Ang THE QUEEN AND PARLIAMENT
It is rather difficult to understand the British way of ruling
the country. In Britain the Queen is the Head of State, but in fact
she doesn't rule the country as she has no power. The Queen is the
symbol of the country, its history and its traditions. She is very
rich. She travels about the United Kingdom, meets different people
and visits schools, hospitals and other special places. So do all the
members of the Royal Family: the Queen's husband, her son Prince
Charles, the Queen's daughter Princess Anne and Princess Marga-
ret, the Queen's sister.
At the beginning of the 20th century many countries all over the
world were ruled by Britain. Among them were the British colonies
and they were all part of the British Empire. India, Pakistan and
Ceylon, for example, were also part of the Empire. Now these coun-
tries are independent states. But in 1949 Britain and the former
colonies founded the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth includes
many countries such as Canada, Australia, New Zealand and others.
The Queen of Great Britain is also the Head of the Commonwealth
and the Queen of Canada, Australia and New Zealand.