Not only can the Queen declare war on other countries, she's the only one in the United Kingdom with the power to do so. She doesn't have absolute power by any means, though.
The Queen is the only person to declare war and peace. This dates back from when the Monarch was responsible for raising, maintaining and equipping the Army and Navy. Today, this power can only be exercised on the advice of Ministers.
Constitutional convention requires that the declaration of war or commitment of British armed forces is authorised by the Prime Minister on behalf of the Crown. Parliament has no official constitutional role in the process.
The monarch remains constitutionally empowered to exercise the royal prerogative against the advice of the prime minister or the cabinet, but in practice would likely only do so in emergencies or where existing precedent does not adequately apply to the circumstances in question.
The Queen is the Commander in Chief of the Army, Navy and Air Force. The Queen holds many military appointments and honorary ranks. As a princess, Elizabeth served in the forces herself, as did her father and many other members of her immediate family.
The monarch appoints the governor-general and the governors, on the advice of the respective State and Federal executive governments. These are now almost the only constitutional functions of the monarch with regard to Australia.
As nominal leader of the United Kingdom from 1952 to 2022—the country's longest-serving monarch—she exerted influence felt the world over. But despite such enormous impact, the Queen held no real power in British government—and nor does her successor, King Charles III.
Prince Harry served for close to a decade in the British armed forces, but since he stepped down from his royal duties in 2020, Prince Harry is considered a non-working royal. Because of this, he cannot wear his military uniform and is not permitted to salute as other working members of the royal family did.
Republicanism isn't a strong force in Britain at the moment, which makes the abolition of the monarchy unlikely for the foreseeable future. But that could change if the institution does, or if it fails to attract the support of the younger British population.
As the keeper of the nation's Constitutional flame, the monarch can use said powers to appoint and dismiss ministers; to summon Parliament, and give royal assent to bills passed by Parliament.
The command authority of the Armed Forces flows from the monarch, in his capacity as commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces, to the various officers and councils of the defence ministry. The Monarch appoints the members of these committees to exercise day-to-day administration of His Majesty's Armed Forces.
The Accounts for the Sovereign Grant, which funds the Queen and her household's official expenses, released a report in the summer of 2022, showing that the monarchy cost the taxpayer £102.4m ($114.6m) during the 2021–22 financial year – an increase of 17% from the previous 12 months.
The British monarchy could be on its "last legs" by 2030, a historian has suggested. Dr Anna Whitelock, a reader in early modern history at Royal Holloway in London, said support for the monarchy was linked to the Queen and not the institution itself.
Charles, the Queen's eldest son, will inherit the throne. If the monarchy ceased to exist, King Charles III would have to give up Buckingham Palace. Kate Middleton and Prince William would pursue financial independence like the Sussexes.
Although there tend to be strict dress codes in place at royal social functions, such as the garden parties at Buckingham Palace and race days at the Ascot, there is no ban on tattoos.
Since then, the royal family has practiced Anglicanism, a form of Christianity. Following in Queen Elizabeth's footsteps, King Charles is now acknowledged as the Supreme Governor of the Church of England. Even so, the Archbishop of Canterbury is the head cleric of the church.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle occupied highly visible spots at the state funeral for Queen Elizabeth II on Monday—despite their decision to step down from their positions as senior royals.
The Monarch can also dissolve Parliament, and appoint a Prime Minister to their liking, which has been done throughout Her Majesty's reign. This duty falls upon the Monarch not only in England, but in the Commonwealth countries that retain the British Sovereign as their Monarch and Head of State.
She is the longest-serving monarch in British history. Busy from morning to night, she carries out more speeches and public meetings than all other members of the Royal family combined.
The sovereign grant was set at £86.3m for 2021-22, according to the royal household's annual financial statement, which it said represented £1.29 per person in the UK. Prior to 2017, the Queen received 15% of the crown estate profits from the two previous years, while the remainder was kept by the government.
The simple answer is No. Australia does not pay a cent for the maintenance or security of the Sovereign.
Despite the belief held by many Australian landholders that they own their land absolutely, including anything above or below it, due to the Doctrine of Tenure, the law in Australia holds that the Crown has absolute ownership - not withstanding any native title claims.
The Queen receives a yearly sum through what is known as the Sovereign Grant , which is equivalent to £1.29 per person in the UK. In Aussie dollars, that's around $2.23 per person, which last financial year amounted to a whopping $148 million.
The current oldest living member of the British royal family is Katharine (born 1933), who is the eleventh longest-living British royal and the current Duchess of Kent. Elizabeth II was the longest ever reigning British monarch. She passed away on September 8 2022, aged 96.
Occupied Royal Palaces, such as Buckingham Palace, are not the private property of The Queen. They are occupied by the Sovereign and held in trust by Crown Estates for future generations. The Queen privately owns two properties, Balmoral Castle and Sandringham House, which are not publicly funded.