Seven years and one deportation later, I’ve finally been granted British citizenship. The last step in the process was a very civilized “citizenship ceremony” where they served us tea and Victoria sponge cake, and we took an oath to, “…be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second…give my loyalty to the United Kingdom and…uphold its democratic values.”
This reminded me of my favorite section of the book that the Citizenship test is based on, the “How Britain is Governed” chapter. Here are some gems:
“The United Kingdom constitution is an unwritten constitution.”
“Britain has a constitutional monarchy.”
“The Queen is Head of State of the United Kindgom.”
“There would be a constitutional crisis if the monarch ever spoke out publicly either for or against government policy.”
So that’s why the Queen rarely speaks. Because the unwritten constitution would be in crisis if the Head of State expressed her opinion! Reminds me of the people encouraging Americans to forfeit their civil liberties and right to privacy in order to preserve their freedoms.
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Congratulations on your new passport.
I’m delighted to discover what happens during a British citizenship ceremony. The process in the US has been dramatised several times (we watched Moscow on the Hudson this week, for example) and I have often wondered what happens in Britain.
I am a white (or mostly white) English male, born in London, and have never pledged allegiance to the Queen. So it’s kinda funny that you have to.
I’m not a royalist. But then, what you quote from “How Britain is Governed” makes perfect sense to an English “parliamentarian”. Governing power was wrested from the Monarchy 350 years back and political opinons are the stuff of Parliament and the Queen must keep hers to herself. (In fact she must keep all opinions to herself).
As for the unwritten constitution… Such things are best written after a revolution, perhaps, by the first “commander in chief”. But Cromwell was no Shakespeare, apparently. And history is different in England than in the US. I think of the law as the “constitution”.
Once again, thanks for the insight. And welcome to the EU. Perhaps you’ll get itchy feet and move to France where you now have the right to look for work – “sans formalités” – without needing to apply for a work permit. That’s what I’ve done.
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Janette, I realize this post is a few years old now, but do you know anything about the image of the Queen you’ve used? I just purchased a roughly 4×6 foot painting at an auction that looks exactly like this. I’m told it was hanging in the BC Pavilion at Expo 86, but I’m trying to learn more about it.
Thanks for any info.
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