1. The UK is a parliamentary monarchy.
2. In law, the Head of State is the President.
3. The British Parliament has two chambers: the House of Commons and the House of Lords.
4. The House of Commons consists of non-elected MPs.
5. The 1203 members of the House of Lords are elected.
6. The party with most MPs forms the government.
7. The leader of the winning party automatically becomes Prime Minister and appoints the Shadow Cabinet.
8. British Prime Ministers have lived at 10 Downing Street since 1731.
9. The Chancellor of the Exchequer (responsible for money and finance) lives next door at number 11.
10. The Queen is the head of the judiciary (all the judges) and of the Church of England, as well as the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces.
11. The Queen’s constitutional role is mainly symbolic.
12. The Queen can refuse to sign a bill which has been passed by Parliament.
13. It is the Queen who officially appoints the Prime Minister, but traditionally she always asks the leader of the party with a majority in the House of Commons.
14. The Queen is head of the Commonwealth (a group of former and present-day British colonies).
