Quote Originally Posted by MacMillan of Rathdown View Post
True the monarch has to give her ascent to every bill enacted by parliament, but in actual fact can anyone state when this last happened? I thought not. The role of the Sovereign is ceremonial, and provides a non-political focus for the nation in times of crisis. No elected official could function in the same way and still be above politics.
I was taught in school that the last time royal assent was refused was in the reign of Queen Anne. Whenever that was.