The Parliament serves the Crown. The Crown is the sovereign Law that governs the United Kingdom. The symbol of that Crown, aka the Law, is the Monarch.
The Monarch is subject to the law, but also represents the law. So Parliament reporting to the Monarch is part of the Parliament reporting to the representative of the Crown.
This (I think) is something that so many people simply ignore or are ignorant of. What is the position of the Monarch under British Law? What is the position of the parliament?
The Parliament is (under law) meant to represent the People. All are subject to the Law, aka the Crown: the monarch, the parliament, the people.
(Putting aside the issue of corruption - pretty much ALL governance systems have been infiltrated and corrupted):
The monarch and their immediate family undertake various official, ceremonial, diplomatic and representational duties. The monarchy is constitutional, meaning that, although formally the monarch still has authority over the government—which is known as "His/Her Majesty's Government"— this power may only be used according to laws enacted in Parliament and within constraints of convention and precedent.
Note that the British common law became the foundation for the US constitution (which codifies common law). The very reason that the United States was formed and how they justified the revolution was that the British monarch was acting "unlawfully".
How much goes on behind the scenes, and what levels of power and wealth the Monarch actually wields, that may well be debatable. But from the viewpoint of law, they too are bound by law, and in the British system, only Parliament (representatives of the people, supposedly) can make statues and laws.
Er, wrong.
The Parliament serves the Crown. The Crown is the sovereign Law that governs the United Kingdom. The symbol of that Crown, aka the Law, is the Monarch.
The Monarch is subject to the law, but also represents the law. So Parliament reporting to the Monarch is part of the Parliament reporting to the representative of the Crown.
This (I think) is something that so many people simply ignore or are ignorant of. What is the position of the Monarch under British Law? What is the position of the parliament?
The Parliament is (under law) meant to represent the People. All are subject to the Law, aka the Crown: the monarch, the parliament, the people.
(Putting aside the issue of corruption - pretty much ALL governance systems have been infiltrated and corrupted):
Note that the British common law became the foundation for the US constitution (which codifies common law). The very reason that the United States was formed and how they justified the revolution was that the British monarch was acting "unlawfully".
How much goes on behind the scenes, and what levels of power and wealth the Monarch actually wields, that may well be debatable. But from the viewpoint of law, they too are bound by law, and in the British system, only Parliament (representatives of the people, supposedly) can make statues and laws.