ПРАВНИ ФАКУЛТЕТ УНИВЕРЗИТЕТА У ПРИШТИНИ СА

ПРИВРЕМЕНИМ СЕДИШТЕМ У КОСОВСКОЈ МИТРОВИЦИ

СЕМИНАРСКИ РАД
ПРЕДМЕТ: Енглески језик

ТЕМА: British Monarch

Професор: Студент:

др Ирена Пантић Ивана Паљић 22/2022

Косовска Митровица, мај, 2023.

 THE CONTENT

INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………...3
1. HISTORY OF THE BRITISH MONARCHY……………………………..…4
2. SYMBOLS OF BRITISH MONARCHY……………………………………..5
2.1. Royal warrants…………………………………………………………….5
2.2. Coat of arms……………………………………………………………….6
2.3. Stamps……………………………………………………...………………6
2.4. Coinage and banknotes…………………………………………………...7
2.5. The crown jewels…………………………………………………………..7
3. THE CONSTITUTION OF THE BRITISH MONARCHY………………....9
3.1. Constitutional monarchy………………………………………………….9
3.2. Role of the monarch……………………………………………………...10
4. ТHE FUTURE OF THE MONARCHY……………………………………..11
CONCLUSION………………………………………………………………......12
LITERATURE…………………………………………………………………...13
 INTRODUCTION

Britain is often referred to as the “birthplace of the Industrial Revolution” in Europe,

mostly because of its “politically stable society” . Unlike many European countries, it had indeed
undergone no major social revolution – as opposed to France in 1789 for example. Its political
landscape had been constant since the Act for the Union of Great Britain and Ireland, drafted in
1800, that brought together Great Britain – which includes England, Wales and Scotland – and
Ireland to form the United Kingdom. What is more, the country was also the most powerful
colonial empire of the century – it was coined as a “vast empire on which the sun never sets”,
referencing its immensity on the world stage. Its possessions stretched out to all five continents
and provided many natural resources, which proved to be of great use to the modernisation of
industry.

As a result, a once rural and agriculture-based society turned into a more modern, more
efficient system and saw the rise of mass production, and simultaneously of mass consumption.
Transportation was completely revamped, mostly thanks to the steam engine, which gave people
the ability to travel great distances in less time. Factories developed at an incredible pace and more
and more workers came to live and work in cities, with hopes of decent wages and comfortable
lives. With its empire, the country became a major actor in world trade, backed by its huge amount
of manufactures and a large network of traders.

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 1. HISTORY OF THE BRITISH MONARCHY

The United Kingdom was created in the period from the 12th to the 19th century. The Kingdom
of England, which was united in the 10th century, conquered Wales first and most easily in the
12th century. Since the 16th century, Wales has been considered an integral part of England, and
therefore the laws passed by the Parliament of England applied equally to both England and Wales.

The period between 1603 and 1707 is very significant in the constitutional history of England,
and of course the entire United Kingdom, because it was marked by the struggle of the Crown and
Parliament for supremacy, as well as the adoption of several important constitutional acts that
represent the basis of political and constitutional system of the United Kingdom, but they are also
of inestimable importance for the development of human rights and their protection. 1 Namely, the
first monarch at the head of this personal union of England and Scotland, James I, tried to establish
control over the Parliament and thereby establish a rule similar to the absolute monarchies that
prevailed on the European continent at that time. Opposing him was not only the Parliament, which
was fighting to keep the rights and powers it had acquired until then, but also the judicial branch
of government, which at that time was represented by the famous judge Edward Coke. In essence,
this struggle "can be briefly described as a struggle between the arguments of natural law and
common law".

The next twists and turns in the relationship between Parliament and the Monarch occurred
after the accession of James II, who almost canceled everything that had been achieved during the
reign of his predecessor. Considering that he turned the whole country against him with his
arbitrary rule, he fled the country in 1688, which led to the course of events called the Glorious
Revolution. There are authors who "deny any greater significance of the Glorious Revolution and
treat it as a coup within conservatism".2

The constitutional product of the Glorious Revolution is a document called the Bill of Rights,
which confirmed some of the rights and freedoms from previous constitutional documents (such
as the Habeas Corpus Act), but new rights and privileges found their place (such as freedom of

1
Баста-Флајнер, Лидија, Политика у границама права, Службени гласник, Београд, 2012, 72.
2
Васовић, Вучина, Савремене демократије, Службени гласник, Београд, 2008, 314.

