The Government of the United Kingdom: The Monarchy Quiz

Answer: Custom

The monarchy is the oldest branch of government in the UK. The official website of the British monarchy, "www.royal.gov.uk", designates King Egbert of Wessex, whose reign began in 802, as the first Anglo-Saxon monarch. Over time, Parliament and the Cabinet have taken over the business of government. Yet, the monarch remains the head of state and sovereignty is said to be possessed by "The Monarch in Parliament".

According to the United Kingdom's official governmental information web site "www.direct.gov.uk", it is only custom that "now dictates that the Queen follows ministerial advice". Unlike countries with constitutional monarchies, the United Kingdom has no single constitutional document that governs the relationship between the sovereign and the rest of the government.

Answer: Queen Anne in 1708

In the 15th century, it became the practice of Parliament to initiate legislation. These "bills" became law only if the sovereign assented to them. As the balance of power shifted from the Crown to the Parliament, denials became less frequent. The last instance occurred on March 11, 1708, when Queen Anne refused assent for a bill "for the settling of militia in Scotland".

Answer: Queen Regnant

The rule of male-preference primogeniture applied to the succession to the throne. The eldest male succeeded, but a female may have reigned if there were no male offspring.

Answer: He or she must be both a protestant and a descendant of Princess Sophia, the Electress of Hanover.

Princess Sophia, the Electress of Hanover, was granddaughter of the James who was both James I of England and James VI of Scotland. In 1689, Mary II and William III became King and Queen of England replacing the Catholic James II who had fled England in 1688.

In 1701, Parliament passed the Act of Succession, an amendment to the British Bill of Rights enacted in 1689. This Act required that only Princess Sophia and her protestant descendants were in the line of succession for the Crown and also provided that Parliament would be the final authority on matters of succession. Sophia died before she could succeed to the Crown.

Her protestant son, George I, succeeded Queen Anne.

Answer: None

A man marrying a Queen Regnant is afforded no rank or privilege thereby. After Edward VIII abdicated in 1936, his brother created him "Duke of Windsor". The spouse of a Queen does not enter in the succession as a result of the marriage. The Queen's husband would sit in the House of Lords only if entitled to in his own right.

Answer: All of these

The councillors to the Norman Kings included men of wealth, clergy and officials of the Crown. Their role included functions that the judiciary and Parliament later assumed. During Cromwell's Protectorate, his Privy Council was fixed at thirteen members and was elected by the Commons. Charles II reestablished a larger Privy Council but looked to a smaller committee for advice. Under George I, this smaller and now more influential body became known as the Cabinet.

Although the monarch appoints all members of the Privy Council, the Government guides the monarch in those appointments.

Answer: It is the highest level of appeal for all judicial matters in the United Kingdom.

The United Kingdom has no single judicial tribunal equivalent to the Supreme Court of the United States. England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland each have their own court system. Because of "devolution", the emergence of separate legislative bodies in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council has come to have jurisdiction in disputes arising out of acts of those bodies.

Historically, Commonwealth nations, including the Bahamas and Barbados, have used the committee for final judicial appeals - although the number doing so has steadily declined. Veterinary Surgeons retain the right to appeal disciplinary actions to the Judicial Committee.

Answer: True

Again, this would only occur on the advice of the Government, and it is difficult to imagine a monarch refusing a Government request to declare war. Officially, the military forces of the United Kingdom are the "Armed Forces of the Crown" and the monarch is their Commander-in-Chief. Practically speaking, the Ministry of Defence directs the military.

Answer: Inheritance tax on bequests from Sovereign to Sovereign

Public funds in the amount of £7.9 million yearly are provided to fund the Queen's official duties. The level of funding of the "Civil List" was set in 1991 and is to remain unchanged through 2011. In comparison, income from the Crown Estate (totaling £170.8 million in 2002/3) is surrendered to the government.

In 2002/3, a total of £36.2 million was expended for the Queen as Head of State.

Answer: It is entirely exempt.

Although exempt from the Freedom of Information Acts, the Royal Household accounts fully its use of public money. A full account of the use of public funds for the Head of State has been provided since 2001.