THUONG MAI UNIVERSITY

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT

----------

GROUP DISCUSSION

BRITISH CULTURE

Topic: The monarchy

Supervisor : Lê Thị Phương Mai

Group :1

Class : 2152ENTI0411

Ha Noi, September /2021

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Contents
A. INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................................4
B. BODY.........................................................................................................................................5
I. Overview...................................................................................................................................5
1. What is a monarchy?............................................................................................................5
2. The introduction of monarchy in the UK.............................................................................6
II. Monarchy in the UK................................................................................................................9
1. The appearance...............................................................................................................9
2. The reality....................................................................................................................10
3. The role of the monarch...............................................................................................11
4. The value of the monarchy...........................................................................................11
5. The future of the monarchy..........................................................................................12
6. British attitudes towards the monarchy........................................................................13
III. Comparison in British and Vietnamese monarchy...............................................................14
C. CONCLUSION..........................................................................................................................18

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 GROUP MEMBERS’ ASSESSMENT TABLE

No Name Student’s Task Teacher’s Mark

code comments

1 Bùi Hồng Anh 18D170251 Introduction + Definitions

of the monarchy

2 Đỗ Quỳnh Anh 18D170252 The introduction of

monarchy in the UK

3 Nguyễn Quỳnh 18D170302 The appearance, the reality

Anh and the role of the
monarch + Word
Summary

4 Ngô Ngọc Ánh 18D170253 The value, the future of

the monarchy, and British
attitude towards the
monarchy

5 Nguyễn Minh 18D170005 Comparison of the

Châu monarchy between
Vietnam’s monarchy
history and the United
Kingdom + Conclusion

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A. INTRODUCTION

Throughout history, there have been many different countries and societies,
and those populations could never function properly without a form of
leadership. Government is important with running a country; no civilization has
lasted without some kind of decree from leader(s). The number of Governments
that have existed at some point in time is big one, but today an absolute
monarchy, a constitutional monarchy, a direct democracy, and an authoritarian
Government will be highlighted. Government is an important part of countries,
and out of the many civilizations in the world, there are many kinds of
Government. In addition, in the discussion today, our group is going to cover one
of the most common forms of government in the world today. It is a monarchy.
More specifically, we will learn more about the absolute monarchy in UK.

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B. BODY

I. OVERVIEW

1. What is a monarchy?

1.1. Definition
So what is a monarchy? Since every country does it their own way, there are many
variations of each system, so it is difficult to make the statement that is true in all
cases. But fundamentally, it’s all the same. A monarchy is a form of government in
which a group, usually a family called dynasty, embodies the country's national
identity and one of its members called the monarch.
A monarch, such as a king or a queen. This person is the one who rules a whole
kingdom or empire. More specifically, male monarchs are generally called as kings
and female monarchs are known as queens. A monarch exercises a role of
sovereignty and he or she will hold this position until death or abdication.

1.2. Types of monarchies

There are two types of monarchies: They are constitutional and absolute. It is
important to know that monarchs have varied amounts of power, depending on the
time and situation:
A constitutional monarchy, is a form of monarchy in which a monarch shares
power with a constitutionally organized government. In a constitutional monarchy,
the king or queen is the head of state, but in terms of power, it is only symbolic,
representing the family communication and especially the national system.
Therefore, the monarch serves as a symbolic ruler while the prime minister and the
government actually lead the country and most of the their power resides with other
forms of government. The monarch's power is limited by a constitution.
EG: Spain, Cambodia and Thailand are examples of constitutional monarchies.
An absolute monarchy: is a form of monarchy in which the monarch has unlimited
power. Absolute monarchy is organized by nothing. It has no rules, no constitution
or legally organized opposition. A monarch usually a king or a queen. Their actions
are restricted neither by written law nor by custom because the monarch held all the

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power and decisions in their hands. A monarchy becomes a leader by family and it
is passed down as family inheritance.
EG: Although this system is no longer present in Europe, it still exists in some
modern countries like the State of Qatar, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the
Nation of Brunei

