On His Majesty's Service

The commonly held belief that the king or queen is a mere ornament of the constitution could not be further from reality. The turbulent past decade has tested the British constitution like never before, and Brexit, the illegal proroguing of Parliament and the near death of Boris Johnson while in office have demonstrated the often misunderstood but crucial role the sovereign plays in ensuring stability in our political system. The king or queen holds a unique set of powers that enable them to act as the defender of our constitution, a duty they perform not through the active use of power but by constitutional authority. 'On His Majesty's Service' examines how past monarchs have avoided constitutional crisis and reveals the hidden hand of the monarchy in the smooth running of the state, shattering the accepted political truism that the king reigns but does not rule.