The royal family

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The Sovereign

"Her Most Excellent Majesty Elizabeth the Second by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith."

The Queen is the official Head of State and, for many people, a symbol of the unity of the nation. For a thousand years England (and later the whole of the United Kingdom) has been united under one sovereign, a continuity broken only after the Civil War, by the republic of 1649 to 1660. The hereditary principle still operates and the Crown is passed on to the sovereign's eldest son (or daughter if there are no sons).

The Queen has a central role in state affairs, not only through her ceremonial functions, such as opening Parliament, but also because she meets the Prime Minister every week and receives copies of all Cabinet papers. However, she is expected to be impartial or "above politics", and any advice she may offer the Prime Minister is kept secret.

Functions of the Sovereign:

- opening and closing Parliament;

- approving the appointment of the Prime Minister;

-.giving her Royal Assent to bills;

- giving honours such as peerages, knighthoods and medals;

- Head of the Commonwealth;

- Head of the Church of England;

The Royal Family

Many members of the Royal Family undertake official duties in Britain and abroad. Their various responsibilities reflect tradition, their own personal interests and Britain's former imperial status. For example, among her many titles the Princess Royal (Princess Anne) is Chancellor of the University of London, Colonel-in-Chief of eleven Army regiments, including the 8th Canadian Hussars and the Royal New Zealand Nursing Corps, and President of the Save the Children Fund, for whom she has travelled widely.

The Royal Family’s money comes from two sources: government funds and their own personal wealth, which is considerable. On the one hand the Queen is certainly one of the richest women in the world, while on the other her power is limited by the fact that so many of her expenses are paid for by government money. Parliament has had effective control of the monarch's finances since the seventeenth century.

The Queen is really a figurehead representing the country, but she has the power to prevent any politician from establishing a dictatorship. The Queen and her family are a symbol that people can identify with. The British public is obsessed with the details of the royal family life, and when people feel that the Queen has problems with her children, or her sister, they see her as a "real person" with the same worries and anxieties as themselves.

The monarchy has not always been popular. During the late 19th century there was a growing republican sentiment, but the personality and family image of the Queen, her father and grandfather have removed that feeling. The Queen is probably the wealthiest woman in the world, most of the money coming from family investments rather than the state. Her state salary (the Civil List) pays for her servants and transport. In recent years the Queen has become a roving ambassador for Britain, and if we calculate the increase in trade after a royal visit abroad, the nation probably makes a profit from her activities, and that does not take. into account the income from tourism in Britain generated by the monarchy and great state events such as royal weddings.

Just how popular is she? In the late 1980s a newspaper conducted an opinion poll. People were asked, "If there were no monarchy, who would you vote for as President?" More than 80 per cent chose the Queen. Prince Charles came second, closely followed by his father, Prince Philip. The prime minister of the day was the fourth - with 2 per cent of the votes.

Find in the text the English equivalents for the phrases below.

номинальный глава государства

установить диктатуру

беспристрастный/объективный

источник дохода

принимать во внимание

Eleven things the Queen takes on journeys

1. Her feather pillows.

2. Her hot water bottle.

3. Her favourite China tea.

4. Cases of Malvern water.

5. Barley sugar.

6. Cameras.

7. Her monogrammed electric kettle;

8. Her toilet soap.

9. A special white kid lavatory seat.

10. Jewelry associated with the countries she is visiting.

11. Mourning clothes and black-edged writing paper in case of bereavements.

The Queen's particular likes

1. Horse racing ("Were it not for my Archbishop of Canterbury, I should be off in my plane to Longchamps every Sunday").

2. Scottish country dancing.

3. Jigsaw puzzles

4. Long-stemmed, deep-pink carnations

5. Champagne.

6. Deerstalking.

7. Quiet evenings at home watching television with her supper on a tray.

8. Crossword puzzles,

9. Bright red dresses.

10. The Beatles film "Yellow Submarine".

Dislikes of the Queen

1. Ivy.

2. Snails ("How can you like those beastly things?" she asked Prince Philip),

3. Tennis, including Wimbledon.

4. Milk pudding.

5. The cold.

6. Grouse.

7. Any talk of Edward VIII.

8. Charles Dickens

9. Dictating letters.

10. Cigar smoke.

11. Sailing.

12. Listening to after-dinner speeches.

Find these in the lists above.

1. The name of a famous French horse-racing track.

2. The name of the Queen's country house in Norfolk.

3. The title of the head of the Church of England.

4. The name of the sport of hunting deer.

5. A green plant which grows on the outside walls of houses.

6. A bird which is shot, and eaten, mainly in Scotland.

7. The name of the Queen's uncle, who gave up the throne to marry a divorced American woman.

8. The name of a famous nineteenth-century British writer.