Isabella Carter
The United Kingdom is a democratic constitutional monarchy, where the monarch is the head of state, but the ability to make and pass legislation resides with an elected Parliament. The UK's constitutional monarchy has roots that predate the UK itself, with origins in the Anglo-Saxon era and the multiple kingdoms that existed prior to the formation of England as a single polity. The first form of constitution was enacted with the Magna Carta of 1215, which sought to impose constraints on the monarch. The Glorious Revolution of 1688 furthered the constitutional monarchy, with the Bill of Rights of 1689 and the Act of Settlement of 1701 restricting the power of the monarchy. The final transition to a constitutional monarchy was made during the long reign of Queen Victoria.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of monarchy | Constitutional monarchy, also known as limited monarchy, parliamentary monarchy or democratic monarchy |
| Monarch's role | Head of State, Head of Nation, and symbolic figurehead |
| Monarch's powers | Ultimate legal responsibility for functions such as appointing and removing the Prime Minister and other ministers, dissolving Parliament, approving important laws, acting as head of the Armed Forces, being head of the Church of England, and granting honours |
| Monarch's limitations | Cannot be a Roman Catholic, must be in communion with the Church of England, must exercise powers in accordance with laws enacted in Parliament and within constraints of convention and precedent, and must ultimately accept the decisions of the Prime Minister and Cabinet |
| Monarch's rights | The right to be consulted, the right to encourage, and the right to warn |
| Historical context | The United Kingdom's modern constitutional monarchy was founded in 1628 with the Petition of Right, and further established by the Glorious Revolution in 1688, the Bill of Rights in 1689, and the Act of Settlement in 1701 |
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What You'll Learn
The Glorious Revolution of 1688
James II ascended the throne in 1685 and his overt Roman Catholicism immediately alienated him from the majority of his Protestant subjects in England and Scotland. Tensions escalated in 1688 when James had a son, James Francis Edward Stuart, whom he declared would be raised as a Catholic, thus securing a Catholic heir to the throne. This sparked fears of a Catholic dynasty in England and outraged the Whigs, who vehemently opposed Catholic succession.
In response to these developments, several prominent Englishmen, including seven of the king's peers, invited William of Orange, a Protestant and the husband of James' eldest daughter Mary, to invade England. William, who had his own motives related to checking French power in Europe, accepted the invitation and landed at Brixham on Tor Bay on November 5, 1688. As William advanced towards London, support for James rapidly dwindled, and he ultimately fled to France.
In April 1689, William and Mary were crowned joint rulers of England, Scotland, and Ireland, marking a significant shift in the balance of power. The revolution permanently established Parliament as the ruling power, curtailing the absolute power previously held by the monarchy. This shift was further solidified by the Bill of Rights 1689, which defined, codified, and limited the monarch's powers for the first time. The revolution also had wider implications, influencing the 13 colonies in North America and contributing to the development of a political democracy.
The historiography of the Glorious Revolution is complex and subject to varying interpretations. Some historians emphasize the peaceful and consensual nature of the revolution, while others highlight the divisive and violent aspects that involved all classes of English society. The invasion aspect has also been a subject of debate, with arguments that it was downplayed due to British pride and effective Dutch propaganda. Nonetheless, the Glorious Revolution of 1688 played a pivotal role in shaping the foundation of constitutional monarchy in England.
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The Magna Carta of 1215
The Magna Carta, or "Great Charter", of 1215 was a document that put into writing the principle that the king and the government were not above the law. It was the first of its kind to do so and was issued by King John at Runnymede, on the banks of the River Thames, in June of that year. The charter was the result of a political crisis and an uprising of the leading men of England, who demanded that the king limit his own powers.
The Magna Carta was not intended to be a charter of universal rights for all people, but rather a means of protecting the rights of barons against the king's power. The barons had risen up against King John, and the charter was a peace settlement between the two sides. It was drafted by Stephen Langton, who mediated between the king and the rebels, and it was agreed upon by 15 June 1215. The rebels then renewed their oaths of loyalty to the king, and copies of the charter were issued.
The charter included clauses that remitted and pardoned any ill-will, hurt, or grudges that had arisen between the king and his subjects, both clergy and laymen. It also included clauses that stated the English Church shall be free and that men in the kingdom shall have and keep all their liberties, rights, and concessions. Four of the original 1215 clauses remain in force in England and Wales today, as they were enshrined in the reissued charter of 1297.
The interpretation of the Magna Carta as a charter of universal legal rights has been largely dismissed by historians as a myth that was created centuries later. However, the document is still considered a powerful symbol of liberty and is often cited by politicians and campaigners. It is also respected by the British and American legal communities, and it influenced the formation of the United States Constitution.
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The Bill of Rights of 1689
The Bill of Rights was the result of the long 17th-century struggle between the Stuart kings and Parliament and the English people. It incorporated the provisions of the Declaration of Rights, which was presented to William III and Mary II in February 1689, inviting them to become joint sovereigns of England, displacing James II, who had abdicated. The acceptance of the Declaration of Rights was the condition upon which the throne was offered to William and Mary.
