British Monarchy and its influence upon governmental institutions
EDWARD VIII ( JANUARY-DECEMBER 1936)
As Prince of Wales,
Edward VIII (reigned January-December 1936) had successfully carried out a
number of regional visits (including areas hit by economic depression) and
other official engagements. These visits and his official tours overseas,
together with his good war record and genuine care for the underprivileged, had
made him popular.
The first monarch to be a qualified pilot, Edward created The King's Flight
(now known as 32 (The Royal) Squadron) in 1936 to provide air transport for the
Royal family's official duties.
In 1930, the Prince, who had already had a number of
affairs, had met and fallen in love with a married American woman, Mrs Wallis
Simpson. Concern about Edward's private life grew in the Cabinet, opposition
parties and the Dominions, when Mrs Simpson obtained a divorce in 1936 and it
was clear that Edward was determined to marry her.
Eventually Edward realised he had to choose between
the Crown and Mrs Simpson who, as a twice-divorced woman, would not have been
acceptable as Queen. On 10 December 1936, Edward VIII executed an Instrument of
Abdication which was given legal effect the following day, when Edward gave
Royal Assent to His Majesty's Declaration of Abdication Act, by which Edward
VIII and any children he might have were excluded from succession to the
throne. In 1937, Edward was created Duke of Windsor and married Wallis Simpson.
During the Second World War, the Duke of Windsor
escaped from Paris, where he was living at the time of the fall of France, to
Lisbon in 1940. The Duke of Windsor was then appointed Governor of the Bahamas,
a position he held until 1945. He lived abroad until the end of his life, dying
in 1972 in Paris (he is buried at Windsor). Edward was never crowned; his reign
lasted 325 days. His brother Albert became King, using his last name George.
GEORGE VI (1936-52)
George VI, born December 14, 1895, was the second son
of George V and Mary of Teck. He was an unassuming, shy boy who greatly admired
his brother Edward, Prince of Wales. From childhood to the age of thirty,
George suffered with a bad stammer in his speech, which exacerbated his
shyness; Lionel Logue, an Australian speech therapist, was instrumental in
helping George overcome the speech defect. George married Lady Elizabeth
Bowes-Lyon in 1923, who bore him two daughters, Elizabeth and Margaret. He died
from cancer on February 6, 1952.
Due to the controversy surrounding the abdication of
Edward VIII, popular opinion of the throne was at its lowest point since the
latter half of Victoria's reign. The abdication, however, was soon overshadowed
by continental developments, as Europe inched closer to yet another World War.
After several years of pursuing "appeasement" policies with Germany,
Great Britain (and France) declared war on Germany on September 3, 1939.
George, following in his father's footsteps, visited troops, munitions
factories, supply docks and bomb-damaged areas to support the war effort. As
the Nazi's bombed London, the royal family remained at Buckingham Palace;
George went so far as to practice firing his revolver, vowing that he would
defend Buckingham to the death. Fortunately, such defense was never necessary.
The actions of the King and Queen during the war years greatly added to the
prestige of the monarchy.
George predicted the hardships following the end of the
war as early as 1941. From 1945-50, Great Britain underwent marked transitions.
The Bank of England, as well as most facets of industry, transportation, energy
production and health care, were brought to some degree of public ownership.
The birth pangs of the Welfare State and the change from Empire to multiracial
Commonwealth troubled the high-strung king. The political turmoil and economic
hardships of the post-war years left the king physically and emotionally
drained by the time of his death.
In the context of royal history, George VI was one of
only five monarchs who succeeded the throne in the lifetime of his predecessor;
Henry IV, Edward IV, Richard III, and William III were the other four. George,
upon his ascension, wrote to Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin concerning the
state of the monarchy: "I am new to the job but I hope that time will be
allowed to me to make amends for what has happened." His brother Edward
continued to advise George on matters of the day, but such advice was a hindrance,
as it was contradictory to policies pursued by George's ministers. The
"slim, quiet man with tired eyes" (as described by Logue) had a
troubled reign, but he did much to leave the monarchy in better condition than
he found it.
ELIZABETH II (1952-PRESENT)
Elizabeth II, born April
21, 1926, is the eldest daughter of George VI and Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon. She
married Philip Mountbatten, a distant cousin, in 1947; the pair have four
children: Charles, Prince of Wales, Anne, Andrew and Edward. She has reigned
for forty-six years, and appears capable of remaining on the throne for quite
some time.
Monarchy, as an institution in Europe, all but
disappeared during the two World Wars: a scant ten monarchs remain today, seven
of which have familial ties to England. Elizabeth is, by far, the best known of
these, and is the most widely traveled Head of State in the world. Her
ascension was accompanied by constitutional innovation; each independent,
self-governing country proclaimed Elizabeth, Queen of their individual state.
