The British Royal Family - Essay Example

?The British Royal Family The British Royal Family holds a very important in the United Kingdom. The Royal Family is constituted by the group of close relatives of the monarch of United Kingdom. The members of the Royal Family are either the relatives of the monarch by birth or become members of the Royal Family by marriage. The Royal Family plays an important part in the overall political structure of the United Kingdom. The British political system is headed by a monarchy but in its very essence, the powers of the monarch are ceremonial and the actual power is of the Member of Parliament. The leader of the political which acquires the most number of seats in the House of Commons can form a government and this opportunity is granted to the Member of Parliament by the monarch. INTRODUCTION TO THE BRITISH ROYAL FAMILY The last monarch who took active part in the government was Queen Anne and she was responsible for the Act of Union 1707 according to which England and Scotland were united into a single Kingdom of Great Britain. In 1714, Queen Anne was succeeded by George I (Luttrell 1857). Formation of the British Royal Family The new monarch was not as active in the government as his predecessors but he did not let go of his governmental control over his German kingdoms. Due to his comparative inactiveness in the government, the governmental powers shifted towards the ministers of George. In this regard, most powers were shifted to Sir Robert Walpole who is regarded as the first Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. The title of the Prime Minister was not officially used at that time but due to the powers held by Sir Robert Walpole, it is said that he was the first Prime Minister (Pinches & Pinches 1974). This was the initiation of the change in the political structure of the United Kingdom and it can said that this was the start of the formation of the United Kingdom as it is today. The Royal Family took part in the ceremonial activities and all the ceremonial activities were kept intact, however the governmental decisions were delegated to the ministers. Thus, it can be said that the Royal Family retained its position and respect among the people of the United Kingdom even if the governmental powers were delegated. The next monarch was George II and with his ancestors, the Royal Family grew. The members of the Royal Family increased and since then the Royal Family holds a very special position in the political structure of the United Kingdom. The Royal Family has a number of formal responsibilities and whether the responsibilities are taken care of is recorded. The formal responsibilities include meetings among the members of the Family and other public engagements (Collins 1984). Role of the Royal Family in the United Kingdom The members of the Royal Family take part in hundreds of public engagement that take place each year all around the United Kingdom. The members of the United Kingdom attend the ceremonies to encourage and know about the endeavors of institutions and individuals in their work regarding different aspects of life. The members of the Royal Family take part in certain activities on behalf of HM The Queen and act on her behalf. The members of the Royal Family often take part in commemorating historical events, celebratory occurrences, holidays and tragic occurrences. Due to the involvement of the Royal Family in such occurrences, the Royal Family holds an important position for the people of the United Kingdom. The citizens of the United Kingdom attach great respect to the Royal Family and honor the involvement of the Royal Family in national activities with great enthusiasm. The Royal Family also sponsors a number of cultural, social and charitable activities. This is also one of the reasons behind the constant high position of the Royal Family among the citizens of the United Kingdom. By these activities, the Royal Family shows that it cares for the people of the United Kingdom and in turn the people of the United Kingdom show respect for the Royal Family. When a member of the Royal Family travels abroad on behalf of the United Kingdom, it is called State Visit and such visits and meetings with other heads of state are considered highly important as they help United Kingdom in strengthening the relations with other heads of state (Royal.org). The Royal Family also promotes the British goods and trade among other nations and they also endorse United Kingdom as a historical, vacation and tourist destination. Due to the very presence of the Royal Family in the United Kingdom, people consider United Kingdom the place where historical ceremonies still take place (Holden 1984). The activities and traditional roles of the Royal Family make the modern royal court and these activities add the British and historical color to the ceremonies and public events. The Royal Family attracts sufficient attention from media and the activities of the members of the Family and the family relationships are publicized through media. The personalities, public roles, behavior and attire of the members of the Royal Family are also watched by the media (Kelley 1998). EFFECTIVENESS OF THE ROYAL FAMILY AND ITS IMPACT ON THE UNITED KINGDOM The British Royal Family is considered to be a highly important part of what is left of English sovereignty and heritage. This is the main reason why the people of the United Kingdom respect the Royal Family and do not resist the fact