1.3. Current monarchy countries in the world.

You might think that monarchies are a thing of the past. However, many countries
still feature some form of monarchy nowadays. The titles of these monarchs
defined by the country’s traditions and language. Most monarchies are
constitutional, having largely ceremonial roles. Some, however, have absolute
power.
Currently, there are total 44 countries that operate under some form of monarchy
government. These 44 monarch countries includes: 3 in Africa, 6 in Oceania, 10 in
North America, 12 in Europe and 13 in Asia. Among those, the most popular and
vast monarchy is called the Monarchy of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Northern Ireland. The Queen Elizabeth II is not only the monarch of the UK but
also other nations, mostly in the African continent. These countries include; Papua
New Guinea, Barbados, Tuvalu, Antigua and Barbuda, Solomon Islands, Saint
Lucia, Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,
Jamaica, Grenada, Belize, Bahamas, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. II.
Religious heritage

2. The introduction of monarchy in the UK

2.1. British state system

The United Kingdom is a unitary state with devolution that is governed within the
framework of a parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy. The
monarch, currently Queen Elizabeth II, is the head of state while the Prime Minister
of the United Kingdom, currently Boris Johnson, is the head of government.
Executive power is exercised by the British government, on behalf of and by the
consent of the monarch, and the devolved governments of Scotland, Wales, and
Northern Ireland. Legislative power is vested in the two chambers of the Parliament
of the United Kingdom, the House of Commons and the House of Lords, as well as
in the Scottish and Welsh parliaments and the Northern Ireland Assembly.

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The UK runs a first-past-the-post (FPTP) electoral system with elections every five
years. It ranks 16th in the 2020 Democracy Index.

2.2. Historical background

The Parliament of Great Britain was formed in 1707 following the Acts of the
Union, which brought together the three countries of Great Britain – England,
Scotland, and Wales. Following the British colonization of Ireland, the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland formed in 1801. Britain ceded control of
Southern Ireland (the Republic of Ireland) in 1922, and the UK became the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland which remains its full title today.

Since its creation, the UK has had a functioning democracy. Only two parties
formed governments until 1923 – the Conservatives and the Liberals (who were the
Whigs until the mid-19th century). Since 1923, only the Conservatives and Labour
have been in power. Universal suffrage was in 1918 for men and 1928 for women.

Other than devolution in Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, the key events that
have impacted the UK’s political system since World War Two have been:

• The development of the modern welfare state, including the National Health
Service, in the years immediately following 1945. This gave the government a far
greater role in areas such as healthcare, education and social security.

• Decolonization and the decline of the British Empire after 1945. The UK had
established colonial rule in many overseas countries during the 18th, 19th and early
20th centuries. By the 1970s, most of these countries had won independence. Over
50 of these countries are today members of the Commonwealth of Nations.

• Joining the European Communities (now the EU) in 1973 and then
subsequently voting to leave in the 2016 Brexit Referendum vote.

2.3. The house of Windsor

Windsor is the family name of the royal family. The press sometimes refers to its
members as “the Windsors”. Queen Elizabeth is only the fourth monarch with this
name. This is not because a 'new' royal family took over the throne of Britain four
reigns ago. It is because George V, Elizabeth's grandfather, changed the family

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name. It was Saxe- Coburg- Gotha, but during the First World War it was thought
better for the king not to have a German-sounding name.

2.4. The royal family

- Queen Elizabeth was the Queen consort of King George VI until his death in
1952, after which she was known as Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother to avoid
confusion with her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II. Her tours of bombed areas of
London during the Second World War with her husband were of great moral
support to the British people. She died at the age of 101 in 2002 – the year of the
present Queen’s Golden Jubilee and remained the most consistently popular
member of the royal family until her death.

