The Queen has granted Royal Assent to Boris Johnson’s Brexit Deal.
The Brexit legislation, which was finally agreed on Christmas Eve after many years of negotiating with the EU, was rushed through Parliament on Wednesday.
A transition period between the UK and EU ends at 11pm on 31st December 2020, meaning if the legislation wasn’t passed, the country would have left the Union without a deal.
Both the House of Commons and the House of Lords passed the bill, with the legislation arriving at Windsor Castle for The Queen to approve shortly after midnight.
Royal Assent is required to make legislation in the United Kingdom, and The Queen has the power to make and repeal laws.
Laws usually originate from the Houses of Parliament, either the Commons or the Lords, and experience a lengthy process of debate and review.
Once the legislation has been passed by both houses of Parliament, it is then sent to The Queen in Her daily red boxes of state papers.
There can be a slight delay here as Her Majesty has a great deal of papers to work through. It remains the case, however, that no bill can become law without The Queen’s approval.
