The head of state, theoretical and nominal source of executive, judicial and legislative 4 power in the UK, is the British monarch, currently Queen Elizabeth II. However, sovereignty in the UK 7 no longer rests with the monarch, since the English Bill of Rights in 1689, which established the principle 10 of Parliamentary sovereignty. Nonetheless, the monarch is still known as the sovereign.

13 The British sovereign possesses many hypothetical powers, including the right to choose any British citizen to be her Prime Minister (PM) and the right to call and dissolve 16 Parliament whenever she wishes. However, in accordance with the current uncodified constitution, the PM is the leader of the largest party in the House of Commons, and Parliament 19 is dissolved at the time suggested by the PM. The monarch retains the ability to deny giving a bill royal assent, although in modern times this becomes increasingly more unlikely, as 22 it would cause a constitutional crisis. Queen Anne was the last monarch to exercise this power, which she did on 11 March 1708 with regard to a bill “for the settling of Militia in 25 Scotland”. Other royal powers called royal prerogative, such as patronage to appoint ministers and the ability to declare war, are exercised by the PM and the Cabinet, with the formal 28 consent of the Queen.

Today the sovereign has an essentially ceremonial role restricted in exercise of power by convention and public 31 opinion. However the monarch does continue to exercise three essential rights: the right to be consulted, the right to advise and the right to warn. As a consequence of these 34 ideals, Prime Ministers hold weekly confidential meetings with the monarch in which the sovereign holds the right to express her opinions.

Internet: <en.wikipedia.org> (adapted).

According to the text, judge the following items.

When the Queen asks the British PM information about the country’s economy, she is exercising one of her essential rights mentioned in the text.