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- Head of the Commonwealth;
- Head of the Church of England;
- Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces.

The Royal Family
Many members of the Royal Family undertake official duties in
Britain and abroad. Their various responsibilities reflect tradition, their
own personal interests and Britain's former imperial status. For example,
among her many titles the Princess Royal (Princess Anne) is Chancellor of
the University of London, Colonel-in-Chief of eleven Army regiments,
including the 8th Canadian Hussars and the Royal New Zealand Nursing
Corps, and President of the Save the Children Fund, for whom she has
travelled widely.
The Royal Family's money comes from two sources: government
funds and their own personal wealth, which is considerable. On the one
hand the Queen is certainly one of the richest women in the world, while
on the other her power is limited by the fact that so many of her expenses
are paid for by government money. Parliament has had effective control of
the monarch's finances since the seventeenth century.

1. What powers does the Queen have in government?
2. Who is next in line to the British crown after Prince
Charles?
3. How can Parliament control the Royal Family?
4. What connections can you find between the Royal Family
and the world outside Britain?
5. Which member of the Royal Family has the highest
number of public engagements?

Task 6. Explain the meaning of the following words; make up your
own sentences with them.
- a figurehead;
- obsessed with;
- a growing republican sentiment; - a roving ambassador; - an
opinion poll.

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