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Flag Of Manitoba

Flag of Manitoba

] , never used.]] The Flag of Manitoba is a variation of the Red Ensign which bears the shield of the provincial coat of arms. This flag was approved by the passage of a bill in the Manitoba Legislative Assembly on May 11, 1965. given royal approval by Queen Elizabeth II in October 1965, and officially proclaimed on 12 May 1966. The decision to adopt the flag was made after the federal government decided to replace the Canadian Red Ensign with the Maple Leaf flag.

External links


- [http://web2.gov.mb.ca/laws/statutes/ccsm/f130e.php Provincial Flag Act of Manitoba] - including the official description of the flag.
- [http://www.travelmanitoba.com/quickfacts/emblems.html Government of Manitoba, Travel Manitoba: Official Emblems].
- [http://fraser.cc/FlagsCan/Provinces/Manitoba.html The Flags of Canada - Manitoba]
- [http://www.mts.net/~hajones/portfol/flag.htm#flag 2001 Flag Contest Winner] - winner of the Winnipeg Free Press contest to choose a possible replacement for Manitoba's British red ensign.
- [http://www.nava.org/Flag%20Design/GFBF/gfbf-13.htm Good Flag, Bad Flag] - the North American Vexillological Association uses Manitoba's flag as an example of bad flag design. Category:Manitoba Manitoba Manitoba

Red Ensign

]] The Red Ensign is a flag that originated in the early 1600s as an ensign flown by the Royal Navy. The precise date of its first appearance is not known, but surviving receipts indicate that the Navy was paying to have such flags sewn during the 1620s.

History

1620s 1620s In 1674, a Royal Proclamation of Charles II confirmed that the Red Ensign was the appropriate flag to be worn by British merchant ships. The wording of the 1674 proclamation indicates that the flag was customarily being used by British merchantmen before that date. At this time, the ensign displayed the English Cross of St George in the canton. In 1707, an Act of Union united Scotland, England and Wales in the Kingdom of Great Britain, which resulted in a new red ensign. This flag placed the first Union Flag1 in the first quarter. The new design of the Red Ensign was proclaimed by Queen Anne, who indicated that it was to be used by both the navy and ships owned by "our loving subjects." In 1801, with another Act of Union, Ireland joined the United Kingdom, which resulted in the present Union Flag being added to the canton. The St Patrick's Cross was added to the Union Flag of the United Kingdom and, accordingly, to the first quarters of the British ensigns. Until 1864, the Red Ensign was the principal ensign of the Royal Navy, and as such it was worn by ships of the Red Squadron of the navy, as well as by those warships that were not assigned to any squadron (i.e., those sailing under independent command). The white ensign and the blue ensign were also used by the Royal Navy. In 1854, the Merchant Shipping Act included a specific provision that the Red Ensign was the appropriate flag for a British merchantman. This provision was repeated in successive British shipping legislation (i.e., 1889, 1894 (section 73) and 1995). By the mid-1800s, however, many in the Admiralty felt that the Royal Navy's use of three separate ensigns (i.e., the red, white, and blue) was outdated and confusing. Many also felt that steam merchantmen should be clearly distinguishable from warships. (Recall that until 1864, both British merchantmen and many warships of the Royal Navy were using the Red Ensign). In July 1864, an order-in-council provided that the White Ensign was the ensign of the Royal Naval Service. The Blue Ensign was designated as the proper national colours for ships commanded by an officer of the Royal Naval Reserve, and (with an appropriate badge) as national colours for ships in government service. The Red Ensign was assigned to British merchantmen. This basic structure remains today. A few years later (1867–1869), the Admiralty determined that the blue ensign charged with an appropriate badge in the fly would be used as the ensign by those ships in the armed, or public, service of the many British colonies. Most all British colonies needed to use the blue ensign due to the fact that most had government vessels; some colonies, such as South Australia, had warships. As a result, the Blue Ensign was used throughout the Empire and thus became the model for the flags used by a number of colonies and former colonies in the British Empire. At the same time, the red ensign (which was designated in 1864 as the flag for merchant shipping) was used by merchantmen of those colonies which obtained an Admiralty warrant. Not all colonies obtained an Admiralty warrant, however; ones that did tended to be larger, and included Canada (1892); New Zealand (1899); Australia (1901); South Africa (1910) and Cyprus (1922). Those areas that did not have an Admiralty warrant used the plain Red Ensign, although unofficial local versions of the Red Ensign were used. Today, Red Ensigns charged with the local emblem are available to be used by ships registered on several of the component registers of the Red Ensign Group: Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Guernsey and Isle of Man. For more information see British ensigns.

Australia

British ensigns The Australian Red Ensign, is a red version of the Australian Flag and is a reserved civil ensign. From 1901 to 1954 the flag was used as a civil flag, to be flown by private citizens on land, while the government used the Blue Ensign reflecting British practice. In 1941, Prime Minister Robert Menzies stated that there should be no restrictions on private citizens using the Blue Ensign on land and, in 1947, Prime Minister Ben Chifley reaffirmed this position but it wasn't until the passage of the Flags Act 1953 that the restriction on civilians flying the Blue Ensign was officially lifted after which use of the Red Ensign on land became a rarity. Under the Navigation and Shipping Act 1912 and the Shipping Registration Act 1981 the Red Ensign remains the only flag permitted for use by merchant ships registered in Australia. Pleasure craft may use either the Red Ensign or the national flag, but not both at the same time.
- External link: [http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-flags/red_ensign.htm Australia's forgotten flag: The Red Ensign]

Bermuda

Ben Chifley Bermuda, uniquely among British overseas territories, uses the Red Ensign as its land flag, which apparently has been flown unofficially since Bermuda's arms were granted in 1910. (Note, however, that many other British territories use local versions of the Red Ensign at sea). There appears to be no formal adoption of the Bermuda flag for use on land, although a 1969 Foreign & Commonwealth Office circular mentions its use. The white and green shield has a red lion holding a scrolled shield showing the sinking of the ship Sea Venture one mile off the coast of Bermuda in 1609. The ship struck a reef after being caught in a hurricane. The Red Ensign is likely to have been chosen as Bermuda's land flag due to Canadian influence. (In the early 20th century, Canada made use of the Red Ensign defaced with the Canadian shield as an unofficial land flag). Bermuda's 2002 shipping legislation officially recognizes the flag as an ensign for Bermudian registered ships. Prior to 2002, the flag was often used unofficially by Bermudian ships as an ensign, as reflected in Admiralty correspondence dating back to the 1950s.

