2011. Edward has been recognized as the first truly constitutional
British sovereign and the last sovereign to wield effective political
power.
The House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, however, was short-lived, and
included only the reign of Edward VII (1901-1911) and the first seven
years of his son, King George V. In 1917, the name of the Royal House
was changed to Windsor (from ‘Windsor Castle’) because of antiGerman sentiment in the United Kingdom during World War I. The
House of Windsor has had historically four British Monarchs: George
V, Edward VIII, George VI, and the present reigning monarch,
Elizabeth II.
In the 20
changes brought about the end of the British Empire. The process of
decolonization began in Ireland, where, as the result of the Irish War of
Independence, British rule came to an end in 1922 with the
establishment of the Irish Free State as a self-governing Dominion of
th
century, two world wars and profound political and social
31
the British Commonwealth of Nations. Part of Ireland, Northern
Ireland stayed in the United Kingdom, which since 1921 is called ‘the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland’. In 1926, King
George V and his prime ministers of the realms issued the Balfour
Declaration, which recognized the Dominions of the Empire as
“autonomous Communities within the British Empire”, and the 1931
Statute of Westminster confirmed their full legislative independence.
After the Second World War, most of the British colonies and territories
became independent, and the British Commonwealth of Nations, as the
British Empire’s status was established by the Balfour Declaration, was
replaced by the London Declaration of the Commonwealth Prime
Ministers’ Conference (1949) with the Commonwealth of Nations as a
free association of independent member-states.
At present, Queen Elizabeth II is the Head of the Commonwealth of
54 member-states, and in this position she is the Head of State of 16
member-states (the Commonwealth realms) and 33 republics, while
five other member-states have different monarchs. The 54 memberstates have no legal obligations to one another, but are connected
through their use of the English language, historical ties and shared
values of democracy, human rights and the rule of law. The
Commonwealth nations have developed a shared Commonwealth
culture, which is based on common sports, such as cricket, soccer,
rugby and netball. The other examples of a shared Commonwealth
culture include driving on the left, the Westminster system of
parliamentary democracy, common law, widespread use of the English
language, designation of English as an official language with British
pronunciation norms, military and naval ranks, a substantial body of
Commonwealth literature in English, etc.
By now, the constitutional form of monarchy in Great Britain has
been fully developed, and, though the ultimate executive authority over
the government is still formally the monarch’s royal prerogative, these
powers may only be used according to laws enacted by Parliament. The
monarch is Head of State, and Head of the British Armed Forces, and,
32
as Head of State, the monarch appoints the Prime Minister following a
change of government, but all these functions are formal. The monarch
is Head of the Church of England – a position that all British monarchs
have held since Henry VIII’s ‘Act of Supremacy of 1534’. The
monarch and their immediate family undertake various official,
ceremonial, diplomatic and representational duties. Thus, the current
monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, has the sole right of conferring titles of
honour on deserving people in public recognition of their merit, service
or bravery. The most awarded honour is the Order of Chivalry Reward
introduced by George V in 1917 as the Most Excellent Order of the
British Empire, which nowadays is also used to reward contributions to
the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organizations
and public service outside the civil service. The Order comprises five
classes, the most senior two of which make the recipient either a knight
if male or dame if female. The five classes are: 1) GBE (Knight Grand
Cross or Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire), 2)
KBE or DBE (Knight Commander or Dame Commander), 3) CBE
(Commander), 4) OBE (Officer), 5) MBE (Member of the Order of the
British Empire). The senior two ranks of Knight or Dame Grand Cross,
and Knight or Dame Commander entitle their members to use the title
of Sir for men and Dame for women before their forename. The order is
limited to 300 Knight and Dames Grand Cross, 845 Knights and Dames
Commander, and 8,960 Commanders. The Order of the British Empire
has the highest number of members of the British Orders of Chivalry,
with over 100, 000 living members worldwide. Currently the sovereign
of the UK is Elizabeth II, and the recipients collect their awards from
the Queen or another member of the royal family at an investiture
ceremony. Honours recipients are announced twice a year (in the New
Year’s Honours List and on the Queen’s Official Birthday). The
honours are awarded on the advice of the Cabinet Office, who deal with
all nominations.
Alongside awarding honours, the British Sovereign under a
constitutional monarchy, performs another exclusive function – the
33
throne speech at the State Opening of Parliament. The speech is
written nowadays by the sitting cabinet, and outlines the legislative
programme for the new parliamentary session. The ceremony now is
held annually in May in the Parliament’s upper chamber (the House of
Lords), with members of both houses in attendance.
adapted from Ben Johnson,
“Kings and Queens of England & Britain”
BACKGROUND NOTES
Heir apparent: the person (male or female) who is first in the order of
succession to the throne of a country with a monarchy.
