What does King Charles III actually do as Britain's head of state?
The news of King Charles III’s cancer diagnosis has refocused attention on the responsibilities of Britain’s monarch
LONDON (AP) — The news of King Charles III's cancer diagnosis has refocused attention on the responsibilities of Britain's monarch and revived a central question about the country's centuries-old system of government: What does the king actually do?
Under Britain’s constitutional monarchy, the king is head of state but must remain politically neutral and leave policy-making to the elected Parliament. He is obliged to follow the government's advice and not act on his own opinions.
But even in his largely ceremonial job, Charles performs a number of duties integral to the running of the U.K.
His most visible role is at the annual State Opening of Parliament, where the monarch sets out the government's agenda in a formal address. The speech is written by the government and contains a summary of the legislation proposed for the forthcoming parliamentary session.
