Category
😹
FunTranscript
00:00When you are a queen, you have many privileges that only a queen can enjoy.
00:06Queen Elizabeth II is the longest-reigning monarch in the world.
00:10She has handled herself extremely well with the entire world constantly watching her every
00:15move.
00:16But as a queen, there are a lot of things that only she can do but nobody else can.
00:21Want to find out?
00:23Keep watching!
00:241.
00:26She doesn't need a license to drive in the UK
00:30The queen is the only person in the United Kingdom who doesn't legally need a license
00:35to drive.
00:36That is because all the driving licenses are issued in the queen's name.
00:41This is an example of the queen exercising her royal prerogative, a special exemption
00:45from some statute laws.
00:48She has never even taken a driving test.
00:50That being said, the queen is an experienced driver.
00:54She learned how to drive during the Second World War when she operated a first-aid truck
00:58for the Women's Auxiliary Territorial Service.
01:02Because of her training, the queen also knows how to change a spark plug.
01:062.
01:08She doesn't need a license plate to drive
01:12It won't be difficult to spot the queen's car, as it will be the only one without a
01:16license plate.
01:17Yes, that's right!
01:19Along with not needing a license, the queen's car does not need to have a license plate
01:24either.
01:25This is because of the simple reason that registration plates are also issued by the
01:29queen's authority, so there's no point in her having a license plate for her car.
01:353.
01:36The speed limit does not apply to her
01:40And she can go as fast as she wants because the speed limit does not apply to her.
01:45She is completely exempt from the laws and regulations governing the road.
01:50In Britain, speed limits don't apply to vehicles used for emergency services like police, fire
01:55and rescue, ambulances, or the Serious Organized Crime Agency, as they might prevent these
02:00services from doing their job on time.
02:04Even when the queen is not behind the wheel, the royal family is driven by the police,
02:08which makes them exempt from any speeding laws.
02:11But this is only when they are being driven around on official royal duties.
02:164.
02:18She doesn't need a passport to travel
02:21All the passports in the United Kingdom are issued under the queen's name.
02:25That is why she doesn't have to issue one for herself.
02:28So the queen technically doesn't need to carry a passport when she travels.
02:33And this extends to international travel as well.
02:36The queen can travel anywhere in the world without a passport.
02:40But it isn't true for any other member of the royal family though.
02:44All other members of the royal family, including Prince Charles, have passports.
02:48Also, fun fact, the queen also has the power to withdraw anybody's passport in the UK.
02:555.
02:57She doesn't have to pay taxes
02:59Yes, the queen doesn't have to pay taxes.
03:03But she does anyway.
03:04Well, at least some of them.
03:07The royal family's official website reads, The Queen Pays Tax.
03:11In 1992, the queen volunteered to pay income tax and capital gains tax, and ever since
03:171993, her income has been taxable as to other taxpayers.
03:22The queen has also always been subject to value-added tax and pays the local rates voluntarily.
03:296.
03:31She can't be arrested
03:33The queen enjoys sovereign immunity, which means that she cannot be arrested.
03:38This immunity extends to all the British heads of state while they're in office.
03:43But the queen is protected by this law for life, as her position is lifelong.
03:48Along with this, the queen also enjoys diplomatic immunity in foreign countries, which means
03:53that she cannot be arrested in any other country either.
03:57But what if the queen were to commit a crime?
03:59Well, the prosecutors could go after the crown as executive.
04:03But the queen's ministers are required to act on her behalf, even accepting any punishment
04:08that was given for the crime.
04:10But it is possible that if the monarch did commit a serious offense, he or she would
04:15be forced to abdicate.
04:17In the 17th century, King Charles I was tried for treason after the English Civil War.
04:23He said, No earthly power can justly call me, who am your king, in question as a delinquent.
04:29The court did not agree with his statements and had him executed.
04:347.
04:36She has the power to form governments.
04:39The parliament doesn't exist without the formation of a government.
04:43The queen invites the appointed prime minister to Buckingham Palace, where she officially
04:47asks them to form a government.
