Revelations that Britain's heir to the throne has used a 'veto' power on certain government bills have placed him at the center of yet another controversy amid concerns that the monarchy could be back to a “princes and paupers” culture.While the British monarchy claims to be a democracy where royals' power is limited by the law, the new revelations show Charles has overridden the British policy wherever he has seen fit for his purpose.
Ministers from six government departments have been forced to seek his approval to their bills for at least a dozen times since 2005 due to a constitutional requirement that allows the prince to veto all government bills that clash with his interests.
The areas where he has intervened included regulations on road safety, gambling and even the 2012 London Olympics.
Constitutional lawyers said the prince's ability to veto government bills effectively give him a royal “nuclear deterrent” over public policy.
The nature of amendments to the bills that may have taken place on Charles' request is not clear and neither the government nor Clarence House would comment on the details of the issue.
However, details obtained based on the freedom of information regulations from the House of Commons show the government has sought the Prince of Wales's permission on a number of bills related to economic development and construction, housing and regeneration and energy among others.
The disclosures have raised concerns that the claims of formidable royal power in Britain being a formality are mere falsifications to cover up the fact that the royals have absolute power to overrule the will of the whole nation and their representatives despite Britain's claims to democracy.
Such an issue has major implications for Britons as the Queen should give her consent to each and every policy area the government pursues and can veto every move by the government, at least at a matter of formality.
Following the revelation, members of the houses of the parliaments are urging the government to publish the details of Charles's interventions in government policies.
"If princes and paupers are to live as equals in a modern Britain, anyone who enjoys exceptional influence or veto should exercise it with complete transparency," said Andrew George, Liberal Democrat MP for St Ives in Cornwall.
"The duchy [of Cornwall] asserts that it is merely a private estate. Most people will be astonished to learn that it appears to have effective powers of veto over the government."Reports PressTV
Additional:
The heir to the British throne says he is related to Vlad the Impaler, the cruel 15th-Century Romanian warlord who helped inspire Bram Stoker's 1897 vampire novelDracula.
Prince Charles claims Vlad the Impaler as ancestor
He makes the comments on an upcoming TV show to promote his interest in protecting the forests of Romania's Transylvania region.
Charles says genealogy shows that he is related to Vlad, giving him a stake in the future of Romania. The prince has long worked to conserve the forests and has bought a home in the region.
On a visit to Romania earlier this year, he called Transylvania a national treasure because of its unspoiled landscape and centuries-old rural farming traditions. Claims USA TODAY