# So what if William's first child has some kind of mental disability? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 22, 2013, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-if-williams-first-child-has-some-kind-of-mental-disability/664240 "2013-07-22T19:45:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2013, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-if-williams-first-child-has-some-kind-of-mental-disability/664240/81 "2013-07-26T02:14:35Z")
> [@Malden\_Capell](#): > > …In practice though, that power [of royal veto], while still intact, hasn’t been used in three centuries. Three hundred and five years, to be precise: [Scottish Militia Bill - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_Militia_Bill_1708) > [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > No, the Queen has no power to dismiss judges. Prior to the Glorious Revolution of 1688, the monarch could dismiss judges, just like any other royal appointee, using the royal prerogative. The Stuarts abused this power, to get court decisions in their favour, which contributed to the Revolution. > > One of the constitutional principles established by the Revolution was that the royal prerogative is subordinate to laws passed by Parliament, which can limit the scope of the prerogative… As late as 1776, however, some British colonials complained about royal interference with the courts: _He [George III] has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers. He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries… For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us: For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States…_ > [@Claverhouse](#): > > Or we could just reduce parliament to a couple of robots who would debate each other all day and have no powers. I can see it now: _I, Robot II: Westminster Boogaloo_. > [@aNewLeaf](#): > > …Primary function of the monarchy is as a defense against the tyranny of democracy… Yes, in a terrible and unlikely crisis. The noted British political theorist Walter Bagehot famously wrote, however, that the British monarch just has the right to be consulted, the right to encourage, and the right to warn. For a great book on the British monarchy today, including an interesting discussion of the considerable political usefulness of the Crown in a modern democracy, see: [Amazon.com](http://www.amazon.com/A-Year-Queen-Robert-Hardman/dp/B006G83GM4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1374804711&sr=8-1&keywords=year+with+the+queen) ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2013, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-if-williams-first-child-has-some-kind-of-mental-disability/664240/82 "2013-07-26T06:08:58Z")
[QUOTE=Elendil’s Heir] As late as 1776, however, some British colonials complained about royal interference with the courts: _He [George III] has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers. He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries… For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us: For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States…_ [/QUOTE] The _Act of Settlement_ only applied in England and Wales, not to courts overseas in the colonies. The Royal Prerogative could run rampant in British North America. 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-if-williams-first-child-has-some-kind-of-mental-disability/664240.md?page=4)