$Unique_ID{COW00569} $Pretitle{405} $Title{United Kingdom The Monarchy in Britain} $Subtitle{} $Author{Embassy of the United Kingdom, Washington DC} $Affiliation{Embassy of the United Kingdom, Washington DC} $Subject{queen royal commonwealth state duke prince government queen's crown princess} $Date{1990} $Log{Queen Elizibeth II*0056901.scf The Royal Couple*0056902.scf } Country: United Kingdom Book: The Monarchy in Britain Author: Embassy of the United Kingdom, Washington DC Affiliation: Embassy of the United Kingdom, Washington DC Date: 1990 The Monarchy in Britain [See Queen Elizibeth II: Courtesy Embassy of the United Kingdom, New York.] [See The Royal Couple: During happy times. Courtesy Embassy of the United Kingdom, New York.] Introduction The reign of Queen Elizabeth II has seen the British monarchy adapt to major changes in Britain's position in the world and in British society. On her accession to the throne in 1952, the Queen reigned over more than 50 dependencies, most of which have since become independent members of the Commonwealth. The Queen is Head of the Commonwealth and many of its members continue to recognise her as head of State. Modern communications have enabled the Queen and the royal family to make more overseas visits and in Britain television has brought them much closer to the people. Meetings with ordinary men and women at home and abroad have accelerated the trend towards making the British monarchy a less aloof institution while still evoking the national memory of centuries of history. The Queen personifies both national and Commonwealth unity, and the entire royal family play a supporting role, undertaking arduous programmes. A combination of the formal and the informal is a special feature of today's monarchy, combining traditional pomp and ceremony with direct contact with people from all walks of life in their towns or at work. Both in Britain and during Commonwealth tours, `walkabouts' have become a popular feature. Royal jubilees, birthdays and weddings provide opportunities for a practical affirmation of the close and affectionate relationship between monarchy and people. The development of the monarchy during the Queen's reign is only the most recent example of its long evolution in the light of changing circumstances. It is the oldest secular institution in Britain, going back to at least the ninth century. The Queen can trace her descent from King Egbert, who united all England under his sovereignty in 829. The monarchy antedates Parliament by four centuries, and the law courts by three. Its continuity has been broken only once (during the republic under Cromwell from 1649 to 1660). There have been interruptions in the direct line of succession, but the hereditary principle has always been preserved. In Anglo-Saxon times the `Kings of the English' were elected by the Witan from among the males of the royal line, and the elective principle was, in form at least, preserved under the first Norman kings, who submitted themselves to election, or more accurately `recognition', by the Commune Concilium (an act of recognition still forms part of the modern coronation service). Thereafter the hereditary system became firmly established. For centuries the monarch personally exercised supreme executive, legislative and judicial power, but with the growth of Parliament and the courts, the direct exercise of these functions gradually decreased. The seventeenth-century struggle between Crown and Parliament led, in 1688-89, to the establishment of a limited constitutional monarchy. The monarch, however, remained the centre of executive power throughout most of the eighteenth century, and appointed and dismissed ministers. By the end of the nineteenth century, with the establishment of responsible government and of the modern party system, the monarch's active participation in politics had become minimal. Responsible government in Britain has two main elements: ministers are responsible to Parliament in that they cannot govern without the support of an elected majority; and they are responsible for the advice they tender to the Queen, and, therefore, for any action she may take. Political decisions are taken by the ministers, and the Queen performs the functions of an impartial head of State. This pamphlet describes the monarchy as it operates today and some of the traditions associated with it. The Royal Family When the Queen was born on 21 April 1926, her grandfather, King George V, was on the throne and her uncle was his heir. She was the first child of the Duke and Duchess of York, and was christened in the chapel of Buckingham Palace, being given the names Elizabeth Alexandra Mary. The death of her grandfather and the abdication of her uncle (King Edward VIII) brought her father to the throne in 1936 as King George VI and she became Heiress Presumptive. As a child her studies were extended to include lessons on constitutional history and law, while she also studied art and music. In addition she learned to ride and acquired her enthusiasm for horses. As she grew older she began to take part in public life, making her first broadcast at the age of 14. Early in 1945 she became a subaltern in the Auxiliary Territorial Services (ATS) and