Political Science

Question No: 2
The crown
Definition:
Crown is the corporation sole that represents the legal embodiment of legislative, executive or judicial
governance
In absence of monarchy, crown may express as the state or the people.
Crown is the symbol of all the executive authority. It includes all the powers of executive, legislative
and judiciary. These powers were exercised by the monarch. Later on, with the rise of parliament and
the shift of powers from the monarch, parliament exercises all the powers of crown. Now, monarchy has
become a part of crown.
Crown consists of the following:
Crown

Monarchy

Cabinet

Parliament

The Monarchy:
Monarchy is the one system of government where power is exercised for the good of all
(Aristotle)
If a nation does not want a monarchy, change the nations mind. If a nation does not need a
monarchy, change the nations needs
(Jan Christian Smuts)

Monarchy is the oldest secular institution of England that dates back at least to ninth century.
During the Anglo-Saxons and Norman times, the powers of crown were practically conferred by
the monarch.
King had a court which advised him in various matters of governance. It exercised various
functions on the behalf of monarch.
Those institutions now exercise powers independent of the control of monarch but they are still
an instrument of the monarch.
Courts are Her majestys courts and the government is Her majestys government.
Parliament is summoned and discontinued without dissolving by the royal decree.

Civil servants are crown appointees.

Many exclusive powers are exercised in the name of monarch at present.
Monarchy has retained a claim to be a representative institution in one particular definition of
the term.

The concept of Representation:

The concept of representation permits at least four separate usages:
1- On Behalf of someone:
It may denote acting on behalf of some individual or group, seeking to defend and promote the
interest of the person or persons represented.

2- Freely elected persons or assemblies:

It may denote persons or assemblies that have been freely elected. Although it is not always
the case that the elected persons will act to defend and pursue the interests of electors, they
will normally b expected to do so.

3- Signify a class:
It may be used to signify a person or persons typical of a particular class or group of persons. It is
used when opinion polls identify a representative sample.

4- Symbolic sense:
It may be used in symbolic sense. Individuals or objects may stand for something. e.g flag
represents the unity of the nation.

Elections:
The claim to speak on the behalf of people could not be sustained unless those individuals had
signified their agreement. They had to claim their powers. The way to signify that agreement
was through ballot box. The challenge proved increasingly successful. By the end of 1880s the
majority of working men had the vote, By the Acts of 1918 and 1928 vote was given to women.

House of Commons and House of Lords:

The extension of the authorization of elections in eighteenth and nineteenth centuries meant
that the House of Commons can claim to be a representative house under first and second
definition of the term.
The unelected house the House of Lords could not make such a claim.
Monarch could also not claim to be the public representative; the claim derives solely from the
fourth definition.

The strength of the monarch as symbol has been earned at the expense of exercising political
powers.

Being a symbol:

Monarch has to symbolize the unity of the nation.

He has to stand aloof from any public controversy.
Stand aloof from partisan fray. (supporting relations with any party)

Development of Monarchy
Origin:
The present monarch can trace its origin from the king Egbert who united England under his rule in 829
A. D.

Break in Monarchy:
Only once has the continuity of the monarchy has been broken from 1642 when Charles 1 was deposed
during English civil war.

Restoration of Monarchy:
Monarchy was restored in 1660 when the son of king, Charles II was given the seat of monarch. Thus,
succession was restored.

Principle of Succession:
The principle of hereditary has been preserved since at least the eleventh century. The succession is
now governed by statute and common law, descending to the eldest son or in absence of a son, the
eldest daughter.

Agreement with Commonwealth Nations:

In 2012, the government announced that there was agreement with other commonwealth nations
where the monarch is the head of state that, in future, the first born child, regardless of sex, should
become monarch.
If monarch is under 18 years of age, a regent is appointed.

Monarch-No Absolute Power:

Although all the power was initially exercised by monarch, it was never an absolute power.

Coronation Oath:
In coronation oath the king promised to forbid all rapine and injustice to men all conditions. He was
expected to consult with the leading men of his realm.

Expansion of consultation:
The expectation that the king would consult the leading men gradually expanded, knights and burgesses
were summoned to assent on the behalf of local communities to the raising of more money to meet the
kings growing expenses.

Development of Parliament:
From the summoning of these local dignitaries to court there developed a parliament, the term
Parliament was first used in thirteenth century and two houses were emerged-the house of lords and
commons.

Dependence of King:
Formally, the kings parliament, the king depended on the institution for the grant of supply and
increasingly for assent to new laws. Parliament made the grant of supply dependent on the king
granting a redress of grievances.

Divine Right of Kings:

Charles I upheld the doctrine of the divine right of kings which says that:
The position and powers of the king are given by the God, and the position and privileges of parliament
therefore derive from the kings grace
Charles pursuit of this doctrine led to an attempt to rule without the assent of parliament and
ultimately to civil war and the beheading of king in 1649.
The period of republican government that followed the break was a failure and consequently shortlived. The monarchy was restored under Charles Is son Charles II, in 1660 only to produce a clash a few
years after.

James II:
Charles IIs brother, James II, adhered to the divine right of kings and to the Roman Catholic faith. Both,
Charles II and James II produced clash with the parliament and James attempted to rule by the royal
prerogative alone.

Second Civil War:

A second civil war was averted when James fled the country following the arrival of William of Orange
(James son in law) who has been invited by leading politicians and churchmen.
William and Mary (Jamess daughter) jointly assumed the throne. Offer of the crown had been
conditional on their acceptance of the declaration of right.

1689 Bill of Rights:

In this statute, the suspending of laws and levying of taxation without the approval of parliament was
declared to be illegal. William and Mary accepted this bill to save their prestige.
Shift of exercise of Power:
King became more and more dependent on the parliament with the passage of time. He became more
dependent on his ministers, both for the exercise of the executive duties. And in order to manage
parliament and business.

Queen Anne:
This dependence was all greater when Queen Anne died in 1714 without an heir and yet another
monarch was imported from the continent,

George-Elector of Hanover:
George I was not especially interested in politics and in any case did not speak English, so the task of
chairing cabinet, traditionally the Kings job, fell to the first Lord of treasury (At first, the prime Minister
was known as first lord who was also the lord of treasury). Robert Walpole became one of the most
important ministers of the king. HE became the first prime minister. Dying of Queen Anne without an
heir and George poor language skills facilitated the emergence of the office which is now the most
important one in British Politics.

Great Reform 1832:

This act introduces a uniform electoral system and subsequent reform acts further extended the
franchise.
The age of representative democracy, displacing the concept of virtual representation, had arrived. The
effect was to marginalize the monarch as the political actor. To win votes in the parliament, parties
quickly organized themselves into coherent and highly structured movements, and the leader of the
majority party following a general election became Prime Minister.
The choice of Prime minister was initially in hands of the monarch but in practice the selection came to
be made on a regular basis by the electorate.

Royal Intervention:
Queen Victoria was the last monarch who vetoed (tried to reject the legislation done by the parliament)
legislation, she also exercised personal preference in the choice of Prime Minister and was the last one
to do this.
Queen Anne was the last monarch who intervened in Legislation.
Later on House of Commons gave the vote of confidence of to the prime minister and monarch stayed
out of this procedure.
By the beginning of the twentieth century the monarch sat largely on the sidelines of the political
system, unable to control Parliament, unable to exercise a choice in appointment of ministers, unable to
exercise a choice in appointing judges. The extensive power once ecxercised by the king had now passed
largely to thr voter and to the politicians. People voted and prime minister exercised the powers who
were formerly vested in monarch. By controlling government prime minister was able to dominate the
executive side of government. Thus, Power shifted from the elected monarch to elected monarch,
who was the occupant of 10 Downing Street, not the Buckingham palace.

Predictable Actions of monarch:

Due to this shift of power, the actions of monarch became predictable; monarch gives her assent to the
bills passed by the parliament and summons the leader of the largest party following a general election
to form a government.
Now we can distinguish between the monarch and the crown
Crown
The executive authority that formally rests with the monarch but in practice, is
exercised in the name of monarch, by the parliament.
Monarch

He is the individual who is the head of state and performs particular functions.

This separation of the two is significant constitutionally and has major political consequences.

Contemporary Role OF Monarchy

Primary Task of the Monarch:
Two primary tasks of the monarch can be identified:

Representative Task

Symbolizing the unity and traditional standards of the nation.

Political Task

The second one is to fulfill certain political functions.

Weakness of monarch in being able to exercise the political task independently shows its strength and
authority in exercising the representative task. If monarch were to be involved in any activity regarding
support of a specific political party, it will weaken her claim to symbolize the unity of the nation.

Symbolic Role:
Several functions are performed by the monarch in the symbolic role.
Representative:
Monarch represents the country, within the country and abroad, as a head of state. She is the head of
state not the head of government, while Prime minister is the head of government.
In United States, the president is the head of state as well as the head of government. He is the
practicing politician.
Commonwealth Prime Ministers Conference:
In the commonwealth conference of prime ministers, queen is there as the head of state. She does not
participate in any sort of conversation. Only the prime minister does friendly or not friendly
conversation.
At home, Queen is the symbol of nation during opening of a hospital or a major public event. He role is
non-partisan (Not supporting anyone). She stands above the fray.
Practical Benefits from Queens non-partisan role:
Benefits

Political Benefits

Economic Benefits

Political benefits:
She has an unparalleled amount of experience of what its like to be at the top of government
(Tony Blair)
Due to the longevity of the institution of monarchy, Queen is wise and experienced. On the basis of her
neutrality, she informs prime minister her observations thus helping and assisting him in the state
affairs. She has a weekly meeting with the prime ministers, she is well informed.

I enjoyed my weekly audience with queen, not imply because of her experience but because she was
an extraordinarily shrewd and perceptive observer of the world
(Tony Blair)
Political benefit can also be seen in the international arena. Queen enjoys respect of the international
leaders. Margaret Thatcher used wisely this respect and influenced when the relations between the
British government and a number of commonwealth nations were somewhat bitter. Without her
influence, Britain would have been expelled from the commonwealth.
Economic Benefits:
Queens meetings are not only confined to the Prime Minister but she also meets the Chancellor of
Exchequer, a night before the budget has to be announced.
She knows over the years what works and what doesnt. Sometimes you go back and change a
bit of your speech
(Gordon Brown)
Queen and leading members of royal family are good for British trade.
At home, royal palaces are major tourist attractions. Buckingham palace attracts millions of tourists
every year. Queen and the royal family are a potent source of media and public interest abroad. Royal
visits are often geared to export promotions. Royal visit gathers such a crowd which cannot be gathered
otherwise.
Setting standards of Citizenship and family life: