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64-412: The Prince Edward Islands are two small uninhabited volcanic islands in the sub-Antarctic Indian Ocean that are administered by South Africa . They are named Marion Island (named after Marc-Joseph Marion du Fresne , 1724–1772) and Prince Edward Island (named after Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn , 1767–1820). The islands in the group have been declared Special Nature Reserves under

128-720: A South African Navy force from HMSAS Transvaal under the command of John Fairbairn . On 1 October 1948 the annexation was made official when Governor-General Gideon Brand van Zyl signed the Prince Edward Islands Act, 1948 . In terms of the Act, the islands fall under the jurisdiction of the Cape Town Magistrate's Court , and South African law as applied in the Western Cape applies on them. The islands are also deemed to be situated within

192-414: A 12-month period. It is believed that no cats remain on Marion Island today, and with the cats gone, the mouse population has sharply increased to "plague like" levels. In 2003, ornithologists discovered that in the absence of other food sources, the mice were attacking albatross chicks and eating them alive as they sat helplessly on their nests. A similar problem has been observed on Gough Island , where

256-574: A coastline of some 72 km (45 mi), most of which is high cliffs. The highest point on Marion Island is Mascarin Peak (formerly State President Swart Peak), reaching 1,242 m (4,075 ft) above sea level. The topography of Marion Island includes many hillocks and small lakes, and boggy lowland terrain with little vegetation. Prince Edward Island ( 46°38′39″S 37°56′36″E  /  46.64417°S 37.94333°E  / -46.64417; 37.94333  ( Prince Edward Island ) )

320-449: A few offshore rocks along the northern coast of Prince Edward Island, like Ship Rock 100 m (328 ft) north of northernmost point, and Ross Rocks 500 m (1,640 ft) from the shore. Boot Rock is about 500 m (1,640 ft) off the northern coast of Marion Island. Both islands are of volcanic origin. Marion Island is one of the peaks of a large underwater shield volcano that rises some 5,000 m (16,404 ft) from

384-574: A greater or lesser degree (for instance Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster or Lord Privy Seal ). The government is sometimes referred to by the metonym " Westminster " or " Whitehall ", as many of its offices are situated there. These metonyms are used especially by members of the Scottish Government , Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive to differentiate their government from His Majesty's Government. The United Kingdom

448-482: A member of either House of Parliament. In practice, however, the convention is that ministers must be members of either the House of Commons or the House of Lords to be accountable to Parliament. From time to time, prime ministers appoint non-parliamentarians as ministers. In recent years such ministers have been appointed to the House of Lords. The government is required by convention and for practical reasons to maintain

512-400: A mouse eradication programme began in 2021. A programme to eradicate invasive rats on South Georgia Island was completed in 2015, and as of 2016 the island appears to be completely rat free. The geography of Marion Island presents certain obstacles not found on either Gough or South Georgia islands, particularly its large size, high elevations and variable weather. An assessment of the island

576-412: A new House of Commons, unless the prime minister advises the monarch to dissolve Parliament , in which case an election may be held sooner. After an election, the monarch selects as prime minister the leader of the party most likely to command the confidence of the House of Commons, usually by possessing a majority of MPs. Under the uncodified British constitution , executive authority lies with

640-470: A number of seabirds that dive into the water after baited hooks. The wildlife is particularly vulnerable to introduced species and the historical problem has been with cats and mice. House mice arrived to Marion Island with whaling and sealing ships in the 1800s and quickly multiplied, so much so that in 1949, five domestic cats were brought to the research base to deal with them. The cats multiplied quickly, and by 1977 there were approximately 3,400 cats on

704-763: A small number of subantarctic islands. Because of the paucity of land masses in the Southern Ocean , the islands host a wide variety of species and are critical to conservation . In the cold subantarctic climate, plants are mainly limited to grasses, mosses , and kelp , while lichens are the most visible fungi . The main indigenous animals are insects (such as the seaweed-eating weevil Palirhoeus eatoni ) along with large populations of seabirds , seals and penguins . The islands have been designated an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International for their significant seabird breeding populations. At least thirty different species of birds are thought to breed on

