The Monarchy of Belmont

The Monarchy of the Kingdom of Belmont, officially referred to as The Crown or The Sovereign and commonly referred to as the Belmontien monarchy, is the core of the political structure of the Kingdom of Belmont and its Realms, being the foundation of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of The Government of Belmont, Government of the Realms and the Provincial Governments.

Though a constitutional monarch, the monarch exerts significant power on the government and Parliament. By Royal Decree, issued by Queen Diana in 1986, commands the Government to make "key decisions on foreign policy, only after prior consultation with The Sovereign." A modern charge taken on by the monarchy is to serve as a guarantor of continuous and stable governance and a nonpartisan safeguard against the abuse of power.

The historical roots of the monarchy date back to the late 8th century, when The Great King of the Franks married his daughter, Marianne, to the then Duke of Montaigne, the future king of Belmont Philippe I, and willed to him the Duchies of Montaigne, Couserans, Tréguier and Visidame, upon his death, which together form Belmont.

After the War of Reunification (815 - 822), the monarch has ruled all the realms, apart from Montaigne, in dual capacity, as a King/Queen and as well as Grand Duke/Duchess, Lord Protector and Sovereign-General, respectively, though these later roles may be delegated to other members of the Royal Family, if the monarch so chooses.

The current monarch is Diana I, who was crowned on 5 March 1981, who is also the first Queen-Regnant of Belmont. The monarch is the Head of State, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Belmont and Head of the House of ---. The heir apparent is HRH Nicolas, Prince de Montaigne

Role
According to the traditional conventions and supplementary acts of the Parliament of Belmont, which collectively serve as the uncodified constitution of the Kingdom, the Monarch (otherwise referred to as the Sovereign, "the Crown", or "His/Her Majesty", abbreviated H.M.) is the Head of State. Oaths of allegiance are made to the Monarch and his/her lawful successors. Additionally, the Monarch appears on all postage stamps, coins, and banknotes of Belmont.

As per Crown Act 2010, The Monarch is the supreme political authority but, considering the expansive nature of modern government, has the power to delegate some of the Sovereign tasks to Ministers or officers of the Crown, or other public bodies and may take back the duties if he/she so chooses. According to the same act, the Monarch, in his capacity as the Commander-in-chief of the armed forces is the sole person in the country who may declare war and the use of the Belmontien nuclear assets. The Monarch takes an active part in the formation of foreign and defense policies.

Domestically, the Monarch can, if the situation requires it, dismiss the government and dissolve the Chambre des Communes and call for fresh elections. The Sovereign has, through convention, recognized the importance of Parliament, as the representatives of the people, and all members are allowed access to the Sovereign. The Sovereign also serves as an unofficial advisor to the Premier, ranking above the Cabinet, in matters of national interests ie, national security, etc. The Sovereign's Royal Assent is required by law to enact legislation. The Sovereign has the power to refuse or delay the assent.

Furthermore, the Monarch, in his role as the Head of the House of --, has the power of reprimanding members, who remain above the law of the land, when they are found to be behaving in a "way bringing disgrace to the Monarchy."

Appointment of Premier
Whenever necessary, the Monarch is responsible for appointing a new Premier (who by tradition appoints and may dismiss every other Royal Minister, and thereby constitutes and controls the government). The Monarch must appoint an individual who commands the support of the Chambre des Communes, in modern times usually the leader of the party or coalition that has a majority in that Chamber.

In a "hung parliament", in which no party or coalition holds a majority, the monarch has an increased degree of latitude in choosing the individual likely to command most support, possibly it can be the leader of the largest party or the party with the most amount of popular votes.

On the sudden death of the Premier, the Monarch may appoint a replacement following advice from the Privy Council and Cabinet.

Great Offices of the Realms
Upon ascension to the throne of Belmont, the Monarch assumes the charge of all four Great Offices of the Realms. The Great Offices' names have roots in the historical administration of the Realms. The Great Offices are as follows: These Great Offices are charged by the Crown Act 2010 to administer the Realms in a nonpartisan and unbiased way and provide fair distribution of alloted funds to the provinces. The Great Offices also serve as one of the Courts of Appeal. The Great Offices of the Realms also serve to handle intra-realm disputes, much in the way the Sovereign may handle inter-realm disputes. The Great Offices of the Realm may also be headed by someone other than the Sovereign but will always be holding the office as a representative of the Sovereign.
 * Prince of Montaigne
 * Grand Duke/Duchess of Couserans
 * Lord Protector of Tréguier
 * Sovereign General of Visidame

Religious Role
In 1316, the Holy See granted the then King of Belmont, (put name here), the title of Defender of the Faith, for his support for the Catholic Church. In 1868, with people of many religions now in Belmont, the then King of Belmont, (put name here), upon coronation decided to amend the title as Defender of the Faiths, the decision was supported by the Parliament and was made official in 1870. As per this amended title, the Sovereign is charged by the Parliament to provide unbiased treatment to all of his/her subjects and to play a constructive role in resolving disputes between religious communities in Belmont and throughout the world. The Sovereign's religious role has almost always been controversial.

