MODULE  2.

The State System of the UK.

Find the correct answers.

9. The Prime Minister is the head of ...

a) the House of Commons b) the Government c) Parliament

10. All the Ministers owe their appointment to ...

a) the Prime Minister b) the Queen c) the Government

11. The Cabinet is restricted to about... members

 a) twenty b) thirty c) ten

Exercise 1. Translate into Russian.

Branches of power; Legislature, Executive, Judiciary; to pass legislation; constitutional monarchy; unwritten constitution; common law; the supreme law-making body; legal disputes; hereditary power; archbishops and bishops; Royal Assent; bill; general elections; the majority; the Supreme Court; arguable points of law; civil cases; criminal cases; separation of powers; national anthem.

TEXT 1.

The United Kingdom.

Three branches of government keep each other in check and balance, ensuring there is never an over-concentration of power:

1. Legislature – Parliament. Their function is to pass legislation.
2. Executive – Government. They govern – make policy decisions and enacts legislation of the legislature.
3. Judiciary – the courts. Interpret and rule upon legal disputes.

The UK  is a constitutional monarchy with the Queen as the head of state. It  is divided into four parts: England (London is the capital), Wales (Cardiff), Scotland (Edinburgh) and Northern Ireland (Belfast). Locally Britain is divided into counties. The capital of the whole Britain is London.

         The head of state is Queen but she can act only on the advice of her ministers. Queen Elizabeth II lives in Buckingham Palace in London.

The Constitution of the United Kingdom is unwritten, it is based on custom, tradition and common law. The supreme law-making body in the country is Parliament. Parliament consists of the House of Commons and the House of Lords. The Houses of Parliament are the centre of British government.  British parliamentary system is one of the oldest in the world, it developed slowly during 13th century after King John’s signature of Magna Carta in 1215.

The House of Commons has 650 Members of Parliament (MPs) - 523 from England, 72 from Scotland, 38 from Wales and 17 from Northern Ireland. The Lords is made up of hereditary and life peers (Lords Temporal), 2 archbishops and 24 bishops of the Church of England. (Lords Spiritual).

From Monday to Thursday all ministers must answer MPs´ questions for one hour. It is called Questioning time. Two days a week the Prime minister must answer MPs´ questions. Another important parliamentary task is law-making. A proposal of some new law - a bill - must pass through both Houses and then is sent to the Queen for Royal Assent.

General elections to choose MPs are held every five years. Voting is not compulsory and is from the age of 18.

The Government is formed by the party which has the majority in Parliament and the Queen appoints its leader as the Prime Minister.

In October 2009, The Supreme Court replaced the Appellate Committee of the House of Lords as the highest judicial body  in the United Kingdom.

The Court hears appeals on arguable points of law of the greatest public importance, for the whole of the United Kingdom in civil cases, and for England, Wales and Northern Ireland in criminal cases. 

The Supreme Court sits in the former Middlesex Guildhall, on the western side of Parliament Square. 

This new location is highly symbolic of the United Kingdom’s separation of powers, balancing judiciary and legislature across the open space of Parliament Square, with the other two sides occupied by the executive (the Treasury building) and the church (Westminster Abbey).

British national flag symbolises the Union of England, Scotland and Ireland. Each country has its cross in the flag. It is sometimes called Union Jack.

The name of national anthem is "God Save the Queen!" 

Exercise 2.Make the pairs of words and translate them into Russian.

Exercise 3. Match the English words and word-combinations with their Russian equivalents.

Exercise 4. Find the correct definitions.

Exercise 5. Read the text and fill in the gaps.

The Queen is Head of State in the United Kingdom. As a constitutional monarch, Her Majesty does not 'rule' the country, but fulfils important ceremonial and formal roles with respect to Government. She is also Fount of _____________(правосудия) , Head of the_____________ ( вооруженных сил)  and has important relationships with the established Churches of England and Scotland.