Canada

1950s]] The term Red Ensign is often used in particular to refer to the Canadian Red Ensign, the former de facto national flag of Canada. It was informally adopted following Canadian Confederation in 1867 and, from 1892, it was the official flag for use on Canadian merchant ships, but on land the official national flag was the Union Flag. Despite its lack of official status the Red Ensign was widely used on land as well. In 1924 it was approved for use on Canadian government buildings outside Canada, and in 1945 for those inside Canada as well. Canada's Red Ensign bore various forms of the shield from the Canadian coat of arms in its fly during the period of its use. The picture shows the official form between 1957 and 1965. Canada also used a blue ensign for ships operated by the Canadian government and for the Royal Canadian Navy. The Red Ensign served as Canada's national flag until 1965 when, after considerable debate, it was replaced by today's Maple Leaf Flag. The Red Ensign is still popular amongst traditionalists and monarchists. It is not uncommon to see it flown throughout Canada. See also: Great Flag Debate; see Flag of Manitoba and Flag of Ontario for surviving provincial Red Ensigns.

New Zealand

provincials]]provincial The New Zealand Red Ensign with the Union Flag in the first quarter, and the Southern Cross, represented by four five-pointed white stars featured in the fly became the official flag in New Zealand for merchant vessels in 1901.[http://flagspot.net/flags/nz_ens.html#cen] Previously a plain red ensign was used. The red ensign may continue to be flown on land in Maori areas or during Maori events under the Flags, Emblems, and Names Protection Act 1981 [http://www.mch.govt.nz/nzflag/other-flags.htm] in recognition of long held Maori preference for red flags. New Zealand law allows the defacement of the flag in accordance to Maori custom in which white capital letters identifying a particular family or Maori tribe are added. In the case of the flag on the left, TAKITIMU refers to a grouping of Maori tribes descended from the crew of the ancestral canoe of that name [http://flagspot.net/flags/nz_mao.html#red]. Today, private and merchant craft can choose to fly the Flag of New Zealand (which is a blue ensign) or the Southern Cross red ensign.

South Africa

Flag of New Zealand to 1912.]] The Union of South Africa used a Red Ensign as its de facto national flag from 1910 until 1928, with the shield of its coat of arms in the fly. There was also a Blue Ensign which was mostly used on overseas offices. Both ensigns were changed slightly in 1912 when the shield of the coat of arms was placed on a white roundel. The South African coat of arms that defaced the flag was intended to represent both British and the Boer settlers equally. The most notable usage of the flag was when General Louis Botha flew the flag over Windhoek in what was then German South West Africa after the town's capture by South African troops in 1915. The Red Ensign was used in the early years after the creation of the Union of South Africa in the aftermath of the Boer Wars when the pro-British South African Party of Botha and Jan Smuts formed the government. However in 1924, the Afrikaner nationalist National Party first gained power, and the South African Flag Controversy of 1925 to 1928 ensued. The government, led by republican James Barry Munnik Hertzog sponsored a contest to choose a new banner based on the old Prinsevlag horizontal tricolour was chosen in 1927, and became the official flag in 1928. See also Flag of South Africa (source: Harry Saker, The South African Flag Controversy 1925-1928, Oxford University Press, Cape Town, 1980.)

See also


- Blue Ensign
- Green Ensign

Footnote


- Note 1: The Union Flag is sometimes called the Union Jack. This is correct only when the flag is being flown as a jack; that is, on a jack staff at the stem-head of a ship. This is proper only in a ship of the Royal Navy. Category:Flags of the United Kingdom Category:British Empire

Manitoba

Manitoba is one of Canada's provinces. It is the fifth Canadian province (created by the government in 1870). Its population as of July 1, 2005 (Statistics Canada) was 1,177,556 (Manitobans). It is the easternmost of the three Prairie Provinces. The name is Ojibwa, meaning "straits of the spirit". Its capital and largest city (containing over one half the provincial population) is Winnipeg. Other important cities and towns include Brandon, Thompson, Dauphin, Swan River, Churchill, The Pas, Selkirk, Portage la Prairie, Flin Flon, Steinbach, Morden, and Winkler.

Geography

Manitoba is located in the longitudinal centre of Canada, although it is considered part of Western Canada. It borders Saskatchewan to the west, Ontario to the east, Nunavut to the north, and the American states of North Dakota and Minnesota to the south. The province has a coast with Hudson Bay, and contains the very large Lakes Winnipeg, Manitoba (its namesake), and Winnipegosis. Important watercourses include the Red River, Assiniboine River, Nelson River, Winnipeg River, Hayes River and Churchill River. It is generally flat and low-lying though there are some hilly areas in the province. Baldy Mountain is the highest point at 831m (2,727 feet) and the Hudson Bay coast the lowest at sea level. Other upland areas include Riding Mountain, the Pembina Hills, and the Canadian Shield regions to the east. The climate in Manitoba is typical of its mid continent location and northerly latitude. In general, temperatures and precipitation decrease from south to north. Summers are generally warm to hot and winters very cold. Both spring and autumn are contracted seasons. As Manitoba is far removed from the moderating influences of both mountain ranges and large bodies of water (all of Manitoba's lakes freeze during the winter months), and because of its generally flat landscape, it is exposed to numerous weather systems throughout the year including prolonged cold spells in the winter months when arctic high pressure air masses settle over the province. This has resulted in the capital of the province being nicknamed "Winterpeg". In the summer months the climate is often influenced by low pressure air masses originating in the Gulf of Mexico resulting in hot and humid conditions and frequent thunderstorms. Only the southern parts of the province support extensive agriculture. The northern reaches of the province range through coniferous forests, muskeg, and up to tundra in the far north. There is approximately 24,000 square miles of untouched boreal forest on the eastern side of Lake Winnipeg. This area is renowned by naturalists and sportsmen for its pristine wilderness. tundra.]]

History

Manitoba was settled by members of the Ojibwa and Assiniboine tribes. The first European to reach present-day Manitoba was Sir Thomas Button, who visited the Nelson River in 1612. Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, Sieur de la Vérendrye, visited the Red River Valley in the 1730s as part of opening the area for French exploration and exploitation. An important French-Canadian population (Franco-Manitobains) still lives in Manitoba, especially in the Saint-Boniface district of Winnipeg. The territory was won by Britain in 1763 as part of the French and Indian War, and became part of Rupert's Land, the immense monopoly territory of the Hudson's Bay Company. Hudson's Bay Company The founding of the first agricultural community in 1811 by Lord Selkirk, near modern Winnipeg, resulted in conflict between the white colonists and the Métis who lived near there. Twenty colonists, including the governor, were killed by the Métis in the Battle of Seven Oaks in 1816. When Rupert's Land was ceded to Canada in 1869 and incorporated into the Northwest Territories, a lack of attention to Métis concerns led their leader Louis Riel to establish a provisional government, The Red River Rebellion. Negotiations between this government and the Canadian government resulted in the creation of the province of Manitoba and its entry into Confederation in 1870. Originally the province was only 1/18 of its current size and square in shape - it was known as the "postage stamp province." It grew progressively, absorbing land from the Northwest Territories until it attained its current size by reaching 60°N in 1912.