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speech and debates, immunity of deputies, etc.), which were supposed to ensure the independence
of the Parliament in relation to the monarch. The conclusion would be that the Bill of Rights
marked the beginning of the era of parliamentary monarchy in the history of England's
constitutional development.3 The constitutional arrangement of England (that is, Great Britain)
after the Glorious Revolution was the subject of admiration and study by numerous theorists and
authors of the 17th and 18th centuries. Thus, in this constitutional arrangement, Montesquieu is
the embodiment of the principle of separation of powers, in that the legislative and administrative
powers are the hands of different constitutional agents. On the other hand, Blackstone claimed that
the Glorious Revolution in England achieved the ideal of a perfect government that the ancient
Greek philosopher Polybius spoke about, because this constitutional concept was created by
combining elements of different forms of government: aristocracy, democracy, monarchy, etc.

2. SYMBOLS OF BRITISH MONARCHY

The British Monarchy is represented by a number of symbols which are used in everyday life,
these symbols represent not only the monarch's reign but also the sovereignty of the nation and the
historical significance of the crown.

2.1. Royal warrants

Royal warrants are granted to people or companies who have regularly supplied goods or
services for a minimum of five consecutive years to The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh or The
Prince of Wales. A Royal warrant is initially granted for five years, after which time it comes up
for review by the Royal Household Tradesmen's Warrants Committee. Warrants may not be

3
Јовановић, Слободан, Примери политичке социологије: Енглеска, Француска, Немачка, БИГЗ, Београд,
1990, 18.

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renewed if the quality or supply for the product or service is insufficient, as far as the relevant
Royal Household is concerned.

The warrants are a mark of recognition that tradesmen are regular suppliers of goods and
services to the Royal households. Strict regulations govern the warrant, which allows the grantee
or company to use the legend 'By Appointment' and display the Royal coat of arms on his products,
such as stationery, advertisements and other printed material, in his or her premises and on delivery
vehicles. There are currently approximately 800 Royal warrant holders, holding over 1,100 Royal
warrants between them (some have more than one Royal warrant).

2.2. Coat of arms

The function of the Royal coat of arms is to identify the person who is Head of State. In respect
of the United Kingdom, the Royal arms are borne only by the Sovereign. The Sovereign's coat of
arms has evolved over many years and reflects the history of the Monarchy and of the country. In
the design the shield shows the various Royal emblems of different parts of the United Kingdom:
the three lions of England in the first and fourth quarters, the lion of Scotland in the second and
the harp of Ireland in the third. It is surrounded by a garter bearing the motto Honi soit qui mal y
pense ('Evil to him who evil thinks'), which symbolises the Order of the Garter, an ancient order
of knighthood of which the Queen is Sovereign. The shield is supported by the English lion and
Scottish unicorn and is surmounted by the Royal crown. Below it appears the motto of the
Sovereign, Dieu et mon droit ('God and my right'). The plant badges of the United Kingdom - rose,
thistle and shamrock - are often displayed beneath the shield.

2.3. Stamps

The present-day postal service in the UK has Royal origins, beginning in the system used to
send Court documents in previous centuries. For centuries letters on affairs of State to and from

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the Sovereign's court, and despatches in time of war, were carried by messengers of the Court and
couriers employed for particular occasions. Symbols of the Royal origins of the UK's postal system
remain. A miniature silhouette of the monarch's head is depicted on all stamps; the personal
cyphers of The Queen and her predecessors (going back to Victoria) appear on most letterboxes;
and the main postal delivery service is known as the Royal Mail. The image of The Queen which
appears on UK postage stamps was designed by Arnold Machin, who originally created it as a
sculpture. Issued on 5 June 1967, it has remained unchanged for four decades. It is thought that
this design is the most reproduced work of art in history, with over 200 billion examples produced
so far.

