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Her Majesty's Government (term)
Encyclopedia
The phrase Her Majesty's Government (His Majesty's Government during the reign of a male monarch) is a formal term referring to the government
s of various jurisdictions within the Commonwealth realm
s. In use since at least the height of the British Empire
, the phrase has been inherited and integrated into the countries that emerged from that polity.
, the term His (or Her) Majesty's Government was originally only used by the imperial government
in London
. As the Empire developed into the Commonwealth of Nations
, the former Dominion
s came to be seen as realms of the sovereign equal in status to the United Kingdom
, and, from the 1920s and 1930s, the form His Majesty's Government in... began to be used by the United Kingdom and Dominion governments to differentiate between independent jurisdictions, such as His Majesty's Government in the Irish Free State
. Colonial, state, and provincial governments, on the other hand, continued to use the lesser title Government of [region], and eventually the phrase used in the former Dominions altered to mirror that of the UK, becoming, for example, Her Majesty's Australian Government.
or prime minister
, though individual governments (also known as ministries
) may be identified by reference to the prime minister who chairs the cabinet at the time; the Attlee
government, or Manley
government, for example.
Today, however, most Commonwealth realm governments, other than that of the UK (where the abbreviation HMG is frequently used), have reverted to predominantly using the form Government of [region], with Her Majesty's Government being typically employed in formal circumstances. Within federations, such as Canada
and Australia
, disambiguation between federal, provincial, or state governments is sometimes required for instance, a 1989 Canadian Supreme Court
decision refers to "Her Majesty's Government for the Province of Nova Scotia
" while in foreign affairs a national qualifier can be employed to differentiate between the governments of different monarchies; Her Britannic Majesty's Government for example.
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
s of various jurisdictions within the Commonwealth realm
Commonwealth Realm
A Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state within the Commonwealth of Nations that has Elizabeth II as its monarch and head of state. The sixteen current realms have a combined land area of 18.8 million km² , and a population of 134 million, of which all, except about two million, live in the six...
s. In use since at least the height of the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
, the phrase has been inherited and integrated into the countries that emerged from that polity.
History
In the British EmpireBritish Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
, the term His (or Her) Majesty's Government was originally only used by the imperial government
Government of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Government is the central government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The Government is led by the Prime Minister, who selects all the remaining Ministers...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. As the Empire developed into the Commonwealth of Nations
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
, the former Dominion
Dominion
A dominion, often Dominion, refers to one of a group of autonomous polities that were nominally under British sovereignty, constituting the British Empire and British Commonwealth, beginning in the latter part of the 19th century. They have included Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Newfoundland,...
s came to be seen as realms of the sovereign equal in status to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, and, from the 1920s and 1930s, the form His Majesty's Government in... began to be used by the United Kingdom and Dominion governments to differentiate between independent jurisdictions, such as His Majesty's Government in the Irish Free State
His Majesty's Government in the Irish Free State
His Majesty's Government in the Irish Free State was the formal designation used by the Executive Council of the Irish Free State in formal correspondence between it and the United Kingdom or other Commonwealth states....
. Colonial, state, and provincial governments, on the other hand, continued to use the lesser title Government of [region], and eventually the phrase used in the former Dominions altered to mirror that of the UK, becoming, for example, Her Majesty's Australian Government.
Usage
The term is employed in order to signify that the government of a Commonwealth realm or, less commonly, a division thereof, belongs to the reigning sovereign, and not to the cabinetCabinet (government)
A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
or prime minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
, though individual governments (also known as ministries
Ministry (collective executive)
A ministry refers to a collective body of government ministers headed by a prime minister or premier. Although the term "cabinet" can in some circumstances be a synonym, a ministry can be a broader concept which might include office-holders that do not participate in cabinet meetings...
) may be identified by reference to the prime minister who chairs the cabinet at the time; the Attlee
Clement Attlee
Clement Richard Attlee, 1st Earl Attlee, KG, OM, CH, PC, FRS was a British Labour politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1945 to 1951, and as the Leader of the Labour Party from 1935 to 1955...
government, or Manley
Michael Manley
Michael Norman Manley ON OCC was the fourth Prime Minister of Jamaica . Manley was a democratic socialist....
government, for example.
Today, however, most Commonwealth realm governments, other than that of the UK (where the abbreviation HMG is frequently used), have reverted to predominantly using the form Government of [region], with Her Majesty's Government being typically employed in formal circumstances. Within federations, such as Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, disambiguation between federal, provincial, or state governments is sometimes required for instance, a 1989 Canadian Supreme Court
Supreme Court of Canada
The Supreme Court of Canada is the highest court of Canada and is the final court of appeals in the Canadian justice system. The court grants permission to between 40 and 75 litigants each year to appeal decisions rendered by provincial, territorial and federal appellate courts, and its decisions...
decision refers to "Her Majesty's Government for the Province of Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
" while in foreign affairs a national qualifier can be employed to differentiate between the governments of different monarchies; Her Britannic Majesty's Government for example.