____________( Монархия)  is the oldest form of government in the United Kingdom.

In a monarchy, a king or queen is Head of State. The British monarchy is known as a _________________( конституционная монархия) . This means that, while The Sovereign is Head of State, the ability _______________( принимать законы) resides with an elected Parliament.

The Monarch ______________(управлять)  according to the constitution - that is, according to rules, rather than according to his or her own free will. The United Kingdom does not have a _______________(писаная конституция)  which sets out the __________________(права и обязанности)  of the Sovereign, they are established by conventions. These are non-statutory rules which can be just as binding as formal constitutional rules.

On almost all matters the Sovereign acts on the ________________(рекомендация министров). However, the Sovereign retains an important role as Head of State, formally _____________(премьер-министров) , approving certain legislation and bestowing honours.

Exercise 6. Complete the following sentences summing up the information of the texts.

1. Three branches of government…..
2. The functions of legislative branch of power is …………….
3. Executive branch is the Government. They ……
4. Judicial power is exercised by courts. They …………………..
5. Great Britain is……………
6. The Head of the state is ………………
7. The Monarch can act only on the advice of ………….
8. The supreme law-making body……………
9. It  consists of ……………
10. The Government is formed by ...................
11. The Prime Minister is appointed by ..............
12. The highest judicial body  in the United Kingdom is …………….
13.  The Supreme Court hears ……………….
14.  British national symbols are ……………

TEXT 2

The British Monarchy

Monarchy is the oldest form of government in the United Kingdom.

In a monarchy, a king or queen is Head of State. The British monarchy is known as a constitutional monarchy. This means that, while The Sovereign is Head of State, the ability to make and pass legislation resides with an elected Parliament.

As a system of government, constitutional monarchy separates the Head of State’s ceremonial and official duties from party politics.

A constitutional monarchy also provides stability, continuity and a national focus, as the Head of State remains the same even as governments change.

The Sovereign/Monarch governs according to the constitution - that is, according to rules, rather than according to his or her own free will. The United Kingdom does not have a written constitution which sets out the rights and duties of the Sovereign, they are established by conventions.

As a constitutional monarch, the Sovereign must remain politically neutral.

On almost all matters the Sovereign acts on the advice of ministers. However, the Sovereign retains an important political role as Head of State, formally appointing prime ministers, approving certain legislation and bestowing honours.

The Sovereign has other official roles to play such as Head of the Armed Forces.

Although the British Sovereign no longer has a political or executive role, she continues to play an important part in the life of the nation.

As Head of State, The Monarch undertakes constitutional and representational duties which have developed over one thousand years of history. The Sovereign acts as a focus for national identity, unity and pride; gives a sense of stability and continuity.

In all these roles The Sovereign is supported by members of their immediate family.

Exercise 1. Match the following definitions with the highlighted words in the text.

1. a form of government with a Sovereign at the head;
2. an agreement;  a way of behaving that is considered to be correct or polite by most people in a society;
3. confer or present;
4. guidance or recommendations offered with regard to reasonable action;
5. the fact that something continues to happen or exist, with no great changes or interruptions;
6. you start doing something  and accept responsibility for it.

Exercise 2. Discuss the following questions.

1. What does the concept of a ‘constitutional monarchy’ imply? Can you give the examples of other monarchies? Have any absolute monarchies survived in the present-day world?
2. What formal powers are vested in the Monarch? How is the Monarch involved in Parliament’s activities?
3. What does ‘acting on the advice of her ministers’ imply for the Queen?

Exercise 3. Read the following text and make up an interview between a reporter and one of the Queen’s secretaries.  Use the following word combinations.

1. official duties
2. to open a session of Parliament
3. to attend ceremonies
4. to bestow  honours
5. state visits
6. bagpipes (волынка)
7. the report on the last parliamentary session
8. to be on vacation
9. ambassadors
10. signature
11.  to travel around the country
12.  British Commonwealth
13.  Information and Correspondence Department

РАБОЧИЙ ДЕНЬ КОРОЛЕВЫ

     Официальные обязанности английского монарха довольно много­численны. Королева открывает сессии парламента, присутствует на церемониях выноса государственного флага, принимает высоких гостей, приезжающих в страну с государственными визитами, вручает награды и почетные звания, присутствует при спуске на воду кораблей.

     Рабочий день Елизаветы обычно начинается в половине восьмо­го утра. Час спустя королева начинает трапезу, и в девять утра придворный волынщик играет у нее под окнами шотландские мелодии. К половине десятого королева возвращается в свой кабинет. К этому времени для нее подготавливают сводку основных известий и отчет о последнем заседании парламента, если он не на каникулах. За несколько утренних часов королева просматривает десятки документов, требующих ее подписи, и совещается со своим личным секретарем.

     Когда королева в Лондоне, она часто принимает за одно утро одного-двух послов и еще нескольких посетителей. Во второй половине дня выполняет обязанности, связанные с поездками по стране. Таких вылетов она делает около 30 в год. К вечеру ей присылают официальные бумаги, поступившие из стран британского Содружества и английских министерств. Часто по ночам последним светящимся окном в Букингемском дворце остается окно королевского кабинета.

     Ежедневно на ее имя приходит от 200 до 300 писем, которые нераскрытыми передаются  королеве. Автор каждого послания получает ответ, написанный по указанию королевы ее придворной дамой или одним из пяти штатных сотрудников отдела информации и переписки.

TEXT 3.

Parliament of Great Britain.

Officially the head of the state is the monarch. The power of the monarch is not absolute but constitutional and is restricted by Parliament.

From the 14th century, parliamentary government in the United Kingdom has been based on a two-chamber system. The House of Lords (the upper house) and the House of Commons (the lower house) sit separately and are constituted on entirely different principles. The relationship between the two Houses is governed largely by convention but is in part defined by the Parliament Acts. The legislative process involves both Houses of Parliament and the Monarch.

The main functions of Parliament are:

•   to make laws regulating the life of the community;

•  to provide, by voting for taxation, the means of carrying on the work of government;

•  to protect the public and safeguard the rights of individuals;

•  to scrutinize government policy and administration, including proposals for expenditure;

•  to debate the major issues of the day;

•  to examine European proposals before they become law.

The House of Lords comprises about 1.200 peers. The house is presided over by the Lord Chancellor. The House of Lords has no real power but acts as an advisory council for the House of Commons.

The House of Commons consists of Members of Parliament who are elected by the adult suffrage of the British people in general elections which are held at least every five years. The country is divided into 650 constituencies each of which elects one Member of Parliament. The Commons, therefore, has 650 Members of Parliament. Today the House of Commons plays the major role in law-making. It consists of Members of Parliament. Each of them represents an area in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. Members of Parliament are elected either at a general election or at a by-election following the death or retirement of one of them. Parliament has a maximum duration of five years. The House of Commons is traditionally regarded as the lower house, but it is the main parliamentary arena for political battle.

The parliament and the monarch have different roles in the government and they only meet together on symbolic occasions, such as coronation of a new monarch or the opening of the Parliament. In reality, the House of Commons is the one of three which has true power.

Exercise 1. Translate into English.

Конституционная  монархия, двухпалатная системa,  различные принципы, Палата Общин, тщательно следить,  охранять права граждан, расходование (денег), Лорд Канцлер, реальная власть, консультативный совет, всеобщие выборы, дополнительные выборы, законотворчество, избирательное право,  символические случаи.

Exercise 2 . Find the following words and expressions in the text which mean the following:

•  to include

•  the upper Chamber

•  to be based on principles

•  law-making process

•  the term of service

•   to protect the rights

•   to examine in much detail

•  spending

•  a plan/ brief review of the Government's policies

Exercise 3. Try to decide which article is about

The Queen?

The House of Lords?

Or The House of Commons?

1. …  is made up of people who have inherited family titles and those who have been given titles because of their outstanding work in one field or another. There are 675 members.

A person who sits ….. is a peer.

The main job of ….  is to 'double check' new laws to make sure they are fair and will work.