- Queen Elizabeth II was born in 1926 and became Queen in 1952 on the death of
her father, George VI, who had reigned since 1936 (when his elder brother, Edward
VIII, gave up the throne). Currently, in her 90s, she is both the longest-reigning and
the longest-living British monarch in history, having reigned for more than 69
years. She is widely respected for the way in which she performs her duties and is
generally popular.

- Prince Philip Mountbatten, the Duke of Edinburgh, married the present Queen in
1947. In the 1960s and 1970s, his outspoken opinions on controversial matters
were sometimes embarrassing to the royal family.

- Princess Margaret, the Queen's younger sister, died in 2002.

Elizabeth II has four children with her late husband: Charles, Anne, Andrew and
Edward.

- Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, was born in 1948. As the eldest son of Queen
Elizabeth and Prince Philip, he is heir to the throne. He is concerned about the
environment and about living conditions in Britain's cities. He sometimes makes
speeches that are critical of aspects of modern life.

- Princess Anne, the Queen's daughter (also known as the Princess Royal), was
born in 1950. She separated from her husband after they had one son and one
daughter. She married again in 1992. She is widely respected for her charity work,
which she does in a spirit of realism.
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- Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, was born in 1960 and is the Queen's second
son. He is divorced from his wife, Sarah Ferguson (who is known to the popular
press as “Fergie”). They have two daughters.

- Prince Edward, the Queen's youngest son, was born in 1964. He is involved in
theatrical production. He married Sophie Rhys-Jones in 1999. He and his wife are
the Duke and Duchess of Wessex.

- Prince William (born 1982) and Prince Henry (born 1984) are the sons of Charles
and Diana. William is next in line to the throne after his father.

II. MONARCHY IN THE UK

1. The appearance
The position of the monarch in Britain is a perfect illustration of the contradictory
nature of the constitution. From the evidence of written law only. the Queen has
almost absolute power, and it all seems very undemocratic. The American
constitution talks about the government of the people for the people by the people'.
There is no law in Britain which says anything like that. In fact, there is no legal
concept of 'the people' at all.

Every autumn, at the state opening of Parliament , Elizabeth II, who became Queen
in 1952 , makes a speech. In it, she says what 'my government' intend s to do in the
coming year. And indeed, it is her government, not the people's. As far as the law is
concerned, she can choose anybody she likes to run the government for her. There
are no restrictions on whom she picks as her Prime Minister. It does not have to be
somebody who has been elected. She could choose me; she could even choose you.
The same is true for her choices of people to fill some hundred or so other
ministerial positions. And if she gets fed up with her ministers, she can just dismiss
them. Officially speaking, they are all 'servants of the Crown' (not servants of
anything like 'the country' or 'the people') . She also appears to have great power
over Parliament. It is she who summons a Parliament, and she who dissolves it
before a general election (see chapter to). Nothing that Parliament has decided can
become law until she has agreed to it.

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Similarly, it is the Queen, and not any other figure of authority, who embodies the
law in the courts. In the USA, when the police take someone to court to accuse
them of a crime, the court records show that 'the people ' have accused that person .
In other countries, it might be 'the state' that makes the accusation. But in Britain, it
is 'the Crown'. This is because of the legal authority of the monarch. And when an
accused person is found guilty of a crime, he or she might be sent to one of 'Her
Majesty's prisons.

Other countries have 'citizens'. But in Britain people are legally described as
'subjects' - subjects of Her Majesty the Queen. Moreover, there is a principle of
English law that the monarch can do nothing that is legally wrong. In other words,
Queen Elizabeth is above the law.

2. The reality
In practice, of course, the reality is very different. In fact, the Queen cannot choose
anyone she likes to be Prime Minister. She has to choose someone who has the
support of the majority of MPs in the House of Commons (the elected chamber of
the two Houses of Parliament). This is because the law says that 'her' government
can only collect taxes with the agreement of the Commons, so if she did not choose
such a person, the government would stop functioning. In practice the person she
chooses is the leader of the strongest party in the House of Commons. Similarly, it
is really the Prime Minister who decides who the other government ministers are
going to be (although officially the Prime Minister Simply 'advises' the monarch
who to choose).

