Eleanor Finch
A constitutional monarchy is a form of government in which a monarch shares power with a constitutionally organized government. The monarch may be the de facto head of state or a ceremonial leader. The constitution allocates the government’s powers to the legislature and judiciary. The monarch's role is to act as a visible symbol of national unity and perform constitutional and representative duties. The monarch may also have formal powers, such as dissolving parliament or giving royal assent to legislation, but these powers are generally exercised in accordance with constitutional principles rather than personal political preferences. Constitutional monarchies range from countries such as Liechtenstein, Monaco, and Morocco, where the constitution grants substantial discretionary powers to the sovereign, to countries such as the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Japan, where the monarch has limited personal discretion in exercising their authority.
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What You'll Learn
The role of the monarch as a ceremonial head of state
A constitutional monarchy is a form of government where the monarch shares power with a constitutionally organized government. The monarch may be the de facto head of state or a ceremonial leader. The monarch's role as a ceremonial head of state is primarily representative and civic, acting as a symbol of national unity and performing constitutional duties.
In a constitutional monarchy, the monarch is typically a hereditary symbolic head of state, such as an emperor, king, queen, prince, or grand duke. They do not exercise executive or policy-making power and instead perform ceremonial and representative duties. The monarch's role as a ceremonial head of state is often referred to as the Head of Nation role.
As the ceremonial head of state, the monarch acts as a visible symbol of national identity, unity, and pride. They give a sense of stability and continuity and officially recognize success and excellence. The monarch also supports the ideal of voluntary service and acts as a focus for national identity. This role is fulfilled through speeches, such as the King's annual Christmas day broadcast, giving honours to recognize public and voluntary service, and through visits to various organizations and institutions, such as the armed forces, schools, hospitals, charities, and local organizations.
The monarch's constitutional duties as the ceremonial head of state include appointing the Prime Minister and other ministers, opening new sessions of parliament, and giving royal assent to bills passed by parliament, signifying that they have become law. The monarch also chairs meetings of the Privy Council, receives incoming and outgoing ambassadors, and makes various other appointments, such as senior judges, all while acting on the advice of the government.
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The monarch's authority in accordance with a constitution
A constitutional monarchy is a form of government where the monarch exercises their authority in accordance with a constitution and does not make decisions alone. In this system, the monarch shares power with a constitutionally organized government. The monarch may be the de facto head of state or a ceremonial leader.
In a constitutional monarchy, the monarch typically holds formal authority and is the head of state, but they do not rule or make public policy. The monarch acts as a visible symbol of national unity and continuity, performing mainly representative and civic roles. They may have formal powers such as dissolving parliament, appointing the prime minister and other ministers, opening new sessions of parliament, and giving royal assent to legislation. However, they generally exercise these powers in accordance with constitutional principles rather than personal political preferences.
The monarch's role as head of state involves constitutional duties, such as appointing the prime minister and other ministers, as well as representational duties, such as recognizing success and excellence and supporting voluntary service. The monarch also has a less formal role as the head of the nation, where they act as a focus for national identity, unity, and pride. This role is often fulfilled through speeches, honours, and visits to various organizations and communities.
In some constitutional monarchies, such as Australia, Canada, Jamaica, and New Zealand, the monarch is represented by a governor-general. The governor-general's powers are similar to those of the monarch, but they are appointed by the government and may hold office for a limited term. In these cases, the monarch becomes a more remote figure, and the paired leadership is between the governor-general and the prime minister.
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The monarch's discretionary powers
A constitutional monarchy is a form of government in which a monarch acts as a head of state within the parameters of a constitution, whether it be a written, uncodified, or mixed constitution. The monarch's role and powers are defined and limited by this constitution and may vary depending on the specific constitution and
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The monarch's role in appointing the Prime Minister
A constitutional monarchy is a form of government in which a monarch shares power with a constitutionally organised government. The monarch may be the de facto head of state or a purely ceremonial leader. In a constitutional monarchy, the monarch exercises their authority in accordance with a constitution and is not the sole decision-maker. They perform representative and civic roles but do not hold executive or policy-making powers. The monarch's role in appointing the Prime Minister is one of their remaining prerogative powers.
The monarch appoints the Prime Minister, who is usually the leader of the party with a majority in the House of Commons. This appointment is made under the royal prerogative, which means it does not have a statutory basis and is a very private event. The incoming Prime Minister is formally asked by the monarch to form a government, and this audience is known as "kissing hands". The new Prime Minister then heads straight to their official residence, such as 10 Downing Street.
The process of appointing a Prime Minister can vary depending on the election results. If an election produces a clear majority for one party, the incumbent Prime Minister continues in office. If it is another party, the incumbent resigns, and the monarch invites the winning party's leader to form a government. If there is no clear majority, political parties must negotiate to determine who will form the government. In this case, the monarch is expected to stay out of politics, and it is the responsibility of the political parties to communicate clearly to the monarch who will be the new Prime Minister.
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The monarch's role in giving royal assent to legislation
A constitutional monarchy is a form of government in which a monarch shares power with a constitutionally organized government. The monarch may be the de facto head of state or a ceremonial leader. The constitution allocates the rest of the government's power to the legislature and judiciary.
In a constitutional monarchy, the monarch's role in giving royal assent to legislation is largely ceremonial. Royal Assent is required for all bills to become law, but the monarch does not have the power to veto a bill except on ministerial advice. The monarch's granting of royal assent is a certification that a bill has passed all established parliamentary procedures.
In the United Kingdom, the last time Royal Assent was refused was in 1707, and nowadays, it is regarded as a formality. The monarch or, in certain instances, the Prince, must provide consent when legislation affects the Royal Prerogative or the revenues of the Duchy of Lancaster, the Duchy of Cornwall, or the personal property or interests of the Crown.
In Canada, the governor general may give assent in person at a ceremony in the Senate or by a written declaration notifying Parliament of their agreement with the bill.
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Frequently asked questions
A constitutional monarchy is a form of government in which a monarch shares power with a constitutionally organized government. The monarch may be the de facto head of state or a ceremonial leader.
The monarch has functions as both head of state and head of the nation. The monarch's main functions include appointing the Prime Minister and other ministers, opening new sessions of parliament, and giving royal assent to bills passed by parliament. The monarch also holds a less formal role as the 'head of the nation', acting as a focus for national identity, unity, and pride.
In a constitutional monarchy, the monarch exercises their authority in accordance with a constitution and is not the sole decision-maker. In contrast, an absolute monarchy is a form of government in which the monarch is the only decision-maker and holds absolute power.
Examples of constitutional monarchies include the United Kingdom, Spain, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Jordan, and Thailand.
