Sakpo

Canadian money is fairly colourful and goofy. Still, my favourite is Canadoan Tire money:

Huginn

Actually I think he meant the guy in the tiara, some queen or something.

demoninho

Forget about that euro, stck with the pound:notworthy

vixstile

Why the hell is the queen still on British money?

It's my understanding the royal family doesn't have any official governmental authority. Their essentially just rich people.

Citrusponge

True, but its traditional and good for tourism or something. I doubt they'll ever put Tony Blair on our money

vixstile

Maybe America should put Bill Gates on all our money.

Non-praying Mantis

...he owns a significant percentage of it anyway.

NPM

Sakpo

She's still technically the head of state there. My understanding is that she's mainly still rich because the British Parliament give her a yearly allowance of millions of pounds. She's also the head of state of Canada, and is on Canadian coins and the twenty dollar bill, even though she wields no political power (she appoints the Gov. General, who's her representative and is ostensibly in charge, but isn't). She's probably on Australian money as well. Possibly other British Commonwealth countries too. It's ridiculous. I can't wait until Canada decides to become a republic (I'm sure there're Aussies here who feel the same way about Australia).

To be fair, most decent countries don't put people on their bills who still have real power. It's hardly as if Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, etc still have political power, though I guess the Presidential office they once held still does.

Godless Dave

I think one reason US money is so bland is the hemp-linen paper doesn't take dye very well *MMPH!*

Godless Dave carted away by the Secret Service

Pantera

This isn't quite true. The Queen has powers to dissolve parliament, refuse assent to any law passed by parliament, to appioint peers and handout other honours, to appoint bishops, and is titular head of the armed forces, and has a host of other powers. It happens that in this democratic age, some of these powers have not been used for decades or centuries (such as vetoing legislation), while others are exercised only on the advice (in practical terms, the instruction) of the Prime Minister (such as calling elections or appointing peers), but in theory at least all the governments powers still stem from the monarch. Soldiers, police, even MPs all have to swear allegience to the Queen, not the government, or the British people, or the constitution (we don't even have a written one).

For all its absurdities the current constitution works tolerably well and the Royals don't meddle in politics and leave the running of the country to the elected politicians, which is why there's not a particularly big impetus to change it. What would happen if the Queen were suddenly to start trying to run the country herself is an interesting question though...