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The Constitution Unit

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Monarchy, Church and State

The King and Queen reading the King's Speech.
Some of the Constitution Unit's most recent research has sought to inform public debate about the constitutional and political role of the monarchy, the prerogative powers and the relationship between the monarchy, church and state.

Our work in this field began with looking at the implications of disestablishment. This was followed by projects looking at the role and future of the monarchy, the accession and coronation oaths and a comparative study of the eight parliamentary monarchies in Europe. A further project looked at reforming the prerogative. The Unit often publishes blog posts about the monarchy and has also published a list of frequently asked questions.

The Constitution Unit’s work on monarchy, church and state is led by Professor Robert Hazell and Dr Bob Morris.
 

British monarchy FAQs

Regency Acts FAQs

Research

Charles 3000x1300

Future of the Monarchy

A project looking at future challenges for the British monarchy, resulting in reports published in 2016, 2022 and 2023.

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Accession and Coronation

A project examining the accession and coronation of the British monarch, including how the oaths might be revised and updated, as well as planning for the next coronation. 

palacio real madrid

Monarchies in Europe

In March 2019, the Constitution Unit held a conference to discuss the role of the monarchy in a parliamentary democracy with representatives from across Europe. The subsequent papers were edited into a book, The Role of Monarchy in Modern Democracy.

The King in the House of Lords.

Prerogative Powers

Professor Hazell was part of a SSHRC-funded research project comparing how the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand are seeking to regulate prerogative powers. His main output was Executive Power: The Prerogative, Past, Present and Future.