Royal prerogative

Formal powers of the monarch within the executive process of politics in the UK. These powers are part of common law.

Since Great Britain has a constitutional monarchy, the work that is done by the monarchs in politics is rather symbolic: the work of the monarchs within the remit of the royal prerogative is on behalf of the ministers. [1]

In theory, the monarch has the right to e.g. grant pardons; actually this power is exercised by the Home Secretary/Prime Minister in reality in their own right or through the advice they provide the Queen which she is bound constitutionally to follow. [2]

Sources

• http://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons/lib/research/briefings/snpc-03861.pdf
• Ministry of Justice, The Governance of Britain – Review of the Executive Royal Prerogative Powers: Final Report, October 2009, paras 26-28