Walter Bagehot once wrote: “The nation is divided into parties, but the Crown is of no party.”
In the United Kingdom, the sovereign maintains a politically neutral position. King Charles III is the head of state of the United Kingdom and 14 other realms of the Commonwealth of Nations. The King is also the Head of the British Armed Forces, Supreme Governor of the Church of England, and Head of the Commonwealth. Most monarchies in Europe, with the notable exceptions of Monaco and Liechtenstein, are constitutional monarchies that delegate executive, judicial, and legislative powers to their country’s governments.
The monarchy in the U.K. is a hereditary constitutional monarchy with little direct involvement with day-to-day governmental affairs. The executive authority of the government is derived from the sovereign. As such, the government is officially called His Majesty’s government, and official government policy is delegated to government ministers and representatives.
The same is true for the legislative process, which is carried out by Parliament rather than the King. The King reigns but does not govern. Instead, the monarch appoints the Prime Minister though the monarch does not have control or input in the election process. While he technically holds certain reserve powers, also known as prerogative powers, the little political power vested in the monarch has been further restricted in recent years.
The concept of delegating executive authority also applies to the Church of England. While King Charles is officially the Anglican Church’s Supreme Governor, the role is mainly ceremonial. The King is the Commander of Britain’s Armed Forces, but he has no day-to-day operational authority or command over the U.K.’s military forces or operations.
In addition, King Charles is theoretically the Fount of Honour of the United Kingdom and bestows various orders of knighthoods to British and Commonwealth individuals recognised for their service to the U.K. Most honours are given on the advice of His Majesty’s government.
Internationally, the monarch and members of the Royal Family undertake a wide array of official duties on behalf of the British government to advance British interests at home and abroad, such as receiving foreign dignitaries in the U.K. on official visits.
However, the Head of the Commonwealth is not a hereditary position, and the monarch is not guaranteed to get the responsibility.
At the 2018 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, the Commonwealth leaders selected the then Prince of Wales as the next Head of the Commonwealth. The role has no term limits, and King Charles automatically became Head of the Commonwealth after the death of Elizabeth II.
