The Queen’s role in British politics is supposed to be one of studied neutrality. By convention, it does not vote in elections or make statements that could be interpreted as a political party. As head of state, he carries out the ceremonial opening of parliament and other symbolic roles, but at least in theory he has no role in government decision-making or policy-making.
However, documents discovered by the Guardian in the National Archives tell a different story. The Guardian’s David Pegg explain Anushka asthana on a paper trail showing how more than 1,000 laws have been controlled by Queen or Prince Charles through a secret procedure before they were passed by parliament. These laws range from social security, pensions, racial relations and food policy to dark rules on vehicle parking charges and aviation. But they also include drafts of laws affecting the queen’s personal property, such as her private estates at Balmoral and Sandringham, and anything related to the nature of her wealth, which is estimated to reach hundreds of millions of pounds.
The secret process of “queen’s consent” has no formal basis in law, but still exists today as a parliamentary convention. And revelations about the scope of its use have left constitutional experts calling for urgent reform.
Buckingham Palace said the Queen’s consent had only ever been refused on the advice of ministers. “Parliament decides whether the queen’s consent is necessary, regardless of the royal house, on matters affecting the interests of the crown, including the monarch’s personal property and personal interests,” a palace spokesman said.
Illustration: Guardian Design
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