Demographics

Ethnic origin :Note: the percentages do not necesarily add up to 100% as multiple responses are allowed.
- 22.8% Canadian
- 22.0% English
- 18.1% German
- 17.7% Scottish
- 14.2% Ukrainian
- 13.0% Irish
- 12.6% French
- 9.9% North American Indian
- 6.6% Polish
- 5.1% Métis Ethnic origins with less than 3% of the responses are not listed. [http://www40.statcan.ca/l01/cst01/demo26h.htm Source] Manitoba is home to the largest Icelandic population outside of Iceland.[http://www.gov.mb.ca/finance/budget05/advantage/culture.html] There are about 26,000 people with Icelandic ancestry living in Manitoba.[http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census01/products/highlight/ETO/Table1.cfm?Lang=E&T=501&GV=1&GID=46] About 35% of the Icelandic-Canadian population lives in Manitoba.[http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census01/products/highlight/ETO/Table1.cfm?Lang=E&T=501&GV=1&GID=0] Religious groups
- 43.0% Protestant
- 29.3% Roman Catholic
- 4.0% Christian not included elsewhere
- 1.4% Christian Orthodox
- 1.1% Jewish
- 18.6% No religious affiliation Religions that make up less than 1% are not listed. [http://www40.statcan.ca/l01/cst01/demo30b.htm Source]

Famous Manitobans


- Randy Bachman, musician, (The Guess Who) & Bachman-Turner Overdrive (BTO)
- Ashleigh Banfield, [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1044752/ TV actress], TV host
- Cordell Barker, Oscar nominated animator The Cat Came Back
- Brenda Barrie, novelist and poet
- Burton Cummings, musician, (The Guess Who)
- Len Cariou, [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0137230/ actor]
- Bill Cody, [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0168565/ actor]
- Richard Condie, Oscar nominated animator The Big Snit
- Dionisio, Ma-Anne, lead role of Kim in Miss Saigon in Toronto and in Sydney, Australia
- Deanna Durbin, [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002052/ actress]
- Marcel Dzama, [http://www.richardhellergallery.com/dynamic/artist_bio.asp?ArtistID=3 artist]
- Brendan Fehr, [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0270451/ actor], star of the television series Roswell
- Ken Finkleman, director, writer and actor
- Terry Fox, [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1745181/ cancer activist] and national hero
- Aaron Funk, musician
- Joanna Gleason, [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0322306/ actress]
- Monty Hall, [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0355937/ TV celebrity], television game show host
- Bob Hunter, co-founder of Greenpeace
- Doug Henning, [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0377392/ magician]
- Terry Jacks, singer
- Chantal Kreviazuk, musician & [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0471092/ actress]
- Mimi Kuzyk, [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0476906/ tv actress]
- Kyle McCulloch, [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0567143/ actor], writer for South Park
- Todd MacCulloch, basketball player
- Gisele MacKenzie, singer
- Mary MacLane, [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0533695/ writer]
- Guy Maddin, [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0534665/ director]
- Joan Mitchell, painter, first wife of Alan Greenspan
- Bob Nolan, musician
- Anna Paquin, [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001593/ actress]
- Fred Penner, [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0672094/ children's entertainer], musician
- Frank Pickersgill, SOE agent in World War II executed by the Nazis
- Douglas Rain, [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0706937/ actor]
- Brad Roberts, musician, [http://www.crashtestdummies.com/ Crash Test Dummies]
- Gabrielle Roy, author
- Ray St. Germain, musician
- John K. Samson, singer-songwriter (The Weakerthans)
- Terry Sawchuk, NHL goalie
- Remy Shand, musician
- Al Simmons, musician, children's entertainer
- Alexander Steen, NHL
- David Steinberg, [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0825731/ actor, comedian]
- Sir William Stephenson (aka Intrepid), spy, man on whom the character of James Bond is based
- Nia Vardalos, [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0889522/ actress and writer]
- Catherine Wreford, [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1671908/ stage actress], wife of Jeff Goldblum
- Maiko Watson, musician, founding member of girl-group Sugar Jones, wife of Remy Shand

Map

image:manmap.PNG

See also


- Manitoba Act
- Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
- Provinces and territories of Canada
- Manitoba cabinet ministers
- Manitoba Hydro
- Manitoba Telecom Services
- List of cities in Canada
- List of Manitoba general elections
- List of Manitoba lieutenant-governors
- List of Manitoba premiers
- List of Manitoba regions
- List of communities in Manitoba
- List of Canadian provincial and territorial symbols
- Louis Riel
- Republic of Manitoba (1867-68)
- Dominion Land Survey
- Red River Flood, 1997
- Same-sex marriage in Manitoba
- list of rural municipalities in Manitoba
- List of Manitoba School Divisions and Districts
- First Nations in Southern Manitoba
- First Nations in the Northern Region of Manitoba

External links


- [http://www2.marianopolis.edu/quebechistory/docs/manitoba/index.htm The Manitoba School Question]
- [http://www.mhs.mb.ca The Manitoba Historical Society] Category:Manitoba zh-min-nan:Manitoba ko:매니토바 주 ja:マニトバ州 simple:Manitoba

May 11

May 11 is the 131st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (132nd in leap years). There are 234 days remaining.

