One small difference between the US and the UK is the fact that the UK has a Queen. While the Queen hasn’t done anything political in a while, there is technically nothing stopping her. The UK has a uncodified constitution, meaning it is not written down. In other words, the way the Queen is supposed to act in a constitutional monarchy in the UK, is based off of precedent.

I recently went to see a play, which toyed with this idea of tradition and the uncodified constitution. The British theatre finds nothing sacred, and thus it was not terribly offensive that the play, King Charles III, created a scenario where Queen Elizabeth died and Prince Charles became King. Not agreeing with the first bill that is brought to him in office, Charles refuses to sign it, breaking the hundred year old precedent. Instead, he decides to act on his beliefs, going as far as dismissing parliament. Whether this situation is realistic or not, it taps into some very real themes in the UK such as the importance of tradition, democracy, and the role of the royal family. To hear more about some of the plays I’ve seen click here for my theatre section.

Cheers!