The government

The present sovereign is Queen Elizabeth II who was crowned in Westminster Abbey in 1953.

Westminster
Abbey
Formally the monarch has a number of roles. The monarch is expected to be politically neutral, and should not make political decisions.

Nevertheless, the monarch still performs some important executive and legislative duties including opening and dissolving Parliament, signing bills passed by both Houses, and fulfilling international duties as head of state.

Nevertheless, the monarch still performs some important executive and legislative duties including opening and dissolving Parliament, signing bills passed by both Houses, and fulfilling international duties as head of state.

The Queen, who is the Head of State, opens and closes Parliament. All new laws are discussed by Members of Parliament in the Commons, then debated in the Lords, and finally signed by the Queen. All three are part of Parliament in Britain.

The Queen, who is the Head of State, opens and closes Parliament. All new laws are discussed by Members of Parliament in the Commons, then debated in the Lords, and finally signed by the Queen. All three are part of Parliament in Britain.

The party which wins the most seats in the General Election forms the government in Britain. The leader of the winning party becomes a Prime Minister.

The party which wins the most seats in the General Election forms the government in Britain. The leader of the winning party becomes a Prime Minister.

Winston Churchill
David
Cameron
Theresa May
In 1979 Margaret Thatcher
beat the Labour Party
and took the office
as Prime Minister,
Britain’s first woman
Prime Minister.
On November 22, 1990,
the “Iron Lady” resigned.

The Prime Minister, chooses a committee of ministers called the Cabinet. This is made up of a selection of senior Members of Parliament from the House of Commons and some members of the House of Lords. Each member of the Cabinet is a minister responsible for a government department. The Cabinet meets at the Prime Minister’s house- 10 Downing Street.