United Kingdom and Gibraltar European Union membership referendum
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"Her Majesty's Government" - Her Majesty's Government. It is a phrase that reflects the tradition and symbolic role of the crown in Britain. And that usually should not be taken literally.
For in the structure of the constitutional monarchy of Great Britain, the following applies: The queen or the king is, in formal terms, the head of state. However, the country's political fortunes determine the democratically elected parliament and the government. They do not act - in that sense the term is ambiguous - at the behest of the monarch.
But against the background of Brexit, the phrase could now be politically charged in an unusual way. The reason: Prime Minister Boris Johnson wants to lead the country out of the EU at all costs until 31 October - if necessary even without a withdrawal agreement. Most recently, he ordered the parliament a compulsory break until 14 October.
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Johnson's decision immediately followed. Parliamentarians announced legal action, thousands of citizens demonstrated on the streets. Last but not least, Johnson pushed the monarch into the limelight with his coup: Queen Elizabeth blessed the parliament break planned by the prime minister.
Which is why Queen Johnson's plans agreed
The Queen's decision corresponds to her largely ceremonial, symbolic role. The monarch traditionally does not question political decisions by the government and parliament. In addition, she strives to avoid any impression of partiality or political interference.
So even a speech by the Queen in late January, in which she spoke out for mutual respect among citizens with different views was considered unusual. Many commentators saw it as an allusion to the brutalization of the political debate over the EU's exit from the country. Direct addressed the Queen had the Brexit not.
Even in the so-called prorogation, the suspension of parliament, the queen exercises restraint. There are no fixed rules for this. But, according to custom, the monarchin leaves the parliament at the request of the government in the fall. After a few days, she usually opens a new session with a speech in which she presents the government's program for the following months. (Here you can read more about it.)
In the video: "There will be plenty of time to discuss Brexit"
LUDOVIC MARIN / AFP
The consent of the Queen to the prorogation is not legally vulnerable. But that is probably not the case for Johnson's decision to operate at this time. Speaker John Bercow called Johnson's plan a "crime against the constitution."
Numerous Johnson opponents are considering legal action against the Prime Minister's decision. Among them: former Tory Prime Minister John Major. His critics accuse Johnson of wanting to sack parliament (which he denies). With a parliament break until October 14, John's opponents would hardly have time to prevent an unregulated Brexit by law.
The step of the head of government, so the charge is undemocratic. In a moment of crisis like Brexit, Johnson banishes Parliament to the sidelines. In addition, he had dragged with his decision, the Queen in the political debate.
References to the Constitution are tricky in the UK
However, references to "the Constitution" in the UK are often references to the unknown. The country has no central constitutional document comparable to the Basic Law; important issues of the state organization follow non-securitized rules, but rely on precedents, customs, conventions and - if you will - political decency.
But Brexit is new territory in many ways. He splits the land; Political decency rules that have long been regarded as invulnerable, seem to be in disposition again.
And so, theoretically, the Queen could soon find itself again in the center of the political debate: in the case of a vote of no confidence against Johnson. This could be the last option for the Prime Minister's opponents to prevent unregulated Brexit, given the parliamentary break.
Should the Parliament actually raise suspicions of Johnson and find a majority, say opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn, it would be up to the Queen to appoint the new prime minister. Boris Johnson would then be expected to resign. However, there is no law that clearly obliges him to do so.
Such a refusal is unlikely, the BBC quotes Maddy Thimont-Jack of the think tank "Institute for Government". The political pressure on Johnson would therefore be too great, he would have to resign. "This is a very important and established political custom."
Decency would require it.