NEW REPORT: The British Monarchy

Ahead of King Charles III’s coronation, the Constitution Unit has collaborated with UK in a Changing Europe, to release a major new report on the monarchy. This is the latest in a series of Unit reports on the monarchy (further details below).

The report, The British Monarchy, explains what the institution does and how it does it, and places the monarchy in its wider historical and comparative context. This indispensable guide ahead of the coronation, features contributions from a dozen leading experts delving into a broad range of issues and topics.

Professor Robert Hazell (UCL Constitution Unit), editor of the report, said: “The monarchy is a source of endless fascination for the public and the media; but also subject to countless myths and misunderstandings. I was honoured to co-edit this report, in which 16 experts explode the myths and explore the paradoxes of modern monarchy.”

The report includes chapters on the significance of the coronation, the King’s constitutional and political roles, the ceremony’s religious significance, the funding of the Royal Family, the relationship between the media and the monarchy, public opinion, and the future of the British monarchy.

The report is released just days ahead of the coronation of King Charles III, the fortieth monarch to be crowned in Westminster Abbey since 1066. Given the high levels of interest in the monarchy since the death of Elizabeth II, the report will help to explain the role of the modern monarchy and its place in the UK’s constitutional system.

Read the report

On the blog:

• Fourteen things you might want to know about the coronation
• What role should the monarch have in a constitutional crisis?

Further reports and resources on the monarchy

• The British Monarchy (April 2023)
• Future Challenges for the Monarchy (Dec 2022)
• The Coronation of Charles III (Nov 2022)
• Swearing in the new King (Nov 2022)
• UCL Constitution Unit resources on the Monarchy
• UK in a Changing Europe