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Constitutional Monarchy
A Constitutional Monarchy is a form of Constitutional government, where a hereditary Monarch is the Head of State, unlike in an Absolute Monarchy, wherein the King or the Queen is the sole source of political power, as he or she is not legally bound by the Constitution. Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, and Her Governments: In the United Kingdom many important governmental actions are done ‘on behalf of’ Queen Elizabeth II, or she exercises her own powers at the direction of the Prime Minister. These are generally things that remain within the Royal Prerogative.
Constitutional Monarchy: A Tradition
A Constitutional Monarchy is a form of Constitutional government, where a hereditary Monarch is the Head of State, unlike in an Absolute Monarchy, wherein the King or the Queen is the sole source of political power, as he or she is not legally bound by the Constitution. The levels and types of power and authority held by the Monarch vary from case to case, as does the nature and guarantees of the Constitution. This is a system of government in which a Monarch shares power with a Constitutionally organised government, where the Monarch may be the defacto Head of State or a purely ceremonial leader. The Constitution allocates the rest of the government’s power to the legislature and judiciary. The United Kingdom is a Constitutional Monarchy, where its succession to the British throne is hereditary, no longer governed by the principle of male preference, but excludes Roman Catholics from ascending to the throne. Heirs to the throne can now marry Roman Catholics with out renouncing their claim to the throne. Under the British Constitution, sweeping executive powers, known as the royal prerogative, are nominally vested in the Sovereign. In exercising these powers, however, the Sovereign normally defers to the advice of the Prime Minister or other ministers. This principle, which can be traced back to the Restoration, was most famously articulated by the Victorian writer Walter Bagehot as: “the Queen reigns, but she does not rule”.
Benefits & Pitfalls
Whilst monarchy is unelected, unlike an elected Presidency, Constitutional monarchy allows for certain powers of the Monarch to be limited and balanced by an elected body in the form of a Parliament of elected ministers, and is, therefore, a democratic process drawn upon an enlightened basis for government. Monarchists argue that Constitutional Monarchy possesses two central features that rarely are to be found in Presidents; while Presidents may see themselves in terms of a limited term of office, with them often being “retired” from other posts into the presidency, constitutional monarchy tends to involve a professional life-long commitment. The other often-cited advantage is that Monarchs do not represent specific political views and that they provide stability or act as a symbol of the state or nation. The very fact that a Monarch has a lifelong professional (job) does mean that an experienced Monarch has a wealth of knowledge that governments find invaluable, although of course most monarchs do not last that long. Figures like Elizabeth II or the late King Olav V are seen as possessing an almost encyclopedic knowledge of their state’s recent history, knowing lessons learned through an error by past governments that can be passed on to future governments.
Whilst monarchy is unelected, unlike an elected Presidency, Constitutional monarchy allows for certain powers of the Monarch to be limited and balanced by an elected body in the form of a Parliament of elected ministers, and is, therefore, a democratic process drawn upon an enlightened basis for government. Monarchists argue that Constitutional Monarchy possesses two central features that rarely are to be found in Presidents; while Presidents may see themselves in terms of a limited term of office, with them often being “retired” from other posts into the presidency, constitutional monarchy tends to involve a professional life-long commitment.