Why is the Queen our "Head of State" ?

[chimay]

The Queen is our head of state because the people of the UK allow it via our elected politicians, she or her title could be removed whenever our elected politicians wanted to.

 

She is also the head of state of Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize, Antigua and Barbuda, and Saint Kitts and Nevis.

 

If we didn't have a royal head of state who would we have and would they be the head of state for all those countries?

[spooky3]

Semantic trickery. All you have demonstrated is that the UK has a political structure, which you are calling a constitution. Wel I have a constiution as well. However, if we move away from your source of information on these matters (Kids net. dictionary) It has always been my experience that in common usuage of the English language, when someone refers to a 'national constitution' it is generally accepted they are refering to a single written document.

 

mmm, I didn't realise it was kids net, and only read first line, then went back to check... oops and apologies!

 

No, when I searched I couldn't find a single constitution, hence why I quoted the part which indicated how ours what is known as a de facto constitution, etc...

 

 

-- EDIT --

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_of_the_United_Kingdom

 

Unlike many nations, the UK has no core constitutional document. It is therefore often said that the country has an unwritten, uncodified, or de facto constitution.[1] However, the word "unwritten" is something of a misnomer as much of the British constitution is embodied in the written form, within statutes, court judgments, and treaties. The constitution has other unwritten sources, including parliamentary constitutional conventions and royal prerogatives.

 

-- EDIT END --

 

 

 

As to a single document...

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/constitution

 

con·sti·tu·tion (knst-tshn, -ty-)

n.

1. The act or process of composing, setting up, or establishing.

2.

a. The composition or structure of something; makeup.

b. The physical makeup of a person: Having a strong constitution, she had no trouble climbing the mountain.

3.

a. The system of fundamental laws and principles that prescribes the nature, functions, and limits of a government or another institution.

b. The document in which such a system is recorded.

c. Constitution The fundamental law of the United States, framed in 1787, ratified in 1789, and variously amended since then.

 

It doesn't state it has to be a single document.

[JFKvsNixon]

If we didn't have a royal head of state who would we have and would they be the head of state for all those countries?

 

We would have either what ever our elected representatives decided, or what the people decided in a referendum.

 

As for the other countries that would be for them to decide. She's head of state of Canada, Australia and the other countries because she is the queen of those countries, they could change it if they wanted too; and still stay in the Commonwealth if they desired. India and Pakistan don't have the queen as their head of state, they have a President, but they are in the Commonwealth.

[chimay]

We would have either what ever our elected representatives decided, or what the people decided in a referendum.

 

As for the other countries that would be for them to decide. She's head of state of Canada, Australia and the other countries because she is the queen of those countries, they could change it if they wanted too; and still stay in the Commonwealth if they desired. India and Pakistan don't have the queen as their head of state, they have a President, but they are in the Commonwealth.

 

Would the Queen's replacement be a president?

[Waltheof]

Would the Queen's replacement be a president?

 

Certainly in Australia, where there is a strong republican movement. The referendum in 2001 (marking 100 years of Australian Federation) was rigged so that people who wanted a republic couldn't vote for the model of it that was submitted to them, and a valuable chance was missed. I am sure that Oz would still remain in the Commonwealth as the ties with UK are still strong.

[JFKvsNixon]

Would the Queen's replacement be a president?

 

They may well be, if the role of Monarch is abolished other wise her replacement will be another King/Queen; most likely Prince Charles her eldest son.

 

The role of president differs in lots of countries. In some they are voted by the people, in others they are decided by the government. In some countries they are a figurehead with no real political power, in others they run the country.

[andygardener]

"constitutional monarchy" ok. so where can I actually find a written copy of our constitution then ?

 

We don't have a written constituion. Written constitutions have a habit of making countries look like dicks, see the American constituion banging on about the unvioable equality of man freedom etc etc written by a bunch of rich white slaveowners whose glorious message was so powerful that nearly a century later their ancestors had a huge and bloody civil war to decide whether owning human beings was a good idea or a bad idea.

[Mr Gobby]

The monarchy are already making plans for their future,William gets wed next year, within 12ths there will be a sprog on the way, 18mths later another one so the monarchy is secured for the next generation to succeed William easy init.

[Harleyman]

Odd. Don't actually remember voting for her in my lifetime. She's universally know as the Head of State for the UK but she's never actually elected to the post. Thought we lived in a democracy. Am I missing something here ?

 

Maybe you'd prefer some braying dull as ditch water politician as head of state.

[Frumius]

Maybe you'd prefer some braying dull as ditch water politician as head of state.

 

Or maybe someone a bit more exciting in lots of ways .......like Sarah Palin:D