What is the role of the UK Royal Family?

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What are the Queen's constitutional and ceremonial roles?

The Crown, which is another way of referring to the monarchy, is the oldest part of the system of government in the United Kingdom. Whilst time has reduced the power of the monarchy, today it is largely ceremonial. Alongside the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the Crown is a central part of the institution of Parliament.

Queen Elizabeth II plays a constitutional role in opening and dissolving parliament, as well as approving Bills before they become law. The day after a general election, the Queen invites the leader of the party that gained the most seats in the House of Commons to become Prime Minister to form a government.

The Monarch also conducts the State Opening of parliament, which marks the beginning of the parliamentary year. The Queen has to inform members of the government's policy ideas as well as the plans for new legislation in a speech delivered from the throne in the House of Lords. Despite the fact that the Queen delivers the speech, the government draws up the content.

When a speech has been approved by a majority in the House of Commons and the House of Lords, it is formally agreed to by the Crown. This is commonly referred to as the Royal Assent. This turns a Bill into an Act of Parliament, allowing it to become law in the UK.

The Prime Minister is also expected to update the queen on matters which include the state of affairs of the nation. Whilst the monarch does not directly participate in the enforcement of the law, legal institutions dispense justice in the name of the sovereign. The Queen is also the title and authority of the commander in chief of the British Armed Forces.

Despite all of these responsibilities, the role of the queen is, in full, ceremonial. This is also the case for whoever comes after her as monarch. The Queen's main role is to be a symbol of British unity, which means she is head of state.

Where does the Queen get her money from?

The Queen gets the majority of her money from the Crown Estate, which is a collection of lands and holdings in the territories of England. Its total land area is 7.2 million square foot, and its net annual revenue profit is $448 million but it doesn't all go to the monarch.

Her share is decided by parliament and is usually between 15 and 20%, known as the Sovereign Grant.

The Queen's second source of income comes from the Duchy of Lancaster, which is the private estate of the British sovereign as Duke of Lancaster. The net annual profit for this is $28.35 million.

The Queen owns land separate from the estate, which includes the Crewe Estate in Cheshire, which includes 75 rural cottages and farmhouses, a roadside service area and potential sites for future developments. The Queen also owns the Marbury estate which includes a dairy farm and four residential properties including her country retreat at Balmoral.

Members of the Royal Family standing on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in London to watch a fly-past by the Royal Air Force (RAF). (Credit: Daniel Leal-Olivas/ AFP)

What financial benefits do the royal family bring?

According to statistics from VisitBritain, tourism associated with royal residences, such as Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle add up to a total of 2.7 million visitors each year.

Brand Finance estimated in 2017 that the monarchy's annual contribution to the UK economy was approximately $2.3 billion annually. The establishment also brings in an approximated $718 million in tourism revenues each year, and increased trade from the Royal Family acting as ambassadors, is reportedly $195 million a year. This figure is more than the Royal Family's costs to the public purse.

Does the royal family pay tax?

Since 1992, the Queen has voluntarily paid income and capital gains on her personal income and the revenues which do not go towards her official duties and work. Prince Charles also pays voluntary income tax on the income from his landed estate, the Duchy of Cornwall, since 1993. In 2016-17, his estate produced a revenue of $29.3 million which he paid a tax of $6.21 million.

A large proportion of Prince Charles' official duties are funded by the Duchy's income, which also covers the duties of royals such as Camilla, William and Kate. This expenditure offsets Prince Charles' tax liabilities and other working royals in his direct family also get revenues from the Sovereign Grant.

The Queen's Sovereign Grant funds her official duties so tax does not apply to that element of her income.

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex leave a Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey in Central London. (Credit: Ben Stansall/ AFP)

Where will Harry and Meghan get their money from?

Angela Levin, Journalist and author of Harry: Conversations with the Prince, said to CGTN "The money is difficult, it depends whether the Queen withdraws the money that she gives them which is about £2 million a year, Prince Charles gives them about £3.5 million a year, so they've got loads here.

"But they might not take it all away and Meghan may go into making a film, earning lots of money on that. She's signed a contract with Disney. I think it will be very hard for Harry to make money unless he does public speaking and cuts lots of ribbons and turns up at events and I don't think he's going to like that very much."