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.
Sir Albert Napier (1953)
Wilfrid Harrison (1953)
Graeme C. Moodie (1956)
Vernon Bogdanor (1996)
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
In a powerful Churchill Attlee Lecture commemorating the Hansard Society's 80th anniversary, former Prime Minister Theresa May delivered a stark warning about the state of democracy. She expressed grave concerns about the waning trust in democratic institutions, particularly among young people.
To mark the Hansard Society’s 80th anniversary, we have launched the Churchill-Attlee Democracy Lecture in honour of our first members, Winston Churchill and Clement Attlee. The inaugural lecture was given by former Prime Minister the Rt Hon Theresa May MP. All proceeds from ticket sales go to our 80th Anniversary Appeal. Date & location: Tuesday 14 May 2024, 7:00-8:30pm Westminster £10 tickets are now available for an online recording of the event.
Following the local election results, are we now in zombie Parliament territory? With no immediate general election in sight what can be achieved in Westminster before MPs finally make their rendezvous with the voters? We talk to Professor Tim Bale about defeat, defections and the internal dynamics of the Conservative Party.
Should Parliament simply overturn the convictions of postmasters caught up in the Post Office Horizon scandal? That’s what the Government proposes to do through the Post Office (Horizon system) Offences Bill. But quashing of convictions is normally a matter for the courts. Some MPs have misgivings about setting a constitutional precedent as well as practical concerns about how the Bill will be implemented. We talk to the Chair of the Justice Select Committee, Sir Bob Neill MP.
The emerging role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in shaping political discourse is a potential game changer. It has the capacity to fabricate fake interviews and manipulate images, all of which could mislead voters and disrupt the democratic process. But could it affect the results of our elections? We talk to Chris Morris, the head of factchecking organisation, Full Fact, about the threats posed by these technologies, the potential scale of misinformation in politics, and the measures politicians and political parties need to take to counteract them.