by the end of the war had reached the rank of Junior Commander. The announcement of the engagement of Princess Elizabeth to Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten, the son of Prince Andrew of Greece and one of Queen Victoria's great-great-grandsons (now Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh) whom the Princess had known for many years, was made in 1947. Their wedding took place in Westminster Abbey in November 1947. (Their Silver Wedding was celebrated in London in 1972). She came to the throne on 6 February 1952 and was crowned on 2 June 1953. Since then, accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, she has undertaken numerous tours throughout the Commonwealth at the invitation of the host governments, besides paying frequent visits to overseas countries outside the Commonwealth at the invitation of foreign heads of State. She has also made many visits throughout the United Kingdom, to fulfil engagements in connection with agriculture, industry, education, the arts, medicine and sport and as a means of keeping in touch with new developments in these fields. In 1977 her Silver Jubilee was celebrated in the United Kingdom and throughout the Commonwealth. Accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, the Queen travelled some 90,000 km (56,000 miles) to share the anniversary with her people. Enormous crowds greeted them wherever they went, with millions more sharing in the celebrations through radio and television. On 21 April 1986, in celebration of her sixtieth birthday, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh attended a service of thanksgiving at St George's Chapel, Windsor. The Queen also received birthday greetings from schoolchildren in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace and in the evening, accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, attended a special performance at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. The Queen usually undertakes at least two overseas tours every year. In 1986 these included a State visit to the People's Republic of China, while in 1987 she visited the Federal Republic of Germany in May in connection with the 750th anniversary celebrations of Berlin, and in October toured Canada at the time of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Vancouver, where she received the heads of delegations of 45 Commonwealth countries. Her most recent tour, in April and May 1988, was to Australia, during which she opened the new Parliament House in Canberra. The Queen is an owner and breeder of thoroughbred horses, and often goes to race meetings to watch her horses run. She is also a frequent visitor at equestrian events. The Duke of Edinburgh was born in 1921 and educated at Gordonstoun and the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth. He served at sea throughout the war, by the end of which he was a Lieutenant. He ceased holding active naval appointments in 1951. The Duke has played an outstanding part in the nation's life and holds many important Service appointments and acts as patron or president of a large number of national organisations. In particular he interests himself in scientific and technological research and development, in the encouragement of sport, the welfare of young people and in the conservation and state of the environment. The Duke was President of the World Wildlife Fund UK from 1961 to 1982 and has been President of the World Wide Fund for Nature (formerly the World Wildlife Fund International) since 1981. He has also been closely involved in the development and growth of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme and devotes much time to meeting its participants and helpers. It is a programme of challenging leisure-time activities for young people from all over the Commonwealth, and encourages community service, adventure and personal achievement. Since its foundation in 1956 some 2 million young people have taken part. A keen sportsman, he formerly played polo regularly and was President of the International Equestrian Federation from 1964 to 1986. The Queen's heir is Charles, Prince of Wales, who was born in 1948 and educated at Gordonstoun, at Geelong Grammar School in Australia, at Trinity College, Cambridge, and at the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth. He has served in the Royal Navy (besides obtaining his Wings after taking an advanced flying course at the Royal Air Force College at Cranwell) and since 1977, in addition to his normal round of royal duties and travel abroad, has been pursuing a programme of familiarisation with various aspects of public life in Britain. His particular interests include industry (he is closely involved with Business in the Community and the Prince's Youth Business Trust which encourages small firms and self-employment in inner cities), government, young people, education, conservation, architecture and disability. He was installed as Chancellor of the University of Wales in 1977 and since 1978 has been President of the International Council of the United World Colleges. On 29 July 1981 the Prince of Wales married Lady Diana Spencer (now the Princess of Wales), the youngest daughter of the Earl Spencer and the Hon Mrs