# Who in the British royal family can vote? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 16, 2010, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-in-the-british-royal-family-can-vote/564374 "2010-12-16T16:42:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Pierrot\_Le\_Fou](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f475e1/32.png) [@Pierrot\_Le\_Fou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pierrot_Le_Fou)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2010, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-in-the-british-royal-family-can-vote/564374/1 "2010-12-16T16:42:34Z")
I know the queen cannot. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2010, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-in-the-british-royal-family-can-vote/564374/2 "2010-12-16T16:58:05Z")
[Here is the official answer.](http://www.royal.gov.uk/MonarchUK/QueenandGovernment/Queenandvoting.aspx) Basically the Queen has told the family not to vote, even if they have a right to do so. ---
**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:** [December 16, 2010, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-in-the-british-royal-family-can-vote/564374/3 "2010-12-16T19:11:56Z")
Good link, thanks. There’s some dialogue in the movie _The Queen_ in which she idly remarks that she sometimes wishes she could vote, just to be part of the national community as it chose its leaders. Don’t know if those are actually the Queen’s views. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2010, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-in-the-british-royal-family-can-vote/564374/4 "2010-12-16T19:14:54Z")
It’s a little surprising. A person’s vote is secret. Even the fact that you did or did not vote is a private matter. The Royals certainly take neutrality seriously. The article seems clear that it is very unlikely to change anytime soon. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2010, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-in-the-british-royal-family-can-vote/564374/5 "2010-12-16T19:31:53Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > It’s a little surprising. A person’s vote is secret. Even the fact that you did or did not vote is a private matter. > > The Royals certainly take neutrality seriously. The article seems clear that it is very unlikely to change anytime soon. It’s not just neutrality: the sovereign is one of the three parts of Parliament, so she gets to vote every time a bill is passed by the other two parts and sent to her for her consent. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2010, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-in-the-british-royal-family-can-vote/564374/6 "2010-12-16T19:39:45Z")
> [@Mr.Moto](#): > > Basically the Queen has told the family not to vote, even if they have a right to do so. The phrase, “Don’t vote, it only encourages them,” comes to mind. Bit of a different sense here than the usual. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2010, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-in-the-british-royal-family-can-vote/564374/7 "2010-12-17T01:17:58Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Even the fact that you did or did not vote is a private matter. That’s certainly not true in most of the USA. I can buy (from the Secretary of State) lists of registered voters, including the last dozen or so elections they voted in, and even if they voted in person or absentee. These lists are used very heavily by political parties to identify likely voters for mailings & phone calls. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2010, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-in-the-british-royal-family-can-vote/564374/8 "2010-12-17T04:45:08Z")
Interesting. I didn’t know that a persons voting record was public knowledge. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2010, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-in-the-british-royal-family-can-vote/564374/9 "2010-12-17T04:50:17Z")
Who you voted for is secret. Whether you in fact voted is not.