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Quiz about The Government of the United Kingdom The Monarchy
Quiz about The Government of the United Kingdom The Monarchy

The Government of the United Kingdom: The Monarchy Quiz


Over centuries, royal power and prerogatives have declined. Test your knowledge of the role of the monarchy in the government of the United Kingdom in the 21st century.

A multiple-choice quiz by Uglybird. Estimated time: 7 mins.
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Author
Uglybird
Time
7 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
212,342
Updated
Jul 23 22
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Difficult
Avg Score
5 / 10
Plays
1383
Awards
Top 20% Quiz
Last 3 plays: Guest 86 (3/10), Guest 35 (5/10), Guest 90 (5/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. The duties of the Monarch of the United Kingdom still include summoning, proroguing and dissolving Parliament as well as appointing the Prime Minister and other leaders. However, the monarch performs these duties in accordance with ministerial advice. What assures that the King or Queen will adhere to that advice? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. A bill passed by Parliament does not become law unless it is granted "Royal Assent". No 20th or 21st century monarch has denied assent to a Parliamentary bill. Who was the last monarch to refuse assent? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. Previous to the Succession to the Crown Act 2013, when a sovereign had no male heirs and a female offspring ascended to the throne, which of the following titles implied that she had full powers as a reigning monarch? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. Both historical conflicts and Acts of Parliament have influenced the conditions for succeeding to the throne of the United Kingdom. What requirements must a prospective King or Queen of the United Kingdom meet? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. Ultimately, marriages of the Royal Family come under the purview of Parliament. Should a reigning Queen marry, what special rank and privileges are accorded to her spouse? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. The Privy Council exists to advise the monarch, and the monarch makes all appointments to the Council. In what way does the Privy Council relate to the Cabinet? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. The Judicial Committee of the monarch's Privy Council provides a number of functions. Which of the following does NOT properly describe a function of this committee? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. The power to declare war resides with the monarch.


Question 9 of 10
9. The cost of the monarchy is an issue to some in the United Kingdom. Which UK taxes does the Monarch of the United Kingdom NOT pay? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. Not all royal privileges and prerogatives have been eroded over the centuries. What is the status of the Royal Family under the United Kingdom's Freedom of Information Acts? Hint



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Most Recent Scores
Mar 23 2024 : Guest 86: 3/10
Mar 03 2024 : Guest 35: 5/10
Mar 02 2024 : Guest 90: 5/10
Jan 31 2024 : Quizaddict1: 5/10

Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. The duties of the Monarch of the United Kingdom still include summoning, proroguing and dissolving Parliament as well as appointing the Prime Minister and other leaders. However, the monarch performs these duties in accordance with ministerial advice. What assures that the King or Queen will adhere to that advice?

Answer: Custom

The monarchy is the oldest branch of government in the UK. The official website of the British monarchy, "www.royal.gov.uk", designates King Egbert of Wessex, whose reign began in 802, as the first Anglo-Saxon monarch. Over time, Parliament and the Cabinet have taken over the business of government. Yet, the monarch remains the head of state and sovereignty is said to be possessed by "The Monarch in Parliament".

According to the United Kingdom's official governmental information web site "www.direct.gov.uk", it is only custom that "now dictates that the Queen follows ministerial advice". Unlike countries with constitutional monarchies, the United Kingdom has no single constitutional document that governs the relationship between the sovereign and the rest of the government.
2. A bill passed by Parliament does not become law unless it is granted "Royal Assent". No 20th or 21st century monarch has denied assent to a Parliamentary bill. Who was the last monarch to refuse assent?

Answer: Queen Anne in 1708

In the 15th century, it became the practice of Parliament to initiate legislation. These "bills" became law only if the sovereign assented to them. As the balance of power shifted from the Crown to the Parliament, denials became less frequent. The last instance occurred on March 11, 1708, when Queen Anne refused assent for a bill "for the settling of militia in Scotland".
3. Previous to the Succession to the Crown Act 2013, when a sovereign had no male heirs and a female offspring ascended to the throne, which of the following titles implied that she had full powers as a reigning monarch?