that a portion of their taxes is used to pay for the official costs of the British Royal Family. The Royal Family is considered to be a living example of the preservation of historical rituals over a large span of time. The people of the United Kingdom feel pride with this fact. According to the people of the United Kingdom, the Royal Family is an important asset to the country and losing it would be a great loss. Therefore, the people of the United Kingdom attach great value to the Royal Family. Impact of Tourism in the United Kingdom The Royal Family has a great influence over the United Kingdom in a number of ways. As mentioned earlier, the Royal Family is responsible for the revenue generated from the tourism in the United Kingdom. This can be said to be the biggest influence of the Royal Family in the United Kingdom as each year thousands of tourists from all around the globe come to witness the historical places and the manner of living of the Royals. People from all around the globe find it really good to see the preservation of royal culture and the royal ways. The way the Royal Family lives, the historical value of the royal guards and everything that our countries have lost along the lines of time can be witnessed in the Royal Family of the United Kingdom therefore people from all around the world come to witness the history. Impact on Trade in the United Kingdom The Royal Family also has a huge impact on the trade of the United Kingdom with other countries. The official visits of the members of the Royal Family are done for the purpose of strengthening relationships of the United Kingdom with other countries. The members of the Royal Family do such visits on behalf of the government of the United Kingdom therefore so much value is attached to such visits. One of the most common purposes of such visits is to enhance the trade relationships of that country with the United Kingdom. In this manner, the overall economy of the United Kingdom is benefitted by the trade with other countries. United Kingdom exports goods which are sufficiently produced and imports those goods which are demanded more at home. Therefore, the Royal Family has influenced the trade relationships of the United Kingdom as well. Impact on Charitable Activities The Royal Family is also known for its charitable activities all around the United Kingdom. This is one of the reasons why the people of the United Kingdom respect the Royal Family that much. The Royal Family sponsors and takes part in a number of charitable activities throughout the year. The charitable activities conducted by the Royal Family are always successful because the members of the Royal Family enjoy enormous attention from the media. Any activity sponsored by the Royal Family is encouraged by the media and put forward for critical analysis. Therefore, a number of people take part in such charitable activities and the causes of such activities are successfully met. The charitable activities are conducted for different causes. Some of the causes are to promote education and to increase awareness regarding something among the people (Royal.org). Influence on National Unity and Stability The Royal Family has helped the United Kingdom in bringing national unity and stability in the region. There are about 3000 organizations who list members of the Royal Family as patron or president. These organizations ranging from educational institutions and hospitals act as a medium through which the Royal Family takes part in the social activities. These organizations help the Royal Family meet people from a wide spectrum of national and local life and to get to know their problems, concerns and interests. Through such social activities, the Royal Family helps in bringing national unity in the United Kingdom. Members of the Royal Family also often represent The Queen and the nation in Commonwealth or other countries, at events such as State funerals or national festivities, or through longer visits to strengthen Britain's diplomatic and economic relations (Royal.org). All these activities of the Royal Family add to the stability of the United Kingdom in a number of aspects. The representation of the Royal Family at State funerals and national festivities brings social stability in the region and the visits to other countries by the members of the Royal Family bring economic stability in the United Kingdom. CONCLUSION Thus, it can be concluded that the British Royal Family is highly effective in the United Kingdom and it has changed the United Kingdom in various aspects. Those changes include enhanced stability and national unity. In the absence of the Royal Family, the United Kingdom would not have the same position as it holds today. REFERENCES Collins, A. (1984) The British Royal Family. Heinemann Educational Books. Holden, A. (1984) The British Royal Family. Vendome Pr. Kelley, K. (1998) The Royals. Wheeler Pub. Luttrell, N. (1857) A Brief Historical Relation of State Affairs from September 1678 to April 1714. Oxford: University Press. Pinches, J., Pinches, R. (1974) The Royal Heraldry of England. Slough: Hollen Street Press. Royal.org. (2011) The Role of the Royal Family [Internet]. Available from http://www.royal.gov.uk/MonarchUK/HowtheMonarchyworks/TheroleoftheRoyalFamily.aspx [22 November 11] Royal.org. (2011) The British Monarchy: History and Background [Internet]. Available from http://www.royal.gov.uk/MonarchUK/HowtheMonarchyworks/History%20and%20background.aspx [22 Nov. 11] Read More