Monarchy Flashcards
What does Great Britain consist of ?
What year was it created ?
England, Wales, Scotland
1707
Date of Union of England and Wales
1536
Date of Union of Crowns of England and Scotland?
Why were the Crowns joined?
Union on 1603.
Reason; Queen Elizabeth I had no heir so the King of Scotland (King James I) took over
What happened in 1707
Union of the states England and Scotland
Creation of Great Britain
Abolishment of the Scottish Parliament
What happened in 1801 ?
(Violent) Union with Ireland ; creation of the United Kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland
Partition of Ireland
1921; Ireland parted to two : Irish Free State (later called Republic of Ireland) / Northern Ireland
-> creation of United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Scotland Act / Wales Act
1997 / 1998: Peace Agreement and Devolution
When did King Charles ascend the throne
6 May 2023, age 73
What kind of monarchy is the British monarchy
Parliamentary/Constitutional Monarchy
What is a Constitution ? What is the British Constitution ?
fundamental organising principle of a political state.
British Constitution:
defines what the monarch can(not) do
Is unwritten/uncodified
A collection of doctrines, principles and documents
List examples of documents from the British Constitution and their dates
Magna Carta (1215): Monarch subject to law
The Bill of Rights (1689) : Restriction of the powers of the Monrachy: not allowed to suspend laws, raise taxes and raise an army
Principle : Parliamentary Sovereignty = parliament above all
Major roles/titles of the Monarch
Head of State
Head of 3 branches of government (executive, judiciary, legislative)
Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces
Head of the Commonwealth of Nations
Supreme Governor of the Church of England
Minor roles/duties of the Monarch
Signs laws voted by parliament : Royal Assent
Summons parliament at the request of PM
Gives speech at parliament sessions
Awards honours (knighthood) and royal pardons
Appoints PM after elections
Appoints government ministers by the list of PM
Has weekly meetings with the PM
What is the Commonwealth of Nations
An International association consisting of 56 countries of whom are mostly former British colonies
Eg. Australia, India, South Africa, Nigeria
Connected through their use of the English language and historical-cultural ties.
Promotes peace/prosperity: helping countries with development, economics, legislation, human rights, etc
What are the different titles in the royal family ?
King/Queen of England
Prince/princess of Wales (heir to throne)
Duke/Duchess of Sussex (back-up heir)