Shand-Kydd, at St Paul's Cathedral. They have two children: Prince William of Wales, born on 21 June 1982, who is second in line of succession to the throne, and Prince Henry of Wales, born on 15 September 1984, who is third in line of succession to the throne. The Princess of Wales was born in 1961 and brought up at her father's house on the Queen's estate at Sandringham, and at the family home of Althorp near Northampton. The Princess has undertaken several tours abroad with the Prince of Wales as well as visits alone. Her interests, which include Wales, the disabled, children and their problems and development, ballet and music, are reflected in the organisations of which she has become patron or president, including the Royal School for the Blind, the British Deaf Association, Help the Aged, the Welsh National Opera, and Birthright, a charity which researches into the causes and prevention of abnormalities in pregnancy, childbirth and infancy. The Queen's younger sons, Andrew, Duke of York, born in 1960, and Prince Edward, born in 1964, were both educated at Gordonstoun. The Duke of York is at present serving, in preparation for his own command, as an officer on board the destroyer HMS Edinburgh. The Duke married Miss Sarah Ferguson in July 1986. Prince Edward, who is pursuing a career in the theatre, is patron of the National Youth Theatre. Their sister, Anne, Princess Royal, born in 1950, is Chancellor of the University of London and President of the Save the Children Fund, on behalf of which she has undertaken extensive tours of Africa, the Middle East and the South Asian subcontinent. The Princess Royal, who succeeded her father as President of the International Equestrian Federation in 1986, is an excellent horsewoman and a former Sportswoman of the Year. Married to Captain Mark Phillips, her son Peter Phillips, the Queen's first grandchild, was born in 1977 and her daughter Zara in 1981. The Queen's mother, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, the widow of the late King George VI, celebrated her eighty-fifth birthday in 1985 and continues to carry out many public engagements every year. The Queen's only sister, Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, has a son and a daughter by her former husband, the Earl of Snowdon. She is patron or president of a great number of public bodies, many of them concerned with youth activities, children's welfare, care of the sick, and nursing organisations. Among the Queen's other near relations, all of whom play a significant part in public life, are her first cousins - grandchildren of her grandfather King George V - the Dukes of Gloucester and Kent, Prince Michael and Princess Alexandra, the Hon Mrs Angus Ogilvy. The Duke of Gloucester, who married Miss Birgitte van Deurs in 1972 and is an architect by profession, carries out a substantial number of public duties and is patron of more than 50 organisations. He has undertaken many overseas visits on behalf of the Queen, attending, for example, the independence celebrations of the Seychelles in 1976, the Solomon Islands in 1978, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in 1979 and Vanuatu in 1980. The Duke of Kent, a former serving Lieutenant-Colonel in the Army (who now ranks as supernumerary Major General), is Vice-Chairman of the British Overseas Trade Board. The Duchess of Kent, the former Miss Katharine Worsley, is patron of several organisations, including Age Concern, Cancer Relief, the Samaritans and the Spastics Society. Princess Alexandra, sister of the Duke of Kent, has represented the Queen on many occasions in Britain and overseas. She is Vice-President of the British Red Cross Society and President of the Royal Commonwealth Society for the Blind. Prince Michael of Kent was until 1981 a Major in the Army, but is now a director of Standard Telephones and Cables besides holding other business appointments. He is married to the former Baroness Marie-Christine von Reibnitz. The Queen's Style and Titles The development of the royal style and titles can be traced through a variety of changes reflecting historical events in the kingdoms of England and Scotland, in the union of those kingdoms in 1707, in the union with Ireland in 1801, and in the development of the Commonwealth. Today they are such as may be determined by the Crown under the authority of the Royal Titles Act 1953 and previous legislation. The Queen's title in the United Kingdom is: `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 form of the royal title is varied for the other member nations of the Commonwealth in which the Queen is head of State to suit the particular circumstances of each; all these forms include, however, the phrase `Head of the Commonwealth'. Succession The title to the Crown derives partly from statute, partly from common law rules of descent. The English Act of Settlement 1700 laid down that lineal Protestant descendants of Princess Sophia are alone eligible to succeed. This was affirmed by the Union of Scotland Act 1707. Subsequent Succession to the Crown Acts have confirmed this declaration; and, although the succession is not bound to continue in its present line, it can only be altered (under a provision of the Statute of Westminster 