Queen Elizabeth I was the last Queen (and Monarch) of England.
Since 1603 there has only been a monarch of the United Kingdom.
Many people find this very hard to believe.
A recent email we received said what about Queen Anne?
Queen Anne was Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland. England and Scotland formally united into a single state under the Act of Union 1707.
Our Queen today has the official title of:
“‘Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. “
We would welcome comments…
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Sunday, May 06, 2007
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4 comments:
What is the difference between a monarch and a Queen ?
A queen is also a monarch.
A monarch can be a king or queen.
A Monarch is a constitutional Head of State, and can be a King or a Queen; however, a Queen may also be the consort (wife or partner) of a King, in which case she is not a Monarch in her own right.
We need to understand the Rules of Accession in order to properly understand the difference. Normally, the successor to the reigning Monarch will be the eldest son of that Monarch, and, if that son dies before his father, then his eldest son will accede. If that eldest son has no sons, then the next eldest will accede, and so on, until we run out of sons in direct line. In such a case, a daughter will accede, as was the case with our current Queen, as her father, King George VI, had no sons. If there are no children of the Monarch, then brothers become the next in line; this is how King George VI became King, as his brother (Edward VIII, later Duke of Windsor) abdicated from the throne, without children. After brothers there come very complicated rules about cousins, uncles and all sorts of distant relatives, but these situations are very rare.
Should a son inherit, then his wife will (normally) take the title of Queen, but she does not become a Monarch, but technically only a Queen Consort. Should a daughter accede and become Queen, and Monarch in her own right, then her husband does not, and cannot, become King, nor a Monarch. Kingship can only be directly inherited. As with our present Queen’s husband, he is a Prince Consort.
It’s complicated, but I hope this has made things a little clearer.
Abolish the Monarchy! They put their pants on the same way I do every morning. The only difference between them and me is their ancestors were greedier than mine, and more determined to take control. This does not give the present bunch any more rights than I. I am sure this will not be published but I had to say it anyway.
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