The crown

At the head of the United Kingdom is the King, or, as at present, the Queen. But her power is very symbolic. Everything is done in Queen’s name. But her power is not absolute; it is limited in many various ways. It is said that the Queen reigns but does not rule. She personally does not decide what action the state shall take. The he- reditary principle still operates and the Crown is passed on to the sovereign’s eldest son (or daughter if there are no sons).

The Queen has a central role in state affairs, not only through her ceremonial functions, such as opening Parliament, but also because she meets the Prime Minister every week and receives copies of all Cabinet papers.

Functions of the Queen:

• opening and closing Parliament;

• approving the appointment of the Prime Minister;

• giving her Royal Assent to bills;

• giving honours such as peerages, knighthoods and medals;

• Head of the Commonwealth;

• Head of the Church of England;

• Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces.

9. Explain the meaning of the following words and expres­sions:

1. the head of the state;

2. to reign and to rule;

3. the hereditary principle;

4. the Crown;

5. to approve the appointment of smb.

10. Work in pairs.

1. Imagine that you are a journalist from Ukraine asking

a British student about his feelings for the British

monarchy.

Discuss the following points:

• functions of the Sovereign;

• powers of the Queen in Government;

• the hereditary principle in the UK.

2. Find four arguments for and against monarchy. In the discussion, use the following forms of agreement and disagreement:

• I quite agree with you.

• You are right.

• Certainly.

• That’s right.

• I disagree with you.

• I am afraid you are mistaken.

• Nonsense.

• Nothing of the kind.

11. Copy the following table into your notebooks. Write as many words and expressions as you can think of to com­plete it. There is not necessarily a ‘correct’ position for a particular word. The choice is personal.

Parliament	Monarchy	Government
House of Lords	Queen Elizabeth II became queen in 1952	executive

12. Study the following words and phrases, relating to UK institutions:

Cabinet, MP, Lord Chancellor, constituency, Prime Minister, peer, Parliament.

Do similar institutions, etc. exist in your system, with comparable characteristics and functions?

13. Prepare to describe the system of government in Ukraine, Use the elements of the UK system of government as a guide and make brief notes if you like. Include the following points:

The Head of State: appointment, functions and powers, relation­ship with other state organs.

Legislature: composition, functions and powers, relationship with other state organs.

The Executive: composition, functions and powers, relationship with other state organs.

Have a rest