The rules Queen Elizabeth II has to follow in order to maintain her image and role in
government are a big deal. Here are the most notable rules she has to follow.
Being a monarch has historically been a pretty tricky proposition. Sure,
a queen or king may have plenty of power and a swanky palace,
but the political ups and downs of a nation could mean that the royal family might get
in hot water pretty quickly. After all, it was King Charles I's political maneuvering,
including dissolving Parliament numerous times, that ultimately got him accused of treason.
That in turn led to his head departing the rest of his body in 1649 via an executioner's ax.
Really, it's no wonder that the modern-day Queen Elizabeth II and her family have tried to stay
above the political fray. As a result of their political distancing, the queen does not vote.
In fact, it's a strongly held tradition, though there's no law formally keeping British
royals from casting their vote. The queen also doesn't publicly express her political opinions,
to the point where the weekly meetings between her and the prime minister are kept entirely private.
Though it seems pretty morbid, members of the royal family,
including the queen, are expected to pack an all-black outfit whenever they travel.
That way, if a member of the royal family dies while they're out touring
the Commonwealth or leading activities at a charity, they'll be prepared.
This rule has a very real basis in Queen Elizabeth's experiences as a brand-new monarch.
Elizabeth was traveling in Kenya in 1952 when her father, George VI, died of lung cancer. She
and Prince Philip returned immediately to the United Kingdom, but then the young queen had
to sit and wait in the airplane as it waited on the tarmac, as she hadn't packed an appropriate
outfit for mourning. The rule about traveling with an all-black look was enacted soon after.
British monarchs now have largely ceremonial roles,
but Queen Elizabeth still has a few duties connected to her nation's government.
Officially speaking, Parliament can't open or close without her say-so.
The ceremony of opening Parliament actually begins at Buckingham Palace, where the queen
begins her procession to the Parliament building, where she enters via the Sovereign's Entrance.
She enters the chamber of the House of Lords wearing the State Crown and the Robe of State.
The queen is also supposed to close out each session of Parliament. In somewhat more
extraordinary times, she can put Parliament into a recess where members can't vote, though typically
a prime minister has to ask her to do it first. Her power to do so is pretty limited, however.
Every year, as she opens Parliament, the queen sits on a throne installed in the House
of Lords and delivers a speech. The speech is meant to inform everyone present of the
government's aims for that session, from policy outlines to proposed legislation.
However, the incoming government writes the speech, not Queen Elizabeth herself,
per the UK Government's official website. Essentially, someone hands her the speech
and she reads it out loud. Underneath all of the finery of the royal entrance, the state robes,
and the crown, Queen Elizabeth's speeches to Parliament aren't much more than a duty that
she must complete as a figurehead. Once she's done, the House of Commons officially thanks
her for the nice talk and then the plans she outlined in the speech are debated.
This is where the queen probably enjoys the privilege of being able to leave,
as those debates typically go on for days before anything's decided.
According to How Stuff Works,
"One of the queen's most important reserve powers is to appoint a new prime minister.
Queen Elizabeth has appointed 14 prime ministers starting with Winston Churchill
in 1951 through Boris Johnson in 2019." However, like so many of her constitutional
duties, Queen Elizabeth's role in this process is largely ceremonial these days, as leaders like
prime ministers are actually elected. However, no one's skipped getting her go-ahead since she took
the throne in the 1950s and began approving the first in a series of 14 prime ministers.
That ceremonial duty takes place the day after the U.K. general election.
The potential prime minister makes their way to Buckingham Palace for an audience with the queen,
who asks them if they're prepared to form a new government. They say yes, of course,
or certainly have done so since the whole affair began. As noted by How Stuff Works,
"The ceremony is called 'kissing hands,' but there's no actual kissing anymore."
Presumably, the queen would be pretty taken aback
if someone tried to go old-school and went to kiss her actual hand.
It would seem that Queen Elizabeth has to do a ton of paperwork. That's because, as the BBC reports,
"When a bill has completed all its parliamentary stages, it receives Royal Assent from the
Queen. [...] After this the bill becomes part of the law of the land and is known as an Act
of Parliament. [...] Royal Assent was last given in person by the Sovereign in 1854."
Though Queen Elizabeth has dutifully signed all bills that have come her way,
that hasn't always been the case for British rulers. Queen Anne was the last monarch to deny
Royal Assent in 1707. Perhaps, considering long ago political turmoil, that's why Her Majesty
and so many of her predecessors haven't taken such a radical step for centuries.
Anyone who's taken a cursory look at Queen Elizabeth's public fashion over the
years has surely noticed that she sometimes looks a bit like a brightly colored crayon.
As for why she insists on dressing in bright color-coordinated outfits that
make her stand out even amongst the biggest crowds, it turns out that it's all part of
a self-imposed rule that the queen has been operating under for many years now.
