Royal and Parliamentary Titles Act 1927

Passed on April 12 1927, the Royal and Parliamentary Titles Act 1927 (17 Geo 5, c. 4) was an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom that formed a significant landmark in the constitutional history of the UK and British Empire as a whole. The Act had two consequences. The first was to change the full name of the United Kingdom (UK) to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the former United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, in recognition of the fact that the southern and western part of Ireland was governed by the Irish Free State which had seceded from the UK in 1922.

Related Topics:
April 12 - 1927 - Act of Parliament - United Kingdom - British Empire - United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland - Irish Free State - 1922

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A second function was to modify the King's title, proclaiming that George V was not king of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of the British Dominions but rather of Great Britain, Ireland and the British Dominions. The full title of the Act was An Act to provide for the alteration of the Royal Style and Titles and of the Style of Parliament and for purposes incidental thereto. This change was likely a product of an agreement at the Imperial Conference of 1926 changing the relationship between Britain and the dominions as outlined in the Balfour Declaration of 1926. It was the Balfour Declaration in which it was agreed that the United Kingdom and the dominions were "equal in status, in no way subordinate one to another in any aspect of their domestic or external affairs, though united by common allegiance to the Crown, and freely associated as members of the British Commonwealth of Nations".

Related Topics:
King - Imperial Conference - 1926 - Dominion - Balfour Declaration of 1926

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Separating the role of the Crown in Great Britain and in Ireland ended the right of the government in London to advise the King on actions to take regarding Ireland. The King of Ireland would take advice only from ministers in Dublin. The new Governor-General of the Irish Free State in Dublin also became a conduit between the King of Ireland and the Executive Council of the Irish Free State (the government), and did not receive confidential instructions and documents from the London government.

Related Topics:
Governor-General of the Irish Free State - King of Ireland - Executive Council of the Irish Free State

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Separating the roles of the Crown also meant that changes to the succession had to be agreed upon by all of the Commonwealth Realms, lest the personal union of the Crown be broken. Éamon de Valera combined Edward VIII's abdication on 11 December 1936 with a drastic limitation of royal power in Ireland. The delay in passing the Executive Authority (External Relations) Act, 1936 meant that Edward VIII was King of Ireland until 12 December 1936.

Related Topics:
Commonwealth Realm - Personal union - Éamon de Valera - Edward VIII - Abdication - 11 December - 1936 - Executive Authority (External Relations) Act, 1936 - 12 December

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

However, most constitutional historians concentrate their focus on either the Statute of Westminster, 1931 or the Balfour Declaration of 1926 as being the crucial milestone in the evolution of the relationship between the Crown and what was becoming known as the British Commonwealth.

Related Topics:
Statute of Westminster, 1931 - Balfour Declaration of 1926 - British Commonwealth

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

• see also Royal Style and Titles Act
 
Royal and Parliamentary Titles Act 1927: Parliamentary title ►