The British Monarchy

The monarch performs many functions including:
- Appointing and advising the Prime Minister.
- Summoning and dissolving Parliament.
- Acting as head of the legal system, with accusations made by ‘the Crown’.
- Serving as ‘Supreme Governor’ of the Church of England.
- Signing all laws.
- Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces – declares war and peace.
- Head of the Commonwealth.
The role of the monarchy is more about appearance than actual power.
The Monarchy − Functions:
- A sign of stability and continuity.
- Represents country at home and abroad → leaves more time for Prime Minister to govern.
- Monarchy as possible final check (cf. discussion over suspension of Parliament in autumn 2019)

Expenses of monarchy.
Private lives of members of the Royal Family (e.g. marriage difficulties; death of Diana; current family quarrel with Prince Harry, accusations of racism).
Monarchy as old-fashioned.
Charles III: not very popular.
Undue interference in the legislative process?

Charles III (*1948):
- Oldest Prince of Wales ever.
- Interest in farming, environmental topics, and architecture.
- Exciting marriage life.
- Quite outspoken as Prince of Wales.
Diana, Princess of Wales (née Lady Diana Spencer) (1961−1997)
Queen Camilla
Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022; on throne since 1952, coronation 1953):
- Longest-reigning English / British monarch.
- Great belief in duty.
- Her reign saw the end of the British Empire.
- 1950s as ‘New Elizabethan Age’
Prince Philip Mountbatten, the Duke of Edinburgh (* 28. May jul./ 10. June 1921 greg. – April 2021):
- Successful naval career; member of former Greek royal family.
Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother (1901−2002), wife of George VI
Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh
Princess Anne, the Princess Royal
Prince Andrew, the Duke of York:
- Recent scandal, stripped of royal privileges and roles.
Prince William, Prince of Wales
Catherine, Princess of Wales
Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis
Prince Henry / Harry Duke of Sussex
Meghan Markle:
- Controversy over role of younger son.
- Problematic relationship with the tabloid press → break from Royal family duties in 2020; live independent life abroad.

2022 – the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee:
- 70 years on the throne, lavish celebrations.
- Previous monarchs who ruled long: George III and Victoria.
2016 – The Queen at 90:
- Longest reigning British Monarch (since 2015) longer than Victoria!
Funeral of Elizabeth II:
- State funeral with elaborate rituals.
- Public mourning with The Queue.

Henry VII (wins Battle of Bosworth, marriage to Elizabeth of York)
Henry VIII (Reformation, marriage politics, 6 wives) “Divorced, Beheaded, Died, Divorced, Beheaded, Survived.”
Edward VI (boy king, influence of Calvinism)
[Lady Jane Grey] (The Nine Days’ Queen)
Mary I (Catholic, Bloody Mary, marriage to Philip II of Spain)
Elizabeth I Virgin Queen, Gloriana Good Queen Beth:
- England’s Golden Age.
- Problem of succession.
- Champion of Protestantism.

James I (James VI of Scotland, son of Mary, Queen of Scots, Protestant)
Charles I (English Civil War, Armenian tendencies, Absolutist leanings, beheaded)
England becomes a Republic during the Interregnum
Charles II (King in exile, Restoration, bribes from Louis XIV of France, secret Catholic?, Merry Monarch)
James II (Catholic, Glorious Revolution of 1688/9, in exile in France; Old and Young Pretender try to get throne back)
William III (Prince of Orange, nephew and son-in-law of James II, successful military leader, beats James II in Battle of the Boyne)
Mary II (daughter of James II, wife of William III, rule jointly)
Queen Anne (daughter of James II, rules with Tories, none of her many children survive)

George I (Hanovarian Succession, Elector of Hanover, good protestant)
George II (conflict with father – typical of Georges, last English king to lead his army into battle himself)
George III (born in England, much more popular; loyal husband, grandson of George II, Farmer George, The Mad King, The King Who Lost America)
George IV (Prince Regent, Royal Pavillion in Brighton)
William IV (son of George III, last English king who was also King of Hanover)
Victoria (long reign, many children, husband: Prince Albert, Grandmother of Europe, Empress of India (1876), grieving widow; ‘Victorian Age’)

Edward VII (late to throne, extravagant lifestyle, yet popular monarch)
George V (changes name → Windsor)
Edward VIII (abdication crisis; wanted to marry Wallis Simpson, a divorcee, later: Duke of Windsor)
George VI (son of George V, last Emperor of India, WWII)
Elizabeth II (longest reigning English monarch, sign of stability, reign sees end of Empire, her reign has seen 14 PM so far, first: Winston Churchill!)