Royal Prerogative

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The Royal Prerogative is a body of customary authority, privilege, and immunity, recognised in common law jurisdictions possessing a monarchy as belonging to the Crown alone. It is the means by which some of the executive powers of government are possessed by and vested in a monarch with regard to the process of governance of their state are carried out. It is not subject to parliamentary scrutiny but an individual prerogative can be abolished by legislative enactment.

Related Topics:
Common law - Crown - Executive - Monarch - Parliament

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Though some republican heads of state possess similar powers they are not coterminous, containing a number of fundamental differences. See reserve powers.

Related Topics:
Republic - Reserve power

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Though originally exercised at the will of the monarch, in modern constitutional monarchies most Royal Prerogative powers are exercised directly by the executive and some are nominally exercised by the monarch, acting on the advice of the prime minister and cabinet. There may be situations in which the monarch may choose to exercise his or her Royal Prerogative independently from the elected politicians. Such situations are extremely rare, and only occur in emergencies. In most liberal-democratic constitutional monarchies, such actions would precipitate a constitutional crisis.

Related Topics:
Constitutional monarchies - Prime minister - Cabinet - Constitutional crisis

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Not all constitutional monarchs have royal prerogative that can be exercised independently however. For example, the King of Sweden and the Emperor of Japan have specific government duties that cannot be exercised with any degree of individual discretion, no matter what the circumstance.

Related Topics:
Sweden - Emperor - Japan

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