A. The Sovereign

Functions of the Sovereign:

- opening and closing Parliament;

- approving the appointment of the Prime Minister;

- giving her Royal Assent to bills;

- giving honours such as peerages, knighthoods and medals;

- Head of the Commonwealth;

- Head of the Church of England;

- Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces.

B. 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 traveled 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.

Notes:

A: 1) unity, n – единство

2) continuity, n – преемственность

3) impartial, adv. – беспрестрастный, справедливый

4) honours, n – награды, ордена

5) peerage, n – звание пэра

6) knighthood, n – рыцарское звание

B: 1) government funds – государственные фонды (денежные средства)

2) expenses, n – расходы