The role of the queen in British politics is supposed to be a studied neutrality. According to convention, she does not vote in elections and also does not make statements that can be considered party politics. As head of state, she performs the ceremonial opening of parliament as well as other symbolic roles, but at least she plays 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 tell Anushka Asthana on a paper route showing how more than 1,000 laws were enacted by the Queen or Prince Charles through a secret procedure before being approved by parliament. These laws include everything from social security, pensions, race relations and food policies to unclear rules for parking levies and gliders. But it also contains draft laws that have affected the Queen’s personal property, such as her private estate in Balmoral and Sandringham – and everything related to the nature of her wealth, which is estimated at hundreds of millions of pounds.
The mysterious process of “Queen’s consent” has no formal basis in law, but still exists today as a parliamentary convention. And revelations about the extent of its use have left constitutional experts urgently in favor of reform.
Buckingham Palace said Queen’s permission had never been refused on the advice of ministers. “Whether Queen’s permission is required is decided by parliament, independent of the royal household, in matters that will affect crown interests, including the king’s personal property and personal interests,” a palace spokesman said.
Illustration: Guardian Design
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