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become an Act of Parliament until it receives her stamp of approval embarking on goodwill ■ ■ visits abroad ■ hosting foreign heads of state ■ The monarch's main role is to serve as a vital part of Britain's "national identity, unity and pride" ■ she "retains the right to claim ownership of any unmarked mute swan swimming in open waters" ■ claims dominion over all whales, sturgeons and dolphins in the waters around England and Wales If no single political party wins an overall majority in the House of Commons, the Queen is left in a sensitive position She must be kept informed about any negotiations to build a coalition, but cannot exercise any personal discretion over the choice of Downing Street's occupant ROYAL CEREMONIES 1)Searching the House of Parliament Before every State Opening of Parliament The yeomen of the Guard search the cellars beneath the Palace of Westminster by the light of old candle lanterns This precaution has been undertaken every year since 1605 2) The State Opening of Parliament ■ Dating back to Medieval London, this ceremony marks the beginning of a new session of Parliament allows the Government to announce its programme for that session The ceremony features peers and bishops in traditional robes and a royal procession involving the State Coach State openings usually take place in November, or soon after a General Election On the day of the Opening, the Queen travels from Buckingham Palace to the Houses of Parliament the Stage Coach (a gold carriage) Once the Queen arrives at Parliament the union flag is lowered and replaced by the royal standard. 3) Ceremony of the Keys One of London's most timeless ceremonies dating back 700 years is the ceremony of the keys which takes place at the Tower of London At 21:53 each night the Chief Yeoman Warder of the Tower, dressed in Tudor uniform, sets off to meet the Escort of the Key dressed in the well- known Beefeater uniform Together they tour the various gates ceremonially locking them, on returning to the Bloody Tower archway they are challenged by a sentry. "Who goes there?" "The Keys." answers The Chief Warder "Whose Keys?" the sentry demands. "Queen Elizabeth's Keys." "Pass Queen Elizabeth's Keys. All's well." 4) CHANGING of the GUARD ■ Outside Buckingham Palace, you can see guardsmen dressed in their bright red uniforms and bearskin hats ■ These guardsmen protect the Queen Every day a new guard of thirty guardsmen marches to the palace and takes the place of the "old guard" This is known as the Changing of the Guards ceremony and it dates back to 1660 5) Maundy Money ■ Maundy Thursday is the day before Good Friday at Easter On that day the Queen gives Maundy money to a group of old people This tradition is over 1,000 years old At one time the king or queen washed the feet of poor, old people on Maundy Thursday, but that stopped in 1754 6) Swan Upping ■ On the River Thames there are hundred´s of swans and a lot of these belong, traditionally, to the king or queen In July, the Queen´s swan keeper sails up the River Thames, from London Bridge to Henley In July, the Queen´s swan keeper sails up the River Thames, from London Bridge to Henley ANY QUESTIONS? ENJOY YOUR WEEKEND