Events


- 330 - Byzantium is renamed Nova Roma during a dedication ceremony, but is more popularly referred to as Constantinople.
- 1502 - Christopher Columbus leaves for his fourth and final voyage to the West Indies.
- 1745 - War of Austrian Succession: Battle of Fontenoy – At Fontenoy, French forces defeat an Anglo-Dutch-Hanoverian army.
- 1792 - Captain Robert Gray becomes the first documented Caucasian to visit the Columbia River.
- 1812 - Prime Minister Spencer Perceval is assassinated by John Bellingham in the lobby of the House of Commons, London.
- 1818 - Charles XIV of Sweden-Norway is crowned king of Sweden.
- 1857 - Indian Mutiny: Indian rebels seize Delhi from the British.
- 1858 - Minnesota is admitted as the 32nd U.S. state.
- 1862 - American Civil War: The ironclad CSS Virginia is scuttled in the James River northwest of Norfolk, Virginia.
- 1864 - American Civil War: Battle of Yellow Tavern – Confederate General JEB Stuart is mortally wounded at Yellow Tavern, Virginia.
- 1867 - Luxembourg gains its independence.
- 1894 - Pullman Strike: Three thousand Pullman Palace Car Company workers go on a wildcat strike in Illinois.
- 1910 - An act of the U.S. Congress establishes Glacier National Park in Montana.
- 1911 - The United States becomes a signatory to the Buenos Aires copyright treaty.
- 1927 - The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is founded.
- 1928 - The first analog TV service is inaugurated by WGY, Schenectady, New York.
- 1934 - Dust Bowl: A strong two-day dust storm removes massive amounts of Great Plains topsoil in one of the worst dust storms of the Dust Bowl in North America.
- 1942 - William Faulkner's collections of short stories, Go Down, Moses, is published.
- 1943 - World War II: American troops invade Attu in the Aleutian Islands in an attempt to expel occupying Japanese forces.
- 1944 - World War II: The Allies start a major offensive against the Axis Powers on the Gustav Line.
- 1949 - Siam changes its name to Thailand.
- 1949 - Israel joins the United Nations.
- 1953 - The Waco Tornado: An F5 tornado hits downtown Waco, Texas, killing 114.
- 1960 - In Buenos Aires, Argentina, four Israeli Mossad agents capture fugitive Nazi Adolf Eichmann, living under the assumed name Ricardo Klement.
- 1960 - The first contraceptive pill is made available on the market.
- 1964 - Terence Conran opened the first Habitat store on London's Fulham Road.
- 1969 - Vietnam War: Operation Apache Snow – Near the Laos border, American and South Vietnamese forces fight North Vietnamese troops for Ap Bia Mountain (aka Hill 937 or "Hamburger Hill").
- 1970 - The Lubbock Tornado: An F5 tornado hits downtown Lubbock, Texas, killing 26.
- 1973 - Citing government misconduct, Daniel Ellsberg has his charges for his involvement in releasing the Pentagon Papers to the New York Times dismissed.
- 1976 - The last episode of the TV medical drama Marcus Welby, M.D. is aired.
- 1981 - Death of Reggae legend Bob Marley.
- 1984 - A transit of Earth from Mars takes place; no one is there to observe it.
- 1985 - 56 spectators die when a flash fire strikes a football ground during a match in Bradford, England.
- 1987 - Klaus Barbie goes on trial in Lyon for war crimes committed during World War II.
- 1987 - The first heart-lung transplant takes place (Baltimore, Maryland).
- 1995 - In New York City, more than 170 countries decide to extend the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty indefinitely and without conditions.
- 1996 - After taking-off from Miami, a fire started by improperly handled oxygen canisters in the cargo hold of Atlanta-bound ValuJet Flight 592 causes the Douglas DC-9 to crash in the Florida Everglades killing all 110 on board.
- 1997 - IBM's Deep Blue chess-playing supercomputer defeats Garry Kasparov in the last game of the rematch, becoming the first computer to beat a world-champion chess player.
- 1998 - Nuclear testing: In the Rajasthan Desert, India conducts its first underground nuclear tests violating the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and inflaming its rival neighbor Pakistan (who already has nuclear weapons).
- 1998 - ZDTV, "the official technology television network", begins broadcasting. It lasts six years before merging with G4 to become G4techTV, a gaming channel.
- 2003 - Rafael Palmeiro becomes the 19th member of the 500 home run club with a home run at The Ballpark in Arlington, Texas.
- 2003 - Benvenuto Cellini's Saliera is stolen from the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.
- 2004 - The Stockline Plastics factory explosion in Glasgow kills nine people.

Births


- 1571 - Niwa Nagashige, Japanese warlord (d. 1637)
- 1720 - Karl Friedrich Hieronymus Freiherr von Münchhausen, German officer and adventurer (d. 1797)
- 1722 - Petrus Camper, Dutch anatomist (d. 1789)
- 1752 - Johann Friedrich Blumenbach, German anthropologist (d. 1840)
- 1763 - János Bacsanyi, Hungarian poet (d. 1845)
- 1801 - Henri Labrouste, French architect (d. 1875)
- 1827 - Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux, French sculptor and painter (d. 1875)
- 1871 - Stjepan Radic, Croatian politician (d. 1928)
- 1887 - Paul Wittgenstein, Austrian-born pianist (d. 1961)
- 1888 - Irving Berlin, American composer (d. 1989)
- 1890 - Woodall Rodgers, mayor of Dallas, Texas (d. 1961)
- 1892 - Margaret Rutherford, English actress (d. 1972)
- 1894 - Martha Graham, American dancer and choreographer (d. 1991)
- 1895 - Jiddu Krishnamurti, Indian philosopher (d. 1986)
- 1896 - Josip Štolcer-Slavenski Croatian composer (d. 1955)
- 1897 - Kurt Gerron German director (d. 1944)
- 1903 - Charlie Gehringer, baseball player (d. 1993)
- 1904 - Salvador Dalí, Catalan painter (d. 1989)
- 1907 - Rose Ausänder, German poet (d. 1988)
- 1911 - Phil Silvers, American actor and comedian (d. 1985)
- 1912 - Foster Brooks, American actor and comedian (d. 2001)
- 1913 - Robert Jungk, Austrian publicist (d. 1994)
- 1916 - Camilo José Cela, Spanish writer, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2002)
- 1918 - Richard Feynman, American physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1988)
- 1921 - Hildegard Hamm-Brücher, German politician
- 1924 - Antony Hewish, English radio astronomer, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physics
- 1927 - Mort Sahl, Canadian comedian and political commentator
- 1928 - Yaacov Agam, Israeli sculptor
- 1930 - Edsger Dijkstra, Dutch computer scientist (d. 2002)
- 1933 - Louis Farrakhan, American Black Muslim leader
- 1938 - Carla Bley, American musician and composer
- 1940 - Juan Downey, Chilean video artist (d. 1993)
- 1941 - Graham Miles, English snooker player
- 1946 - Robert Jarvik, American physicist and inventor
- 1948 - Shigeru Izumiya, Japanese folk musician
- 1950 - Jeremy Paxman, British journalist and author
- 1952 - Renaud Séchan, French composer
- 1952 - Mike Lupica, American sports journalist
- 1952 - Shohreh Aghdashloo, Iranian actress
- 1952 - Frances Fisher, English-born actress
- 1954 - Lubomir Stoykov, Bulgarian journalist and broadcaster
- 1955 - John DeStefano, Jr., American politician
- 1956 - Theresa Burke, Canadian journalist
- 1956 - Alex Lester, British broadcaster
- 1959 - Martha Quinn, American television personality
- 1963 - Natasha Richardson, English-born actress
- 1964 - John Parrott, English snooker player
- 1965 - Greg Dulli, American musician
- 1966 - Christoph Schneider, German drummer (Rammstein)
- 1981 - Lauren Jackson, Australian basketball player
- 1981 - Neil Tapinos, South African Top Radio Newscaster
- 1972 - Anita Hegh, Australian actress
- 1977 - Janne Ahonen, Finnish ski jumper
- 1982 - Jonathan Jackson, American actor
- 1983 - Matt Leinart, American football player
- 1983 - Holly Valance, New Zealand-born actress and singer
-
- 1989 - Haider Ali, Rapper
-

