Driving sans license and passport-free trips, Queen has privileges that no one else in the world can boast of
There are government leaders, kings, and queens and then there is Queen Elizabeth II of the UK. No doubt the leader of any country enjoys several perks that no common man does, but when it comes to the 94-year-old’s privileges, her plate is always on a heavier side.
Recently, when Meghan Markle and Prince Harry made some shocking allegations against the royal family, it shook the pillars of the palace. The pair did not mince words while accusing the palace of racism and “perpetuating falsehoods”. In response, on behalf of the Queen, Buckingham Palace released a statement that read, “The whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan. The issues raised, particularly of race, are concerning. While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately. Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much loved family members. ENDS.”
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Since the statement was just 61 words long and did not address the allegations in detail, the demands to 'abolish the monarchy' flooded the internet. There were some people on the Internet who even ‘jokingly’ demanded the impeachment of her, but that is reportedly not possible. “The Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms cannot be impeached because there is no impeachment mechanism in place,” Chris Hawkes, a user on the Q&A forum Quora, said as reported by Latin Times. Not just the impeachment, the monarch cannot be sued and prosecuted in the UK.
As per The official Royal website, “In the earliest times the Sovereign was a key figure in the enforcement of law and the establishment of legal systems in different areas of the UK. As such the Sovereign became known as the 'Fount of Justice'. While no longer administering justice in a practical way, the Sovereign today still retains an important symbolic role as the figure in whose name justice is carried out, and law and order is maintained. Although civil and criminal proceedings cannot be taken against the Sovereign as a person under UK law, The Queen is careful to ensure that all her activities in her personal capacity are carried out in strict accordance with the law.”
What are other privileges of the Queen?
Apart from being immune to prosecution, Queen Elizabeth II also does not need a license to drive a vehicle since all licenses are issued in her name. Elizabeth is reportedly comfortable with the steering wheel and once surprised King Abdullah of Jordan (then still a Prince) by taking him on a drive. Recalling the episode, former British Ambassador Sherard Cowper-Coles said, “as instructed, the crown prince climbed into the front seat of the front Land Rover, with his interpreter in the seat behind. To his surprise, the Queen climbed into the driving seat, turned the ignition and drove off."
“His nervousness only increased as the Queen, an army driver in wartime, accelerated the Land Rover along the narrow Scottish estate roads, talking all the time. Through his interpreter, the crown prince implored the Queen to slow down and concentrate on the road ahead,” Cowper-Coles added.
Like a driving license, it is also not mandatory for the Queen to have a passport. While other members of the royal family require this travel document to fly across the globe, the monarch does not. Another bizarre power of the Queen is, she is the owner of a private cash machine, which can be used by other members of the family also. The machine has been provided by Coutts, one of the UK's most prestigious and exclusive banks.
The Queen is barred from paying taxes, but she has been voluntarily paying her part since 1992. Another privilege of the longest-ruling monarch is she is free from Freedom Of Information requests. Also, during a "grave constitutional crisis", she can "act contrary to or without Ministerial advice." Along with being the head of state of the UK, the Sovereign is also the head of state of Australia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Saint Lucia, Canada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Grenada, Tuvalu, Jamaica, Papua New Guinea, the Bahamas, Solomon Islands, and New Zealand.
The Queen also heads the Church of England, under the title ‘Defender of the Faith and Supreme Governor of the Church of England’, and enjoys the power to designate Bishops and Archbishops. The most fascinating power of the Queen is she has the power to sack the whole government of Australia and it has already happened in 1975 when her representative in the country at the time, Governor-General Sir John Kerr, took down the then Prime Minister Gough Whitlam from the chair because of a government shutdown.
“He [Kerr] appointed a replacement, who immediately passed the spending bill to fund the government. Three hours later, Kerr dismissed the rest of Parliament. Then Australia held elections to restart from scratch. And they haven't had another shutdown since,” Max Fisher wrote for The Washington Post.
Other than these powers and privileges, the Queen has two birthdays unlike us. Her real birthday is on April 21, but her official birthday is marked with all pomp and show on a Saturday in June of every year. The Royal Mint states, “The Queen’s official birthday is celebrated with the Birthday Parade, which is also known as Trooping the Colour. During the ceremony, trained and fully operational members of the Household Division greet The Queen with a royal salute. She then inspects the troops, riding past them in a carriage. After the massed bands have performed a musical ‘troop,’ the regimental colour, or flag, is carried down the ranks of troops.”
However, the Queen’s actual birthday also does not go without special events. Royal Gun Salutes are fired in her honor. “Royal Gun Salutes mark special royal occasions. In London, salutes are fired in Hyde Park by the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery and at The Tower of London. However, on State Visits, at the State Opening of Parliament and for The Queen's Birthday Parade, The Green Park is used instead of Hyde Park. The number of rounds fired in a Royal Gun Salute depends on the place and occasion. The basic salute is 21 rounds. In Hyde Park and The Green Park an extra 20 rounds are added because they are a Royal Park. Gun salutes are usually fired at midday (unless otherwise stated below). Salutes are not fired on Sundays, so if the date falls on a Sunday, the salute will take place the next day,” The Royal Parks website says.