Answer: Queen Regnant

The rule of male-preference primogeniture applied to the succession to the throne. The eldest male succeeded, but a female may have reigned if there were no male offspring.
4. Both historical conflicts and Acts of Parliament have influenced the conditions for succeeding to the throne of the United Kingdom. What requirements must a prospective King or Queen of the United Kingdom meet?

Answer: He or she must be both a protestant and a descendant of Princess Sophia, the Electress of Hanover.

Princess Sophia, the Electress of Hanover, was granddaughter of the James who was both James I of England and James VI of Scotland. In 1689, Mary II and William III became King and Queen of England replacing the Catholic James II who had fled England in 1688.

In 1701, Parliament passed the Act of Succession, an amendment to the British Bill of Rights enacted in 1689. This Act required that only Princess Sophia and her protestant descendants were in the line of succession for the Crown and also provided that Parliament would be the final authority on matters of succession. Sophia died before she could succeed to the Crown.

Her protestant son, George I, succeeded Queen Anne.
5. Ultimately, marriages of the Royal Family come under the purview of Parliament. Should a reigning Queen marry, what special rank and privileges are accorded to her spouse?

Answer: None

A man marrying a Queen Regnant is afforded no rank or privilege thereby. After Edward VIII abdicated in 1936, his brother created him "Duke of Windsor". The spouse of a Queen does not enter in the succession as a result of the marriage. The Queen's husband would sit in the House of Lords only if entitled to in his own right.
6. The Privy Council exists to advise the monarch, and the monarch makes all appointments to the Council. In what way does the Privy Council relate to the Cabinet?

Answer: All of these

The councillors to the Norman Kings included men of wealth, clergy and officials of the Crown. Their role included functions that the judiciary and Parliament later assumed. During Cromwell's Protectorate, his Privy Council was fixed at thirteen members and was elected by the Commons. Charles II reestablished a larger Privy Council but looked to a smaller committee for advice. Under George I, this smaller and now more influential body became known as the Cabinet.

Although the monarch appoints all members of the Privy Council, the Government guides the monarch in those appointments.
7. The Judicial Committee of the monarch's Privy Council provides a number of functions. Which of the following does NOT properly describe a function of this committee?

Answer: It is the highest level of appeal for all judicial matters in the United Kingdom.

The United Kingdom has no single judicial tribunal equivalent to the Supreme Court of the United States. England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland each have their own court system. Because of "devolution", the emergence of separate legislative bodies in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council has come to have jurisdiction in disputes arising out of acts of those bodies.

Historically, Commonwealth nations, including the Bahamas and Barbados, have used the committee for final judicial appeals - although the number doing so has steadily declined. Veterinary Surgeons retain the right to appeal disciplinary actions to the Judicial Committee.
8. The power to declare war resides with the monarch.

Answer: True

Again, this would only occur on the advice of the Government, and it is difficult to imagine a monarch refusing a Government request to declare war. Officially, the military forces of the United Kingdom are the "Armed Forces of the Crown" and the monarch is their Commander-in-Chief. Practically speaking, the Ministry of Defence directs the military.
9. The cost of the monarchy is an issue to some in the United Kingdom. Which UK taxes does the Monarch of the United Kingdom NOT pay?

Answer: Inheritance tax on bequests from Sovereign to Sovereign

Public funds in the amount of £7.9 million yearly are provided to fund the Queen's official duties. The level of funding of the "Civil List" was set in 1991 and is to remain unchanged through 2011. In comparison, income from the Crown Estate (totaling £170.8 million in 2002/3) is surrendered to the government.

In 2002/3, a total of £36.2 million was expended for the Queen as Head of State.
10. Not all royal privileges and prerogatives have been eroded over the centuries. What is the status of the Royal Family under the United Kingdom's Freedom of Information Acts?

Answer: It is entirely exempt.

Although exempt from the Freedom of Information Acts, the Royal Household accounts fully its use of public money. A full account of the use of public funds for the Head of State has been provided since 2001.
Source: Author Uglybird

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Leau before going online.
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