Deaths


- 912 - Leo VI, Byzantine Emperor (b. 866)
- 1304 - Mahmud Ghazan, Persian ruler (b. 1271)
- 1610 - Matteo Ricci, Italian Jesuit missionary (b. 1552)
- 1672 - Charles Seton, 2nd Earl of Dunfermline, English royalist (b. 1615)
- 1708 - Jules Hardouin Mansart, French architect (b. 1646)
- 1723 - Jean Galbert de Campistron, French dramatist (b. 1656)
- 1777 - George Pigot, Baron Pigot, British governor of Madras (b. 1719)
- 1778 - William Pitt, the Elder, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1708)
- 1812 - Spencer Perceval, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (assassinated) (b. 1762)
- 1871 - John Herschel, British mathematician and astronomer (b. 1792)
- 1848 - Tom Cribb, English boxer (b. 1781)
- 1887 - Jean Baptiste Boussingault, French chemist (b. 1802)
- 1916 - Max Reger, German composer (b. 1873)
- 1916 - Karl Schwarzschild, German astronomer and physicist (b. 1873)
- 1920 - William Dean Howells, American writer (b. 1837)
- 1955 - Gilbert Jessop, English cricketer (b. 1874)
- 1960 - John D. Rockefeller, Jr., American philanthropist (b. 1874)
- 1963 - Herbert Spencer Gasser, American physiologist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1888)
- 1970 - Johnny Hodges, American musician (b. 1906)
- 1973 - Lex Barker, American actor (b. 1919)
- 1976 - Alvar Aalto, Finnish architect (b. 1898)
- 1981 - Odd Hassel, Norwegian chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1897)
- 1981 - Bob Marley, Jamaican singer and musician (b. 1945)
- 1985 - Chester Gould, American cartoonist (b. 1900)
- 1986 - Fritz Pollard, American football player (b. 1894)
- 1988 - Kim Philby, British spy (b. 1912)
- 1996 - Ademir, Brazilian football player (b. 1922)
- 2001 - Douglas Adams, English author (b. 1952)
- 2002 - Joseph Bonanno, Italian-born gangster (b. 1905)
- 2003 - Noel Redding, English bassist (The Jimi Hendrix Experience) (b. 1945)

Holidays and observances


- Feast day of the following saints in the Roman Catholic Church:
  - Mamertus
  - Gengou Gangulphus
  - Majolus of Cluny
  - Gauthier of Esterp
  - John Rochester
  - James Walworth
  - Francis of Girolamo
- Roman Empire - Feast of the Lemures (See Larvae)
- Holiday of the City of Miskolc (since 1992)
- Mother's Day (certain countries) – 2003, 2008, 2014
- Yom Hazikaron (Fallen Soldiers Remembrance Day) in Israel (2005)
- National School Nurse Day (U.S.)

External links


- [http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/may/11 BBC: On This Day]
- [http://www.thisdaythatyear.com/may/people11.htm ThisDayThatYear.com on May 11]
- [http://www.tnl.net/when/5/11 Today in History: May 11] ---- May 10 - May 12 - April 11 - June 11 – listing of all days ko:5월 11일 ms:11 Mei ja:5月11日 simple:May 11 th:11 พฤษภาคม

Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom

Queen Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor), born 21 April 1926, is the Queen regnant of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, and Saint Kitts and Nevis. About 128 million people live in the countries of which she is Head of State. She is thirty-eighth in line of descent from Egbert, King of Wessex. She also holds the positions of Head of the Commonwealth, Supreme Governor of the Church of England and Lord of Mann since the death of her father, King George VI on 6 February 1952. She is the second-longest-serving current head of state in the world, after King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great of Thailand. Her reign of over five decades has seen ten different Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom and numerous Prime Ministers in the other personal union nations of which she is or was Head of State.

Early life

Elizabeth was born at 21 Bruton Street in Mayfair, London on 21 April, 1926. Her father was HRH The Prince Albert, Duke of York (later King George VI), the second eldest son of King George V and Queen Mary. Her mother was HRH The Duchess of York (née Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon), the daughter of Claude George Bowes-Lyon, 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne and his wife, the Countess of Strathmore. She was baptised in the Music Room of Buckingham Palace by Cosmo Lang, the then Archbishop of York and her godparents were King George and Queen Mary, the Princess Royal, the Duke of Connaught, the Earl of Strathmore and Lady Elphinstone. Lady Elphinstone Elizabeth was named after her mother, while her two middle names are those of her paternal great-grandmother Queen Alexandra and grandmother Queen Mary respectively. As a child she was known as 'Lilibet' by her close family. As a granddaughter of the British sovereign in the male line, she held the title of a British princess with the style Her Royal Highness. Her full style was HRH Princess Elizabeth of York. At the time of her birth, she was third in the line of succession to the crown, behind her father and her uncle, HRH The Prince of Wales, later King Edward VIII. Although her birth generated public interest, no one could have predicted that she would become Queen. It was widely assumed that her uncle, the enormously popular Prince of Wales, would marry and have children in due course.

Education

The young Princess Elizabeth was educated at home, as was her younger sister, Princess Margaret, under the supervision of her mother, then the Duchess of York. Her governess was Marion Crawford, better known as "Crawfie". She studied history with C. H. K. Marten, Provost of Eton, and also learned modern languages. She now speaks fluent French, as she has shown on several occasions, most recently during her 2004 state visit to France to commemorate the centenary of the Entente Cordiale but also on numerous visits to Canada. She was instructed in religion by the Archbishop of Canterbury and has always been a strong believer in the Church of England.

Heiress Presumptive

When her father became King in 1936 upon her uncle King Edward VIII's abdication, she became heiress presumptive and was henceforth known as HRH The Princess Elizabeth. There was some demand in Wales for her to be created The Princess of Wales but the King was advised that this was the title of the wife of the Prince of Wales and not a title in its own right. Some feel the King missed the opportunity to make an innovation in Royal practice. She was thirteen years old when World War II broke out. She and her younger sister Princess Margaret were evacuated to Windsor Castle, Berkshire. There was some suggestion that the princesses be sent to Canada, but their mother the Queen refused to consider this, saying, "The children could not possibly go without me, I wouldn't leave without the King, and the King won't leave under any circumstances". In 1940 Princess Elizabeth made her first broadcast, addressing other children who had been evacuated.

Military service

1940 In 1945 Princess Elizabeth convinced her father that she should be allowed to contribute directly to the war effort. She joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service (the ATS) where she was known as No 230873 Second Subaltern Elizabeth Windsor, and was trained as a driver. This training was the first time she had been taught together with other students. It is said that she greatly enjoyed this and that this experience led her to send her own children to school rather than have them educated at home. She was the first (and as of 2005 the only) female member of the royal family to actually serve in the military, though other royal women have been given honorary ranks. During the V-E Day celebrations in London, she and her sister dressed as ordinary subjects and slipped into the crowd secretly in order to celebrate with everyone without being recognised. Elizabeth made her first official visit overseas in 1947, when she accompanied her parents to South Africa. On her 21st birthday she made a broadcast to the British Commonwealth and Empire, pledging to [http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/Page4098.asp devote her life] to the service of the people of the Commonwealth and Empire.