She approves of the transformation from Empire to Commonwealth, describing the
change as a "beneficial and civilized metamorphosis." The indivisibility
of the crown was formally abandoned by statute in 1953, and "Head of the
Commonwealth" was added to the long list of royal titles which she
possesses.
Elizabeth's travels have won the adulation of her
subjects; she is greeted with honest enthusiasm and warm regard with each visit
abroad. She has been the master link in a chain of unity forged among the
various countries within the Commonwealth. Hence, the monarchy, as well as the
Empire, has evolved - what once was the image of absolute power is now a symbol
of fraternity.
Elizabeth has managed to maintain a division between
her public and private life. She is the first monarch to send her children to
boarding schools in order to remove them from the ever-probing media. She has a
strong sense of duty and diligence and dispatches her queenly business with
great candor, efficiency and dignity. Her knowledge of current situations and
trends is uncannily up to date, often to the embarrassment of her Prime
Ministers. Harold Wilson, upon his retirement, remarked, "I shall
certainly advise my successor to do his homework before his audience."
Churchill, who had served four monarchs, was impressed and delighted by her
knowledge and wit. She possesses a sense of humor rarely exhibited in public
where a dignified presence is her goal.
Elizabeth, like her father before her, raised the
character of the monarchy through her actions. Unfortunately, the actions of
her children have tarnished the royal name. The much publicized divorces of
Charles from Diana and Andrew from Sarah Ferguson have been followed by further
indiscretions by the princes, causing a heavily-taxed populace to rethink the
necessity of a monarchy. Perhaps Elizabeth will not reign as long as Victoria,
but her exceptionally long reign has provided a bright spot in the life of her
country.
THE MONARCHY TODAY
THE QUEEN'S ROLE
The Queen is the United Kingdom's Head of State. As
well as carrying out significant constitutional functions, The Queen also acts
as a focus for national unity, presiding at ceremonial occasions, visiting
local communities and representing Britain around the world. The Queen is also
Head of the Commonwealth. During her reign she has visited all the Commonwealth
countries, going on 'walkabouts' to gain direct contact with people from all
walks of life throughout the world.
Behind and in front of the cameras, The Queen's work
goes on. No two days in The Queen's working life are ever the same.
QUEEN'S ROLE IN THE MODERN STATE
Until the end of the 17th century, British monarchs
were executive monarchs - that is, they had the right to make and pass
legislation. Since the beginning of the eighteenth century, the monarch has
become a constitutional monarch, which means that he or she is bound by rules
and conventions and remains politically impartial.
On almost all matters he or she acts on the advice of
ministers. While acting constitutionally, the Sovereign retains an important
political role as Head of State, formally appointing prime ministers, approving
certain legislation and bestowing honours.
The Queen also has important roles to play in other
organisations, including the Armed Forces and the Church of England.
QUEEN'S ROLE IN THE MODERN STATE
Until the end of the 17th century, British monarchs
were executive monarchs - that is, they had the right to make and pass
legislation. Since the beginning of the eighteenth century, the monarch has
become a constitutional monarch, which means that he or she is bound by rules
and conventions and remains politically impartial.
On almost all matters he or she acts on the advice of
ministers. While acting constitutionally, the Sovereign retains an important
political role as Head of State, formally appointing prime ministers, approving
certain legislation and bestowing honours.
The
Queen also has important roles to play in other organisations, including the
Armed Forces and the Church of England.
QUEEN AND COMMONWEALTH
The
Queen is not only Queen of the United Kingdom, but Head of the Commonwealth, a
voluntary association of 54 independent countries.
Most of these countries have progressed from British
rule to independent self-government, and the Commonwealth now serves to foster
international co-operation and trade links between people all over the world.
The Queen is also
Queen of a number of Commonwealth realms, including Australia, New Zealand and
Canada.
ROYAL VISITS
Visits to all kinds of places throughout the United
Kingdom, Commonwealth and overseas are an important part of the work of The
Queen and members of the Royal family. They allow members of the Royal family
to meet people from all walks of life and backgrounds, to celebrate local and
national achievements and to strengthen friendships between different
countries. Many of the visits are connected to charities and other
organisations with which members of the Royal family are associated. In other
cases, royal visits help to celebrate historic occasions in the life of a
region or nation. All visits are carefully planned to ensure that as many
people as possible have the opportunity to see or meet members of the Royal
family.