04:50This meeting is known as the Kissing of Hands.
04:538.
04:55She can confer titles Now, knights today don't mean men in armor
05:00riding around on horseback.
05:02But Britain still has knights and many other titles.
05:07They are appointed by the queen.
05:09Knighthood is given to people who have made some contributions to the British society,
05:13whether it is in business, art, sciences, military, or elsewhere.
05:18They are decided by the ministers, and the queen knights them personally.
05:22When Terry Pratchett was knighted, the fantasy author forged himself a special sword using
05:27pieces of a meteorite.
05:29The title of Dame was conferred to actress Maggie Smith.
05:339.
05:35She can ignore or overrule ministerial advice in a grave constitutional crisis
05:42Most of the queen's political powers are exercised with the consultation of her ministers,
05:47but there is an exception.
05:49In a grave constitutional crisis, the sovereign can act contrary to or without ministerial
05:55advice.
05:56In such a situation, the queen can ignore their advice.
06:00Today, it is not clear what would constitute a situation like this.
06:0510.
06:07She holds the power to fire the Australian government
06:11The queen is also the head of state in Australia.
06:14Due to this, she has certain powers even over the government of Australia.
06:19One of those is the power to fire the entire government.
06:23In 1975, Governor General Sir John Kerr, the queen's representative in Australia at the
06:29time, fired the Prime Minister of Australia after a government shutdown.
06:34Later, he dismissed the rest of the parliament and Australia had to hold elections from scratch.
06:4011.
06:42She is the head of a religion
06:45The Queen of England is also the head of the Church of England.
06:49Britain's state religion was established after King Henry VIII renounced the Catholic
06:53Church in Rome in the 16th century.
06:56Since 1534, the British sovereign has been the head of the Church of England.
07:01Part of the queen's official title is Defender of the Faith and Supreme Governor of the Church
07:05of England.
07:06Fancy, right?
07:08With this, she also has the power to appoint bishops and archbishops.
07:12However, she can only exercise this power after consulting the Prime Minister, who takes
07:17advice from the Church Commission.
07:19What this means is that the ruler must be a confirmed member of the Church of England.
07:24Any other religion cannot ascend the British throne.
07:27So let's say if Prince Charles were to convert to Islam, he would not become the king after
07:32Queen Elizabeth II's demise.
07:3512.
07:37She can give away special money to the elderly
07:40So there is a special kind of silver money called mondy money, which the queen can give
07:45away to pensioners every Easter at a UK cathedral in a special ceremony.
07:50Every year, the number of recipients corresponds with the age of the sovereign, so when the
07:55queen turned 91, she gave mondy money to 91 pensioners.
08:00These silver coins are legal tender, even though they come in 3 pence and 4 pence denominations,
08:06but because they are so rare, they don't usually enter circulation.
08:1113.
08:14She is exempt from jury duty
08:17The queen does not have to take part in jury duty.
08:20For the common people in the United Kingdom, evading jury duty can result in a fine of
08:25up to £1,000, but for the queen, jury duty is not mandatory.
08:31This is because the Criminal Justice Bill claims that it might disrupt the queen if
08:35members of her circle were called to serve.
08:38Even the queen's immediate family were exempt from jury duty until 2003, after which the
08:43law was amended.
08:44Today, only the queen herself is exempt.
08:48The queen also cannot be forced to give evidence in court.
08:5314.
08:55She can decide the royal dress code
08:58There are a lot of fashion rules for the royal family.
09:02Always wearing tights, never wearing an all-black outfit except for mourning, and not wearing
09:07colorful nail polish are just some of the rules that they need to follow.
09:11The queen has the final say on such matters, and you better believe that she makes some
09:16of these rules based on her personal preferences.
09:2015.
09:22She can pick and summon the prime minister
09:25The queen has the power to appoint the prime minister of the UK.
09:29In most cases, she appoints the leader of the party that won most seats in the House
09:34of Commons.
09:35And while the queen is required to stay out of politics, there are certain circumstances
09:40– like if a prime minister resigns or dies – where she might have to make some decisions.
