How can the British Monarchy be abolished legally. Who has the power to do do. Can the people vote on it?

Question

How can the British Monarchy be abolished legally. Who has the power to do do. Can the people vote on it? How can people start such a process. Do they have to go thorugh courts or direct elections? Thanks for doing your research and posting your findings.

My simple question is, Do the people even have the power to abolish the British Monarchy. I have no vested interest. I'm just curious because, when politicians talk about freedom & democracy why do they have to put up with a monarchy. Thanks for some replies like "It doesn't hurt anyone to have a monarchy" or "It's been that way ever since" etc. The question is very simple, do the people have the power to abolish the monarchy. I would appreciate if someone with some legal background can answer it. Appreciated.

Answer 1

I think you have discovered somerthing important here.

This is exactly the reason that the American Founding Fathers left England, and fought The War of Independence. It ws the only way to get out from beneath the power of the monarchy.

If the citizens realised precisely what power the monarchy does weild, behind closed doors, then there would be far greater demands for abolition. The only way that I can see at present, would be to have a political party which included the abolition of the monarchy in its manifesto, then have that party win a general election, and then have new laws brought about to make the changes. That or complete anarchy.

But it needs to be done, and very soon.

Answer 2

While the people of Britain may not have the power to abolish the Monarchy the people of Scotland certainly do. If the Scottish Nationalist Party won an election they would not only be the party in power in the Scottish Parliament but would have a mandate to declare independence. Given the Scots people are less tolerant of the whole idea of being anyones' subject it would simply be a matter of time. This wouldn't be a problem for the legal system as it would in England as ours is and always has been different. The Scottish courts would carry out the wishes of a Scottish government.

Answer 3

It has been done before but it took a civil war in the 17th century.
The experiment did not last very long and the monarchists regained power.
The only way it can be abolished is for a political party to include such a policy in its election manifesto and to be elected by an overwhelming majority.
I don't think any of the present parties have the will or the courage to do this.
Part of the problem is that to become a Member of Parliament or to serve in the Armed Forces or the Police everybody has to swear a legally binding oath to support the monarchy much as the germans had to do with Adolf Hitler during the Nazi regime.
Even our national anthem is a hymn of praise to the monarch and does not mention the nation or the people.
This situation may change when Prince Charles takes the throne after the death of his mother; his popular support will be far less as he has shown himself to be a moral leper by marrying a woman just so that she can have children for him to ensure the line of succession.
It's interesting that British troops are dying in Iraq to ensure that the Iraqis have a more complete democracy than their own government is willing to provide for them

Answer 4

Essentially we would have to have an illegal citisens revolt against the Monarchy, the Royal Armed Forces and Her Majesty's Government.
The law is not designed to allow us to abolish the monarchy - indeed many of the most basic laws and legal traditions relly upon the presence of the monarch or their chosen representitive.
The only way would be a revolution and much lawlessness and looting all round.

Answer 5

That's a great Q! One I don't have the answer for however. Personally I feel they serve no real purpose other than living the good life without doing anything of any real merit. Being a figurehead hardly demands the style of life they lead. As far as I'm concerned the only royal of ANY merit was Princess Diana and she married into it. Personally, I don't feel the need to be associated with them, (I'm Canadian), and hardly want my hard earned tax dollars going to lavish trips to fly them down in private jets and stay in the very best of accomodations just to say a few words and wave to the crowd.

My personal hope is that after Queen Elizabeth passes, the monarchy will be abolished. Her idiot son, Charles hardly deserves the right and although his eldest son shows promise, I do beleive that the monarchy has lost it's place in the modern world.

Answer 6

I am not a legal person but id do it this way.over a time span of 4 to 5 years carry out a series of polls in different parts of the country and across the different sections of the population .argue your reasons why it should be abolished and the benifits gained by getting rid of the manarchy ,get these reactions and poll results published in the most poular papers etc .and then persuade the government to hold an referndum.thats how to do it the legal way id say

Answer 7

I don't think they can. Though they have no choice, the Queen must sign all the bills that were passed. They have no written Constitution!

The British monarch or Sovereign is the head of state of the United Kingdom and in the British overseas territories. The current British monarchy can trace its line back to the Anglo-Saxon period, but derives its most ancient pedigree by tracing its line through the Kings of Scots. During the ninth century, Wessex came to dominate other kingdoms in England, especially as a result of the extinction of rival lines in England during the First Viking Age, and during the tenth century England was consolidated into a single realm. The English and Scots crowns were united in the person of a single monarch in 1603 when James VI of Scots acceded to the throne of England. The kingdoms themselves were joined in the Act of Union, 1707, to form Great Britain.

The powers of the monarchy, known as the Royal Prerogative, are still very extensive. Most prerogative powers are exercised not by the monarch personally, but by ministers acting on his or her behalf; examples such as the power to regulate the civil service and the power to issue passports. Some major powers are exercised nominally by the monarch herself, acting on the advice of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, and according to constitutional convention. An example is the power to dissolve Parliament. According to a parliamentary report [1], "The Crown cannot invent new prerogative powers".

It has long been established in the uncodified Constitution of the United Kingdom that political power is ultimately exercised by the Parliament of the United Kingdom, of which the Sovereign is a non-partisan component, along with the House of Lords and the House of Commons, and by the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Thus, as the modern British monarchy is a constitutional one, the Sovereign's role is in practice limited to non-partisan functions (such as being the fount of honour). This role has been recognised since the nineteenth century; Walter Bagehot identified the monarchy as the "dignified part" rather than the "efficient part" of government in The English Constitution (1867). In practice, political power is exercised today through Parliament and by the Prime Minister and Cabinet. The Sovereign is the Supreme Governor of the established Church of England, but in practice the spiritual leadership of the Church is the responsibility of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

The present sovereign is Queen Elizabeth II, who has reigned since February 6, 1952. The Heir Apparent is her eldest son, Prince Charles, Prince of Wales and Duke of Rothesay. The Prince of Wales undertakes various public ceremonial functions, as does the Queen's husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. There are several other members of Royal Family besides those aforementioned, including the Queen's other children, grandchildren and cousins.

The British monarch is also Head of the Commonwealth, and the same person is also separately monarch of fifteen other Commonwealth Realms; each nation – including the UK – being sovereign and independent of the others.

Wilcopedia

Answer 8

There is no way under the present British constitutional system to do so, short of acquiescence by the reigning monarch. The monarch's powers have been much curtailed over the years, and Parliament basically runs the show. But the power to stay in power (such as it is) still belongs to the Queen.
P.S. -- I'm a Yank, and if any of you Brits think that I have botched this, feel free to weigh in.

Answer 9

It would be difficult, both technically and in terms of public support. I have no doubt that the Government would be able to achieve this if they wanted to - that is one of the benefits of an unwritten constitution.
It wouldn't have to involve the courts but could be done through and Act of Parliament - although you would have to solve the conundrum of how to get it passed when technically it needs Royal Assent to become law. So really, you would need the Monarch's approval. However,as they are not absolute monarchs, they would be very likely to bend to the will of the people if the institution ever became that unpopular.

Answer 10

Well the way it's going just wait a few years and the British Monarchy will be an Islamic dictatorship if they don't wake up.