2.4. Coinage and banknotes

There are close ties between the Monarchy and the UK monetary system.These can be seen,
for example, in the title of the 'Royal Mint' and the representation of the monarch on all circulating
British coinage. During The Queen's reign there have been four representations of Her Majesty on
circulating coinage. The original coin portrait of Her Majesty was by Mary Gillick and was adopted
at the beginning of the reign in 1952. The following effigy was by Arnold Machin OBE, RA,
approved by the Queen in 1964. That portrait was used on all the decimal coins from 1968. The
next effigy was by Raphael Maklouf FRSA and was adopted in 1985. From the time of Charles II
onwards, a tradition developed of monarchs being represented on the coinage facing in the opposite
direction to their immediate predecessor.

2.5. The crown jewels

The Crown Jewels are the ceremonial treasures which have been acquired by English kings
and queens, mostly since 1660. The collection includes not only the regalia used at coronations,
but also crowns acquired by various monarchs, church and banqueting plate, orders, insignia,

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robes, a unique collection of medals and Royal christening fonts. Britain is the only European
monarchy still using its regalia for the consecration ceremony of crowning the Sovereign. At
Westminster Abbey, where William I was the first monarch to be crowned, the Sovereign is
escorted to the Coronation Chair (used at every coronation since 1300) by individuals carrying the
processional regalia. The most famous attempt at theft was in 1671 by Colonel Thomas Blood. He
was caught at the East Gate of the Tower with the crown, one sceptre and the orb. During the
Second World War the jewels were hidden in a secret location which has never been disclosed.

The Imperial State Crown sits on top of Queen Elizabeth II's coffin in September 2022 in
London.

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 3. THE CONSTITUTION OF THE BRITISH MONARCHY

The British Constitution is an unwritten document, unlike the constitution in America or

the European Constitution, and as such, is referred to as an uncodified constitution, in the sense
that there is no one single document that can be referred to as the constitution of the United
Kingdom. The British Constitution is very unique, and can be found in a variety of different
documents, some dating as far back as the Magna Carta in 1215. Supporters of our constitution
believe that the current way allows for flexibility and change to occur without too many problems.
Those who want a written constitution believe that it should be codified so that the public as a
whole has access to it in document form, as opposed to just constitutional experts who know how
to interpret it, and where to look for it.

Amendments to Britain’s unwritten constitution are made by a simple majority of support

for the change in both Houses of Parliament, which are then followed by the Royal Assent. The
constitution as we know is can be drawn from several various sources, but the most basic written
instruments that can be found as a basis of our constitution are: the Magna Carta of 1215, the Act
of Settlement of 1701, the laws and customs of Parliament, court judgements, as well
as parliamentary constitutional conventions and royal prerogatives.

3.1. Constitutional monarchy

A constitutional monarchy is a form of constitutional government, where a hereditary monarch

is the head of state, unlike in an absolute monarchy, wherein the king or the queen is the sole source
of political power, as he or she is not legally bound by the constitution. The levels and types of
power and authority held by the Monarch vary from case to case, as does the nature and guarantees
of the constitution. This is a system of government in which a monarch shares power with a
constitutionally organized government, where the monarch may be the de facto head of state or a

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purely ceremonial leader. The constitution allocates the rest of the government’s power to the
legislature and judiciary. 4

Under the British Constitution, sweeping executive powers, known as the royal prerogative,
are nominally vested in the Sovereign. In exercising these powers, however, the Sovereign
normally defers to the advice of the Prime Minister or other ministers. This principle, which can
be traced back to the Restoration, was most famously articulated by the Victorian writer Walter
Bagehot as "the Queen reigns, but she does not rule".

3.2. Role of the monarch

The king is the head of state in Great Britain. However, his powers are symbolic and
ceremonial, and he remains politically neutral. He will receive daily dispatches from the
government in a red leather box, such as briefings before important meetings or documents he
must sign. The Prime Minister will usually meet the King on Wednesdays at Buckingham Palace
to update him on government activities. Those meetings are completely private and there is no
official record of what was said.

