Omar Bennett
The United Kingdom is a democratic constitutional monarchy, where a hereditary monarch acts as the head of state, with their powers regulated by the British constitution. The UK's transition to a constitutional monarchy can be traced back to the Glorious Revolution of 1688, when William III and Mary II were installed as co-monarchs, and a Bill of Rights was established to limit the power of the monarchy. The evolution of the UK's constitutional monarchy was influenced by various factors, including the expansion of parliamentary power, the development of democratic principles, and the decline of absolute monarchy. Today, the role of the British monarch is largely ceremonial, with the monarch's powers being exercised by the British Parliament and the Government, particularly the office of the Prime Minister.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of transition to constitutional monarchy | During the reign of Queen Victoria, who succeeded William IV |
| Powers of the monarch | Very limited, with the monarch acting as a non-party political ceremonial head of state |
| Royal prerogative | Includes the powers to appoint and dismiss ministers, regulate the civil service, issue passports, declare war, make peace, direct the actions of the military, and negotiate and ratify treaties, alliances, and international agreements |
| Sovereign immunity | The monarch can do no wrong under the law |
| Immunity of the monarch from taxation and property use restrictions | The monarch is immune from some taxation and restrictions on property use |
| Legislative power | Exercised by the King, the House of Lords, and the House of Commons acting together as the King-in-Parliament |
| Executive power | Exercised by His Majesty's Government, which comprises ministers, primarily the Prime Minister and the Cabinet |
| Judicial power | Vested in the various judiciaries of the United Kingdom |
| Constitutional roots | Can be traced to the Anglo-Saxon era and the multiple kingdoms that existed prior to the formation of England as a single polity |
| Historical development | The transition to constitutional monarchy began with the "Glorious Revolution" of 1688, when William and Mary agreed to a "Bill of Rights" and power shifted towards Parliament |
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What You'll Learn
The transition to constitutional monarchy under Queen Victoria
Queen Victoria's reign marked the final transition to a constitutional monarchy in the United Kingdom. Victoria became Queen of the United Kingdom in 1837, at the age of 18, and her reign lasted 63 years until her death in 1901.
Victoria's succession to the throne was the product of a succession crisis in England's royal family. Princess Charlotte, the presumptive successor to King George, and her infant son died in childbirth. This led to a race among Charlotte's brothers, all of whom were single at the time, to produce an heir. Victoria was the firstborn of those heirs.
At the beginning of her reign, Victoria was heavily influenced by Lord Melbourne, the prime minister, and her husband, Prince Albert, who was her closest political advisor. Together, they pursued an agenda of modernization and stability in an era of political upheaval. During her reign, Britain became a powerful empire and the world's most powerful nation. The expansion of the British Empire, which constituted a fifth of the Earth's surface by the end of the century, was accompanied by industrial, political, scientific, and military change within the United Kingdom.
However, Victoria's reign was also marked by increased support for the republican movement, due in part to her permanent mourning and lengthy seclusion following the death of her husband in 1861. The monarchy's reputation had been damaged by Victoria's predecessors, and the British populace clamored to replace the monarchy with a republic. Ultimately, this led to an erosion of the monarch’s direct political power as ordinary British people gained the vote, the secret ballot, and other political reforms in the mid- to late 1800s.
Gradual reforms of the voting system increased the power of the House of Commons at the expense of the House of Lords and the monarch. By the end of her reign, Queen Victoria was the last sovereign to exercise real personal power, although she still had some influence in appointments to the Cabinet. Victoria's son, Edward VII, became the first monarch of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in 1901, marking the final transition to a constitutional monarchy in the United Kingdom.
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The monarch's modern-day role
The modern-day role of the British monarch is largely ceremonial and cultural. The monarch is the head of state, and in this role, they appoint the Prime Minister, open new sessions of Parliament, and give royal assent to bills passed by Parliament, making them law. The King also chairs monthly meetings of the Privy Council, approves orders, receives ambassadors, and makes other appointments, such as senior judges. The monarch is also the head of the armed forces and the Church of England.
The monarch has a unique soft power and diplomatic role, acting as an unofficial brand ambassador for British interests and values abroad, increasing tourism, and promoting charities throughout civil society. The monarch is also the head of the Commonwealth, a voluntary association of 54 states, mainly former British colonies and dependencies.
The monarch's role is limited by the constitution, and they are obliged to follow the government's advice in most matters. The monarch's powers are further restricted by the need to act within the laws enacted in Parliament and the constraints of convention and precedent.
The monarch undertakes various official, ceremonial, diplomatic, and representational duties, including over 500 public engagements, such as national occasions like Remembrance Day and Trooping the Colour. The King and the royal family are patrons of over 1,000 charities and organisations in the UK and the Commonwealth.
The monarch is also the head of state of 14 other countries, including Australia, Canada, Jamaica, and New Zealand, known as the Commonwealth realms.