British Commonwealth of Nations: established in 1931, a free
association of countries mainly of the former British Empire that has no
constitution or formal laws, but is committed to the furtherance of
humanitarian values, with the British monarch as its symbolic head.
1931 Statute of Westminster: an act of Parliament that provided for the
legislative independence of countries of the British Empire from Great
Britain, though retaining allegiance to the Crown, thereby paving the
way for the creation of the Commonwealth.
Common Law: the basis of legislation in the United Kingdom, where
laws derive from legal precedents and not written statutes.
Investiture ceremony: the ceremonial installation of high officials such
as judges and heads of state, often accompanied by the symbols of
their office.
State Opening of Parliament: an event which formally marks the
beginning of the parliamentary session, opened by the Monarch.
QUESTIONS AND ACTIVITIES
Comprehension Questions:
1. Why was the name of the Royal House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha
changed to Windsor during World War I?
34
2. Where did the process of decolonization of the British Empire
begin in the 20
3. What is the difference between the British Commonwealth of
Nations and the Commonwealth of Nations declared in 1949?
th
century?
Group Activities:
In groups of two to three students discuss the evolution of British
national identity from the times of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms to the
emergence and growth of the British Empire, to the collapse of the
th
British Empire in the 20
century and to the present. What were the
major factors that brought about changes in the national identity of
Britons over the ages?
As a preliminary stage, students may collect some related
information, using reference books, public media, including internet
resources, etc.
At the final stage, students share the results of their findings and
discussion in small groups as part of the whole group.
Individual Work:
Write a short essay of some 200-250 words about some aspects of
British national identity and their origin.
B.
The British Monarchy Today: The Crisis of the British
Monarchy and its Future
Discussion Questions:
Note down the following points:
1. What do you know about the role and duties of the present Queen
of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
2. Why has Queen Elizabeth been reducing her public duties and
giving them over to Prince Charles?
3. What are the recent scandals in the Royal Family that have
resulted in the British Royal Crisis?
35
Reading Exercises:
You are going to read three texts about the state of the British
monarchy at present. As you read, note down the following:
1. the strict neutrality of the reigning monarch with respect to
political matters,
2. the changing attitudes to monarchy as an institution in British
society,
3. the unprecedented media attention that the Royals face at present.
Text VIII
Queen Elizabeth II: her role in the British political system,
duties and legal privileges
The British Monarchy is the constitutional monarchy of the United
Kingdom. The present constitutional monarch is Queen Elizabeth II,
who ascended the throne in 1952, and is at present the longest reigning
monarch in the history of Great Britain. Formally, she is Head of State,
but the real power is in the hands of the Head of Government, that is
the Prime Minister as the leader of the party or a coalition of parties
that holds the largest number of seats in the Parliament’s House of
Commons. The Monarch’s functions are limited to bestowing honours
and appointing the Prime Minister, and the Royal Family undertakes
various representational, diplomatic and charitable duties. The Monarch
is also Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. Since Henry VIII’s
Act of Supremacy of 1534, the British monarch is Head of the Church
of England.
Monarchy has always been seen as bedrock of stability and continuity
in British life, with its lineage stretching back to Alfred the Great.
However, monarchy as an institution has been shown to be in conflict
with the concept of the Royal Family, where the British public has been
encouraged to view its members as somehow better and greater than the
hoi polloi, existing above the fray of everyday life in an exclusive reality
36
whose members should not be exposed to ‘ordinary’ problems. Such
complacency was decisively rocked with the acrimonious divorce of
Princess Diana and Prince Charles, the heir to the throne, and the
subsequent death in 1997 in a car crash of Princess Diana. Recent
revelations (October 2019) of the private life of Elizabeth II’s second
son, Andrew, have raised questions about the suitability of the Royal
Family as the ruling class, its status as a role model and whether it is,
indeed, an anachronism in the twenty-first century.
As Head of State the Queen has to remain strictly neutral with
respect to political matters. By convention, the Queen does not
vote or stand for election; however, Her Majesty does have
important ceremonial and formal roles in relation to the
government of the UK.
After the general election, the Queen accepts the resignation of
the outgoing Prime Minister (PM) and then instructs the new Prime
Minister to form a government in her name. Once a PM is in
office, the Queen meets with him/her weekly and offers counsel.
She reads the Queen’s Speech to open Parliament, even though
the speech is written by the government, and her powers are
usually exercised on the advice of the PM.
The formal phrase 'Queen in Parliament' or 'Crown in Parliament'
is used to describe the British legislature, which consists of the
Sovereign, the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The
Queen's duties include opening each new session of Parliament,
granting Royal Assent to legislation, and approving Orders and
Proclamations through the Privy Council. The Queen also has a
special relationship with the Prime Minister, retaining the right to
appoint and also meeting with him or her on a regular basis.
