Queen Elizabeth II and her Influence on the Law in the UK

Research by Dhevina Maaran

Making the monarchy progressively more inclusive and equal for women

The Queen and her legacy will always be remembered, and one of the key things she should be remembered for is the role she played in reshaping the monarchy into a more inclusive establishment for women. She gave royal assent to The Succession to The Crown Act; this ensured that both sons and daughters of a future UK monarch would have an equal right to the throne. The Queen herself was only able to ascend the throne because her father had no sons and two daughters. Subsequently, it is important to note that had the Queen had a brother, this male heir would have ascended the throne and Queen Elizabeth II and her legacy would not have happened.

The Succession to the Crown Act 2013

The order of succession is the sequence by which the Royal Family are in line for the throne. The original constitution that regulated the order of succession dates to the 17th century, these laws amounted to the Bill of Rights 1689 and the Act of Settlement 1701 which held that only male heirs could ascend the throne. Consequently, it made it legal for women who were the first-born to be passed over so that their younger male sibling could take the throne.

The Succession to the Crown Act 2013, backed by the Queen, amended the Bill of Rights Act and the Act of Settlement. The new Act changed the archaic laws that favoured male heirs to ensure that the eldest born woman in the Royal Family rightfully had a place in the line of succession and could ascend the throne. It ensured that the eldest born girl would not be displaced in favour of a younger male sibling. The Act also ended the law excluding those who marry Roman Catholics from the line of succession. This law itself clearly shows how much of a role the Queen had in advocating for equality for women and emphasises the lasting impact she will continue to have for generations to come.

The governing powers she held also had some effect on the laws that are passed in the UK

Parliament

Although Parliament is the UK’s highest governing body, the Queen did have some power over this highly influential group. She had the duty of opening Parliament for sessions every May to mark the official start to the Parliamentary year.

Legislation

While officially the power to make any new laws rests in Parliament’s hands, the Queen had an important role in passing these laws. Officially, the Queen must have signed off on a proposed Bill in order for it to come into effect. This power is known as the ‘Royal Assent’ and without giving a royal assent to a proposed Bill, the law could not come into effect. However, this power does not often come into conflict with an proposed legislative Bills and the last time it was invoked was in 1708 by Queen Anne who was against a measure that would restore the Scottish militia.

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