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The monarch's powers
The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy, a system in which the monarch acts as a non-party political ceremonial head of state under the constitution. The UK's transition to a constitutional monarchy was a gradual process that took place over several centuries.
- Appointing and removing the Prime Minister and other ministers
- Dissolving Parliament to bring about general elections
- 'Proroguing' Parliament, or disbanding it for a set period
- Approving important laws through granting Royal Assent
- Acting as the head of the Armed Forces and being responsible for their deployment
- Being the head of the Church of England, the official religion of England
- Granting honours
- Opening new sessions of Parliament
- Receiving incoming and outgoing ambassadors
- Making appointments, such as senior judges, again on the advice of the government
- Chairing monthly meetings of the Privy Council
The monarch also has a ceremonial and diplomatic role, promoting British interests and values abroad, increasing tourism, and supporting charities. They are seen as a focus for national identity, unity, and pride, providing a sense of stability and continuity.
While the monarch's powers are limited, they do retain some scope for influence. They are consulted privately on some decisions and policies, particularly those that directly affect their interests. They also meet with the Prime Minister weekly when Parliament is in session to discuss government business.
The monarch's role has evolved over time, with the position today being largely ceremonial and representative. The powers that remain are primarily related to the functioning of the government and the state, with the monarch serving as a symbol of the nation and its unity.
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The monarch's immunity and taxation
The United Kingdom transitioned to a constitutional monarchy during the reign of Queen Victoria, who succeeded William IV. The monarch in a constitutional monarchy cedes power to a democratically elected parliament and its leader, the prime minister, and remains as a titular head of state. The monarch is bound by constitutional convention to act on the advice of the government.
The Monarch's Immunity
The monarch enjoys sovereign immunity, which means criminal and civil proceedings cannot be brought against them as a head of state. This immunity also extends to the monarch's conduct as a private citizen and their privately owned assets, estates, and businesses. More than 160 laws have been written or amended to specify this immunity, and police are barred from entering the monarch's private estates without permission, even to investigate suspected crimes. The monarch is also exempt from some taxation and restrictions on property use.
Taxation
The monarch is exempt from paying certain taxes, such as income tax, capital gains tax, and corporation tax. This is because the UK grants sovereign immunity from direct taxes to sovereign entities, which means they fall outside the scope of the UK's direct tax regime. However, this immunity does not apply to indirect taxes such as value-added tax and excise duties. Entities must apply to HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) to be granted sovereign immunity, which is considered on a case-by-case basis. In 2022, the UK government consulted on restricting sovereign immunity from taxation but ultimately decided against reform.
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The UK's Commonwealth realms
The United Kingdom is a democratic constitutional monarchy, where the monarch acts as a non-party political ceremonial head of state. The UK's constitution affords the monarch substantial, if limited, legislative and executive powers. The monarch's role includes appointing the Prime Minister, summoning and dissolving parliament, and giving royal assent to laws passed by parliament.
The UK is one of fifteen Commonwealth realms, which are independent sovereign states that share the same monarch as their head of state. The other fourteen Commonwealth realms are:
- Australia
- Canada
- Jamaica
- Antigua and Barbuda
- New Zealand
- The Bahamas
- Grenada
- Papua New Guinea
- Solomon Islands
- Tuvalu
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Belize
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
Although these countries share a monarch, each country is sovereign and independent of the others, and the monarch has a different, specific, and official national title and style for each realm. For example, King Charles III is also the King of Australia and the King of New Zealand, in addition to being the King of the United Kingdom.
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Frequently asked questions
A constitutional monarchy is a system of government where a hereditary monarch acts as the head of state, with their powers regulated by a constitution. The monarch's role is mostly ceremonial and they are expected to remain apolitical.
The transition to a constitutional monarchy in the United Kingdom was a gradual process. It began with the 1628 Petition of Right, which marked the founding of the United Kingdom's modern constitutional monarchy by establishing specific liberties of the subjects that the king was prohibited from infringing. This was followed by the Glorious Revolution of 1688, which established a constitutional monarchy with the passage of the Bill of Rights, circumscribing the monarch's powers and ending moves towards absolute monarchy. The franchise expanded through successive reforms from 1832 onwards, further strengthening the power of Parliament at the expense of the Crown. Finally, during the long reign of Queen Victoria, the personal union of the United Kingdom and Hanover came to an end, as Hanover only permitted succession in the male line.
The British monarch retains certain powers, known as the royal prerogative, which include appointing and dismissing ministers, regulating the civil service, issuing passports, declaring war, making peace, directing the actions of the military, and negotiating and ratifying treaties. However, the monarch is bound by constitutional convention to act on the advice of the government, and their powers are limited by the laws enacted in Parliament.
The United Kingdom is a parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarchy, which differs from a republic in that it has a titular head of state – in this case, a monarch – who serves the traditional role of embodying and representing the nation. The government is carried out by a cabinet composed of predominantly elected Members of Parliament. The monarch has a different, specific, and official national title and style for each of the Commonwealth realms, of which the United Kingdom is one.
