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History

The Role of Constitutional Conventions in Unwritten Constitutions

Quick fact

In the UK, nearly all of the monarch's formal legal powers are governed by constitutional conventions—unwritten political rules—so that the Queen (or King) always acts on the advice of elected ministers, making the actual exercise of royal power democratic.

Why this is interesting

You've probably heard that the UK has no written constitution, yet it runs remarkably smoothly. What unseen rules keep the monarchy and parliament in check?