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768-604: A substantial grant from the government, the Sovereign Support Grant , and Queen Elizabeth II's inheritance from her mother, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother , was exempt from inheritance tax . In addition to legislative powers, His Majesty's Government has substantial influence over local authorities and other bodies set up by it, through financial powers and grants. Many functions carried out by local authorities, such as paying out housing benefits and council tax benefits, are funded or substantially part-funded by

832-424: Is a constitutional monarchy in which the reigning monarch (that is, the king or queen who is the head of state at any given time) does not make any open political decisions. All political decisions are taken by the government and Parliament. This constitutional state of affairs is the result of a long history of constraining and reducing the political power of the monarch, beginning with Magna Carta in 1215. Since

896-587: Is about 955  nmi (1,769 km; 1,099 mi) south-east of Port Elizabeth in mainland South Africa. At 46 degrees latitude, its distance to the equator is only slightly longer than to the South Pole . Marion Island ( 46°54′45″S 37°44′37″E  /  46.91250°S 37.74361°E  / -46.91250; 37.74361  ( Marion Island ) ), the larger of the two, is 25.03 km (15.55 mi) long and 16.65 km (10.35 mi) wide with an area of 297 km (115 sq mi) and

960-443: Is much smaller—only 46 km (18 sq mi), 10.23 km (6.36 mi) long and 6.57 km (4.08 mi) wide—and lies some 12 nmi (22.2 km; 13.8 mi) to the north-east of Marion Island. The terrain is generally rocky, with high cliffs (490 m (1,608 ft)) on its south western side. At the van Zinderen Bakker Peak north-west of the center, it reaches a height of 672 m (2,205 ft). There are

1024-603: Is not vital. A government is not required to resign even if it loses the confidence of the Lords and is defeated in key votes in that House. The House of Commons is thus the responsible house . The prime minister is held to account during Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs) which provides an opportunity for MPs from all parties to question the PM on any subject. There are also departmental questions when ministers answer questions relating to their specific departmental brief. Unlike PMQs, both

1088-520: Is thought their numbers are significantly down compared to the time of first human contact with the islands. The area saw heavy sealing and whaling operations in the nineteenth century and continued to be subject to mass illegal whaling until the 1970s, with the Soviet Union and Japan allegedly continuing whaling operations into the 1990s. Currently, the greatest ecological threat is the longline fishing of Patagonian toothfish , which endangers

1152-765: The Antarctic tern , and the brown skua , among other seabirds. Four penguin species are found: king penguins , Eastern rockhoppers , gentoos and macaroni penguins . Three species of seal breed on the islands: the southern elephant seal , the Antarctic fur seal , and the Subantarctic fur seal . The waters surrounding the islands are often frequented by several species of whale, especially orcas , which prey on penguins and seals. Large whales such as southern rights and southern humpbacks , and leopard seals are seen more sporadically, and it remains unclear how large or stable their current local populations are, though it

1216-644: The Dutch East India Company reached the islands on 4 March 1663 on the ship Maerseveen . They were named Dina (Prince Edward) and Maerseveen (Marion), but the islands were erroneously recorded to be at 41° South, and neither were found again by subsequent Dutch sailors. In January 1772, the French frigate Le Mascarin , captained by Marc-Joseph Marion du Fresne , visited the islands and spent five days trying to land, thinking they had found Antarctica (then not yet proven to exist). Marion named

1280-483: The Greater London Authority disputed. Similarly, the monarch is immune from criminal prosecution and may only be sued with his permission (this is known as sovereign immunity ). The sovereign, by law, is not required to pay income tax, but Queen Elizabeth II voluntarily paid it from 1993 until the end of her reign in 2022, and also paid local rates voluntarily. However, the monarchy also received

