Why the Constitutional Monarchy can be preserved in
Britain?
Everybody knows that the United Kingdom still keeps an old-fashioned
government established on the basis of constitutional monarchy. But why the
constitutional monarchy can be preserved in Britain?
What is constitutional monarchy?
Constitutional monarchy is a form of government in which a king or queen acts
as Head of State. In practice, the Sovereign reigns, but does not rule; the country is
governed, in the name of the Sovereign, but by His or Her Majesty’s Government—a
body of ministers who are the leading members of whichever political party the
electorate has voted into office, and who are responsible to Parliament. However, the
Sovereign retains an important political role as Head of State, formally appointing
prime ministers, approving certain legislation and bestowing honours.
The Sovereign governs according to the constitution .Part of the British
Constitution are written and some are not. The Constitution is made up of three main
parts: Statutory Law (the most important), Common Law (deduced from custom or
legal precedents), and Conventions (rules and practices which do not exist legally).
The History and background of the constitutional monarchy
The origins of constitutional monarchy in Britain go back a long way. Until the
end of the seventeenth century, British monarchs were an executive monarch, which
means that they had the right to make and pass legislation.
With the signing of the Magna Carta in 1215, for example, the leading noblemen
of England succeeded in forcing King John to accept that they and other freemen had
rights against the Crown. The Magna Carta is regarded as the foundation of the
British constitutionalism.
In the seventeenth century, the Stuart kings propagated the theory of the divine
right of kings, claiming that the Sovereign was subject only to God and not to the law.
Widespread unrest against their rule led to civil war in the second half of the
seventeenth century. In 1688-1689, Britain had the Glorious Revolution and
Parliamentarians drew up a Bill of Rights, which established basic tenets and limited
the power of the monarch .And in 1701, they drew up the Act of Settlement. The Glorious Revolution was complete, in which Parliament succeeded in establishing a
system known as constitutional monarchy.
The constitutional monarchy we know today developed in the eighteenth and
nineteenth centuries, as day-to-day power came to be exercised by Ministers in
Cabinet, and by Parliaments elected by a steadily-widening electorate.
Nowadays the monarchy in Britain is politically neutral and by convention the
role is largely ceremonial. No person may accept significant public office without
swearing an oath of allegiance to the Queen.
The importance of the constitutional monarchy in modern society
Although there are many criticisms of the Monarchy for the monarch’s
expensive cost or something else, many people still agree that the monarchy should be
exist.There are some arguments to prove the importance of the constitutional
monarchy.
The first point is that the monarchy sets standards of citizenship, family life and
general morality. The Royal family and the Queen can get more concern and respect
than prime minister, when they are involved in the activities and other organizations,
because of their special privileged.
The second thing is that it is used as a symbol of the unity of the national
community, continuity and tradition. The queen stays clearly at the focus of the
national pride or national expression, because she is always neutral. On the other hand,
in every year, there are many traditional ceremonies to attend for the monarchy,
without the attendance of monarchy, these traditions may be lost.
The next is that the monarchy is used to represent the continuity and adaptability
of the whole policy system. The Queen has the formal power to warn the government
and can have some effect on Parliament, for the Sovereign has three rights: "the right
to be consulted, the right to encourage, the right to warn".
The fourth point is that the existence of monarchy is good for tourism and the
domestic media and entertainment industries. It can bring nice benefit to the British
economic. With the reports and discussion of the monarchy, the media can have a
considerable income, such as with the Prince William’s marriage. In addition, many
tourists come to Britain and must go to watch the monarch’s life.
The final point is that the Queen’s long knowledge and experience is invaluable
to prime ministers. For more than 50 years, the Queen Elizabeth II has held similar
meetings with many prime minister.