It is the same story with Parliament. Again, the Prime Minister will talk about
'requesting ' a dissolution of Parliament when he or she wants to hold an election,
but it would normally be impossible for the monarch to refuse this 'request '.
Similarly, while, in theory, the Queen could refuse the royal assent to a bill passed
by Parliament and so stop it becoming law - no monarch has actually done so since
the year 1708. Indeed, the royal assent is so automatic that the Queen doesn't even
bother to give it in person. Somebody else signs the documents for her.

In reality the Queen has almost no power at all. When she opens Parliament each
year the speech she makes has been written for her. She makes no secret of this
fact. She very obviously reads out the script that has been prepared for her, word
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for word. If she strongly disagrees with one of the policies of the government, she
might ask the government ministers to change the wording in the speech a little
beforehand, but that is all. She cannot actually stop the government going ahead
with any of its policies.

3. The role of the monarch

What, then, is the monarch's role? Many opinions are offered by political and legal
experts. Three roles are often mentioned. First, the monarch is the personal
embodiment of the government of the country. This means that people can be as
critical as they like about the real government, and can argue that it should be
thrown out, without being accused of being unpatriotic. Because of the clear the
separation between the symbol of government (the Queen) and the actual
government (the ministers, who are also MPs), changing the government does not
threaten the stability of the country as a whole.

Other countries without a monarch have to use something else as the symbol of the
country. In the USA, for example, one of these is its flag, and to damage the flag in
any way is actually a criminal offense.

Second, it is argued that the monarch could act as a final check on a government
that was becoming dictatorial. If the government ever managed to pass a bill
through Parliament which was obviously terribly bad and very unpopular, the
monarch could refuse the royal assent and the bill would not become law.
Similarly, it is possible that

if a Prime Minister who had been defeated at a general election (and so no longer
commanded a majority in the House of Commmons) were to ask immediately for
another dissolution of Parliament (so that another election could take place), the
monarch could refuse the request and dismiss the Prime Minister.

Third, the monarch has a very practical role 10 play. By being a figurehead and
representing the country, Queen Elizabeth II can perform the ceremonial duties
which heads of state often have to spend their time on. This way, the real
government has more time to get on with the actual job of running the country.

4. The value of the monarchy

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The British monarchy is probably more important to the economy of the country
than it is to the system of government. Apart from this, the monarchy is very
popular with the majority of the British people. The monarchy gives British people
a symbol of continuity, and a harmless outlet for the expression of national pride.
Even in very hard times it has never seemed likely that Britain would turn to a
dictator to get it out of its troubles. The grandeur of its monarchy may have been
one of the reasons for this.

Occasions such as the state opening of Parliament, the Queen’s official birthday,
royal weddings, and ceremonial events such as the changing of the guard, make up
for the lack of colour and ceremony in most people's daily lives. (There is no
tradition of local parades as there is in the USA, and very few traditional local
festivals survive as they do in other European countries.) In addition the glamorous
lives of “the royals” provide a source of entertainment that often takes on the
characteristics of a television soap opera. When, in 1992, it became known that
Prince Charles and his wife Princess Diana were separating, even the more 'serious'
newspapers discussed a lot more than the possible political implications. The
Sunday Times published a “five-page royal separation special”.

5. The future of the monarchy

For the last 250 years, the British monarchy as an institution has only rarely been a
burning political issue. Only occasionally has there been debate about the existence
of the monarchy itself. Few people in Britain could be described as either
“monarchists” or “anti-monarchists”, in the sense in which these terms are often
used in other countries. Most people are either vaguely in favour or they just don't
care one way or the other. There is, however, a great deal of debate about what kind
of monarchy Britain should have. During the last two decades of the twentieth
century, there has been a general cooling of enthusiasm. The Queen herself remains
popular. But the various marital problems in her family have lowered the prestige
of royalty in many people’s eyes. The problem is that, since Queen Victoria’s
reign, the public have been encouraged to look up to the royal family as a model of
Christian family life.