1931) by common consent of all the member nations of the Commonwealth of which the Queen is Sovereign. The sons of the Sovereign and their descendants have precedence over daughters in succeeding to the throne. However, the daughters take precedence over descendants of the Sovereign's brothers. When a daughter succeeds, she becomes Queen Regnant and the Crown's powers are vested in her as though she were king. While the consort of a king takes her husband's rank and style, the constitution has never given any special rank or privileges to the husband of a Queen Regnant, and any honour granted to him comes from the Crown as `the fountain of honour'. In practice he fills an important role in the life of the nation, as does the Duke of Edinburgh. Accession The Sovereign succeeds to the throne as soon as his or her predecessor dies and there is no interregnum. (This automatic succession is summed up in the phrase, `the King is dead: long live the King!'). He or she is at once proclaimed at an Accession Council to which all members of the Privy Council are summoned. Members of the House of Lords (including those bishops of the Church of England who sit in the House of Lords), the Lord Mayor and aldermen and other leading citizens of the City of London, and the High Commissioners in London of member nations of the Commonwealth are also invited to attend. The duration of Parliament is not affected by the death of a monarch. Coronation The Sovereign's coronation follows the accession, after an interval. It does not affect the legal powers of the Crown (King Edward VIII, for instance, was never crowned but reigned for nearly a year). It is a ceremony which has remained essentially the same over a thousand years, even if details have often been modified to conform to the customs of the time. It consists broadly of recognition and acceptance of the new monarch by the people; the taking by the monarch of an oath of royal duties; the celebration of Holy Communion followed by anointing and crowning; and the rendering of homage by the Lords Spiritual and Temporal. The service used at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953 was derived from that used at the coronation of King Edgar at Bath in 973. The coronation service, customarily conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, takes place at Westminster Abbey in the presence of representatives of the peers, the Commons and all the great public interests in the United Kingdom, the Prime Ministers and leading citizens of the Commonwealth countries, and representatives of other countries. The Royal Family's Styles and Titles The first son (the Heir Apparent) born to a reigning monarch is by birth Duke of Cornwall in the peerage of England, and Duke of Rothesay, Earl of Carrick and Baron of Renfrew in the peerage of Scotland; he is also Lord of the Isles and Prince and Great Steward, or Seneschal, of Scotland. The titles `Prince of Wales' and `Earl of Chester' are created in each case, but have usually though not invariably been conferred on the Sovereign's eldest son; they were conferred on Prince Charles, the present heir, in 1958. There is no style for an Heir or Heiress Presumptive (that is, the Prince or Princess who would succeed to the throne if the Sovereign had no son). It is usual for a Prince in that position to possess a royal dukedom. However, an Heiress Presumptive has no claim to the Duchy of Cornwall, nor can she become Princess of Wales. The title of `Royal Highness' is accorded by Letters Patent to all the monarch's children, the children of the monarch's sons, and the eldest living son of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales. The title is enjoyed by the wives of the Royal Highnesses. Under the Royal Marriages Act 1772 there are restrictions upon the right of descendants of King George II to marry without the monarch's consent. Until the age of 25 the consent is necessary (except in the case of the children of princesses who have married into foreign families), but after that age a marriage can take place without the consent after a year's notice to the Privy Council, unless Parliament expressly disapproves. The House of Windsor Until 1917, the royal family belonged to the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. In the circumstances of the first world war (1914-18), however, it was considered appropriate for the King to adopt an English rather than a German name. He therefore adopted by proclamation the name of Windsor for Queen Victoria's descendants in the male line. In 1952 Queen Elizabeth II declared that she and her children should be known as the House and Family of Windsor, and that her descendants, other than female descendants who married and their descendants, should bear the name of Windsor. In 1960 the Queen declared that while she and her children would continue to be known as the House and Family of Windsor, her descendants, other than those entitled to the style and title of Royal Highness and Prince or Princess and females who married and their children, should bear the name of Mountbatten-Windsor. Regency and Counsellors of State Provision has been made by statute for a regent to be appointed to perform the royal functions should the