Monarch's magic

Everything is done to make monarchy a worthy symbol of the nation: about 20 books are published in Britain every year on the Royal Family, popular magazines all over Europe frequently feature British royalty, but at the same time some elements of mystery, magic and sanctity² is created around them. Even clothing is chosen to ensure dignity. Queen's clothes are colourful and visible in public on the one hand and staid³ on other occasions as a reminder that she stands for stability and continuity. Prince Charles and his father, Prince Philip always dress correctly, according to the tradition, and it is increasingly out of tune with changes in public fashion but is also the expression of stability which is so vital for the royal image.

The authority of the Royal Family derives from many other sources including their speech, their avoiding interference in political life. Water Bagehot in his book «The English Constitution* wrote of the Crown: «It's mystery is in its life. We must not let in daylight upon magic. We must not bring the Queen into the combat of politics, or she will cease to be reverenced by all combatants; she will become one combatant among many.

Fascination and reverence go so far that even ordinary items used by the Queen on a royal visit somewhere, acquire sanctity and may be put on view for people to see. «Nowhere is a non-ruling person more revered¹ than in England*, remarked F. Engels a century ago, and the words remain true today.

Yet from time to time the question if the nation should pay for that undemocratic institution is raised. Monarchy is indeed a very expensive institution. The Queen gets an allowance of about two million pounds a year, secured from inflation. All the members of the Royal family also get considerable annual allowances, known as the «Civil List», which is free of tax.

Though the Queen is reputed to be the wealthiest person in Britain and one of the wealthiest in the world and though the Queen's wealth is free of taxes (she pays them voluntarily now) the «Civil List» is provided to cover the expenses of the Royal Family in carrying out its public duties. Its not a salary, and is provided for a ten-year period on an assumed rate of inflation for the period. So at the beginning of the decade, in 1991, the Queen was allocated an annual income of 7,9 mln pounds, even though her predicted expenditure for 1991 was only 5,9 mln pounds. But if the actual rate of inflation is less than the predicted one, there is no mechanism for the Queen to return the savings to government, they become the Queen's property. The ten-yearly payment is agreed upon because an annual request from the Queen for funds is thought to be undignified.

Дата добавления: 2015-05-26