ABSTRACT
The crown is the symbol of all executive authority. In Anglo-Saxon and Norman times, the formal power that the crown conferred – executive, legislative and judicial – was exercised personally by the monarch. The monarchy predates by several centuries the emergence of the concept of representation. The transfer of power from monarch to a political executive meant that it became possible to distinguish between head of state and head of government. The combination of the symbolic role and the powers vested in the crown enables the monarch to stand as a potential constitutional safeguard. As a symbolic function, representing the country at home and abroad is a task normally ascribed to any head of state. For most of the present Queen’s reign, this has been seen as an important task. The Queen has been expected to lead by example in maintaining standards of citizenship and family life.