Тhe King also has a number of parliamentary functions:

1. forming the government - the leader of the party that wins the general election is usually
invited to Buckingham Palace, where he is formally asked to form a government; the king
also formally dissolves the government before a general election;

2. state opening and the King's speech - the king starts the Parliamentary year with the State
Opening ceremony; he sets out the government's plans in a throne speech in the House of
Lords;

4
Torrance, David, The crown and the constitution, House of commons library, 2023, 32.

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 3. royal consent - when a bill is approved in Parliament, it must be formally approved by the
king in order for it to become law; the last time royal consent was refused in 1708.

4. ТHE FUTURE OF THE MONARCHY

Even though the Monarchy offers constitutional guarantees, some argue that it should either
be abolished or that its legal powers should be stripped away (leaving the Royal Family with purely
ceremonial duties) or even take example from Denmark and Sweden, which have effectively
privatized their monarchies. Of course, the strongest argument against this system is the hereditary
principle, which offers no guarantee of the suitability of the heir to the Crown and is a matter of
pure chance.

It could be argued that the Monarchy underpins an outdated class system and gives the
impression that Britain is a backwards-looking nation. But, even if there is a significant Republican
movement in Australia, the idea of Republicanism has never taken deep root in the United
Kingdom, probably partly due to the political apathy of the British, who are not a revolutionary
people. Looking to the future, most of the British are confident that the Royal Family is here to
stay.

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 CONCLUSION

Monarchy is a form of government in which the head of state-monarch/king comes to the

throne as a rule by inheritance, rules for life or until abdication (retirement) and is legally and
politically irresponsible, which implies that according to constitutional principles he cannot be
convicted or can judge. He can be tried in exceptional situations such as upheavals, revolutions or
coups d'état, and in these cases the monarchy is most often overthrown and the ruling dynasty is
interrupted, and a new one comes to the throne. In the past, monarchies were most often absolute
or unlimited because all the functions of the state were united in the person of the king who liked
to define himself with the saying "the state, that's me". Later, with the development of civil
democracy, monarchies are abolished and replaced by republics as a more suitable form of
organization, and in some places monarchies are retained as limited, constitutional and
parliamentary. In them, the king retained his characteristics of heredity, lifelong rule and
irresponsibility, but lost his constitutional and legislative powers and most of his executive-
political powers.

Looking at the history of Great Britain, it seems almost unbelievable that it has maintained
its traditional form of monarchy throughout the centuries and even in troubled times and that it
still preserves it today. Especially from the perspective of a small country with a Christian tradition
whose destiny has been shaped since ancient times by various powers that subjected it to their
different types of government. In the history of the European Christian world, it is a unique case
that a sovereign declared himself the head of the church of his country, turning his back on the
Pope to the general surprise of the European Christian powers of the time, and that he still stands
steadfastly at its head, is still its cohesive element, a factor of stability and the embodiment of
determination and insubordination. The strong influence of the ecclesiastical nobility, which by
representing the interests of the church in parliament, certainly contributed to the well-being,
prosperity and uniqueness of the United Kingdom, is also unquestionable.

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 LITERATURE

 Баста-Флајнер, Лидија, Политика у границама права, Службени гласник, Београд,

2012.
 Васовић, Вучина, Савремене демократије, Службени гласник, Београд, 2008.
 Јовановић, Слободан, Примери политичке социологије: Енглеска, Француска,
Немачка, БИГЗ, Београд, 1990.
 Torrance, David, The crown and the constitution, House of commons library, 2023.
 Symbols of monarchy, http://www.monarchist.org.uk/symbols-of-monarchy.html,
преузето дана: 20. 04. 2023.
 Улога монархије у Великој Британији: Ко је све њен део и шта је посао краља?,
https://www.bbc.com/serbian/lat/svet-62854016, преузето дана: 21.04.2023.
 What is the Future of The British Monarchy?,
https://english.tau.ac.il/british_monarchy_2022, преузето дана: 21.04.2023.

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