THE QUEEN'S WORKING DAY
The Queen has many different duties to perform
every day. Some are familiar public duties, such as Investitures, ceremonies,
receptions or visits within the United Kingdom or abroad. Away from the
cameras, however, The Queen's work goes on. It includes reading letters from
the public, official papers and briefing notes; audiences with political
ministers or ambassadors; and meetings with her Private Secretaries to discuss
her future diary plans. No two days are ever the same and The Queen must remain
prepared throughout.
CEREMONIES AND PAGEANTRY
The colourful ceremonies and traditions associated
with the British Monarchy are rich in history and meaning and fascinating to
watch. In some, The Queen takes part in person. In others - such as Guard
Mounting or Swan Upping - the ceremony is performed in The Queen's name. Many
of the ceremonies take place on a regular basis - every year or even every day
- which means that British people and visitors to London and other parts of the
United Kingdom may have an opportunity to see some of these interesting events
take place.
THE QUEEN'S CEREMONIAL DUTIES
The Queen has many ceremonial roles. Some - such as
the State Opening of Parliament, Audiences with new ambassadors and the
presentation of decorations at Investitures - relate to The Queen's role as
Head of State.
Others - such as the presentation of Maundy money
and the hosting of garden parties - are historical ceremonies in which kings
and queens have taken part for decades or even centuries.
ROYAL PAGEANTRY AND TRADITIONS
In addition to the events in which The Queen takes
part, there are many other ceremonies and traditions associated with the
British Monarchy. Some of these have military associations, involving troops
from the present Armed Forces as well as the members of the historical royal
bodyguard, the Yeomen of the Guard. Others are traditions which are less well
known than the colourful pageantry but are interesting in their own right. Some
- such as the customary broadcasts by the Sovereign on Christmas Day and
Commonwealth Day - are fairly recent in origin, but have rapidly become
familiar and popular traditions.
ROYAL SUCCESSION
When a sovereign dies, or abdicates, a successor is
immediately decided according to rules which were laid down at the end of the
seventeenth century. The coronation of a new sovereign is a ceremony of great
pageantry and celebration that has remained essentially the same for over a
thousand years. As well as explaining accession, succession and coronation,
this section looks at the titles which have been held by different members of
the Royal Family throughout history.
THE ROYAL HOUSEHOLD
Divided into five departments, the Royal Household
assists The Queen in carrying out her official duties. Members of the Royal
Household carry out the work and roles which were performed by courtiers
historically. There are 645 full-time employees, employed across a wide range
of professions. People employed within the Royal Household are recruited from
the general workforce on merit, in terms of qualifications, experience and
aptitude. Details of the latest vacancies are listed in the Recruitment pages of
this section.
The Royal Household includes The Queen's Household,
plus the Households of other members of the Royal Family who undertake public
engagements. The latter comprise members of their private offices and
other people who assist with their public duties.
ROYAL HOUSEHOLD DEPARTMENTS
Royal Household's functions are divided across five
departments, under the overall authority of the Lord Chamberlain, the senior
member of The Queen's Household. These departments developed over centuries and
originated in the functions of the Royal Court. As a result, the departments
and many job titles have ancient names - the jobs themselves, however, are
thoroughly modern!
Most of the departments are based in Buckingham
Palace, although there are also offices in St. James's Palace, Windsor Castle
and the Royal Mews. Members of the Royal Household also often travel with The
Queen on overseas visits and during The Queen's stays at Balmoral Castle and
Sandringham, since The Queen's work continues even when she is away from
London.
In addition to the full-time members of the Royal
Household, there are other part-time members of The Queen's Household. These
include the Great Officers of State who take part in important Royal
ceremonies, as well as Ladies-in-waiting, who are appointed personally by The
Queen and female members of the Royal Family.
RECRUITMENT
People are employed within the Royal Household from a
wide range of sectors and professions, including catering, housekeeping,
accountancy, secretarial and administrative fields, public relations, human
resources management, art curatorship and strategic planning disciplines. The
special nature of the Royal Household means that unique career opportunities
are available.
Employment in the Royal Household offers excellent
career opportunities for those who wish to take a new direction. Positions in
the Royal Household receive good remuneration and benefits. For domestic
positions, there are often enhanced by accommodation. The Royal Household is
also committed to training and development, including NVQ and vocational
training, general management and skills-based training across a range of
disciplines - from carriage driving to an in-house diploma for footmen
which is widely recognised in its specialised field as a valued vocational qualification.
Jobs at Buckingham Palace and in other Royal
residences are usually advertised in national, regional or specialist media in
the usual way. Details of the latest vacancies are listed in the Recruitment
pages of this section and applications can be made by downloading the standard
application form. All positions are also advertised internally to encourage
career development and to offer opportunities for promotion to existing
employees.
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