Europe's Hardest Working Royals In 2013


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A quick count indicates 35 overseas tours , not all to Commonwealth countries - with joint tours only being counted as one and not two - this year by members of the BRF.

The only members of the family who didn't undertake official engagements overseas this year - The Queen (had to cancel a trip to Italy when she took ill earlier in the year), William and Kate and Alexandra. All the other did a number of overseas tours and the married couples did overseas tours both together and separately.

Countries visited include - Canada, Belgium, The Netherlands, France, Vatican City, Indonesia, Vietnam, Japan, India, Sri Lanka, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Brazil, Argentina, South Africa, Australia, et. al.
 
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How many were in the commonwealth?
 
Has anyone pointed out that the UK is exactly that--a united kingdom and commonwealth nations? It's much larger geographically than a lot of other monarchies. They have to work more, they've got more ground to cover.

Whilst I completely agree that they also have Commonwealth commitments there are also a lot more members of the BRF to share the load out. I would imagine that Sweden, Denmark and Norway have plenty of events and charities for at least the Kings/queens and heirs to support.
 
Forgetting the article:

From the pictures and posts on these forums I have an idea that P.Albert of Monaco does a lot of work-engagements, but national and international... he seems to be working at least 5 days every week..
 
Forgetting the article:



From the pictures and posts on these forums I have an idea that P.Albert of Monaco does a lot of work-engagements, but national and international... he seems to be working at least 5 days every week..


He also is directly engaged in the running of the country. His work is SO MUCH MORE than official engagements. Prince Albert probably works every day--I wouldn't be surprised if he were actually the hardest working royal.
 
The article that started this thread discussed the number of days (as identified by entries on the official calendars) and not number of engagements nor the work that is done behind the scenes.

In reality we will never know how many days any of the royals actually work as they all have different roles within their countries. Even the reigning monarch have different responsibilities and relationships with the respective governments and elected officials.
 
That is the problem with the survey - it is relying on what the different royal houses publish as the official activities.

We know, for instance, that the red boxes have to be read and dealt with by The Queen every day, except Christmas Day and 6th February, so she works 363 days a year but the recording of 'red boxes' doesn't appear in her entry in the CC (even her approval of the CC each day - an official duty - isn't recorded as happening and yet it is part of her work schedule). Charles also sees the red boxes so presumably also works 363 days a year to read what is in them. We don't know when William will start seeing them. He may already do so but that hasn't been announced and won't be until he is King. (How I know Charles sees them - was told that by people who work at BP and that he has been seeing them since he was a young man - as part of his preparation to be King. George VI had QEII start seeing them when she was about 16 - except for the extremely 'top secret' war plans. The origin of this idea goes back to Queen Victoria's refusal to let her son and heir see them until very late in her reign so Edward VII insisted that his son see them throughout his reign ensuring that George was better prepared to be King than he had been).

I assume that all the constitutional monarchs and adult heirs have something similar to do, which means that they also work more days than listed in this survey, just on the day to day constitutional roles - done behind closed doors in offices and usually alone or with a private secretary or two to check things through with them.
 
The Hardest working Royals in Europe in 2013

So is this survey a load of crap then?
Also does anyone know the different functions of the different EU monarchies? Are all just figureheads, except Monaco and Leichenstein, or do some have more power.
 
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Their functions and powers to vary. The British have the power, for instance, to veto legislation - a power not exercised since the days of Queen Anne but it exists nonetheless. Basically the monarch in Britain has the power to dissolve parliament, appoint the PM and advise, warn and be consulted - however these powers are exercised on the advice of the PM so it could be said that they have no power. As Duke of Lancaster the monarch has the power to veto legislation that affects their income from the Duchy, as does the Duke of Cornwall in areas that affect the Duchy of Cornwall but again this power hasn't been exercised for centuries but the tradition of consulting them still happens.
 
The Hardest working Royals in Europe in 2013

Does anyone have any info on the continental monarchs powers?
Liechtenstein from Wikipedia:
The Prince of Liechtenstein has broad powers, which include the appointment of judges, the dismissal of ministers/government, veto power and the calling of referenda; a national referendum to adopt Hans-Adam's revision of the constitution to expand his powers passed in 2003.[1] The changes also included a republican option, whereby the Prince was henceforth formally barred from vetoing any bill to establish a republic, but the Prince can veto any other law.
 
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So is this survey a load of crap then?
Also does anyone know the different functions of the different EU monarchies? Are all just figureheads, except Monaco and Leichenstein, or do some have more power.

In theory, nearly all continental European monarchs (the main exception being the King of Sweden, see details below) have the power, among other things, to:


  1. Appoint and dismiss government ministers, including the prime minister.
  2. Summon, adjourn and dissolve parliament, and call elections.
  3. Sanction and promulgate (or veto) laws, and introduce legislation.
  4. Appoint and dismiss other state officials, like judges and ambassadors.
All actions above, however, are normally legally valid only if countersigned by one or more government ministers, who take responsibility for the monarch's actions (as the monarch him/herself is said to be "inviolable"). In the case of appointment of prime ministers or dissolutions of parliament, other special rules also often apply, mostly having to do with whether the government has majority support in the parliament or not.


Sweden in particular is a special case in the sense that the Swedes went one step further and passed a new constitution in 1974 under which the monarch remains the ceremonial Head of State, but is completely separated from the government and the parliament. Unlike his/her European counterparts then, the Swedish king (or queen) now plays no role whatsoever in appointing ministers, dissolving parliament, calling elections, or introducing and sanctioning legislation, and is no longer the head of the Armed Forces either. As Head of State, however, it is still the King who formally signs the credentials of the Swedish ambassadors posted overseas and formally receives the credentials of foreign diplomats posted in Sweden.



It is also noteworthy that, although the Swedish monarch is not part of the government, the Swedish constitution nevertheless mandates that the government keep the monarch informed of state affairs and, accordingly, the King regularly chairs special "Councils of State" where he is formally briefed by the ministers, in addition to being also continuously informally briefed by the prime minister. Furthermore, the constitution also mandates that a new prime minister take office in a Council of State in the presence of the King and, by tradition, the King still addresses the parliament at the beginning of each legislative session before the prime minister officially presents the government's legislative agenda. More significantly, the King also retains a constitutional role in international relations as the chair of the Foreign Affairs Advisory Council, which must be consulted by the government before any major foreign policy decision is taken.
 
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Of course Vatican City has the most powerful monarch, followed by Liechtenstein and Monaco. But both Liechtenstein and Monaco have between 30.000 and 35.000 inhabitants. The three named monarchies are just villages with a heriditary mayor holding executive powers.

I mean, Monaco has 35.000 inhabitants. The neighbouring French city of Nice has almost 1 million inhabitants and outpowers Monaco in everything. In that sense Monsieur Christian Estrosi the Maire de Nice probably is more influential than the Sovereign Prince of Monaco....

A second illustration: the domain and Château de Marchais in Picardy (Northern France, close to Belgium), owned by the Prince of Monaco is way bigger than the actual principality at the sunny Rivièra...

:flowers:
 
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