How can queen elizabeth not have power when she is the head of state?

Answer 1

If you mean the current queen, then the answer is she does.

Dispite the public thinking she doesn't, every new law, paper and offical report goes to her to be signed. She wakes up early and spends no less than 2 hours signing papers... (just hope that pen doesn't run out)

The Queen owns the country in a way, since William the royal famikly has passed the kingdom down... she chooses though that the government must decide whats best, and this is done through democracy and 'power to the people'

AnswerCanada is a Constitutional Monarchy which legally limits the authority of the Monarch's role so that it must accord with the political arrangements declared under Canada's Constitution.

The Queen possesses certain prerogative powers, and plays a ceremonial role, though has no active role in governance, and even most of the ceremonial functions of the Queen are handled by her representative in Canada, the Governor General (currently Michaelle Jean).

Although formally possessed of power, the Queen is informally restricted by convention to respect the sovereign will of the people, and would risk considerable political outrage if she were to actually exercise such power, as it would not only offend the principle of Canadian sovereignty but also representative government. By this arrangement, the Queen is effectively powerless in the actual operation of the Canadian state.