In addition to the official current and former Royal residences of the Queen and her predecessors, numerous buildings throughout the United Kingdom have some kind of Royal connection. Many of these can be visited today and include Osborne House, the beloved home of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert on the Isle of Wight, now under the management of English Heritage, and the Brighton Pavilion, former residence of George IV when he was Prince Regent.

Conclusion

The reigning monarch is not only the head of State, but also a symbol of the unity of the nation. The British Sovereign can be seen as having two roles: Head of State, and 'Head of the Nation'.

Although the British Sovereign no longer has a political or executive role, she continues to play an important part in the life of the nation. As Head of State the Queen has to remain strictly neutral with respect to political matters, unable to vote or stand for election. But the Queen has important ceremonial and formal roles in relation to the Government of the UK.

As Head of State, the Monarch undertakes constitutional and representational duties which have developed over one thousand years of history. In addition to these State duties, The Monarch has a less formal role as 'Head of Nation'. The Sovereign acts as a focus for national identity, unity and pride; gives a sense of stability and continuity; officially recognizes success and excellence; and supports the ideal of voluntary service.

The Queen has formal roles with relation to the devolved assemblies of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The role of the Sovereign in the enactment of legislation is today purely formal.

The Queen is supported in her official duties by other working members of the Royal Family who carry out a wide range of public engagements.

In international affairs the Queen, as head of state, has the power to declare war and make peace, direct the actions of the military, to recognize foreign states and governments, to conclude ratify treaties, alliances, and international agreements and to annex or cede territories. However, a treaty cannot alter the domestic laws of the United Kingdom; an Act of Parliament is necessary in such cases. For advice on such matters the Queen has her own Privy Council.

The Royal Family name of Windsor was confirmed by The Queen after her accession in 1952. However, in 1960, The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh decided that they would like their own direct descendants to be distinguished from the rest of the Royal Family (without changing the name of the Royal House), as Windsor is the surname used by all the male and unmarried female descendants of George V. the Queen's children, on occasions when they needed a surname, would have the surname Mountbatten-Windsor.

The order of succession is the sequence of members of the Royal Family in the order in which they stand in line to the throne. This sequence is regulated not only through descent, but also by Parliamentary statute.

Precedence determines the seniority of members of the Royal Family at official events and is influenced by a variety of laws, and by custom and tradition. Precedence among members of the Royal Family at private events is a matter for the Queen's discretion.

There are four sources of funding for The Queen, or officials of the Royal Household acting on Her Majesty's behalf, in both a public and private capacity. These are: the Civil List, the Grants-in-Aid for upkeep of Royal Palaces and for Royal travel, the Privy Purse and the Queen's personal wealth and income. Each year the Royal Household publishes a summary of Head of State expenditure, together with a full report on Royal public finances.

The Royal family is the largest landowner in Britain, with large areas of land in England, Scotland and valuable city property in London, including Regent's Park, parts of Paul Mall, Piccadilly, Holborn and Kensington. The Queen and her family own several castles, official residences and numerous country homes. Like the Crown Estate, the land and assets of the Duchy of Lancaster are held in trust for futures rulers, and cannot be sold by the monarch. It is administered separately from the Crown Estates.

Throughout the centuries, Britain's kings and queens have built or bought palaces to serve as family homes, workplaces and as centres of government. Some of these are still being used today as official Royal residences and many can be visited by the general public, others are of historical interest.

Ceremonial activities have always been associated with British kings and queen, and in spite of changing attitudes, many traditional ceremonies still take place. Royal processions play an important part on occasions. Official occasions and ceremonials are full of symbolism, tradition and meaning, and an integral part of the Queen's role as Head of State. Royal events and ceremonies hold a powerful fascination and normally attract large crowds; millions more in Britain and abroad follow the events on television.

So British Monarchy has international role and plays an important part in the life of world society. The UK benefits from the great advantages of the country's traditions, cultural and historical values, which exert influence on advanced world society.

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