There is a tension in the British constitution concerning the role of the monarchy in political affairs. On the one hand, the monarch is expected to be politically neutral. On the other hand, the monarch is entitled to be politically active; she is permitted to express her political opinions in confidence to the elected government. Can this tension be resolved? Should it be resolved? This essay will explore both of these questions.This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Sweet and Maxwell via https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.262898