Succession
Upon the death of the Sovereign, his or her heir immediately and automatically succeeds (hence the phrase "Le Roi est Mort. Vive le Roi!"), and the accession of the sovereign is publicly proclaimed by the Lord Chancellor that meets at the Château de Charbonne. The coronation ceremony occurs in the Cathédrale du Sacré-Cœur. A coronation is not necessary for a sovereign to reign; indeed, the ceremony usually takes place many months after accession to allow sufficient time for its preparation and for a period of mourning.

After an individual ascends the throne, he or she reigns until death.

Succession is governed by the Crown Succession Act 1766. The rules of succession may only be changed by an Act of Parliament; it is not possible for an individual to renounce his or her right of succession. According to the Crown Succession Act 1766, succession has been restricted to the natural legitimate descendants of the original line of the Philippinois Dynasty.

Regency
The Regency Act 1864 allows for regencies in the event of a monarch who is a minor or who is physically or mentally incapacitated.Additionally, a regency may be installed if the monarch so states in a Royal Decree and submits the decree in the Chambre des Noblesse. When a regency is necessary, the next qualified individual in the line of succession automatically becomes regent, unless they themselves are a minor or incapacitated.

During a temporary physical infirmity or an absence from the kingdom, the sovereign may temporarily delegate some of his or her functions to the Conseil de l'État, the monarch's spouse and the first four adults in the line of succession. The present Conseillers de l'État are: HRH Prince Edmund, Duke of Saint Lô, HRH Nicolas, Prince of Montaigne, HRH Elisabeth, Madame Royale, HRH Prince Robert, Duke of Cascon, HRH Princess Émile, Duchess of Mezme & Sepétrie.

Finances

 * Main article: 

Parliament meets the sovereign's official expenditure from public funds. The Parliament defines official expenditures as "funds spent for staffing, state visits, public engagements, and official entertainment." Parliament deposits the allowance in the Privy Purse every year. According to the budget of 2010, the allowance for that year was ₣76.6 million.

Additionally, the Privy Purse manages the Propriété Royal, called Royal Estates in English, is the royal property portfolio. The Royal Estate is held in trust but the finances raised from the estates is deposited with the Monarch, in his capacity as Head of the Royal Family, and is distributed among other members of the family. The monarch, and members of the Royal Family, do not pay taxes, this was reaffirmed in the Crown Act 2010.

Estimates of the Queen's wealth vary, depending on whether assets owned by her personally or held in trust for the nation are included. For example, the Royal Archives and Collection is not the personal property of the monarch but is administered by the Royal Trust, a registered charity. Official claims state that the Queen has ₣650 million, owned by her personally, though some claim the real figure may be as high as ₣1.5 billion. Additionally, the Royal Family, collectively, it is said has ₣46.8 billion in personal assets.

Residences


The Sovereign's official residence in Paris is the Château de Charbonne. It is the site of most state banquets, investitures, royal christenings and other ceremonies. The Charbonne is also the private residence of the senior members of the monarchy. The Sovereign has an official residence in each of the realms. Foreign ambassadors are accredited to the Court of the Charbonne.

Style
The current monarch is officially styled as;
 * Her Majesty Diana the First, By the Grace of God Almighty, Queen Regnant of Belmont and its Realms, Sovereign Supreme of Montaigne, Grand Duchess of Couserans, Lord Protector of Tréguier, Sovereign-General of Visidame, Defender of the Faiths, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Maître de l'Famille Royale, Duchess of Saint-Lô.

Titles
As per the Crown Act 1525, and reaffirmed in the Crown Act 2010, the Monarch's official titles have been explained as the following:
 * The King/Queen Regnant of Belmont:
 * Grand Duke/Duchess of Couserans: The Head of the Government of the Grand Duchy Couserans.
 * Lord Protector of Tréguier: The Head of the Government of the Protectorate of Tréguier.
 * Sovereign-General of Visidame: The Head of the Government of the Dominion of Visidame.
 * Defender of the Faiths:
 * Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces:
 * Maître de l'Famille Royale:

The Monarch uses the title Sovereign Supreme when he/she has appointed someone other than him/herself to the Great Offices of the Realm, such as the case currently with in Montaigne.
 * Duchess of Saint-Lô: