On His Majesty’s Service How the King Preserves the British Constitution by Julian Francis Godolphin COMING 6 MAY

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6 May 2025

It is an accepted political truism that the King reigns but does not rule.

So well established is this belief that the monarchy is too often described as a mere ornament of the constitution; dignified but not efficient. The reality, however, is very different. The King is the repository of a unique set of powers which enable him to be the defender of our constitutional system, a duty he performs not through the active use of power but by constitutional authority. The mere threat of action by the King is often all that is needed to ensure the smooth running of the political machine.

By focusing on the King’s powers to appoint and dismiss a Prime Minister, grant a dissolution of Parliament and refuse assent to legislation, On His Majesty’s Service highlights how past monarchs have ensured the smooth running of the state and avoided constitutional crisis in this country and other Commonwealth realms in their role as the guardian of our constitutional system.

These are the King’s prerogative powers, and this is their story.