Marriage and motherhood

Empire Elizabeth married HRH The Duke of Edinburgh on 20 November 1947. The Duke is Queen Elizabeth's third cousin; they share Queen Victoria as a great-great-grandmother. They are also both descended from Christian IX of Denmark (she being a great-great granddaughter through Alexandra of Denmark, and the Duke is a great-grandson through George I of Greece). Prince Philip had renounced his claim to the Greek throne and was simply referred to as Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten before being created Duke of Edinburgh before their marriage. This marriage, although not arranged as such, was eminently suitable for a female heir to the throne, as Philip had been trained for royal responsibilities. After their wedding Philip and Elizabeth took up residence at Clarence House, London. On 14 November 1948 she gave birth to her first child Prince Charles of Edinburgh. Several weeks earlier letters patent had been issued so that her children would enjoy a royal and prince status they would not otherwise have been entitled to. Otherwise they would have been styled merely as children of a duke. They had four children (see below) in all. Though the Royal House is named Windsor, it was decreed via a 1960 Order-in-Council that the descendants of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip should have the personal surname Mountbatten-Windsor.

Children and grandchildren

Succession

King George's health declined during 1951 and Elizabeth frequently stood in for him at public events. She visited Greece, Italy and Malta (where Philip was then stationed) during the year. In October she toured Canada and visited President Harry S. Truman in Washington, DC. In January 1952 Elizabeth and Philip set out for a tour of Australia and New Zealand. They had reached Kenya when word arrived of the death of her father, on 6 February 1952, from lung cancer. At the exact moment of succession, she was in a treetop hotel – a unique circumstance for any such event. She was the first British monarch since the Act of Union in 1801 to be out of the country at the moment of succession, and also the first in modern times not to know the exact time of her accession. The Treetops Hotel, where she went up a princess and came down a queen, is now a very popular tourist retreat in Kenya. Elizabeth's coronation took place in Westminster Abbey on 2 June 1953.

Life as Queen

1953 and holding the Sceptre with the Cross and the Orb at her Coronation (2 June 1953).]] After the Coronation, Elizabeth and Philip moved to Buckingham Palace in central London. It is believed, however, that like many of her predecessors she dislikes the Palace as a residence and considers Windsor Castle, west of London, to be her home. She also spends time at Balmoral Castle in Scotland and at Sandringham House in Norfolk. Queen Elizabeth is the most widely travelled head of state in history (in front of Pope John Paul II). In 1953–54 she and Philip made a six-month round-the-world tour, becoming the first reigning monarch to circumnavigate the globe, and also the first to visit Australia, New Zealand and Fiji (which she visited again all at once during the 1977 jubilee). In October 1957 she made a state visit to the United States, and in 1959 she made a tour of Canada. In 1961 she toured India and Pakistan for the first time. She has made state visits to most European countries and to many outside Europe. She regularly attends Commonwealth Heads of Government meetings. At the time of Elizabeth's accession there was much talk of a "new Elizabethan age". Elizabeth's role has been to preside over the United Kingdom as it has shared world economic and military power with a growing host of independent nations and principalities. As nations have developed economically and in literacy, Queen Elizabeth has witnessed over the past 50 years a gradual transformation of the British Empire into its modern successor, the Commonwealth. She has worked hard to maintain links with former British possessions, and in some cases, such as South Africa, she has played an important role in retaining or restoring good relations.

Views and Perceptions

Elizabeth is a conservative in matters of religion, moral standards and family matters. She has a strong sense of religious duty and takes seriously her Coronation Oath. This is one reason why it is considered highly unlikely that she will ever abdicate. Like her mother, she blamed Edward VIII for, as she saw it, abandoning his duty and forcing her father to become King — a strain which she believed shortened his life by many years. She used the authority of her position to prevent her sister, Princess Margaret, from marrying a divorced man, Peter Townsend. For years she refused to acknowledge her son Prince Charles's relationship with Camilla Parker-Bowles but since their marriage an appearance of acceptance has been established. Elizabeth's political views are supposed to be less clear-cut (she has never said or done anything in public to reveal what they might be). She preserves cordial relations with politicians of all parties. It is believed that her favourite Prime Ministers have been Winston Churchill, Harold Macmillan and Harold Wilson. She was thought to have very good relations with her current Prime Minister, Tony Blair, during the first years of his term in office; however, there has been mounting evidence in recent months that her relationship with Blair has hardened. She reportedly feels that he does not keep her informed well enough on affairs of state. The only public issue on which Elizabeth makes her views known are those affecting the unity of each of her Realms, including Canada and the United Kingdom. She has spoken in favour of the continued union of England and Scotland, angering some Scottish nationalists. Her statement of praise for the Northern Ireland Belfast Agreement raised some complaints among some Unionists in the Democratic Unionist Party who opposed the agreement, Ian Paisley calling her a parrot of Tony Blair. Also, while not speaking directly against Quebec Sovereignty in Canada, she has publicly praised Canada's unity and expressed her wish to see the continuation of a unified Canada. However when during a separatist referendum campaign she was tricked into speaking with a DJ pretending to be then Canadian prime minister Jean Chrétien she pointedly refused to accept "Chrétien"'s advice that she intervene on the issue without first seeing a draft speech sent by him. (Her tactful handling of the call won plaudits from the DJ who made it.) Her personal relationships with world leaders are warm and informal. On a BBC documentary broadcast in 2002 she was shown teasing a former Prime Minister about how he could travel to world trouble spots like Iraq because he was seen by politicians as "expendable". (He laughed at the comment.) Mary McAleese, now President of Ireland recounted how as Pro Vice-Chancellor of Queen's University, Belfast she was, to her shock, invited to a lunch with the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, on the basis that the Queen wished to talk to her, as a leading Northern Ireland nationalist, and hear her views on Anglo-Irish relations. The two women struck up an instant rapport, with McAleese, during the 1997 Irish presidential election, calling the Queen "a dote" (a Hiberno-English term meaning a 'really lovely person') in an Irish Independent interview. Nelson Mandela in the BBC documentary repeatedly referred to her as "my friend, Elizabeth". Nelson Mandela: from left: Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, Prince William, Prince Charles, Prince Henry, Prince Andrew]] Despite a series of controversies about the rest of the royal family, particularly the marital difficulties of her children throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Queen Elizabeth remains a remarkably uncontroversial figure and is generally well-respected by the people of her Realms. However, her public persona remains formal, though more relaxed than it once was. Queen Elizabeth has never suffered from severe public disapproval. However, in 1997 she and other members of the Royal Family were perceived as cold and unfeeling when they were seen not to participate in the public outpouring of grief at the death of Diana, Princess of Wales. This brought sharp criticism from the normally royalist tabloid press. It is widely believed that Elizabeth held negative feelings towards Diana and thought that she had done immense damage to the monarchy. However, the sight of the entire Royal Family bowing to Diana's coffin as it passed Buckingham Palace, together with a rare live television broadcast by Queen Elizabeth, addressed the public grief. Elizabeth's change of attitude is believed to have resulted from strong advice from the Queen Mother and Tony Blair. Many biographers of both the Queen and Diana agree that there indeed was a fondness between the two women, however, the Queen did not always understand Diana's motivations. Elizabeth remains a highly respected head of state. However, she and her family have come under increasing pressure from UK based newspapers. In 2002 she celebrated her Golden Jubilee, marking the 50th anniversary of her accession to the Throne. The year saw an extensive tour of the Commonwealth Realms, including numerous parades and official concerts. The Jubilee year coincided with the deaths, within a few months, of Elizabeth's mother and sister. Elizabeth's relations with her children, while still somewhat distant, have become much warmer since these deaths. She is particularly close to her daughter-in-law Sophie, Countess of Wessex. She is known to have disapproved of Prince Charles's long-standing relationship with Camilla Parker-Bowles, but with their recent marriage, has come to accept it. On the other hand, she is very close to her grandchildren, noticeably Prince William and Zara Phillips. In late February 2003, Queen Elizabeth II's reign, then just over 51 years, surpassed the reigns of all four of her immediate predecessors (King Edward VII, King George V, King Edward VIII and King George VI) combined. King George VI] In 2003 Elizabeth, who is often described as robustly healthy, underwent three operations. She had two operations by the end of the year concerning both of her knees, and also had several lesions removed from her face. This had prompted some debate in the media about whether the evolving monarchy should have monarchs abdicating as in some other nations, or even enforce a retirement age for reigning monarchs. In June 2005 she was forced to cancel several engagements after contracting what the Palace described as a bad cold. 2005 in 2005]] As Elizabeth approaches her 80th birthday, she has made it clear that she has no intention of abdicating. Those who know her best have stated that she intends to reign as Queen until the day she dies. She has, however, begun to hand over some public duties to her children, as well as other members of the royal family. It was rumoured in 2005, that she and Prince Philip would be reducing their international travel. The subsequent, perhaps pointed, announcements that they would be visiting Canada, Malta, Australia, and Singapore in the space of the next year served to effectively deny these rumours, however. It is often made clear that she intends to do as much as she can until she is physically unable. Despite this, many historians are now claiming the we are witnessing the start of the end of the Queen's reign. The wedding of the Prince of Wales to Camilla in 2005, was seen by many as a message from the Queen that we are in the final years (perhaps decades) of her reign. By allowing Charles to marry, she is attempting to ensure that Charles' succession to the throne will go as smoothly as possible. In 2004, a copy of the Queen's newly revised funeral plans were stolen, much to the Queen's anger. And for the first time in September 2005, a mock version of the Queen's funeral march was held in the middle of the night (this was also done once a year after the late Queen Mother turned 80). If the Queen lives until 2008, she will become the oldest reigning monarch in British history, surpassing King George III and Queen Victoria, both of whom died before the age of 82. Should she still be reigning on September 9, 2015 at the age of 89, her reign will surpass that of Queen Victoria and she will become the longest reigning monarch of the British monarchy. Elizabeth's public image has noticeably softened in recent years, particularly since the death of the Queen Mother. Although she remains reserved in public, she has been seen laughing and smiling much more than in years past, and to the shock of many she has been seen to shed tears during emotional occasions such as at Remembrance Day services, the memorial service at St Paul's Cathedral for those killed in the 11 September terrorist attacks and in Normandy, France for the 60th anniversary of D-Day, where, for the first time, she addressed the Canadian troops, even while fighting sadness and loss for U.S. President George W. Bush, since it was happening the day after the passing of former president Ronald Reagan, which people in Britain felt quite deeply, since she was in Normandy for the 40th anniversary with Reagan.

Constitutional role

Role in government

In theory, the Queen is an essential part of the legislative process of her Realms. The Queen-in-Parliament (the Queen, acting with the advice and consent of Parliament), in each country, is an integral part of Parliament, along with the upper and lower houses. In practice, however, the Queen's role in the legislative process is in all forseeable circumstances entirely ceremonial. The Queen may legally grant or withhold Royal Assent to Bills, but no monarch has refused his or her assent to a Bill since 1708. The Queen, or her Governors-General in the realms outside the United Kingdom, also gives a speech at the annual State Opening of Parliament, outlining the government's legislative agenda for the year, but the speech is written by ministers. The Queen also has a functional role in executive government. Constitutionally she chooses her prime minister (though in reality no actual choice is required as the issue of whom to ask to form a government is clear from who controls the House of Commons, except in exceptional circumstances). She also decides the basis on which a person is asked to form a government. That is, whether a government should be formed capable of surviving in the House of Commons — the standard requirement — or capable of commanding majority support in the House of Commons — i.e., a requirement to form a coalition if no one party has a majority. This requirement was last set in 1940, when King George VI asked Winston Churchill to form a government capable of commanding a majority in parliament. This necessitated a coalition. The requirement is normally only made in emergencies or in war-time, and happened only twice in the 20th century: with David Lloyd George in 1916 and Churcill in 1940. To date Queen Elizabeth II has never set it. All her prime ministers have had to meet the lower requirement of simply surviving in the House of Commons. The Queen also appoints ministers and all government is carried out legally in her name. Theoretically she stills holds a large proportion of power in international affairs the Queen, as Head of State, has the power to declare war and make peace, to recognise foreign states, to conclude treaties and to take over or give up territory. Orders-in-Council are issued only when approved by her at Privy Council meetings. She has access to all government minutes and documentation, and has a weekly meeting with the Prime Minister when parliament is in session. She also signs executive order, financial and treasury papers, with her signature required on all major financial transactions of state (countersigned by the relevant minister). The role of Commander-in-Chief is held in each realm either by the Queen or by her Governor-General as her representative.

Appointment of prime ministers: 3 controversies

On three occasions during her reign the Queen has had to deal with constitutional problems over the formation of governments. In 1957 and again in 1963 the absence of a formal open mechanism within the Conservative Party for choosing a leader meant that following the sudden resignation of Sir Anthony Eden and Harold Macmillan it fell on the Queen to decide whom to commission to form a government. In both these cases Rab Butler was passed over, in controversial circumstances. In 1957 Eden did not proffer advice and so the Queen consulted Lords Salisbury and Kilmuir for the opinion of the Cabinet and Winston Churchill, as the only living former Conservative Prime Minister (following the precedent of George V consulting Salisbury's father and Arthur Balfour upon Andrew Bonar Law's resignation in 1923). In October 1963 the outgoing Prime Minister Harold Macmillan advised the Queen to appoint the Earl of Home. On the third occasion, in February 1974, an inconclusive general election result meant that in theory outgoing prime minister Edward Heath, who had won more of the popular vote, could stay in power if he formed a coalition government with the Liberals. Rather than immediately resign as prime minister he explored the option and only resigned when the discussions floundered. (Had he chosen to, he could have remained on until defeated in the debate on the Queen's Speech.) Only when he resigned was the Queen able to ask the Leader of the Opposition, the Labour Party's Harold Wilson, to form a government. His minority government lasted for 8 months before a new general election was held. In all three cases, she appears to have acted in accordance with constitutional tradition, following the advice of her senior ministers and Privy Councillors.

