THE QUEEN CONSORT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 83, 16 July 1910, Page 10

THE QUEEN CONSORT.

lireat as are the powers of the Iviitg the Queen Consort shares but few ot them. In some respects, thanks largely to King Edward, who set up many precedents during his short but memorable reign, her privileges are greater than they were, but her perquisites are fewer. Before the time of the late King the Queen never rode in the great coach of State beside her husband, for in law she is not equal to him, being merely his subject.

At one time the .Sovereign allowed his Consort one-tenth of the revenue from the Crown lands and other sources of income, which was known as the Queen's tJuld. but since the days of William IV. she has had a separate grant. To manage her own affairs the Queen has hei own household, which comprises a Lord Chamberlain. Vice-Chamberlain, Treasurer, Private Secretary, Mistress of the Robes, five Ladies of the Bedchamber, four Bedchamber 'women, and four Maids of Honor. The Archbishop of York is her chaplain in perpetuity, and she can also appoint her own Attorney-General and .Solicitor-General to represent ner in the Courts, but this privilege has not been exercised within recent years.

It is high treason to conspire against the Queen Consort during the reign of her husband, but should she survive him anyone doing her an injury can only be proceeded against by the common law as if she were a private person. Should she herself be guilty of crime she. can only be tried by the House of Peers, but she can be suea in the ordinary wav.

Thus, a subject cannot sue the King for debt, but the Queen can be compelled to pay her bills like any ordinary citizen, one of the curiositiics of her position being that by law she is only a single woman, and therefore cannot shel-

ter herself behind the Married Women's Property Act, as can the wife of Plain John Smith, The idea is that the King is so occupied by affairs of State that he has not time to devote to his purely domestic concerns, so that his wife must look after her own business and be solely responsible for any debts incurred by her.

As the Queen Consort is liable to be sued in the Civil Courts she can also proceed against anyone, while should she so desire it she can compete with certain peeresses by going into business as a milliner, or opening any other shop that takes her fancy. However, when signing the lease or ofcher legal document she must be careful to add tire words "Queen of England" to her signature. One of her privileges is that of riding in an unnumbered motor car.

Although she takes no part in the government of the country and cannot sign a State document, the King can appoint her as his proxy in the event of Ins »e----ing ill or away from England during a grave national crisis. This actually occurred a few years ago, when the Ministers held a consultation with Queen-Alex-andra, with the happiest results. But as soon as she becomes QueenDowager most of her rights cease. She is simply an ordinary private citizen and cannot even re-marry without the consent of the reigning monarch, but she is always allowed an annuity of between £50.000 and £IOO,OOO to'maintain her station with becoming dignity.