2. ….. is the official Head of State. Britain has a constitutional monarchy where …. only rules symbolically; in reality, power belongs to Parliament. So, although ……. 'opens' Parliament each year and laws are passed in the  name of ……, ……plays no part in determining decisions made in Parliament.

…….. has the final say on whether a bill becomes law.

 3. A person who sits in … is called a Member of Parliament (MP).

…  has 650 members (MPs) who have been elected by local residents to represent an area of the country in Parliament.

Each MP represents one of 650 constituencies (areas) in the UK and is a member of a political party, such as New Labour or the Conservative party.

…  is the most important place for discussing policies and making laws.

Exercise 4. Answer the following questions.

1. Who is officially the head of the state?
2. What is the most important authority in Britain? Why?
3. How many chambers does the Parliament have? Name them. Speak about their duties.
4. Speak about the House of Commons.
5. Speak about the House of Lords.

Exercise 5. Translate the following word combinations into Russian and use them in your own sentences.

1. an act – to act

Act of Parliament, an act of piracy, an act of force, to act on advice, to act up to one's principles.

2. a head – to head

Head of Government, the head of a family, the head of the department, Head of State, to head the army, to head the procession, to head a parade.

Exercise  6. Translate the following word combinations.

1. To choose the leader of the party, to elect the head of the department,

2. to appoint the minister, the persons appointed, appointed time, appointed place,

3. to make a decision, to carry out the decision, to carry out the plan,

4. an important bill, an important decision, important news, VIP,

 5. to defend the general principles, to defend a person in court, a defendant, a defender of peace, defence, the council for the defence,

6. to administer the affairs of the state, to administer laws, to administer national government, military administration, administrative duties,

7. to be responsible to the President, to be responsible for the work, a responsible post, criminal responsibility, to take a responsibility,

8. absolute power, supreme power, the power of Congress, to take power, the Great Powers, powers of the police.

TEXT 4.

How are laws made in the UK?

Laws are rules that everyone in the country must obey. In a democracy, like the UK, nobody is above the law. About one hundred new laws are passed each year.

A proposed new law is called a bill. Bills must be agreed by both Houses of Parliament and receive Royal Assent from the Queen before they can become Acts of Parliament which make our law.

The Bill is introduced by a First Reading. This is simply an official notice that a Bill is going to be proposed and what it's about. It gives MPs time to prepare and discuss it.

Shortly afterwards comes the Second Reading. At this point the principles are considered on the floor of the House. The Bill is then sent to be looked at by small groups of MPs who examine the Bill in detail.

At the Third Reading the Bill is debated and there is a vote. If the Government has a majority, the Bill is then passed to the House of Lords.

Once a Bill has passed through both Houses, it is sent to the Queen for the Royal Assent. Once it has Royal Assent the Bill becomes an Act of Parliament. It is the law of the land.

Exercise  1. Study the following meanings of the word LEGISLATION:

1) The process of enacting a law in written form by a branch of government constituted to perform this process.

2)  The law so enacted.

3)  The whole body of enacted laws.

Match the English expressions with their Russian equivalents:

Exercise  2. Render the following  texts in Russian.

A. The Speaker

The Speaker is the person who chairs and controls discussion in the House, decides which MP is going to speak next and makes sure that the rules of procedure are followed. (If they are not, the Speaker has the power to demand a public apology from an MP or even to ban an MP from the House for a number of days). It is a very important position. In fact, the Speaker is, officially, the second most important ‘commoner’ (non-aristocrat) in the kingdom after the Prime Minister.

Hundreds of years ago, it was the Speaker's job to communicate the decisions of the Commons to the King (that is where the title 'Speaker' comes from). As the king was often very displeased with what the Commons had decided, this was not a pleasant task. As a result, nobody wanted the job. They had to be forced to take it. These days, the position is a much safer one.

Once a Speaker has been appointed, he or she agrees to give up all party politics and remains in the job for as long as he or she wants it.