The Bill of Rights set out certain basic civil rights and changed the succession to the English Crown. It established the rights of Parliament, including regular parliaments, free elections, and parliamentary privilege. It also listed individual rights, including the right to petition the king, the prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment, and the right not to pay taxes levied without parliamentary approval. The Bill also set out a constitutional requirement for the Crown to seek the consent of the people as represented in Parliament.
The Bill of Rights received royal assent on 16 December 1689 and remains in effect within all Commonwealth realms, as amended by the Perth Agreement. It is considered a landmark document in the development of civil liberties in the United Kingdom and a model for later, more general, statements of rights.
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The Act of Settlement of 1701
The Act of Settlement was passed in a context of anti-Dutch sentiment in England, as William of Orange, who had ascended the throne in 1689, favoured his Dutch favourites. The Act was also a response to the succession issue posed by James II's son, James Edward Stuart, who was proclaimed the rightful king of England, Scotland, and Ireland by Louis XIV of France in 1701. This proclamation threatened to disrupt the stability of the union between England and Scotland. The Act of Settlement, therefore, played an instrumental role in the creation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain by ensuring the continuity of the English crown in the Protestant line.
The Act of Settlement is considered one of the main constitutional laws governing the succession to the throne of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms. It has been criticised as a discriminatory law due to its exclusion of Catholics from the line of succession, and there have been several attempts to abolish it. However, defenders of the Act argue that its abolition would cause the UK constitution to unravel. The disqualification arising from marriage to a Roman Catholic was removed by the Succession to the Crown Act in 2013, which also amended the Act of Settlement to replace male-preference primogeniture with absolute primogeniture.
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The evolution of the British constitution
The United Kingdom is a democratic constitutional monarchy, with a long history of evolution. The British monarchy's origins can be traced back to the Anglo-Saxon era and the multiple kingdoms that existed before England was unified in the first millennium CE. Over time, the power of the monarchy has been curtailed, with the development of Parliament and the enactment of laws such as the 1628 Petition of Right, the 1689 Bill of Rights, and the 1701 Act of Settlement.
In the early medieval period, England and Scotland were separate kingdoms, with the English monarchy tracing its roots to the petty kingdoms of Anglo-Saxon England, and the Scottish monarchy to the early medieval Scottish kingdoms. The Norman and Plantagenet dynasties expanded their authority across the British Isles, creating the Lordship of Ireland in 1177 and conquering Wales in 1283. This period also saw the development of the English common law system under Henry II, who reigned from 1154 to 1189.
The Magna Carta, first agreed upon in 1215, was a significant step towards limiting the powers of the monarchy. King John agreed to restrict his authority over his subjects, and the document established certain liberties that the king was prohibited from infringing. This marked the beginning of a shift in power away from the monarchy and towards Parliament.
The Glorious Revolution of 1688 further solidified the move towards a constitutional monarchy in England. The revolution resulted in the installation of William III and Mary II as co-monarchs, and the power shifted towards Parliament. The 1689 Bill of Rights, along with its Scottish counterpart, the Claim of Right Act, placed limits on the monarchy's power and excluded Roman Catholics from the succession.
The final transition to a constitutional monarchy occurred during the reign of Queen Victoria, following the decline in monarchical power under George IV and William IV. The Reform Act of 1832, passed during William IV's reign, led to an expansion of the electoral franchise and the rise of the House of Commons as the dominant branch of Parliament.
Today, the British monarchy is a hereditary constitutional monarchy, with the monarch, currently King Charles III, serving as the head of state. While the monarch retains certain legal powers, such as appointing the prime minister and approving legislation, their role is largely ceremonial and non-partisan, with actual power vested in the elected Parliament. The monarch acts as a symbol of national unity and performs constitutional and representational duties that have evolved over centuries.
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Frequently asked questions
A constitutional monarchy is a form of monarchy in which the monarch exercises their authority in accordance with a constitution and is not the sole decision-maker. The monarch acts as a non-party political ceremonial head of state and performs representative and civic roles but does not exercise executive or policy-making power.
The history of the constitutional monarchy in England can be traced back to the Anglo-Saxon era and the multiple kingdoms that existed prior to the formation of England as a single polity in the first millennium CE. The concept of monarchs consulting with their subjects has long been established, and Parliament began to develop in the 13th century. The Magna Carta, first agreed upon in 1215, sought to impose constraints on the monarch's power. The Petition of Right, passed in 1628, further established specific liberties of subjects that the king was prohibited from infringing. The Glorious Revolution of 1688 and subsequent legislation, such as the Bill of Rights 1689, further curtailed the power of the monarchy and established Parliament as the ruling power in England.
The constitutional monarch in England, currently King Charles III, has a largely ceremonial and representative role. While the monarch is the head of state, the ability to make and pass legislation resides with the elected Parliament. The monarch's powers are limited to non-partisan functions, such as granting honours, and must be exercised within the constraints of the constitution and on the advice of ministers responsible to Parliament, including the Prime Minister.
The constitutional monarchy in England differs from absolute monarchy, where the monarch has sole decision-making power and is not bound by a constitution. In a constitutional monarchy, the monarch's powers are limited, and they act as a symbolic head of state, while the elected government holds the majority of the political power.
In addition to the United Kingdom, other countries with a constitutional monarchy include Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Japan, and Cambodia, among others. These countries vary in the amount of discretionary power granted to their sovereigns, with some having more substantial powers than others.
