# Question on BRexit and the Queen
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-on-brexit-and-the-queen/758343
**Category:** Great Debates
**Created:** [June 25, 2016, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-on-brexit-and-the-queen/758343 "2016-06-25T19:47:04Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2016, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-on-brexit-and-the-queen/758343/21 "2016-07-01T01:45:38Z")
> [@UDS](#):
>
> And that was done on the advice of her Ministers, given in the light of late-breaking political developments. I don’t know when a British monarch last refused assent to a Bill favoured by both Parliament and ministers because the monarch _personally_ thought it was a bad idea.
Refusal of assent was really rarely necessary. British monarchs still tended to wield real power up through George III, they just didn’t wield it with a heavy club after Charles I’s unfortunate end. It usually wasn’t necessary to withhold assent because up until the late 18th century the Prime Minister had to have the legitimate support of _Parliament and the monarch_. Today the monarch invites the PM to form a government in her name. In the past, that asking was not compulsory–legally, politically, culturally or etc. It’d be a constitutional crisis if QEII didn’t ask the next person to attain a majority in Parliament to form a government, but 200+ years ago it was common for the monarch to do just that. During George III’s reign he had several Prime Ministers who lost support in the commons. And he was recalcitrant when the proposed replacements were personally objectionable to them. In the case of Lord North he actually bullied him to remain on as PM even when he lacked ability in Parliament to get many bills through (a situation that would result in resignation today for the PM.) When the monarch has more direct control over the Prime Minister, withholding royal assent just isn’t necessary.
George I/II/III weren’t _all that active_ as monarchs, and Britain was “mostly” a democratic-leaning constitutional monarchy in their reigns. But the monarch still had some legitimate political power, it was only a couple generations later when they had virtually none, and then a few generations later they were actually expected to have no involvement in politics at all.
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### Author:  [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2016, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-on-brexit-and-the-queen/758343/22 "2016-07-01T02:07:46Z")
> [@Frank](#):
>
> The exact relationship between both of them and the UK is horrible confusing, and I’m not certain that the Queen has any better a grip on it than the rest of us do.
[This guy](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNu8XDBSn10) explains it pretty well.
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### Author:  [@Commodore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Commodore)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2016, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-on-brexit-and-the-queen/758343/23 "2016-07-01T02:26:47Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#):
>
> …for Scotland, or for England?
For Scotland as it’s solvency is dependant on subsidies of the British and the EU will not want dead wood.
The thing is the UK does not need to rely on the EU as it does not need them lot interfering any road.
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### Author:  [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2016, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-on-brexit-and-the-queen/758343/24 "2016-07-01T02:58:03Z")
> [@Martin\_Hyde](#):
>
> In theory at one point in time the Lord of Man could act as a tyrant.
Or at least as a real Atholl.
> [@Martin\_Hyde](#):
>
> The Isle of Man is a relict in many ways, it’s the last “remnant” Viking kingdom in the British Isles, and its culture and laws were never really intertwined with that of Great Britain’s.
I appreciate the history and legal discussion. I’ve heard of the Isle of Man, if only for those cats, but I didn’t really have am idea of its separate status.
Now perhaps you could explain the lovely little Isle of Sodor, and why it has so much railway traffic. 🙂
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### Author:  [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2016, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-on-brexit-and-the-queen/758343/25 "2016-07-01T07:48:06Z")
> [@Frank](#):
>
> The exact relationship between both of them and the UK is horrible confusing, and I’m not certain that the Queen has any better a grip on it than the rest of us do.
She has people to do that for her. They’re called the government.
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