Saved on this device

Follow your curiosity

What discovery has been shared with you?

FACTREE gives you something interesting to discover every day — and something worth talking about together.

Start with one fact. Explore it, go deeper, then follow whichever branch catches your imagination.

Choose subjects for a surprise

Exploring any topic

Begin your discovery

Your next discovery is one click away.

Choose one or more subjects above, or leave Any Topic selected and let curiosity decide.

History

The Mirror Principle in Constitutional Monarchies

Quick fact

In the United Kingdom, the monarch must give 'Royal Assent' to every law passed by Parliament, but no monarch has refused a bill since 1708—because under the Mirror Principle, refusing would be unthinkable, as it would place the monarch's personal will above the state they merely reflect.

Why this is interesting

You've seen a king or queen opening parliament, but have you ever wondered: if they truly have no power, why do they still formally approve every law? The answer lies in a curious principle that turns the monarch into a perfect mirror of the state.