Queen in Parliament

Limits began to be placed on the powers of the monarch as far back as 1215 when the barons forced King John to recog­nise in the Magna Carta that they had certain rights. The consti­tutional monarchy we know today developed in the 18th and 19th centuries, as day-to-day power came to be exercised by Ministers in Cabinet, deriving their authority from Parliaments elected from a steadily widening electorate.

" Queen in Parliament" is the formal title of the British legisla­ture, which consists of the Sovereign, the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The Commons, a majority of whom normally support the government of the day, has the dominant po­litical power.

As constitutional monarch, the Sovereign is required, on the ad­vice of Ministers, to assent to all Bills. The Royal Assent (that is, consenting to a measure becom­ing law) has not been refused since 1707. The role of the Sovereign in the enactment of legislation is to­day purely formal, although The Queen has the right to be consult­ed, to encourage and to warn.

The Queen in Parliament is most clearly demonstrated in the State Opening of Parliament, when The Queen opens Parliament in per­son, and addresses both Houses in The Queen's Speech. This speech, drafted by the Government and not by The Queen, outlines the Government's policy for the coming session of Parliament and indicates forthcoming legisla­tion. Each session, therefore, begins with The Queen's Speech, and the Houses cannot start their public business until the Speech has been read.