09:45She can also summon the prime minister for meetings to stay updated on what is happening
09:49in the government.
09:51She can also express her opinions in the meeting, as the communication is strictly confidential.
09:5716.
09:59She doesn't need a last name
10:02Queen Elizabeth comes from the family house Windsor, and she was raised with this last
10:06name.
10:07But when she ascended the throne, she took on the name Elizabeth Regina.
10:12Regina is Latin for queen, and is used in all official documents.
10:16But most of the documents just feature Elizabeth R.
10:20Not just the queen, but the other members of the British royal family are also not required
10:25to use their legal last names, although they do have one – Mountbatten, Windsor.
10:3117.
10:33She can take legal custody of her grandchildren
10:37You might not know this, but the queen has legal custody of all her grandchildren.
10:42Regular grandparents might have to make visits to the courts if they want custody of their
10:46grandchildren.
10:47Bet not the queen.
10:49The rule goes back 300 years, when King George made the law because he had a poor relationship
10:55with his son.
10:56So while it is unlikely that the queen would take away her grandchildren from their parents,
11:01the law would allow her to do so if she wanted.
11:0518.
11:07She is exempt from the Freedom of Information Act
11:11Not just the queen, but the entire royal family is exempt from the Freedom of Information
11:16Act.
11:17According to the royal family's website, the royal household is not a public authority
11:22within the meaning of the FOI Acts and is therefore exempt from their provisions.
11:28This means that the royal family has a lot more privacy concerning their finances and
11:32day-to-day duties.
11:34For example, the public of the United Kingdom does not have access to detailed information
11:39about how the royal family spends the public funds or how big or small a role it plays
11:44in influencing any government policies.
11:4719.
11:50She does not need to curtsy
11:53An important part of royal etiquette is curtsying, but it does not apply to the queen.
11:59According to protocol, everyone has to curtsy to the queen.
12:02While all female members of the royal family are required to greet the queen with a curtsy,
12:07the male members have to bow their heads.
12:09The queen has curtsy too, and she doesn't have to curtsy back.
12:1520.
12:17She is on the currencies of multiple countries
12:20Now this is absolutely something that only the queen has done.
12:24She is pictured on the currencies of 35 countries in the world.
12:28She is the only living ruler who is on so many different currencies around the world
12:33and even holds the Guinness World Record for it.
12:3721.
12:39She has access to special jewelry
12:42The queen personally owns some jewelry pieces, while some are used for coronations and other
12:47important state ceremonies.
12:50The latter is called the crown jewels, the rest are a part of the royal collection.
12:55However, as queen, she has direct access to any of the pieces that she wants.
13:00Not just that, but she can also decide which jewels and tiaras to loan to her family or
13:05future family members who can also wear the priceless pieces.
13:1022.
13:12She chooses the royal menu
13:15The queen has a large cooking staff, who can serve her anything she wants to eat.
13:20The queen is presented with a menu twice a week.
13:23The royal chef sends her three menu suggestions for every meal of the week written in French.
13:28She ticks her preferences and crosses out the others.
13:3223.
13:34She can issue royal warrants
13:37A lot of companies have been issued royal warrants over the years.
13:41What is a royal warrant though?
13:43It is a document that appoints a company or individual in a trading capacity to the royal
13:48household.
13:50The holder of the warrant can use the royal arms in connection to their business.
13:54It is the queen who grants these warrants.
13:57Fulton Umbrellas has a royal warrant, and it creates color-coordinated parasols for
14:02the queen.
14:0424.
14:06She can declare war
14:09The queen can declare war on other countries.
14:12Not just that, but she is the only person in the United Kingdom with the power to do
14:17that.
14:18Of course, that doesn't in any way mean that she has absolute power to declare war.
14:23This power can only be exercised in cases of all-out warfare, and even then, the parliament,
14:29prime minister, and the government would have to allow it.
14:33She can also declare peace as well as commit troops to an area of armed conflict.
14:3825.
