The British monarch, Queen Elizabeth II (b. 1926), can trace her lineage back to the ninth century. As such, the monarch serves to personify the British state and its history. Government is carried on in the name of the Queen, the "Queen in Parliament" is considered the source of all sovereign political power, and the Queen represents the dignified elements of the British constitution that are symbolic, ceremonial, and above partisan politics. The British monarch is hereditary, which means only the monarch's heirs can become monarchs in the future.
The Norman conquest of England in 1066 established the English monarchy that would ultimately rule over all of Britain and Ireland. For approximately six hundred years the English monarchy consolidated its power over England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland and evolved into a powerful office with almost absolute power. Limits on monarchical power were evident, such as the Magna Carta of 1215, but in general the monarch's rule was unlimited, and the English political system was in no sense a constitutional monarchy.
The monarch's grasp on all political power began to fade in the seventeenth century, however, as the English parliament began to challenge the throne for political supremacy.
This is a free page. This page contains 193 words. This
article contains 2,969 words (approx. 10 pages at 300
words per page).
Read the rest of this Article with our Constitutional Monarchy Access Pass.
