Reading: Politics
Upper intermediate to advanced (B2-C2)

She is certainly well-known, or at least her image is. Her face is on stamps and the UK currency but most of the time she is only seen at royal visits or ceremonies. At the opening of Parliament the Queen reads a speech but this is written by the government. At Christmas she reads a message to the country but this is very formal and usually just a summary of some of the things that have happened in the year.

If you ask tourists about the Queen they might think of Buckingham Palace, the Royal Family or simply tradition. However, it is rare for British people to talk about the Queen as an individual, after all few of us know her personally. Perhaps many people would talk about her dedication to the country or her sense of duty.

The Queen is Head of State and so represents Britain but unlike many presidents who are heads of state, she has almost no real political power. In Britain the Prime Minister has the power and can even declare war without a vote in Parliament. What causes some confusion is that technically these powers still belong to the Queen but in practice she never uses them and always gives this power to the Prime Minister. She is what is called a ‘constitutional monarch’.

If you ask British people about what the Queen or the monarchy represents, it is a more interesting question but it’s a bit like talking about religion: you have to be a little careful what you say in case people get upset. Even though the Queen is only a constitutional monarch, she gained her position by virtue of birth and not by merit or some kind of election. Within Britain I suspect many people have mixed feelings about this but at the moment only about 20% of the population feel strongly enough to want a republic.

Starting next weekend there will be a range of events to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee (60 years as Queen) and though many people will take part in celebrations some will do so to celebrate the life of Elizabeth the British Head of State rather than Elizabeth the Queen.

Vocabulary:

head of state
declare war
cause confusion
in practice
sense of duty
get upset
by virtue of
have mixed feelings about something
take part in something