1344-626: The South African National Antarctic Programme , launched a new astrophysical experiment on Marion Island called Probing Radio Intensity at high-Z from Marion ( PRIZM ), searching for signatures of the hydrogen line in the early universe. In 2018, another cosmology experiment was launched by the McGill team called Array of Long Baseline Antennas for Taking Radio Observation from Sub-Antarctic (ALBATROS). The new experiment aims to create very high-resolution maps of

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1408-455: The Vela incident , in the waters off the islands. There was and continues to be considerable controversy over whether this event was perhaps an undeclared nuclear test carried out by South Africa and Israel or some other event. The cause of the flash remains officially unknown, and some information about the event remains classified . Today, most independent researchers believe that the 1979 flash

1472-564: The islands of the South Pacific Ocean , where low islands are found on the fringing reefs that surround most volcanic islands. Volcanic islands normally rise above a hotspot or subduction zone . Volcanic islands usually range in size between 1 and 104 square kilometres (0.4 and 40 sq mi). Islands above a certain size usually have fresh groundwater , while low islands often do not, so volcanic islands are more likely to be habitable. Many volcanic islands emerge from

1536-673: The roaring forties , blow almost every day of the year, and the prevailing wind direction is north-westerly. Annual rainfall averages from 2,400 mm (94.5 in) up to over 3,000 mm (118.1 in) on Mascarin Peak. In spite of its very chilly climate it is located closer to the equator than mild northern hemisphere climates such as Paris and Seattle and only one degree farther south than fellow southern hemisphere climates such as Comodoro Rivadavia in Argentina and Alexandra in New Zealand . Many climates on lower latitudes in

1600-473: The 1920s. The islands have been the location of other shipwrecks. In June 1849 the brig Richard Dart , with a troop of Royal Engineers under Lt. James Liddell, was wrecked on Prince Edward Island; only 10 of the 63 on board survived to be rescued by elephant seal hunters from Cape Town. In 1908 the Norwegian vessel Solglimt was shipwrecked on Marion Island, and survivors established a short-lived village at

1664-511: The Crown, who may use them without having to obtain the consent of Parliament. The prime minister also has weekly meetings with the monarch. What is said in these meetings is strictly private; however, they generally involve government and political matters which the monarch has a "right and a duty" to comment on. Such comments are non-binding however and the King must ultimately abide by decisions of

1728-669: The European Parliament are immune from prosecution in EU states under any circumstance. As a consequence, neither EU bodies nor diplomats have to pay taxes, since it would not be possible to prosecute them for tax evasion. When the UK was a member of the EU, this caused a dispute when the US ambassador to the UK claimed that London's congestion charge was a tax, and not a charge (despite the name), and therefore he did not have to pay it—a claim

1792-576: The Islands remain the second most wanted entity after North Korea , while on data they are sixth out of 340. Volcanic island There are a number of volcanic islands that rise no more than 1 metre (3 ft 3 in) above sea level , often classified as islets or rocks, while some low islands, such as Banaba , Henderson Island , Makatea , Nauru , and Niue , rise over 50 metres (160 ft) above sea level. The two types of islands are often found in proximity to each other, especially among

1856-463: The Northern hemisphere have far colder winters than Prince Edward Islands due to the islands' maritime moderation, even though temperatures in summer are much cooler than those normally found in maritime climates. The islands are among the cloudiest places in the world; about 1300 hours a year of sunshine occur on the sheltered eastern side of Marion Island, but only around 800 hours occur away from

1920-607: The South African Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act, No. 57 of 2003, and activities on the islands are therefore restricted to research and conservation management. Further protection was granted when the area was declared a marine protected area in 2013. The only human inhabitants of the islands are the staff of a meteorological and biological research station run by the South African National Antarctic Programme on Marion Island. Barent Barentszoon Lam of

