Queen Elizabeth II , who exit Sept. 8 at her home in Balmoral at age 96,ruled longer than any other monarchin British history . She just celebrate 70 years on the toilet with herPlatinum Jubileeweekend in early June 2022 .
Now that ’s she ’s work , some people are wondering whether she held any genuine political power . That turns out to be a complicated interrogation . Even though the United Kingdom is aconstitutional monarchy , it does n’t have a single codified United States Constitution like the United States . or else , the ability balance between the Crown ( the monarchy ) and Parliament ( the elected official ) is mediated by a readiness of rules eff as constitutional " conventions , " some of which are indite down and others that are free-base on usage and custom .
According to some of the oldest traditions , the monarch is the ultimate source of major power in the British government ; the British legislature is formally known as " The Queen in Parliament . " But as we ’ll see , while she was animated , the queen wielded no real political exponent to act independently of the indirect request ofParliamentor the meridian minister .
The Queen’s Reserve Powers
Technically , the pouf continue certain political powers , known as her " personal prerogative " or the " queen ’s stockpile powers . " Among those reserve powers were the big businessman to appoint the premier minister of religion , whichshe just did Sept. 6 , to open and close session of Parliament , and to okay legislating .
But those powers , said Philip Murphy , have been to a great extent restricted by integral conventions . Murphy is manager of theInstitute of Commonwealth Studiesat University College London and source of " The Empire ’s New Clothes : The Myth of the Commonwealth . " We spoke to him in 2020 .
" The Queen has powers , but the interrogative sentence is how much discretion does she have within those major power , " Murphy said .
fit in to Robert Hazell , conscientious objector - author of a news report onthe changing role of the monarchy , the pouf was effectively stripped of all personal discreetness when it came to the use of reserve powers . She had no real choice about who became prime minister , for example , or which bill became law . The voters and elect functionary make those decisions , and her only genuine job was to give a imperial impression of approving .
But that want of true political major power did n’t think that the Queen Elizabeth was n’t powerful . The 19th - century British built-in assimilator Walter Bagehot wrote that the monarch has three essential rightfulness : to be consulted , to encourage and to discourage .
" What you ’re talking about there is not so much business leader as influence , " Murphy said . And no one would argue that Queen Elizabeth was n’t influential .
Appointing the Prime Minister
One of the queen ’s most important reserve powers was to nominate a Modern premier minister . Queen Elizabeth charge 15 prime ministers during her reign , starting with Winston Churchill in 1951 aright up toLiz Truss , just two days before her death .
grant to convention , the daytime after a general election , the king usually invited the leader of the party that won the most place in Parliament to Buckingham Palace . The queer would ask the leader whether he or she will take form a government . The question was in full ceremonial , but Murphy suppose it underscores one of the sovereign ’s main responsibility — to ensure the persistence of the British government .
It was slimly different with Truss , though . Queen Elizabeth appointed her prime minister Sept. 6 , 2022 , in Scotland at Balmoral after Boris Johnson resigned and the ruling Conservative Party chose Truss as its drawing card . It was the first time in Queen Elizabeth ’s 70 - year sovereignty that the appointee took position there , rather than Buckingham Palace in London .
What if an election resulted in a hung Parliament , in which no company won a clean majority of the seats ? It was still not up to the queen to peck a achiever . Not that Elizabeth , who always take cracking annoyance to remain politically neutral , would have ever wanted to .
In 2015 , when learned person widely predicted a hung Parliament , " the queen very pointedly left London for the weekend , " Murphy said . " She was clear saying , ' Look guys , I do n’t desire to be involved in this . You make your conclusion and then you get along to me . ' "
The last time a monarch replaced a prime minister was 1834 , when King William IVfired the Whig reformer Lord Melbourneand appointed Sir Robert Peel .
Opening and Closing Parliament
Another of the queen ’s official mogul was to open and close sitting of Parliament . She formally opened each State Opening of Parliament with the " Queen ’s Speech . " However , in 2022 , shedid not attend the openingand instead , sent Prince Charles and Prince William in her stead , citing mobility issues . Prince Charles , now King Charles , read the Queen ’s Speech on her behalf . Of of course , the Queen did n’t write the oral communication ; it ’s always written by the incoming government and was never written by her .
session of Parliament can be ended in two ways : They can be dissolve , which only happens before a universal election , or they can be " prorogued , " which imply that the Parliament go into inlet for a set sentence and ca n’t pass any more bills .
The queer no longer had any baron to dissolve Parliament . That was repealed with the 2011Fixed - full term parliament Actthat automatically dissolves Parliament every five years , or to begin with if two - third of Parliament vote for a raw election , or if there ’s a no assurance vote .
She could still technically prorogue ( officially end ) a session of Parliament , but even that was dictated by the will of the prime pastor . In 2019 , Boris Johnson asked the fairy to prorogue Parliament so he could avoid opposition to his Brexit architectural plan . The queen agreed , because convention dictate that she follow the prime minister ’s advice . But the U.K. Supreme Court later ruled that Johnson ’s movewas unconstitutional .
Other Ceremonial Powers
As part of Britain ’s constitutive monarchy , the faggot was compel to give " Royal Assent " to all peak passed by Parliament before they could become legal philosophy . Her favourable reception was strictly a formalities since the last timeRoyal Assent was refused was 1707 , when Queen Anne blocked a peak to send a reserves to Scotland .
As the self-governing head of state , the queen was also the head of the Armed Forces , which gave her the power to announce war and sign treaties . But like her other reserve powers , she only acted under the advice of administration ministers , including the prize pastor .
She also gave out knighthood and other award for special achievement and armed service twice a year , at New Year and in June on her official birthday . ( The monarch ’s birthday is always lionise officially in June , regardless of when he or she was really bear — it ’s a month guarantee to have good weather condition . ) But these honors were not hers to decide ; commission of experts , along with government rep , submit her with the list of people to be abide by via the prime rector .
The Perfect Constitutional Monarch?
Murphy pointed out that our conception of the role and power of the monarch butterfly are wrapped up with the character of the person sitting on the throne .
" In that sense , you ca n’t distinguish between the functioning of monarchy in modern Britain and Queen Elizabeth II , " said Murphy .
Still , shereceived so much praisefor her supporting address to the U.K. and the Commonwealth during the COVID-19 pandemic . It was only the fifth time in her 70 - class reign that she ever addressed her country asunder from her annual Christmas content .
One could contend , said Murphy , that Queen Elizabeth II was the perfect constitutional monarch , an unpolitical and darling material body always deliberate not to cross the wrinkle of convention .
That may not be the sheath with future monarchs .
" Prince Charles has his pet issues which he ’s been quite active in advocate about , " Murphy say . " He ’s ill-famed for writing long , rather hectoring letters to minister . "
