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| Whitehall reveals the extent of Queen Elizabeth II's influence in the government |
We now know that Queen Elizabeth II is not just a mere figurehead
and symbol of everything that Britain stands for. Her duties are actually more
than the “pomp and circumstances” ceremonies that we see all the time. She actually
exercises the so-called Royal Prerogative over sensitive issues in the past
years. Whitehall documents can reveal that at least “9 bills have been subject
to Royal approval, with the senior royals using their power to consent or block
new laws in areas such as higher education, paternity pay and child
maintenance,” reports Telegraph
online.
It was revealed that the Queen had vetoed the 1999 Military
Actions Against Iraq Bill, which aimed to transfer the power to authorize to
bomb Iraq from the sovereign to Parliament. The Queen’s consent was also sought
when the Civil Partnership Act was passed in 2004.
Meanwhile, Prince Charles vetoed more than 12 government
bills over a variety of issues, particularly gambling and the Olympics.
Whitehall was forced to reveal the extent of the senior
royals’ capacity to consent or veto bills after a court ruling ordered to do
so. It was also revealed a bill has to be revised in the event that Her Majesty
refused to give her consent. This only means that the two senior royals are
actual active participant in the “democratic process,” although Andrew George, Liberal
Democratic MP for St. Ives said that this should be done with “greater
transparency” to assess whether their powers are appropriate.
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