1984-592: The United Kingdom King Charles III [REDACTED] William, Prince of Wales [REDACTED] Charles III ( King-in-Council ) [REDACTED] Starmer ministry ( L ) Keir Starmer ( L ) Angela Rayner ( L ) ( King-in-Parliament ) [REDACTED] Charles III [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] The Lord Reed The Lord Hodge Andrew Bailey Monetary Policy Committee The government of

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2048-580: The United Kingdom , officially His Majesty's Government , abbreviated to HM Government , is the central executive authority of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland . The government is led by the prime minister (currently Keir Starmer since 5 July 2024) who selects all the other ministers . The country has had a Labour government since 2024. The prime minister Keir Starmer and his most senior ministers belong to

2112-409: The biology of the islands, in particular the birds ( penguins , petrels , albatrosses , gulls ) and seals . A new research base was built from 2001 to 2011 to replace older buildings on the site. The access to the station is either by boat or helicopter. A helipad and storage hangar is located behind the main base structure. In April 2017, scientists from McGill University , in collaboration with

2176-440: The cabinet ministers for the department and junior ministers within the department may answer on behalf of the government, depending on the topic of the question. During debates on legislation proposed by the government, ministers—usually with departmental responsibility for the bill —will lead the debate for the government and respond to points made by MPs or Lords. Committees of both the House of Commons and House of Lords hold

2240-411: The charity commissions) are legally more or less independent of the government, and government powers are legally limited to those retained by the Crown under common law or granted and limited by act of Parliament. Both substantive and procedural limitations are enforceable in the courts by judicial review . Nevertheless, magistrates and mayors can still be arrested and put on trial for corruption, and

2304-620: The coast on the wet western sides of Marion and Prince Edward Islands. Summer and winter have fairly similar climates with cold winds and threat of snow or frost at any time of the year. However, the mean temperature in February (midsummer) is 7.7 °C (45.9 °F) and in August (midwinter) it is 3.9 °C (39.0 °F). The islands are part of the Southern Indian Ocean Islands tundra ecoregion that includes

2368-436: The confidence of the House of Commons. It requires the support of the House of Commons for the maintenance of supply (by voting through the government's budgets) and to pass primary legislation . By convention, if a government loses the confidence of the House of Commons it must either resign or a general election is held. The support of the Lords, while useful to the government in getting its legislation passed without delay,

2432-443: The deep abyss of the ocean, and feature rough or mountainous landscapes in their interiors and a diverse array of summit elevations. Researchers have observed that the island will often be covered by dense tropical forest. These limit settlement on the interior of many islands, forcing communities to develop along the coast. Larger islands may have rivers, resulting in flood hazards. Rivers deliver sediment downstream, which can dominate

2496-513: The electoral district containing the Port of Cape Town ; as of 2016 this is ward 115 of the City of Cape Town . As of 2014, Marion Island, prefix ZS8, was the third most wanted DXCC "entity" by the amateur radio community. By the end of 2014, it had dropped to 27th, after simultaneous activity by three licencees in the 2013/2014 team. However, their activity was mainly on voice. On Morse telegraphy,

2560-409: The exchequer to be a member of the House of Lords was Lord Denman , who served for one month in 1834. The British monarch is the head of state and the sovereign , but not the head of government . The monarch takes little direct part in governing the country and remains neutral in political affairs. However, the authority of the state that is vested in the sovereign, known as the Crown , remains

2624-532: The government has powers to insert commissioners into a local authority to oversee its work, and to issue directives that must be obeyed by the local authority if the local authority is not abiding by its statutory obligations. By contrast, as in European Union (EU) member states, EU officials cannot be prosecuted for any actions carried out in pursuit of their official duties, and foreign country diplomats (though not their employees) and foreign members of

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2688-766: The government on the statement. When the government instead chooses to make announcements first outside Parliament, it is often the subject of significant criticism from MPs and the speaker of the House of Commons . The prime minister is based at 10 Downing Street in Westminster , London. Cabinet meetings also take place here. Most government departments have their headquarters nearby in Whitehall . The government's powers include general executive and statutory powers , delegated legislation , and numerous powers of appointment and patronage. However, some powerful officials and bodies, (e.g. HM judges, local authorities , and

