The monarchy Time for a change?

The National Anthem

“God save our gracious Queen! Long live our noble Queen! God save the Queen! Send her victorious, Happy and glorious, Long to reign over us, God save the Queen.”

We live in the united KINGdom We speak the QUEEN’s English Our letters are delivered by the ROYAL mail. We pay taxes to HER MAJESTY’s tax collectors. We are defended by the ROYAL navy and the ROYAL airforce. Criminals are locked up at HER MAJESTY’s pleasure .

What powers does the Queen have?

She is head of state so that means the Queen opens and dissolves parliament, asks the prime minister to form a government, introduces major bills for the coming year Royal approval A bill only becomes law when approved by the monarch

Friends in high places!

The Royal Prerogative

The queen has formal power to: • Declare war • Make peace • Release everyone from prison • Sell off all our military weapons • Make everyone a Lord She may never do these things, but she COULD

How did the Queen get the job? She was Born to Rule!

• Republicans want to get rid of the monarchy. They’d like supreme power to be held by the people or who they elect not an unelected monarch • Monarchists or royalists want to keep the monarchy. Most people in the UK are monarchists –

what about you?

Does your idea of what makes you British revolve around the Queen?

Your identity

Britain is a multi-cultural, multi-faith country. Do you feel one white, upper class, protestant woman really represents everyone in it?

Then again can anyone else do the job better?

Should we take a vote on whether Prince Charles should become King when the Queen dies or abdicates?

Mary Robinson is the elected President of Ireland Mary McAleese is the elected President of Ireland

The Debate

• • Should we keep the monarchy?

• Or abolish it

(Or do something in between) Let’s have a debate!