Monarchy, the constitution & Parliament | Queen Elizabeth II Parliamentary Affairs special collection

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Parliamentary Affairs special collection: Monarchy, the constitution and Parliament

The Queen's Speech delivered by the then Prince of Wales during the May 2022 State Opening of Parliament. ©UK House of Lords

Monarchy and its constitutional role in the UK's parliamentary democracy has been the theme of a number of articles in our journal, Parliamentary Affairs, throughout the reign of Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. This special online collection from the archives draws together some of these articles, dating back to Her late Majesty's accession in 1952.

Articles

The Queen in Parliament

Sir Albert Napier (1953)

The British Constitution in 1953

Wilfrid Harrison (1953)

The Crown and Parliament

Graeme C. Moodie (1956)

The Monarchy and the Constitution

Vernon Bogdanor (1996)

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The Queen in Parliament

Sir Albert Napier (1953) | Download PDF

As Permanent Secretary to the Lord Chancellor's Department – now the Ministry of Justice – and Clerk of the Crown in Chancery for the decade preceding Queen Elizabeth II's coronation, Sir Albert had a unique perspective on the relationship between the Palace, Government and Parliament. Here, the former barrister navigates the intricate procedures, ceremonies and issues leading up to and surrounding Elizabeth II's inaugural parliamentary session, including Prorogation, the State Opening and the role of the Privy Council.

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The British Constitution in 1953

Wilfrid Harrison (1953) | Download PDF

The passing of the Independence of India Act in 1947 – just five years before the Accession of Queen Elizabeth II – preceded a period of significant constitutional change for Britain. In this article, Wilfrid Harrison explores how these changes developed in the years leading up to and throughout the 1953 coronation year, and the effect they had on the Coronation Service itself. Wilfrid Harrison was Professor of Politics at Warwick University and founder of the University's Politics Department.

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The Crown and Parliament

Graeme C. Moodie (1956) | Download PDF

"[T]he monarchy does not govern, but must subordinate itself, in its public political activities, to those who do", writes Graeme Moodie in this article on the evolution of the relationship between Parliament and the Crown, published shortly after the Suez Crisis in 1956. Developments around the subsequent resignation of Prime Minister Anthony Eden, Moodie explains, illustrate one of the "dangers" a monarch can face when tasked with appointing a new Prime Minister in the absence of an established alternative. Graeme Moodie was Professor and founding Head of the Politics Department at the University of York.

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The Monarchy and the Constitution

Vernon Bogdanor (1996) | Download PDF

Covering the cornerstones in British constitutional history – from William the Conqueror, through the signing of Magna Carta and the 1688 Revolution, up until the reported 1986 disagreements between the Palace and the Government over the latter's policy on apartheid – Professor Bogdanor analyses the development of the monarchy alongside parliamentary democracy, explaining how the relationship has shaped our modern system of government. Vernon Bogdanor is currently a Research Professor at the Centre for British Politics and Government at King's College London.

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About Parliamentary Affairs

Parliamentary Affairs is the quarterly journal of the Hansard Society, published by Oxford University Press, and covers all aspects of representation and politics connected to parliaments and legislatures in the UK and around the world.

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Latest / Highlights

News / Parliament Matters Bulletin: What’s coming up in Parliament this week? 2-6 March 2026

The newly elected Green MP, Hannah Spencer, will be introduced to the House of Commons. A Ministerial Statement is expected on the situation in Iran, while the Foreign Secretary faces MPs’ questions. Chancellor Rachel Reeves will deliver her Spring Statement, and MPs will consider billions of pounds in revised departmental spending through the Supplementary Estimates. The Commons will debate the Representation of the People Bill, the contribution of Commonwealth troops in the First World War, and the future of palliative care. In the Lords, Peers will scrutinise the Crime and Policing, Tobacco and Vapes, National Insurance Contributions, and English Devolution bills, as well as debate the India trade deal and International Women’s Day. Select committees will hear from Northern Ireland, Home Office and Cabinet Office ministers, military experts on the Armed Forces Bill, and Bank of England officials.

News / Mandelson, Andrew and Epstein: Should there be parliamentary committee of inquiry? A conversation with Tom Tugendhat MP - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 133

After the Greens’ Gorton and Denton by-election win, we assess the fallout: pressure on the Prime Minister, possible party-switching, shifting alliances, and whether mainstream parties’ sub-30% vote share could revive electoral reform. Tom Tugendhat MP calls for a parliamentary “super-committee” to probe the Mandelson–Mountbatten-Windsor saga. Plus: Speaker drama over Mandelson’s arrest, and looming battles over the Spring Statement and billions in public spending. Listen and subscribe: Apple Podcasts · Spotify · Acast · YouTube · Other apps · RSS

News / The forgotten pioneer: Who was Margaret Bondfield, Britain’s first female Cabinet Minister? - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 132

Why is Britain’s first female Cabinet Minister largely forgotten? Historian Nan Sloane discusses her new biography of Margaret Bondfield, the trade unionist who became the first woman in the British Cabinet. Rising from harsh shop-floor conditions to national prominence, Bondfield took office as Minister of Labour in 1929 at the onset of the Great Depression. As economic crisis split the Labour Party, her reputation never recovered. Was she a pioneer, pragmatist, or unfairly judged? Listen and subscribe: Apple Podcasts · Spotify · Acast · YouTube · Other apps · RSS

News / What happens when you lose the party whip? A conversation with Neil Duncan-Jordan MP - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 131

Labour MP Neil Duncan-Jordan reflects on rebelling against the whip and calling for Keir Starmer to resign, as we assess the fallout from the Mandelson–Epstein affair and its implications for the Government’s legislative programme and House of Lords reform. We examine Gordon Brown’s sweeping standards proposals, question whether they would restore public trust, revisit tensions over the assisted dying bill in the Lord and discuss two key Procedure Committee reports on Commons debates and internal elections. Listen and subscribe: Apple Podcasts · Spotify · Acast · YouTube · Other apps · RSS

Blog / Once again, there is still no alternative: the costed proposals for Restoration and Renewal of the Palace of Westminster

The Restoration and Renewal Client Board’s latest report once again confirms what Parliament has known for nearly a decade: the cheapest, quickest and safest way to restore the Palace of Westminster is for MPs and Peers to move out during the works. The “full decant” option was endorsed in 2018 and reaffirmed repeatedly since. Remaining in the building could more than double costs, extend works into the 2080s, and increase risks to safety, accessibility and security. With the Palace already deteriorating and millions spent each year on patchwork repairs, further delay would itself be an expensive course of action, one that defers decisions without offering a viable alternative.

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