2752-485: The government to account, scrutinise its work and examine in detail proposals for legislation. Ministers appear before committees to give evidence and answer questions. Government ministers are also required by convention and the Ministerial Code , when Parliament is sitting, to make major statements regarding government policy or issues of national importance to Parliament. This allows MPs or Lords to question

2816-519: The government. Royal prerogative powers include, but are not limited to, the following: While no formal documents set out the prerogatives, the government published the above list in October 2003 to increase transparency, as some of the powers exercised in the name of the monarch are part of the royal prerogative . However, the complete extent of the royal prerogative powers has never been fully set out, as many of them originated in ancient custom and

2880-459: The importance of implementing effective risk mitigation plans that include nature-based solutions to improve societal safety on these islands. These involve leveraging natural processes and ecosystems to reduce hazard impacts. This can include the restoration of natural barriers like mangroves or coral reefs that protect against tsunamis and storm surges or the maintenance of natural water catchments that can mitigate flood risks. Government of

2944-466: The island, feeding on burrowing petrels in addition to mice, and taking an estimated 455,000 petrels a year. Some species of petrels soon disappeared from Marion Island, and a cat eradication programme was established. A few cats were intentionally infected with the highly specific feline panleukopenia virus, which reduced the cat population to about 600 by 1982. The remaining cats were killed by nocturnal shooting, and in 1991 only eight cats were trapped in

3008-492: The islands Terre de l'Espérance (Marion) and Ile de la Caverne (Prince Edward). After failing to land, Le Mascarin continued eastward, discovering the Crozet Islands and landing at New Zealand , where Marion du Fresne and some of his crew were killed by local Māoris. Julien Crozet, navigator and second in command of Le Mascarin , survived the disaster, and happened to meet James Cook at Cape Town in 1776, at

3072-477: The islands more strategically important, and as no further economic activity was taking place, the UK was concerned other countries might claim the islands. In late 1947 and early 1948, South Africa, with Britain's agreement, annexed the islands and installed the meteorological station on Transvaal Cove on the north-east coast of Marion Island. On 22 September 1979, a US surveillance satellite known as Vela 6911 noted an unidentified double flash of light, known as

3136-441: The islands, and it is estimated the islands support upwards of 5 million breeding seabirds, and 8 million seabirds total. Five species of albatross (of which all are either threatened or endangered ) are known to breed on the islands, including the wandering albatross , dark-mantled , light-mantled , Indian yellow-nosed and grey-headed albatross . The islands also host fourteen species of petrel , four species of prion ,

3200-494: The local fur seal populations had been nearly eradicated. The first scientific expedition to the islands was led by James Clark Ross , who visited in 1840 during his exploration of the Antarctic, but was unable to land. Ross sailed along the islands on 21 April 1840. He made observations on vast numbers of penguins ("groups of many thousands each"), and other kinds of sea-birds. He also saw fur seals , which he supposed to be of

3264-556: The low-frequency radio emission from the universe, and take first steps towards detecting the cosmological Dark Ages . In April 2024, the South African National Antarctic Programme station on Marion Island was depicted in an ad for KFC South Africa directed by Kim Geldunhuys, Beyond the Sea, which depicted two hungry South Africans determined to get home for some fried chicken. The island group

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3328-604: The north coast, before being rescued. The wreck of the Solglimt is the best-known in the islands, and is accessible to divers. The British government never officially claimed ownership of the islands, however it did manage economic activities on the islands in the early 20th century. In 1908, the British government granted a guano lease on Marion Island. Following the Second World War, technological advancements made

3392-461: The onset of Cook's third voyage . Crozet shared the charts of his ill-fated expedition, and as Cook sailed from Cape Town, he passed the islands on 13 December, but was unable to attempt a landing due to bad weather. Cook named the islands after Prince Edward , the fourth son of King George III ; and though he is also often credited with naming the larger island Marion, after Captain Marion, this name

