Some of the Constitution Unit's 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 Constitution Unit often publishes blog posts about the monarchy and has also published two lists of frequently asked questions.
The Constitution Unit’s work on monarchy, church and state is led by Professor Robert Hazell.
Future of the Monarchy
A project looking at future challenges for the British monarchy, resulting in reports published in 2016, 2022 and 2023.
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, reporting in 2018 and 2022.
Prerogative Powers
A project comparing prerogative powers in the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The main output was Executive Power: The Prerogative, Past, Present and Future, published in 2022.
Monarchies in Europe
A project comparing eight monarchies across Europe, resulting in a book published in 2020.
Monarchy, Church and State archive
Access the archive of projects related to monarchy, church and state.
Read our British monarchy FAQs
Read our answers to frequently asked questions about the British monarchy.
Access the FAQsRead our Regency Acts FAQs
Read our answers to frequently asked questions about the Regency Acts.
Access the FAQsImage attribution: The State Opening of Parliament 2024 / The State Opening of Parliament 2024 by House of Lords/photography by Roger Harris (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0).