B. Frontbenchers and backbenchers

Although MPs do not have their own personal seats in the Commons, there are two seating areas reserved for particular MPs. These areas are the front benches on either side of the House. These benches are where the leading members of the governing party (i.e. ministers) and the leading members of the main opposition party sit. These people are thus known as ‘frontbenchers’. MPs who do not hold a government post or a post in the shadow cabinet are known as ‘backbenchers'.

C. Question time

This is the most well-attended, and usually the noisiest, part of the parliamentary day. For about an hour there is no subject for debate. Instead, MPs are allowed to ask government ministers questions. In this way they can, in theory at least, force the government to make certain facts public. Opposition MPs in particular have an opportunity to make government ministers look incompetent or perhaps dishonest.

The questions and answers, however, are not spontaneous. Questions to ministers have to be ‘tabled’ (written down and placed on the table below the Speaker’s chair) two days in advance, so that ministers have time to prepare their answers. In this way the government can usually avoid major embarrassment. The trick, though, is to ask an unexpected ‘supplementary’ question. After the minister has answered the tabled question, the MP who originally tabled it is allowed to ask a further question relating to the minister’s answer. In this way, it is sometimes possible for MPs to catch a minister unprepared.

Question time has been widely copied around the world. The vast majority of television news excerpts of Parliament are taken from this period of its day. Especially common is for the news to show an excerpt from the half-hour on Wednesdays when it is the Prime Minister's turn to answer questions.

Exercise  3. Fill in the blanks with the following word combinations and render it in English.

 What MPs do

The UK public ________Members of Parliament (MPs) ________their interests and concerns in the House of Commons. MPs are involved in considering and ________new laws, and can use their position to ask government ministers questions about current issues.

MPs split their time between working in Parliament itself, working in the ________that elected them and working for their political party.

Some MPs from the _______party (or parties) become government ministers with specific _________in certain areas, such as Health or Defence.

Working in Parliament

When Parliament is _______(meeting), MPs generally spend their time working in the House of_________. This can include raising issues affecting their constituents, attending debates and voting on new laws.

Most MPs are also members of committees, which look at issues in detail, from government policy and new laws, to wider topics like human________.

Working in their constituency

In their constituency, MPs often hold a 'surgery' in their office, where ______people can come along _______any matters that concern them.

MPs also attend functions, visit schools and businesses and generally try to meet as many people as possible. This gives MPs further _______and context into issues they may discuss when they return to Westminster.

Exercise  4. Answer the following questions:

1. What is the country's supreme legislative authority?
2. Where does Parliament work?
3. What are Parliament’s main functions?
4. How is most work carried on in Parliament?
5. In what way and for how long  time are MPs elected?
6. How is a government formed?
7. What do MPs do?
8. Question time is the most well-attended, and usually the noisiest, part of the parliamentary day. Why?
9. What is the responsibility of the Speaker?
10. What is the procedure of making laws?
11. What are the roles of the parliament and the monarch in the government?

TEXT  5

Part 1. Government

The most important feature of the British form of government is that it is a system of government by discussion and criticism. Naturally the views of the majority of the people usually prevail, but the minority is never suppressed, even though a minority may be only a small group.

The Queen's Ministers form the Executive Government of Britain. They decide what shall be done and their policy is carried out mainly by the Civil Service. All their actions are done in the Queen's name.

All the Ministers are also in Parliament. There they have to be ready to face criticism and explain their actions. This link between Government and Parliament is vitally important. It means that despite its vast power, the Government is really responsible to the elected representatives of the ordinary people.

The Prime Minister and the Cabinet. The most important of the Queen's Ministers is the Prime Minister. In his relationship with the other Ministers he has been described by one well-known authority as being like the sun among the planets. He is the Queen's chief adviser and his opinions shape the whole of Government policy. At the same time he is the leader of the largest political party in the House of Commons. There is no written law which states that the Prime Minister must be in the Commons rather than in the Lords. This is only right. The House of Commons, as the elected body, should have every opportunity of being in contact with the chief man in the Government. The official title of the Prime Minister is "Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury". The Treasury is the department of the Government which handles the nation's money and the fact that modern Premiers combine these two offices is a sign of the great power they hold, despite the fact that the real work of the Treasury is now performed by the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

After a General Election the Queen sends for the leader of the largest political party and asks him to form a Government. This is a new Prime Minister's first task. In addition to this, he has to form a Cabinet consisting of the men occupying the most important posts in the Government. The size of a Cabinet has varied at different times but usually it is under twenty. In normal times the Cabinet meets for about two hours once or twice a week in the Prime Minister's house at No. 10 Downing Street.