The change in attitude can be seen by comparing Queen Elizabeth’s 25th

anniversary as Queen with her 40th anniversary. In 1977, there were

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neighbourhood street parties throughout the country, most of them spontaneously
and voluntarily organized. But in 1992, nothing like this took place. On 20
November 1992, a fire damaged one of the Queen’s favourite homes to the value of
£60 million. There were expressions of public sympathy for the Queen. But when
the government announced that public money was going to pay for the repairs, the
sympathy quickly turned to anger. The Queen had recently been reported to be the
richest woman in the world, so people didn’t see why she shouldn’t pay for them
herself.

It is, in fact, on the subject of money that “anti-royalist” opinions are most often
expressed. In the early nineties even some Conservative MPs, traditionally strong
supporters of the monarchy, started protesting at how much the royal family was
costing the country. For the whole of her long reign Elizabeth II had been exempt
from taxation. But, as a response to the change in attitude, the Queen decided that
she would start paying taxes on her private income. In addition, Civil List payments
to some members of the royal family were stopped. (The Civil List is the money
which the Queen and some of her relatives get from Parliament each year so that
they can carry out their public duties.)

For most people, the most notable event marking Queen Elizabeth's 40th
anniversary was a television programme about a year in her life which showed
revealing details of her private family life. In the following year parts of
Buckingham Palace were, for the first time, opened for public visits (to raise money
to help pay for the repairs to Windsor Castle.) These events are perhaps an
indication of the future royal style – a little less grand, a little less distant.

6. British attitudes towards the monarchy

- 72 per cent of Brits are in favour of Britain remaining a monarchy.

- 53 per cent of Brits don’t believe that Britain will still be a monarchy 100 years
from now.

- 85 per cent of Brits are satisfied with the jib Queen Elizabeth II is doing as
monarch.

- 18 per cent of Brits believe Queen Elizabeth II should have retired when she
reached 80.
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- 52 per cent of Brits believe that Prince Charles will make a decent king, while 28
per cent think he’ll prove a bad monarch.

- 55 per cent of Brits don’t believe that Prince Charles’ wife Camilla, the Duchess
of Cornwall, should become Queen.

III. COMPARISON IN BRITISH AND VIETNAMESE MONARCHY

The Vietnamese monarchy had ended in 1945. Vietnam today is a socialist republic
with a one-party system led by the Communist Party of Vietnam. The President of
Vietnam is the head of state, and the Prime Minister of Vietnam is the head of
government.

In contrast, up to now, the British monarchy still exists and develops. The current
monarch is Queen Elizabeth II, who ascended the throne in 1952. The monarch and
their immediate family undertake various official, ceremonial, diplomatic and
representational duties. Although the Sovereign no longer has a political or
executive role, she continues to play an important part in the life of the nation.

 Monarchy of Vietnam

During nearly 1000 years of its existence, the independent and sovereign feudal
regime in Vietnam was ruled by various kings. Like Britain, Vietnam also went
through a period of monarchy. The monarchy of Vietnam lasted from 939 to 1945.

Vietnam is not so much a tale of monarchy as it is a tale of dynasties – some linked

by blood, but almost completely independent of each other.

Nguyen Dynasty(1802–1945) is the last Vietnamese dynasty. It ended with Bảo

Đại's abdication following the surrender of Japan in the August 1945, handed
control to the Viet Minh. After World War II and the collapse of Vietnam's
monarchy, Viet Minh forces, leaded by Ho Chi Minh seized the northern city of
Hanoi and declared a Democratic State of Vietnam (known commonly as
Democratic Republic of Vietnam) with Ho as president. The Vietnamese monarchy
ended in 1945 and was replaced by a republican institution.

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  A comparison between Vietnamese and British monarchy

Similarities :

- In both countries, the Monarchs represent the nation as a symbol of national

identity and unity. They have the obligation to take care of the people and protect
the country.