monarch be totally incapacitated, unavailable, or under 18 on succeeding to the throne. The declaration on the monarch's incapacity or unavailability has to be made by his or her consort, the Lord Chancellor, the Speaker of the House of Commons, the Lord Chief Justice and the Master of the Rolls (at least three must make the declaration). The regency continues until a declaration removing the impediment is made. A regent may exercise all the powers of a monarch except that he or she cannot assent to a Bill changing the order of succession to the throne or repealing the legislation securing the Scottish religion and church. At present the regent would be the Prince of Wales, then those in succession to the throne who are of age. In the case of the Queen's partial incapacity or absence for more than a few days, she may appoint Counsellors of State by Letters Patent, and delegate to them certain functions in the United Kingdom, dependencies, and certain other territories. (Commonwealth matters go direct to the Queen, wherever she may be.) Counsellors of State, of whom any two may deal with the routine signing of documents, cannot, for instance, dissolve Parliament (except on the Queen's express instructions) nor create peers. Under the present arrangements. Counsellors of State are appointed from among the Duke of Edinburgh, the Queen Mother, and the four adults next in succession. The Queen's Representatives In the Channel Islands, and in the Isle of Man, which are not part of the United Kingdom, but have a special relationship with it because of the antiquity of their connection with the Crown, the Queen is represented by a Lieutenant-Governor. In the other Commonwealth countries of which she is Sovereign (see below), the Queen's representative is the Governor-General. He is appointed by her on the advice of the ministers of the country concerned and is completely independent of the British Government. In British dependencies the Queen is normally represented by Governors (in some cases by Commissioners, Administrators or Residents), who are responsible to the British Government for the good government of the countries concerned. The Queen maintains direct contacts with the Governors-General and through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office with Governors, with British Ambassadors to foreign countries (who are accredited from the Queen to the head of State of the country concerned), and with the British High Commissioners in independent Commonwealth countries. The Monarchy and the Commonwealth Queen Elizabeth II is Queen not only of the United Kingdom and its dependencies but also of Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, Mauritius, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Saint Christopher and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Solomon Islands, and Tuvalu. Of the other members of the Commonwealth, Bangladesh, Botswana, Cyprus, Dominica, The Gambia, Ghana, Guyana, India, Kenya, Kiribati, Malawi, Maldives, Malta, Nauru, Nigeria, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, Vanuatu, Zambia and Zimbabwe are republics, with a president as head of State; Lesotho, Malaysia, Swaziland and Tonga are monarchies; Brunei is a sultanate; and Western Samoa has as its elected head of State a Paramount Chief. Functions of the Monarch The terms `the Sovereign' (or `Monarch') and `the Crown', although related, are quite distinct. The Sovereign is the person on whom the Crown is constitutionally conferred, while the Crown (which represents both the Sovereign and the Government) is the symbol of supreme executive power. The Crown is vested in the Queen but in general its functions are exercised by ministers responsible to Parliament. The United Kingdom is governed by Her Majesty's Government in the name of the Queen. There are, however, many important acts of government which still require the participation of the Queen. The Queen summons, prorogues (discontinues until the next session without dissolving) and dissolves Parliament. Normally she opens the new session with a speech from the throne outlining her Government's programme. When she is unable to be present, the Queen's speech is read by the Lord Chancellor. Before a Bill which has passed all its stages in both Houses of Parliament becomes a legal enactment, it must receive the Royal Assent, which is announced to both Houses. The Queen presides over meetings of the Privy Council at which, among other things, Orders in Council made under the royal prerogative (see below) or under statute are approved. As the `fountain of justice', the Queen can, on ministerial advice, pardon or show mercy to those convicted of crimes. All criminal prosecutions on indictment are brought in the name of the Crown. In law the Queen as a private person can do no wrong, nor, being immune from civil or criminal proceedings, can she be sued in courts of law. This personal immunity, which does not extend to other members of the royal family, was expressly retained in the Crown Proceedings Act 1947, which for the first time allowed the Crown (in effect, a government department or minister) to be sued directly in civil proceedings. As the `fountain of honour', the Queen confers