What is a parliamentary monarchy?
A constitutional or parliamentary monarchy is the costitutional system in use in the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain and some other countries. The monarch appoints a Prime Minister, who is usually the leader of the largest political party elected to the national parliament. The PM and his goverment are drawn from the legislature. In the UK, the House of Commons (the lower house) is elected, and supplies most members of the government. The House of Lords (the upper house) is unelected, and this chamber acts as a revising chamber for the Commons, as well as being the highest court for most of the country. The monarch is technically the head of the parliament, and passes laws by giving the royal assent (like a president passing legislation), though in reality in the UK, this power is used on behalf of the monarch so that she is politically neutral (the monarch cannot vote.) The monarch is also the head all branches of the judiciary and therefore cannot sue, or be sued, or give evidenc