- The tradition of succession to the throne in Vietnam is the same with Britain. The
head of state usually pass the throne to their child or relative. In Britain, Queen
Elizabeth II became Queen in 1952 in the death of her father, George VI. In
Vietnam, Ly Thanh Tong Emperor succeeded to the throne after the death of his
father, Ly Thai Tong in 1054.

Differences:

British monarchy Vietnamese monarchy

Power - The King/Queen plays an - The Emperor is the only one

important role in many fields,
however, he/she real power is
largely ceremonial.
Because the British Monarchy
is known as a constitutional
monarchy, the ability to make
and pass legislation belongs to
Parliament rather than the
Queen.
who has the right to make laws.
Because the absolute monarchy
political system in Vietnam
allows the Emperor to hold
supreme power and decide
most important affairs of the
country.

Responsibilite The monarch and their The monarch role includes in

s immediate family undertake all fields: economy, politics,
various official, ceremonial, society, defense, diplomacy,
diplomatic and culture, etc.
representational duties. As the
monarchy is constitutional, the
monarch is limited to
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 functions such as bestowing
honours and appointing the
prime minister.
Values The British monarchy is more
important to the economy of
the country than it is to the
system of government. The
royal family is more famous
among the people around the
world than its government.
They give British people a
symbol of continuity, and an
outlet for the expression of
national pride.
Interest The British monarchy usually
acts in the best interest of the
Parliament.
The Crown is an integral part
of the institution of
Parliament. The King or
Queen plays a constitutional
role in opening and dissolving
Parliament and approving
Bills before they become law.
The British monarchy still
exists and develops
 Why monarchy still exists in Britain but collapsed in Vietnam:
It is probably more important
to the spiritual life of people.
Many people in the past
believed that the emperor is
son of the god. In the
Confucian world view, which
the Vietnamese have
traditionally prescribed to,
emperors were said to have the
"mandate of heaven" to rule
their people, the people in turn
owed the emperor total
allegiance.
The Vietnamese monarchy acts
in the best interest of the peple.
The head is the emperor, under
are the mandarins. The
mandarins serving the interests
of the king and the people. The
emperor was responsible for
the prosperity of his people and
the maintenance of justice and
order
The Vietnamese monarchy had
ended in 1945
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- There is still a monarchy in Britainand it still benefits the people althought its
power is not what it use to and over the years, the U.K government has slowly
diminished the power of the royal family. Many people believe the Monarchy is
Britain’s national treasure, both symbolically and economically. Especially in the
age of Brexit, Britain can rely on royal diplomacy to facilitate trade relations with
the Commonwealth and the rest of the world. Besides, the British monarchy has
shown a remarkable ability to adapt and respond to the challenges of modern times.

- The monarchy doesn’t work in Vietnam because it did not benefit the people.
French colonialism for all intents and purposes have destroyed Vietnamese
monarchy although the Nguyen dynasty nominally retained its direct. Many
national liberation movements like Phan Chu Trinh,Phan Bội Châu and Nguyễn Ái
Quốc had absorbed the radical thought against the absolute monarchy. The
monarchy ended because it could no longer be the torch bearer of revolution and
independence. It had no had the reputation and authority to command. When it
ended, it did not leave much impact to the people, the Nguyen dynasty left little
imprint in the first half of the 20th century.

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C. CONCLUSION

The British monarchy is know as a constitutional monarchy. The position of the

monarch in Britain is a perfect illustration of the contradictory nature of the
constitution. The British monarchy still exists today, the current monarch is Queen
Elizabeth II. The Queen and the royal family act as a focus for national identity,
unity and pride, gives a sense of stability and continuity. Although the Monarchy is
an interesting part of British tradition that is important to the country, many young
people in Britain no longer think the country should keep the monarchy and now
want a elected head of state. There is no doubt that the British people despite its
recent difficulties hold the British Monarchy with high esteem and fondness and
that the Queen and her heir do an excellent job in difficult circumstance.

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