Queen Elizabeth saw 15 Prime Ministers, signed over 4000 bills into law-British Parliament
‘Parliament has survived as an unshakeable cornerstone of our constitution and our way of life. History links monarchs and Parliament, a connecting thread from one period to the next … The happy relationship I have enjoyed with Parliament has extended well beyond the more than three and a half thousand Bills I have signed into law.’*
The Queen’s famous red boxes carried the State papers which Her Majesty was presented with every day of her working life. Her duties included formally agreeing to make bills into Acts of Parliament, or laws.
She also had a special relationship with her Prime Ministers, speaking to them weekly. She was able to ‘encourage or warn’ whilst always remaining politically neutral.
The Queen was served by 15 UK Prime Ministers during her reign, beginning with Winston Churchill in 1952, as well as over 160 Prime Ministers across the Commonwealth realms. As Head of State, she also acted as diplomat and hostess, welcoming 110 Presidents and Prime Ministers to the UK on official visits.
In 1991 Her Majesty was the first British Monarch to address the United States House of Congress, and she spoke at the United Nations General Assembly twice: in 1957 and 2010. Thanking her for her address in 2010, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said of her reign:
‘In a changing and churning world, you are an anchor for our age. Your reign spans the decades. From the challenges of the Cold War to the threat of global warming. From the Beatles to Beckham. From television to Twitter. Through the years, you have travelled the world and met its people. You have become a living symbol of grace, constancy, and dignity.’
*The Queen’s words were spoken during an address to Parliament in 2012. By the time of her death, Her Majesty had signed more than 4,000 bills into law.
