How the crown has more power than you think | It's Complicated

The monarch's role in British politics is supposed to be neutral. In theory at least, she plays no role in government decision-making or the setting of policy.

However, documents discovered by the Guardian in the National Archives tell a different story. Josh Toussaint-Strauss looks back at The Guardian’s investigation into a secretive procedure that led to more than 1,000 laws being vetted by the Queen or Prince Charles before they were approved by parliament.

So what does the monarchy actually do? And just how powerful is the crown?

The Guardian on YouTube:

#Monarchy #TheCrown #KingCharles #QueenElizabeth #UK #harryandmeghan #williamandkate

[ecliqsly]

i don’t get why people are surprised that kings and queens get more power than the everyday folk

[dkpqzm]

It's my understanding that the crown actually has the powers of a sovereign ruler, but the monarch chooses not the exercise it's full power to appease the people.

[EnormousPurpleGarden]

I think we can all read between the lines: the Queen had a secret nuclear weapons program at Balmoral.

[gungdegalang]

They do, but they prefer to keep it secret and let the people think the monarch is just only a ceremonial figure in government

[socialgadfly]

“Monarch has more power than their subjects realise”, that’s all by design.

[rboddington]

It's not just what is mentioned in this video. The King is head of the government, the church of England, and head of the armed forces. That is a huge amount of influential power. He also is not subject to the whims of the voters.

[hyun-shik]

But all of this comes with the stipulation that if they abuse these powers, someone out there is going to be the next Cromwell.

[Jackie-wnhx]

The biggest threat to the British Monarchy comes from the UK citizens, who have little or no understanding of a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary sovereignty means.

Without a having a constitution codified into a single document like the US Constitution, it's probably difficult to conduct legal research on the royal prerogative, the role of the prime minister, and the constitutional conventions that require the monarch to seek advice of the government.

[generalsmite]

As an American who enjoys Republican democracy, I must say it’s weird to hear that people are surprised or unaware the monarch has powers or exemptions. Like the president gets some privileges many of which are just tradition and he is just a citizen. It would be really weird if the British monarchy that has been in power for hundreds of years was treated like everyone else

[pietrocasablanca]

Just saying that in many Presidential republics, the President enjoys numerous immunities which borderline kingly powers (such as immunity from prosecution during office, right to refuse to sign bills, right to appoint heads of government outside of Parliement etc.). When you look at it comparatively, it looks less sensational

[michaelhurley]

I live in USA where we're ruled by billionaires and big corporations. Not much different 😒

[martingrey]

Thier true wealth is hidden in trusts.

[unofficial_ai]

I never realized the U.K. didn’t have a written constitution like over here in the U.S.

[Iazzaboyce]

I was surprised to see the level of genuine grief when Queen Elizabeth died - I think we were all surprised by how much the nation values our monarchy.

[jacquesmostert]

Real power is when one chooses not to use the power one has.

[rockboyznative]

The British monarch used to own 1/3 of the land in the world not sure where they stand now but they ARE in fact still a powerhouse

[danielwallace]

They can’t vet all laws, just the ones that affect their interests.

[saulgoodman]

The powers you said are “unlikely to be used” are used all the time - the Monarch picks every prime minister, it is just that they act on the advice of the Government

[shahad_alsayed]

My lecturer said that the queen would say "..my government.." before handed me a journal to review. Now that I find it true. Thank you for sharing the video. Rest In Peace Queen Elizabeth II

[kw]

Wow, this was really informative, and I'd love to see more on this topic!