Queen Elizabeth II's bizarre prerogatives
ARCHIVES A personal poet, the property of the British swans… The Queen has a range of unique prerogatives….
Queen Elizabeth II has a primarily honorary role, but nonetheless has a number of amazing prerogatives. Business Insider has listed them.
The queen owns all the swans of the Thames ...
All unmarked swans in open water belong to the queen. However, the official site of the royal family specifies on its site that the Crown "exercises its property" only "on certain sections of the Thames and its surrounding tributaries". In fact, today, the royal imprint on the swans of the Thames can only be seen on one occasion, the "swan upping", that is to say the marking of birds. Tradition, dating back to the 12th century, is that for five days, officials in ceremonial dress sail several miles in search of royal swans. The "swan upping" is used for the preservation of the species.
... and all the dolphins in British waters
The queen has a few varieties of aquatic animals from British waters, including sturgeons, whales, porpoises and dolphins. This property is governed by a law dating from 1324, ie during the reign of King Edward II. It has not been abolished and states that when "royal fish" are caught within 3 miles (approximately 5 kilometers) of the British coast they can be claimed in the name of the Crown. In fact, Buckingham Palace has never claimed ownership of the farmed sturgeons. On the other hand, in 2004 police observed a Welsh fisherman catching a 10-foot sturgeon, the BBC claims.
The queen can drive without a license
A driver's license has been issued in the Queen's name but legally she does not need it to drive. Its cars are also not required to have a license plate. Even without a license, the Queen, who learned to drive during WWII, is comfortable behind a wheel. She's not afraid to show off her skills. In 1998, she surprised Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia when she got behind the wheel to show him the rugged roads of Scotland. It was the first time that the prince had entered a vehicle driven by a woman ...
The queen doesn't need a passport
Unlike other members of the royal family, the Queen does not need a passport.
The queen has two birthdays
Officially, the Queen's birthday is celebrated on a Saturday in June although she was born on April 21. On April 21, the Queen celebrates her birthday in private. However, artillery rounds were fired in central London: 41 rounds from Green Park, 21 rounds from Windsor Great Park and 62 rounds from the Tower of London. In June, an official ceremony is organized attended by the royal family. A procession led by the Queen parades through the streets of London.
The queen has her cash machine
An ATM is available to the Royal Family in the basement of Buckingham Palace. It was supplied by Coutts, one of Britain's most prestigious banks.
The queen has her poet
A poet laureate is an honorary title in Great Britain and involves the performance of an official function at court. Originally, the poet laureate was appointed for life, but the term of office was reduced to ten years. He still receives a symbolic salary today as a member of the royal court. Carol Ann Duffy was named UK Poet Laureate on May 1, 2009. She is the first woman to hold this position since its creation three centuries ago.
The queen signs the laws
The Queen's consent is required to enact each bill passed by both Houses of Parliament and give it the force of law. In fact, this possibility of opposing a text, called "royal assent" has been used only very rarely. The last monarch to have refused to sign Royal Assent is Queen Anne in… 1708.
Royal Assent should not be confused with the “Queen's Consent”, required for any law debated in Parliament that affects the interests of the monarchy (such as tax laws that could affect the Duchy of Cornwall). It is exercised on the advice of ministers. And without consent, the bill cannot be debated by Parliament. During the reign of Elizabeth II, at least 39 bills were submitted for royal consent. In 1999, Queen Elizabeth vetoed a bill to transfer the power to authorize military strikes in Iraq from the monarch to Parliament.
The queen can appoint Lords
The Queen has the power to appoint Lords, who can then sit in the upper house of Parliament. Like many of its other powers, it is exercised only on the advice of ministers.
The queen doesn't have to pay taxes
In fact, the Queen has been paying income and capital gains tax since 1992.
The queen has the power to form governments
Previously, the Queen had the power to dissolve the House of Commons, the lower house of Parliament, But since the Fixed-term Parliaments Act of 2011, the term of the House of Commons is set at five years and Parliament cannot be dissolved sooner than if the government loses the confidence of the chamber and no other government is formed. However, the Queen still plays a role after an election. She is the one who appoints the prime minister best suited to form a government.
The queen appoints the knights
Of course, the Knights are no longer those brave men willing to pay with their lives for the defense of the crown, but they still exist in England today. Like the Lords, they are appointed by the Queen. Typically, Knights are people who have made a special contribution to British society, whether in business, the arts or the military.
The Queen exercises power in the event of a constitutional crisis
The vast majority of the queen’s prerogatives are vested in ministers, with one exception which allows her to exercise power, namely in the event of a serious constitutional crisis. The sovereign can then act against her minister or without their advice. This has never happened.
The queen reigns over sixteen countries
In addition to the United Kingdom, the Queen is also the head of Australia, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, New -Zeeland, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu. All of these countries are Commonwealth kingdoms or former British colonies.
The Queen is the head of the Church of England
Queen Elizabeth II is the head of the Church of England, the state religion in Britain. It also has the power to appoint bishops and archbishops. However, here too, his power is exercised on the advice of the Prime Minister. It turns out that the British sovereign must be a member of the Church of England. Catholics and other religious cannot ascend the throne.
The queen is safe from prosecution
In theory, the Queen is immune from prosecution and cannot be compelled to testify in court. In practice, however, the Queen's immunity these days is questionable. "Although civil and criminal proceedings cannot be taken against the sovereign (...) the queen ensures that all her personal activities are carried out in strict accordance with the law", we can read on the official website of the monarchy. If the monarch did commit an offense he would certainly be forced to abdicate. In the 17th century, King Charles I was tried for treason in war. The Court had decided his execution.