According to Good Morning America, the rainbow outfits are actually a part of what the queen
considers her duty to the public. Consider that some people travel many miles and hours just to
get a glimpse of her. Given that she often shows up in public to large crowds that could eclipse
anyone, how could those travelers ever hope to see the queen? That's where the highlighter-colored
outfits come in. Just look for the woman dressed in bright orange, or purple, or blue,
or whatever the color of the day may happen to be. The queen's long-serving fashion advisor,
Angela Kelly, helps Her Majesty plan outfits that will help the monarch stand out in a
crowd but will also keep her looking good and put together at even the longest events.
Much of Queen Elizabeth's life is pretty regimented, to say the least.
She's obliged to follow a schedule while being followed about by other royals,
bodyguards, and the public. State dinners and other occasions are no reason for her to let up,
either. Even the matter of who she talks to, when she talks to them,
and how she chooses to converse all come down to a series of social rules. According to the BBC,
"Expect the Queen to start the conversation with you if you are sitting on her left during
a meal. [...] it is customary for the guest of honor to sit to the right of the Queen
and the convention is that she speaks to this person during the first course of the dinner,
then switches attention to the person on her left for the following course."
However, not everyone is clued up on the queen's etiquette. Formula 1 racer Lewis
Hamilton wasn't aware of the etiquette rules and tried to talk with the monarch first,
but was gently rebuffed. During an appearance on The Graham Norton Show, Hamilton revealed,
"She was like, 'No, you speak that way first, and I'll speak this way, and I'll come back to you."
It's undeniable that the queen must be pretty skilled at the art of conversation.
As many have reported, she's ace at directing talk to her
companion's interests and asking relevant questions. Her mother and grandmother,
who taught young Elizabeth royal etiquette, were surely proud of their pupil's work.
Though one might not assume it by looking at her,
the queen is actually head of the U.K.'s Armed Forces. Don't let the suit sets or string of
pearls fool you. If things really came down to it, Queen Elizabeth could declare war.
Specifically, as the official head of the Armed Forces, the queen has the power to declare war or
peace. She can therefore commit British troops to a conflict and also sign treaties involving
her nation. However, don't get the idea that Her Majesty is about to ride into battle anytime soon,
especially not on a whim. Like so many of her other reserve powers,
this one is still pretty limited. Convention strongly demands that
she consult with officials before making this or other similarly drastic moves.
It is practically unthinkable that Queen Elizabeth would declare war on a country or,
on the flip side, surrender to another without getting some serious input from
the prime minister and other government ministers.
Though it's mostly symbolic, Queen Elizabeth's role as Head of the Commonwealth demands plenty
of real world duties. In fact, according to History Extra, she's in the running for most
globe-trotting royal ever in world history. That's in large part because the Commonwealth
of Nations consists of 54 countries right now. They include places as far-flung from the British
Isles as Australia and Papua New Guinea. The Commonwealth was more or less founded in 1926,
though it's since gone through many changes throughout Elizabeth's reign.
"Its strength lies in the bonds of affection it promotes."
Ceremonial as it may be, the queen's role as Head of the Commonwealth is symbolically still
important. She serves as a unifying figure for
a group that's still grappling with the postcolonial legacy of Britain.
It's worth noting that Head of the Commonwealth is not a hereditary role.
However, the queen has pushed for her son, Prince Charles to take over from her.
Ultimately, all this means is that the leaders of Commonwealth countries will
have to meet and agree upon the next person to step into the role.
"The pride in who we are is not a part of our past, it defines our present and our future."
Throughout much of British history, royals had to get the monarch's permission to marry.
As Town & Country reports, the power of the monarch to sign off on royal marriages
was even enshrined in legislation with the 1772 Royal Marriages Act.
Though it must be nice to have some of the power, the rules of who can
marry whom surely have gotten tense even for a pretty undramatic monarch like Elizabeth II.
At least things have gotten a little less formal, because the 2013 Succession to the
Crown Act means the queen only has this power over the first six people who are in line
to the throne. Considering those people are close family, it's just as well that
she doesn't have to wield this rule over too many other people. The same act, by the way,
also means that women in the line of succession get to keep their spots, when previously the
birth of a younger male relative meant that a baby boy would have scooped their spot.
Though plenty of people travel to meet Queen Elizabeth, her crowd pleasing can only go so far.
If someone asks her or any other royal for an autograph, then they're bound to be disappointed.
That's because Queen Elizabeth and the other royals actually aren't allowed to
give out autographs. They operate under the reasoning that their signatures could
be forged for a variety of reasons that range from embarrassing to dangerous.
Prince Charles, Elizabeth's son and the heir apparent, once broke the rules and signed his name
as "Charles 2010." However, this rare autograph doesn't seem to have caused any trouble to date.
Still, it's pretty darn hard to find Queen Elizabeth's signature. It's out there,
but on a precious few items. As a result, Paul Fraser Collectibles estimates that a
nice signed photo of the queen could cost you somewhere in the neighborhood of $8,000,
though apparently a private letter complete with a royal signature will only hurt your
bank account by a little over $1,000. Those are now all nearly vintage pieces, however,
so anyone hoping for a modern signature from the queen or her immediate family
will be disappointed to learn that she really must abide by this rule.
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