Neither is there any rule deciding which Departments of State shall be represented in the Cabinet. Obviously if a new Prime Minister is wise he will include in his Cabinet the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Foreign Secretary (Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs since 1968). But some other posts are not always included in the Cabinet and the Prime Minister will make up his own mind on this point. The most important feature to notice is that all the Ministers, whether in the Cabinet or not, owe their appointment to the Prime Minister. He might appoint some of his supporters to Ministerial posts and later on decide to dismiss them or transfer them to another Department. This is another sign of his great power. You should notice, however, that before making his appointments the Prime Minister takes a list to the Queen and seeks her approval.

The Prime Minister can advise the Queen to dissolve Parliament. This is a matter on which the Sovereign will accept advice from no one else except the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister guides the discussion. Before the meeting he draws up the agenda and asks the Ministers to be prepared to make statements about their Departments. The Cabinet decides the great questions of Government policy and therefore it does not deal with questions which can be solved satisfactorily at a lower level. Questions of less importance are discussed at Committees of the Cabinet. The number of Committees varies with the Government in power at the time. Most Cabinets, however, have a Committee dealing with legislation. Usually such a Committee decides the programme of Government Bills to be introduced in Parliament during the session.

Part 2. The Ministry.

All the Ministers may be classified in the following way.

The Departmental Ministers. These are important Ministers who  are at the head of great Departments of State. The heads of some of the Departments are known as Secretaries of State and they deal with Home Affairs, Foreign Affairs, Scotland, Commonwealth Relations, etc. The other heads of Departments are called Ministers.

The Secretary of State for the Home Department (the Home Secretary). He is in charge of one of the busiest departments in the Government. He is responsible for maintaining law and order and therefore he takes a keen interest in the efficiency of the police forces throughout the country. He is in charge of the prisons, the organization of the Magistrates'  Courts, etc.

The Lord Chancellor. He is the Speaker of the House of Lords and he is at the head of Judges. In addition to this he is in charge of more than twenty different offices which are mainly concerned with legal practice.

The Minister of Defence. Today this Minister has very wide powers

indeed because all the traditional methods of defence are being changed to

'suit the new atomic age in which we are now living. He coordinates the

I work of three departments, which are in effect subordinate to him, the

Admiralty (i.e. the Navy), War (the Army), and Air (the Air Force).

The President of the Board of Trade. The President is generally responsible for Britain's commerce, industry and oversea trade.

The Minister of Labour and National Service. Among many other duties, this Minister is concerned with the provision of employment and helping employers to find suitable employees.

The Minister of Power. This post has been created quite recently. "Power" refers to the provision of coal, gas, electricity and atomic power for generating electricity. The Minister also acts for the Government in its dealings with the petroleum industry.

The Law Officers. The Law Officers are the Government's legal advisers and they appear in court on behalf of the Government in important cases.

All the Ministers have to act as members of a team rather than as isolated individuals. Each Minister must share full responsibility for the work of his colleagues in other departments and he must be prepared to support the Government on all issues even though they do not directly concern the work he is doing.

But there is another form of Ministerial responsibility: all Ministers are responsible to Parliament. This is probably the most important feature of the British form of Government.

Exercise 1. Choose the right word or word-combination.

1. The Queen's Ministers form the Executive ... of Britain

a) Cabinet b) Government c) Parliament

2. The Cabinet is restricted to about... members

 a) twenty b) thirty c) ten

3. The Prime Minister is the head of ...

a) the House of Commons b) the Government c) Parliament

4. All the Ministers owe their appointment to ...

a) the Prime Minister b) the Queen c) the Government

5. The Prime Minister can advise the Queen to dissolve ...

a) the Government b) the Cabinet c) Parliament

Exercise 2. Match the given below word-combinations with their Russian equivalents.