In addition to playing a specific role in the UK Parliament based
in London, the Queen has formal roles with relation to the
devolved assemblies of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The Queen has an important formal and ceremonial relationship
with Parliament. Of the three different elements describing the
37
British legislature (the Sovereign, the House of Lords and the
House of Commons), the Commons, a majority of whom normally
supports the elected Government of the day, has the dominant
political power.
The Queen's role in Parliament is:
Assenting to Bills passed by Parliament, on the advice of
Ministers;
Giving audiences to Ministers, at which Her Majesty may be
consulted, encourage and warn;
Summoning new Parliaments and, on the advice of her
Government, appointing the date of its first meeting;
Opening and closing (proroguing) each session of Parliament
The role of the Sovereign in the enactment of legislation is
today purely formal, although the Queen has the right ‘to be
consulted, to encourage and to warn’ her ministers via regular
audiences with the Prime Minister.
The Sovereign’s assent is required to all bills passed by
Parliament in order for them to become law. Royal Assent
(consenting to a measure becoming law) has not been refused since
1708.
Queen Elizabeth II’s formal duties are largely representational,
such as embarking on goodwill visits abroad and hosting foreign
heads of state. The monarch’s main role, according to the official
royal website (royal.uk), is to serve as a vital part of Britain’s
“national identity, unity and pride”.
But the Queen does have a few unique legal privileges. She
retains the right to claim ownership of any unmarked mute swan
swimming in open waters. She also claims dominion over all
whales, sturgeons and dolphins in the waters around England and
Wales, does not need a passport to travel abroad, and can drive
without a license.
38
BACKGROUND NOTES
Act of Supremacy of 1534: Act of Parliament which enabled King
Henry VIII to be proclaimed the head of the Church of England and
thereby cutting ecclesiastical links with Rome.
hoi polloi: from the Greek, meaning ‘the masses’ or ‘the people’; in
modern usage it has a pejorative connotation.
Convention: a custom or tradition that has not been enshrined in
law.
Queen’s Speech to Open Parliament: the monarch’s constitutional
obligation to begin the process of government at the start of each
parliamentary session,
Royal Assent: regarded today as a formality, the monarch’s approval
of an Act of Parliament. It was last refused in 1708 when Queen Anne
refused to pass the Scottish Militia Bill for fear that the Scottish militia
may become disloyal in the event of a French invasion.
QUESTIONS AND ACTIVITIES
Comprehension Questions:
1. Who holds the real power in the constitutional monarchy of
the United Kingdom?
2. What are the main functions of the present constitutional
monarch of Great Britain?
3. Why is monarchy as an institution in conflict with the concept
of the Royal Family?
4. What are the other roles of the Queen in relation to the
government of the U.K.?
5. What is the Queen’s role in Parliament?
6. What are Queen Elizabeth II’s formal duties?
7. What are the Queen’s unique legal privileges?
39
Text IX
British monarchy in transition: Is it time for ‘King Charles’?
As of 2020, rumours are spreading throughout the British media
that the ousting of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, from his royal status
began with the call from Prince Charles, his older brother and heir to
the throne, to their 93-year-old mother, the Queen. “He has to leave” –
he allegedly told her and she responded by issuing the order.
As with so many things related to the British royals, the
conversation has no official confirmation but that hasn’t stopped a new
wave of speculation ranging from ‘it’s time to put an end to the useless
monarchy’ to ‘it’s a purge and Charles is behind it’ to ‘it’s time for the
Queen to retire and finally give Prince Charles his chance.’
“Future historians may conclude that Prince Andrew’s defining
achievement was to give the nation a new verb,” concluded Jamie Doward in
The Guardian, referring to the word “de-royaled”, coined by historian
Robert Lacey who advises the Netflix series The Crown and who compares
Andrew’s rejection with the abdication of Edward VIII in 1936 – a member
of the royal family being effectively removed due to public pressure.
“Following a tumultuous week when his car-crash interview shook
the House of Windsor so vigorously it seemed its palaces were in a
danger of losing their crenellations,” writes Doward, “the Duke of York
now finds himself banished from duties. His fate is the 21
equivalent of that which befell the difficult minor royals of previous eras
who were locked up in asylums, away from the public gaze.”
As we know, the British monarchy has overcome many major crises
that have foretold changes.
In this case, the circumstances foretelling the future seem clear. First,
of course, is Andrew’s scandal, which once again has shown the fractious
nature of the monarchy’s popularity and the Achilles heels of some of its
members. As the investigation of the paedophile sex ring run by Jeffrey
Epstein, the American financier, had shown, Prince Andrew was among
those who availed themselves of Epstein’s services.
st
-century
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