14:41She can grant a criminal pardon
14:43Queen Elizabeth can grant royal pardon to anybody convicted of a crime if she deems
14:48it fit.
14:49This is a right granted to the British sovereign for a long time, known as the Royal Prerogative
14:55of Mercy.
14:56This was originally intended to prevent the execution of a criminal, but it is rarely
15:01used in the modern-day United Kingdom, which has abolished the death penalty.
15:06In 2013, she granted a posthumous pardon to World War II codebreaker Alan Turing who received
15:12an indecency conviction in 1952.
15:15The Queen, however, can still use the royal pardon to reduce an inmate's prison sentence.
15:21Two inmates from a South Wales prison rushed to save a prison worker's life when he was
15:25attacked by a wild boar.
15:27The Queen, at the time, decided to reduce their sentence due to their brave actions.
15:3326.
15:35She legitimizes laws It is the parliament that has the power to
15:40make the laws, but before the law goes into effect, it is the Queen who has to sign off
15:45on the proposed bill.
15:47She must give the royal assent, meaning that she approves the proposed law or doesn't.
15:52So, while the Queen is required to remain politically neutral, she can still reject
15:57a potential law, but it is not often the law is rejected.
16:01The last time this happened was in 1708, when Queen Anne vetoed a measure that would have
16:06restored the Scottish militia.
16:08Most monarchs don't even show up in person to give the royal assent, including Queen
16:13Elizabeth II.
16:14The last monarch to have done so was Queen Victoria in 1854.
16:2027.
16:22She can command the armed forces The Queen of Britain is the commander-in-chief
16:27of the UK's entire military force.
16:30All British soldiers have to swear an oath to her before they officially join the armed
16:34forces.
16:35As the commander-in-chief, the Queen can also delegate this duty to someone else.
16:40She can assign this position to another government official, most often the Prime Minister or
16:45the Secretary of State for Defense.
16:4828.
16:50The Queen can dissolve the Parliament The Queen has the right to fire everyone in
16:56the House of Commons and dissolve the Parliament and then hold a new election with completely
17:00new members.
17:02The Queen has never used this power, but even if she did, government activities would go
17:07on quite smoothly anyway.
17:09The last time the Parliament was dissolved was in 1830.
17:13The Queen must also officially open Parliament every May to commence the parliamentary year.
17:18It is a huge ceremony, and it's the only event where the House of Lords, House of Commons,
17:24and the Queen are in the same space.
17:2729.
17:29She owns all the dolphins and unaccounted swans in the UK
17:34She might not be the ruler of the ocean world, but technically, she owns all the dolphins
17:39in the waters around the UK, as well as other fishes like whales, sturgeons, and porpoises.
17:46All the fish are recognized as fish royal.
17:49If they are captured within three miles of the UK shores or washed ashore, they are claimed
17:54by the sovereign.
17:56According to Time, generally, when brought into port, a sturgeon is sold in the usual
18:01way, and the purchaser, as a gesture of loyalty, requests the honour of its being accepted
18:06by Elizabeth.
18:07And that's not all.
18:09The Queen also co-owns every swan in the River Thames, along with the Worshipful Company
18:14of Vintners and the Worshipful Company of Dyers.
18:18And it isn't just a formality either.
18:20The royal family is very involved in the well-being and conservation of the swans.
18:25There is an official keeper of the swans, a position in existence for 700 years.
18:32There is also an annual swan upping, where all the swans in the UK are counted every
18:37single year.
18:3930.
18:41She has her own ATM
18:44When you are a queen, you don't have time to rush to the ATM to retrieve some cash,
18:49and not because you have people who would do it for you either.
18:52Buckingham Palace has a private ATM in its basement.
18:57This cash dispenser is provided by the British bank Coats, and is only available to the royal
19:02family.
19:03Cool, huh?
19:05What do you think of all these perks?
19:07Makes ruling a country much easier, doesn't it?
19:10If you were a ruler, what privileges would you have loved to have?
19:14Let us know in the comments section below.
19:16Thanks for watching, and we'll see you in the next one!