Exercise 3. Fill in the blanks with the following words.

There are many ____ associated with both chambers of the Houses of Parliament. The Woolsack, for instance, is a sort of stool stuffed with ______, originally placed in Parliament in Edward Ill's reign as a ___________of the basis of England's prosperity at that time. Nowadays, it is the ________of the Lord Chancellor, as Speaker of the House of______, ___with a blend of wool from the colonies .

There is a place between the two sides of the Houses. In the House of Commons this _____ is approximately the width of two drawn swords. Formerly, the MPs, when very heated, sometimes drew swords and a fight began. Therefore, a ruler was imposed prohibiting______ to cross the space. Today any _____ who puts a foot forward is "called to order" immediately by the Speaker and he has to apologize to the House.

Exercise 4. Answer the questions to the text.

1. Who forms the Executive Government?

2. What is a new Prime Minister's first task?

3. How many members are there in the Cabinet?

4. Where does the Cabinet meet?

5. Who decides the great questions of Government policy?

6. What is probably the most important feature of the British form of government?

Exercise 5. Translate the text   “National Symbols” into Russian using a dictionary.

National   Symbols

The British National Anthem dates back to the eighteenth century.

'God Save The King' was a patriotic song first publicly performed in London in 1745, which came to be known as the National Anthem at the beginning of the nineteenth century. The words and tune are anonymous.

In September 1745 the 'Young Pretender' to the British Throne, Prince Charles Edward Stuart, defeated the army of King George II at Prestonpans, near Edinburgh. In a fit of patriotic fervor after news of Prestonpans had reached London, the leader of the band at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, arranged 'God Save The King' for performance after a play. It was a tremendous success and was repeated nightly.  This practice soon spread to other theatres, and the custom of greeting monarchs with the song as he or she entered a place of public entertainment was thus established.

The words of the National Anthem are as follows:

The Union Flag, or Union Jack, is the national flag of the United Kingdom.

It is so called because it combines the crosses of the three countries united under one Sovereign - the kingdoms of England and Wales, of Scotland and of Ireland (although since 1921 only Northern Ireland has been part of the United Kingdom).

The flag consists of three heraldic crosses.

The cross of St George, patron saint of England since the 1270's, is a red cross on a white ground. After James I succeeded to the throne, it was combined with the cross of St. Andrew in 1606.

The cross saltire of St Andrew, patron saint of Scotland, is a diagonal white cross on a blue ground.

The cross saltire of St Patrick, patron saint of Ireland, is a diagonal red cross on a white ground.

This was combined with the previous Union Flag of St George and St Andrew, after the Act of Union of Ireland with England (and Wales) and Scotland on 1 January 1801, to create the Union Flag that has been flown ever since.

The Union Flag was originally a Royal flag. When the present design was made official in 1801, it was ordered to be flown on all the King's forts and castles, but not elsewhere.

It is today flown above Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and Sandringham when The Queen is not in residence.

The Union Flag is flown on Government buildings on days marking the birthdays of members of the Royal Family, Commonwealth Day, Coronation Day, The Queen's official birthday, Remembrance Day and on the days of the State Opening and prorogation of Parliament.

The Royal coat of arms is the official coat of arms of the British monarch. These arms are used by the Queen in her official capacity as monarch of the United Kingdom. Variants of the Royal Arms are used by other members of the Royal Family; and by the British government in connection with the administration and government of the country.

The coat features both the motto of English monarchs, Dieuet mon droit (God and my right), and the motto of the Order of the Garter, Honisoit qui mal y pense (shame upon him who thinks evil of it) on a representation of the Garter behind the shield.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: http://www.rogerdarlington.me.uk/Britishpoliticalsystem

http://englishmedia1.ucoz.ru/index/the_political_system_of_great_britain/0-43