Relations with ministers

British Prime Ministers take their weekly meetings with the Queen very seriously. One Prime Minister said he took them more seriously than Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons, because she would be better briefed and more constructive than anything he would face at the dispatch box. Elizabeth also has regular meetings with her individual British ministers, and occasional meetings with ministers from her other Realms. Even ministers known to have republican views speak highly of her and value these meetings. As with her British Prime Ministers, some Canadian Prime Ministers have commented on the Queen's knowledge of Canadian and international affairs. Former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau stated: "I was always impressed not only by the grace she displayed in public at all times, but by the wisdom she showed in private conversation." (Memoirs, Pierre E. Trudeau) The Queen also meets the Scottish First Minister. The royal palace in Edinburgh, the Palace of Holyroodhouse, once home to Scottish kings and queens like Mary, Queen of Scots, is now regularly used again, with at least one member of the Royal Family (often the Prince of Wales or Princess Royal) in residence. She also receives reports from the new Welsh Assembly, and is continually kept abreast of goings on with her other governments. Welsh Assembly of New Zealand; Sir Winston Churchill; to her left, Robert Menzies of Australia and Louis St. Laurent of Canada]] Though bound by convention not to intervene directly in politics, her length of service, the fact that she has been a confidante of every prime minister since Winston Churchill in the United Kingdom, Louis St. Laurent in Canada, Alexander Bustamante in Jamaica, Sidney Holland in New Zealand, and many others, combined with her knowledge of world leaders, means that when she does express an opinion, however cautiously, her words are taken seriously. In her memoirs, Margaret Thatcher offered this description of her weekly meetings with Elizabeth: "Anyone who imagines that they are a mere formality or confined to social niceties is quite wrong; they are quietly businesslike and Her Majesty brings to bear a formidable grasp of current issues and breadth of experience." During an argument within the Commonwealth over sanctions on South Africa, Elizabeth made a pointed reference to her role as Head of the Commonwealth which was interpreted at the time as a disagreement with Thatcher's policy of opposing sanctions.

The Queen and the Judiciary

The Queen's role in the judiciary is again ceremonial: the courts act in her name and prosecutions are brought on her behalf. The Queen may not be brought to trial in the courts in her capacity as head of state, nor can she be sued personally for any official act carried out by her or in her name (although the Crown may be sued as a legal entity). The Queen is, however, a natural person under common law, subject to the law like any other person. The question of whether the monarch could be tried for an offence committed in a personal capacity has never been tested. During the English Revolution of the 17th century, Parliament tried Charles I for treason, but after the Restoration of Charles II these proceedings were deemed to have been unlawful.

Constitutional controversies

Elizabeth has been involved in some political controversies during her reign, in some of which her actions appear to have stated her political views.

Rhodesia

On 18 November 1965, the Governor of Rhodesia (Sir Humphrey Vicary Gibbs) was made a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, an honour in the personal gift of the Queen, a week after Ian Smith had made his Unilateral Declaration of Independence. Gibbs was intensely loyal to Rhodesia and although he had refused to accept UDI, the award was criticised by some as badly timed. Others praised it as indicating support for her Rhodesian representative in the face of an illegal action by her Rhodesian prime minister.

The United Kingdom

In her speech to Parliament at the Silver Jubilee in 1977, Elizabeth stated "I cannot forget that I was crowned Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland". This reference came at a time when the Labour government was attempting to introduce a controversial devolution scheme to Scotland and Wales, and was interpreted as opposition to devolution. However, in the late 1990s after referenda approved a devolution scheme, Elizabeth sent her best wishes to the new Scottish Parliament.

Relations with world leaders

Elizabeth has developed friendships with many foreign leaders, including Nelson Mandela, Mary Robinson and George H. W. Bush, whose son, George W. Bush, was the first American president in more than 80 years to stay at Buckingham Palace. On occasion such contacts have proved highly beneficial for the United Kingdom. For example, John Major as prime minister once had difficulty working with a particular Commonwealth leader. The Queen informed Major that he and the leader shared a mutual sporting interest (John Howard, Australian Prime Minister is like John Major a cricket fan). Major then used that information to establish a personal relationship, which ultimately benefited both countries. Similarly she took the initiative when Irish President Mary Robinson began visiting Great Britain, by suggesting that she invite Robinson to visit her at the Palace. The Irish Government enthusiastically supported the idea. The result was the first ever visit by an Irish President to meet the British monarch. Elizabeth's reign has also seen an increase in a republican movement in Commonwealth realms. The percentage support for republicanism in the United Kingdom, however, has remained relatively static, with an average of between 15% and 20% according to long term tracker polls.

Religious role

The Queen is the Sovereign "by Grace of God" and is the Supreme Governor of the Church of England. As with her predecessors, the coronation itself took place within the context of a church service (at Westminster Abbey) imbued with theological as well as constitutional meaning. The Queen retains the ancient title Fidei Defensor (Defender of the Faith) - a title first granted in 1521 by Pope Leo X to King Henry VIII prior to the Reformation. The Church of England remains the established church in England; archbishops and bishops are formally appointed by the Crown. The Queen takes a keen personal interest in the Church, but in practice delegates authority in the Church of England to the Archbishop of Canterbury. The Queen regularly worships at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle or at St Mary Magdalene Church when staying at Sandringham House, Norfolk. Certain churches have royal patronage and are outside the normal diocesan administrative structures; these are known as Royal Peculiars. The role of the Sovereign differs considerably in the other three countries of the United Kingdom. In Scotland the Church of Scotland (with a Presbyterian system of church government) is recognised in law as the "national church" in which the Queen is an ordinary member. The Royal Family regularly attend services at Crathie Kirk when holidaying at Balmoral Castle and attend at the Kirk of the Canongate when in residence at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh. The Queen has attended the annual General Assembly of the Church of Scotland on several occasions, most recently in 1977 and 2002, although in most years she appoints a Lord High Commissioner to represent her. Unusually for the Church of Scotland, Glasgow Cathedral and Dunblane Cathedral are both owned by the Crown. In Wales, Northern Ireland and the other Realms, there is no official religion established by law. The Church in Wales and the Church of Ireland have both been disestablished. The Queen made particular reference to her