3456-433: The period of absolute monarchy , or were modified by later constitutional practice. As of 2019, there are around 120 government ministers supported by 560,000 civil servants and other staff working in the 24 ministerial departments and their executive agencies . There are also an additional 20 non-ministerial departments with a range of further responsibilities. In theory, a government minister does not have to be

3520-405: The sea floor to the top of Mascarin Peak. The volcano is active, with eruptions having occurred between 1980 and 2004. Despite being located inside the south temperate zone at 46 degrees latitude, the islands have a tundra climate . They lie directly in the path of eastward-moving depressions all year round and this gives them an unusually cool and windy climate. Strong regional winds, known as

3584-473: The shape of the coast and contribute to erosion. Tall volcanic islands are often surrounded by protective fringing or barrier reefs, creating lagoons. The unique geological and geographical characteristics of volcanic islands make them prone to many natural hazards, which are expected to worsen due to climate change . These include volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides, and severe weather events like hurricanes or typhoons. Studies have highlighted

3648-433: The source of executive power exercised by the government. In addition to explicit statutory authority , the Crown also possesses a body of powers in certain matters collectively known as the royal prerogative . These powers range from the authority to issue or withdraw passports to declarations of war. By long-standing convention, most of these powers are delegated from the sovereign to various ministers or other officers of

3712-666: The sovereign, although this authority is exercised only after receiving the advice of the Privy Council . The prime minister, the House of Lords, the Leader of the Opposition, and the police and military high command serve as members and advisers of the monarch on the Privy Council. In most cases the cabinet exercise power directly as leaders of the government departments , though some Cabinet positions are sinecures to

3776-575: The species Arctocephalus falklandicus . The islands were finally surveyed during the Challenger Expedition , led by Captain George Nares , in 1873. The sealing era lasted from 1799 to 1913. During that period visits by 103 vessels are recorded, seven of which ended in shipwreck. Sealing relics include iron trypots , the ruins of huts and inscriptions. The occasional modern sealing vessel visited from Cape Town , South Africa , in

3840-400: The start of Edward VII 's reign in 1901, by convention, the prime minister has been an elected member of Parliament (MP) and thus answerable to the House of Commons, although there were two weeks in 1963 when Alec Douglas-Home was first a member of the House of Lords and then of neither house. A similar convention applies to the position of chancellor of the exchequer . The last chancellor of

3904-581: The supreme decision-making committee, known as the Cabinet . Ministers of the Crown are responsible to the House in which they sit; they make statements in that House and take questions from members of that House. For most senior ministers this is usually the elected House of Commons rather than the House of Lords . The government is dependent on Parliament to make primary legislation , and general elections are held every five years (at most) to elect

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3968-587: Was adopted by sealers and whalers who later hunted the area, to distinguish the two islands. The first recorded landing on the islands was in 1799 by a group of French seal hunters of the Sally . Another landing in late 1803 by a group of seal hunters led by American captain Henry Fanning of the Catharine found signs of earlier human occupation. The islands were frequented by sealers until about 1810, when

4032-575: Was caused by a nuclear explosion. In 2003, the South African government declared the Prince Edward Islands a Special Nature Reserve, and in 2013 declared 180,000 km (69,000 sq mi) of ocean waters around the islands a Marine Protection Area, thus creating one of the world's largest environmental protection areas. The 1948 research station on Marion Island was soon enlarged and today studies regional meteorology and

4096-570: Was completed in May 2015, led by noted invasive species ecologist John Parkes, with the general conclusion that an eradication programme is feasible, but will require precise planning. Both Gough Island and the Prince Edward Islands also suffer from invasive procumbent pearlwort ( Sagina procumbens ), which is transforming the upland ecosystem and is now considered beyond control. Marion Island and Prince Edward Island were claimed for South Africa on 29 December 1947 and 4 January 1948 respectively, by

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