National
The Crown in the United Kingdom
Governs the United Kingdom
Official website (royal.uk) Report a problem with this page
Source: royal.uk, checked (+1 more)Who sits on it
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King of the United Kingdom
Inherited
Charles III
King of the United Kingdom · since September 2022
Sourced · checked : show the source for each fact
Sources for who sits on it
- King of the United Kingdom legislation.gov.uk · checked
- Charles III as King of the United Kingdom canada.ca · checked
What it can do
- Grant Royal Assent to Bills
A bill becomes an Act only with Royal Assent (Royal Assent Act 1967 governs the notification; by convention assent is never withheld).
- Dissolve Parliament and call an election
A Parliament dissolves automatically at the start of the fifth anniversary of the day it first met, or earlier when the King dissolves it, by convention at the Prime Minister's request (Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Act 2022, ss 2 and 4).
Sourced · checked : show the source for each fact
Sources for what it can do
- Grant Royal Assent to Bills legislation.gov.uk · checked
- Dissolve Parliament and call an election
legislation.gov.uk
· checked
legislation.gov.uk · checked
Sources
- royal.uk · checked Renamed from "Monarchy of the United Kingdom" to "The Crown in the United Kingdom" to follow the Commonwealth-realm pattern of CONVENTIONS section 3 (The Crown in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jersey, Guernsey, Isle of Man...); ticket 1751. Office 57214 "King of the United Kingdom" and its holder are unchanged. For: The Crown in the United Kingdom
- legislation.gov.uk · checked legislation.gov.uk, Act of Settlement 1700 (12 & 13 Will 3 c.2), read 2026-10-12: hereditary Crown of the United Kingdom (authority added by world:gb-overseas-other without a source). For: The Crown in the United Kingdom
- legislation.gov.uk · checked legislation.gov.uk Acts cited in each power description, from general knowledge of the statutes, not re-read 2026-10-12. For: Grant Royal Assent to Bills, Dissolve Parliament and call an election
- legislation.gov.uk · checked legislation.gov.uk, Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Act 2022 ss 2 and 4, read 2026-10-12: automatic dissolution on the fifth anniversary of first meeting (s 4) and revived prerogative to dissolve (s 2). Corrected the earlier citation of ss 2-3. For: Dissolve Parliament and call an election
- legislation.gov.uk · checked legislation.gov.uk, Act of Settlement 1700 (12 & 13 Will 3 c.2), read 2026-10-12: succession to the Crown (selection_detail). For: King of the United Kingdom
- canada.ca · checked Canadian Heritage, His Majesty King Charles III, read 2026-10-12: accession 8 September 2022 (start_date of King of the United Kingdom term). For: Charles III as King of the United Kingdom