|
The British monarch has specific governmental duties, and the U.K. parliament literally can't open or close without the crown's permission. But today's queen has little real influence. Britain's constitutional monarchy puts the sovereign at the head of the executive branch of government. She appoints the prime minister and is the only one who can summon or dissolve parliament. The queen has to give royal assent before any bill from parliament becomes law. The sovereign is head of the country's armed forces and
the only one who can declare war. In reality, the monarch hasn't dissolved parliament of his or her own accord since 1818. The crown simply picks the leader of the majority party as prime minister. Royal assent hasn't been refused since 1707. And the monarch can only declare war with the consent of parliament. In these and all government actions, the queen relies on her advisors. This may sound blunt, but if the prime minister wants to dissolve parliament so a new one can be elected, he (politely) tells the queen to do it. All potential laws are signed by the queen as a formality. The queen's job is to remain politically neutral and act as a uniting figure for the nation. We imagine that's not as easy as it sounds.
|
