On His Majesty's Service : How the King Preserves the British Constitution

OnHis Majesty's Service examineshow past monarchs have avoided constitutional crisis and reveals the hiddenhand of the monarchy in the smooth running of the state, shattering theaccepted political truism that the king reigns but does not rule.

Thecommonly held belief that the king or queen is a mere ornament of the constitutioncould not be further from reality. The turbulent past decade has tested theBritish constitution like never before, and Brexit, the illegal proroguing ofParliament and the near death of Boris Johnson while in office have demonstratedthe often misunderstood but crucial role the sovereign plays in ensuringstability in our political system. Theking or queen holds a unique set of powers that enable them to act as thedefender of our constitution, a duty they perform not through the active use ofpower but by constitutional authority. The mere threat of action by thesovereign is often all that is needed to get the political machine back ontrack and avoid crisis. Takingus on a fascinating journey through centuries of British political history,focusing on the monarch's powers to appoint and dismiss a Prime Minister, granta dissolution of Parliament and refuse assent to legislation, On HisMajesty's Service examines how past monarchs have avoided constitutionalcrisis and reveals the hidden hand of the monarchy in the smooth running of thestate, shattering the accepted political truism that the king reigns but doesnot rule. Theseare the king's prerogative powers, and this is their story.