Limits began to be placed on the powers of the monarch as far back as 1215 when the barons forced King John to recognise in Magna Carta that they had certain rights. The constitutional monarchy we know today developed in the 18th and 19th centuries, as day-to-day power came to be exercised by Ministers in Cabinet, deriving their authority from elected, democratic parliaments.

The essence of the modern monarchy is that The Queen is politically impartial. On almost all matters she acts on the advice of the Government of the day. The tasks of making laws, administering justice, and governing and defending the country are carried out by others in The Queen's name. The Monarch thus symbolises the permanence and stability of the nation, which transcends the ebb and flow of party politics.

The Queen retains certain residual powers, notably to appoint a Prime Minister, and to decide whether or not to grant a dissolution of Parliament. The exercise of these powers will be straightforward provided the Prime Minister has a majority in Parliament, but there could still be exceptional circumstances when The Queen might need to exercise the discretion she still retains to ensure that her Government is carried on.

These days, however, The Queen's influence is mainly informal. She has a right and a duty to express her views on government matters to the Prime Minister at their weekly audiences, but these meetings - and all communications between the Monarch and her Government - remain strictly confidential. Having expressed her views, The Queen abides by the advice of her Ministers.