Guilds (Widget)

A series of sub-organizations in the British Government responsible for managing various portions of the Empire. There are sixteen Guilds, headed by the four Service Guilds, which manage the others, make constitutional changes if necessary, and agree on a solution where there are disputes. Although theoretically aside from these specific powers, the Guilds (Service or otherwise) are intended to be equal, Service Guilds have in recent times gained a much more significant amount of power than the other Guilds in what has been known as the Centralization of Responsibilities.

History
Through the 1850s and early 60s, the British Queen Victoria underwent a huge drop in popularity, to the extent that many began to call for her abdication. In recognition that the loss of the Monarch would have significant consequences for the Empire (in particular, a lack of resilience and a weak image of the British Government displayed to other world powers), the Queen worked with Cabinet to try and formulate a solution. The result was the idea of duplicating each and every responsibility that she had, and giving it to another authority, who could carry out this role. As a result, although she would still theoretically have the power, the responsibility would be on the Guilds rather than her for any decisions made. Instead, she could be a symbol of the Empire without fear of blame.