Monarchy: The Royal Family at Work - 1 ª Season

While domestic politics are completely taken over by elected politicians, diplomacy still gives precedence in protocol and thus de facto a say and influential ear to royals, especially the monarch as head of state, who formally represents the nation at state visits, in this case to US president Bush Jr. in the White House. Elaborate preparations cover all details, from route and security to logistics and menu. A sovereign for life outclasses elected officials in experience, which helps preserving a disproportional importance for Britain in internationals affairs, even outside the Commonwealth.

While the formal function of head of state is vested in the single person of the Sovereign, the larger social role of the royal family is spread over more members of the royal family. Each royal, notably the children and siblings of Monarch and heir (Prince of Wales), has his/her own staff, profile and social agenda, typically hundreds of public appearances a year, such as visits, inaugurations, patronages of charities, and still they have to turn down more offers. It's a job for which there is no training, except on the job (or accompanying a veteran), and at the same time lonely -Prince Charles regrets he has to leave people by the time he gets them at ease with seeing him as a 'regular mortal'- and always preyed at by the media, which are also their main tool to work on the public raising funds and awareness.

The main seat of the British monarchy, Buckingham palace in London, is where most of the real work is done by the Sovereign, who is still head of state of 16 monarchies, represented in each country by a different, usually local Governor-general -who occasionally all meet with the Monarch at the palace- and (informal) leader of the Commonwealth (also including most other former British colonies, mainly republics). The palace staff of several hundred takes care of the large complex, with over 600 rooms which are all still used, plus sizable gardens; both are stretched especially at the occasion of a formal state visit by a foreign monarch or president. When the core staff follows the Sovereign on summer holiday at the Scottish Balmoral castle, a large part of Buckingham palace is opened for visits to the public, generating a significant contribution to the expense for its maintenance, including the invaluable royal art, archive and other collections.

While the British monarchy retains the formal trappings of its absolute past, the Sovereign no longer rules, all political power has shifted to the democratically mandated politicians, parliament and cabinet. Although the organs of state are officially known as H.M.'s government, armed forces etc., the monarch's only influence is informal, trough confidential meetings such as the weekly audience granted to the Prime Minister, who once a year spends a whole weekend at the royal castle Balmoral in Scotland. Similarly the sovereign is nominal commander in chief of the military, in fact just meets officers and visits units while the cabinet and Ministry of Defense are in charge. As head of the Anglican state church, the monarch nowadays furthers ecumenism and religious tolerance. Famous symbols of the royal (formerly real) 'authority' include the priceless crown jewels, which in turn star in the mayor annual ceremony, the State Opening of Parliament, which symbolizes the constitutional rapport between crown and political power as the pomp is royal, the actual opening speech a policy statement entirely written by the PM.

While the ruling monarchs used to remain hidden for their subjects, the modern constitutional Sovereign meets thousands of them every year. For the British monarchy one special way is organizing at least three garden parties on London's Buckingham palace estate and one at the Scottish Balmoral castle. For the guests, mainly hundreds of people who do socially valuable work which gets little formal recognition, it's a memorable highlight in their ordinary lives, for the various palace staff each time a big production. Usually however it's the citizens, armed forces, local authorities etc. who hold a celebration or other memorable event, such as an opening, anniversary, parade etc., where one or more royals are the guest(s) of honor.