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    III-The Role of The Monarch

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    Khánh Nguyễn
    The document discusses the role and value of the British monarchy. It outlines three main roles of the monarch: 1) as a symbolic embodiment of government that allows for criticism of actual government without being unpatriotic, 2) as a potential check on a dictatorial government, and 3) as a figurehead to perform ceremonial duties and allow the real government more time to run the country. However, it notes that modern democracies function well without a monarch. It also discusses the monarchy's importance to Britain's economy and as a symbol of national pride and continuity that provides color and entertainment for many citizens.

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    III-The Role of The Monarch

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    Khánh Nguyễn
    37 views1 page
    The document discusses the role and value of the British monarchy. It outlines three main roles of the monarch: 1) as a symbolic embodiment of government that allows for criticism of actual government without being unpatriotic, 2) as a potential check on a dictatorial government, and 3) as a figurehead to perform ceremonial duties and allow the real government more time to run the country. However, it notes that modern democracies function well without a monarch. It also discusses the monarchy's importance to Britain's economy and as a symbol of national pride and continuity that provides color and entertainment for many citizens.

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    britain culture is very important for study

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    Britain

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    The document discusses the role and value of the British monarchy. It outlines three main roles of the monarch: 1) as a symbolic embodiment of government that allows for criticism of actual government without being unpatriotic, 2) as a potential check on a dictatorial government, and 3) as a figurehead to perform ceremonial duties and allow the real government more time to run the country. However, it notes that modern democracies function well without a monarch. It also discusses the monarchy's importance to Britain's economy and as a symbol of national pride and continuity that provides color and entertainment for many citizens.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    37 views1 page

    III-The Role of The Monarch

    Uploaded by

    Khánh Nguyễn
    The document discusses the role and value of the British monarchy. It outlines three main roles of the monarch: 1) as a symbolic embodiment of government that allows for criticism of actual government without being unpatriotic, 2) as a potential check on a dictatorial government, and 3) as a figurehead to perform ceremonial duties and allow the real government more time to run the country. However, it notes that modern democracies function well without a monarch. It also discusses the monarchy's importance to Britain's economy and as a symbol of national pride and continuity that provides color and entertainment for many citizens.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
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    III-The role of the monarch

    What, then, is the monarch's role? Many opinions are offered by political and legal experts.
    Three roles are often mentioned. First, the monarch is the personal embodiment of the
    government of the country. This means that people can be as critical as they like about the real
    government, and can argue that it should be thrown out, without being accused of being
    unpatriotic. Because of the clear separation between the symbol of government (the Queen) and
    the actual government (the ministers, who are also MPs), changing the government does not
    threaten the stability of the country as a whole. Other countries without a monarch have to use
    something else as the symbol of the country. In the USA, for example, one of these is its flag, and
    to damage the flag in any way is actually a criminal offence.
    Second, it is argued that the monarch could act as a final check on a government that was
    becoming dictatorial. If the government ever managed to pass a bill through Parliament which
    was obviously terribly bad and very unpopular, the monarch could refuse the royal assent and the
    bill would not become law. Similarly, it is possible that if a Prime Minister who had been
    defeated at a general election (and so no longer commanded a majority in the House of Commons)
    were to ask immediately for dissolution of Parliament (so that another election could take place),
    the monarch could refuse the request and dismiss the Prime Minister.
    Third, the monarch has a very practical role to play. By being a figurehead and representing
    the country, Queen Elizabeth II can perform the ceremonial duties which heads of state often
    have to spend their time on. This way, the real government has more time to get on with the
    actual job of running the country.

    IV-The value of the monarchy


    However, all these advantages are hypothetical. It cannot be proved that only a monarch can
    provide them. Other modern democracies manage perfectly well without one. The British
    monarchy is probably more important to the economy of the country than it is to the system of
    government. Apart from this, the monarchy is very popular with the majority of the British people.
    The monarchy gives British people a symbol of continuity, and a harmless outlet for the
    expression of national pride. Even in very hard times it has never seemed likely that Britain
    would turn to a dictator to get it out of its troubles. The grandeur of its monarchy may have been
    one of the reasons for this.
    Occasions such as the state opening of Parliament, the Queen's official birthday, royal
    weddings, and ceremonial events such as the changing of the guard, make up for the lack of
    colour and ceremony in most people's daily lives. (There is no tradition of local parades as there
    is in the USA, and very few traditional local festivals survive as they do in other European
    countries.) In addition the glamorous lives of 'the royals' provide a source of entertainment that
    often takes on the characteristics of a television soap op era. When, in 1992, it became known
    that Prince Charles and his wife Princess Diana were separating, even the more 'serious'
    newspapers discussed a lot more than the possible political implications. The Sunday Times
    published a 'five-page royal separation special'.

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