White Beard
Active member
Excellent question!How much power does the Monarchy truly wield? I don't follow British politics too much (I do love the shouting in the House of Commons though!) But aren't they more or less just figure heads, not really delving into "ruling" too much?
My understanding may be off, so I’m open to correction, but as I understand it, the British system works because of an agreement between The Crown (the monarch of the moment) and parliament, in which the monarch agrees not to exert (some) royal rights and privileges in some areas, and in return, parliament sees to the operation and defense and maintenance of Great Britain, and to the keeping of the royal household.
Which is to say, I believe that Elizabeth is not simply a toothless figurehead; I believe that she keeps strictly to the agreement, because breaking it would be a direct challenge to the authority of Parliament, and lead to chaos, which is frequently bloody.