Monarchy, Church and State
In March 2019 we held a conference to discuss the role of monarchy in a parliamentary democracy, with representatives from Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and the UK. The papers are being edited into a book The Role of Monarchy in Modern Democracy (Hart, 2020).
This project began by looking at the accession and coronation oaths, but broadened out into other aspects. We held two private seminars with groups of experts, and in May 2018 published two reports, one on the oaths, and the other on planning the Accession and Coronation.
To mark the Queen’s 90th birthday, we published a report in 2016 about the role and future of the Monarchy. We have also written a chapter in Constitutional Futures Revisited about the Reign of Charles III.
Our three year research project into Church and State explored the realities of establishment, and what would be involved if the Church of England were disestablished. It concluded that disestablishment will only happen if the Church wants it: the government is unlikely to make the first move.