peerages, knighthoods and other honours (on the recommendation of the Prime Minister who usually seeks the views of others). She makes appointments to many important state offices, on the advice of the Prime Minister or, in some cases, the appropriate Cabinet Minister. She appoints and dismisses, for instance, government ministers, judges (the dismissal of judges is regulated by statute), members of the diplomatic corps and colonial officials. As Commander-in-Chief of the armed services she appoints officers, and as Supreme Governor of the established Church of England she makes appointments to its bishoprics and some other senior offices. In international affairs, the Queen (to whom foreign diplomatic representatives in London present their credentials) has the power to conclude treaties, to declare war and to make peace, to recognise foreign states and governments, and to annexe and cede territory. The Royal Prerogative These and similar functions involve exercising the royal prerogative - broadly speaking, the collection of residual powers left in the hands of the Crown. Present-day prerogative rights and duties of the Crown, in many cases ill-defined, are remnants of immunities and powers possessed by medieval kings, both as chief feudal lords and as heads of the State. Nowadays the prerogative mainly comprises executive government powers, the exercise of which is controlled by constitutional conventions. With rare exceptions (as in the appointment of the Prime Minister), acts involving the royal prerogative are nowadays performed by ministers who are responsible to Parliament and can be questioned about a particular policy. It is not necessary to have Parliament's authority to exercise these powers, although Parliament has the power to restrict or abolish a prerogative right. The Crown is not bound by an Act of Parliament in the absence of any express words to the contrary. The most common ways in which the royal will can be constitutionally expressed are: by Order in Council made `by and with the advice of the Privy Council'; by Order, Commission or Warrant signed personally by the Queen and generally bearing the signature of at least one responsible Secretary of State; or by Proclamation, Writs, Letters Patent, or other documents under the Great Seal affixed by the Lord Chancellor in obedience to a Royal Warrant countersigned by a Secretary of State. Relations with the Prime Minister and Government An important function of the Sovereign is appointing the Prime Minister. By convention the Sovereign invites the leader of the party which commands a majority in the House of Commons to form a government. If no party has a majority, or if the party having a majority has no recognised leader, the Queen has the duty of selecting a Prime Minister. In such circumstances she would be free to consult anyone she wished. Ministerial responsibility for the exercise of powers by the Crown does not detract from the importance of the participation of the Sovereign in the smooth working of government, for the Queen must be informed and consulted on every aspect of the national life to the widest possible extent, and is free to put forward her own views in private for the consideration of her ministers. The Sovereign has, in the words of Walter Bagehot writing in 1867, `the right to be consulted, the right to encourage' and `the right to warn'. The Queen's closest official contacts are with the Prime Minister (who has an audience of the Queen on average once a week when the Queen is in London), and, through him or her, with the Cabinet. She sees other ministers as well, generally to discuss the affairs of their departments, and sees all Cabinet papers, the Cabinet agenda in advance, and the minutes of the meetings of the Cabinet and of its committees. She may discuss memoranda with the ministers responsible and, if necessary, seek further information on any topic from departments through her Private Secretary (see p 18). The Queen receives copies of all important Foreign and Commonwealth Office telegrams and dispatches. She also receives a daily summary of parliamentary proceedings prepared for her by a member of the Government (the Vice-Chamberlain of the Household - see p 17). The Queen is ultimately responsible for dissolving Parliament, normally done at the request of the Prime Minister. The Queen's Public Functions As the inheritor of a monarchical tradition which has endured for over a thousand years, the Queen is not just the head of State, but the living symbol of national unity. She provides the natural focus for popular loyalty. Ceremonial has always been associated with British kings and queens and, in spite of the changed outlook of both the Sovereign and the people, many traditional ceremonies and customs are retained. Royal marriages and funerals are still marked by impressive ceremonial; and the birthday of the Sovereign is officially celebrated every June by Trooping the Colour on Horse Guards Parade. Royal processions add significance to such occasions as the opening of Parliament, when the Queen drives in state from Buckingham Palace to Westminster, and the arrival of visiting heads of State. Royal ceremonial arouses wide popular interest and is a vital factor in the