The Queen and the adoration she aspires are legendary. Observing and questioning people about Elizabeth II while my stay; I could understand there truly is a deep relationship between her and her subjects. I therefore believe, understanding, her role in the country is part of the trip when you are willing to discover England.

Monarchy is the oldest form of government in the United Kingdom. The power is passed from ancestors to their children until another family takes the throne. Kings and Queens are classified by great families. See below a timeline of those families according to Britainexpress:

 Queen Elisabeth II is the heiress of ten centuries of Monarchy in England. She is Head of State in the United Kingdom in the context of a constitutional monarchy. Her role isn’t to rule the country: the Crown doesn’t have the ability to create and pass legislation: the elected Parliament does. However, she has a constitutional role and representational duties; she is Head of the Armed Forces, Fount of Justice and has an important role to play with the Churches of England and Scotland.

 Yet, her role goes way beyond formal titles: the Queen is part of the national identity, represents the stability and continuity not to mention centuries of history. Furthermore, the Queen has always been a role model of success and charity. For instance, during the World War II, she was a member of the Auxiliary territorial Services in the British army and currently is the patron of more than 600 charities, which explains people’s adoration for her in England.

 Many tourists wonder in a corner of their head about the Crown’s fortunes. To start, Crown’s fortune is based on each family member’s personal fortune (about £350 million for the Queen) and what is called the “Crown Estate” (valued at £7.3 billion). The “Crow Estate” is the lands the Crown owns but they don’t personally belong to the Monarch just like the extraordinary British Crown jewel (to distinguish with the Queen’s personal Jewels).

 I believe, the Monarchy really is a point of interest when you visit England. Being able to visit the Tower of London, stepping into 1000 years of history, admiring the Royal Jewels or meeting in the entrance of a building the Royal guard and even standing in front of the astonishing Buckingham Palace are some of the greatest memories I will keep from London.

 Searching information about Queen Elisabeth II, I came across funny facts about her: Did you know the Queen speaks perfectly in French? Or that she is the only citizen allowed to drive without a license or to travel without a passport? Below, a factsheet about the beloved Queen Elisabeth II.

References:

http://www.britainexpress.com/History/monarchs.htm 

 http://abcnews.go.com/2020/queen-20-surprising-facts-elizabeth-ii/story?id=16405804

 http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2114386_2114388_2115566,00.html

 http://www.royal.gov.uk/Home.aspx