relations between Sovereign and people. The relationship is fostered by many means, including modern mass communications media, which have played an important part in bringing the Queen closer to her subjects. Films like The Royal Family and Royal Heritage have been seen by many millions of television viewers throughout the world, and several hundred million people watched the marriages of the Prince and Princess of Wales in 1981 and of the Duke and Duchess of York in 1986. Hundreds of royal visits to various parts of the country for public functions keep the royal family in close touch with new developments. These often involve visits lasting more than one day, and sometimes centre on an international or national event such as the Royal International Agricultural Show or more usually an event of local importance like the opening of a new bridge or hospital. There are also royal film, variety and concert performances in aid of charity, and visits to schools, universities, hospitals and factories. The Queen also attends the `Derby' at Epsom (one of the classic `flat' horse-races) and the summer race meeting at Ascot. In addition to being head of the three armed services, the Queen holds several honorary appointments in them. Through the regular reports made to her personally by the Service Chiefs of Staff, which cover all important developments and matters of interest, as well as her own regular visits to units and those by other members of the royal family, she keeps in close touch with the work of the armed forces. The Queen holds about 14 investitures a year at which she bestows the awards conferred on both civilians and members of the armed forces. She presents annually some 3,000 orders, decorations and medals. Investitures are also conducted by the Queen on her visits to other Commonwealth countries. Some 30,000 people from all sections of the community (including visitors from overseas) attend royal garden parties each year. Three are held at Buckingham Palace, one at Holyroodhouse, Edinburgh, and there is often a special party in each place for an organisation such as the Royal British Legion or the National Federation of Women's Institutes. Regular luncheon parties held by the Queen are attended by people distinguished in widely different spheres. Other regular public occasions include services of the Order of the Garter, the Order of the Thistle and other Orders, the Remembrance Day ceremony at the Cenotaph in Whitehall and various services at St. Paul's Cathedral and Westminster Abbey. The Queen presents the Maundy money at Westminster Abbey or in one of the other cathedrals or abbeys in the country. One of the most important duties performed by the Sovereign is to act as host to the heads of State of Commonwealth and other countries when they visit the United Kingdom. When a State visit is involved, guests stay at Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle or the Palace of Holyroodhouse. Their entertainment includes banquets, receptions, sometimes a special ballet or opera performance and visits to places of particular interest throughout the country. On the many other occasions when heads of State visit the United Kingdom, either privately or for official purposes, they are nearly always entertained or received by the Queen. Luncheons are frequently held for other distinguished visitors from overseas. The overseas tours which the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh make together - nowadays one of their most important functions - fall into three board categories. There are visits to one or more of Her Majesty's 16 other Realms; there are visits to other Commonwealth countries, made at the invitation of the host government; and there are State visits to countries outside the Commonwealth at the invitation of a foreign head of State and accepted on the advice of the British Government. No previous Sovereign has undertaken overseas visits on such a scale. The Duke of Edinburgh has also visited many countries overseas by himself, both as the Queen's representative and in his own right. It is customary at Christmas for the Queen to speak on radio and television to all the people of the Commonwealth as their head. Other Members of the Royal Family The contribution by other members of the royal family in supplementing the Queen's public functions is of the greatest importance. They too have a heavy schedule of official appearances, both national and international. They help to entertain visiting heads of State and pay official visits overseas, occasionally representing the Queen, though usually in their own right in connection with an organisation or a cause with which they are associated. They serve as patrons or presidents of many of the most prominent institutions and charities in Britain and are constantly making public appearances. The Prince and Princess of Wales have undertaken highly successful tours of many countries, including since 1986 Australia, Canada, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Austria and the Federal Republic of Germany, while the Princess Royal has carried out many notable visits to developing countries in connection with the relief and medical work being undertaken by the Save the Children Fund.