Session 5. The King reigns but does not rule
Key question: If the King has no real power, what is he for?
What do you remember from session 4? Answer alone in five minutes, then check.
1. Give the modern spelling of Parlyament and Kingdome.
2. Name the King and Queen who accepted the Bill of Rights.
3. Name one thing the King cannot do without Parliament since 1689.
Show the recap answers
- Parliament, Kingdom.
- William III and Mary II.
- Suspend laws, levy taxes, keep an army in peace time.
Aims
- Understand the difference between reigning and ruling
- Read a short extract from Walter Bagehot (1867)
- Debate: does the UK still need a monarch?
To contrast what the King seems to do with what he really does, and argue in a debate, we need contrast connectors (but, whereas, while, although, however) and the present simple for general truths.
Documents
Document A. Walter Bagehot, The English Constitution (1867)
Bagehot divided the system into two parts: the “dignified” parts, which win the respect and loyalty of the people (the Crown, the ceremonies), and the “efficient” parts, which actually govern (the Cabinet and the Commons).
“The sovereign has, under a constitutional monarchy such as ours, three rights: the right to be consulted, the right to encourage, the right to warn.”
Source: Walter Bagehot, The English Constitution (1867), Project Gutenberg
Document B. Royal Assent: a formality
“Royal Assent is the Monarch's agreement that is required to make a Bill into an Act of Parliament. While the Monarch has the right to refuse Royal Assent, nowadays this does not happen; the last such occasion was in 1708, and Royal Assent is regarded today as a formality.” In 1708, Queen Anne refused her assent to a bill on a militia for Scotland.
Source: UK Parliament, Glossary: Royal Assent · UK Parliament, Key dates 1689 to 1714
Document C. The King's Speech
At the State Opening of Parliament, the King reads the King's Speech from the throne in the House of Lords. The speech is written by the Government: it sets out the laws the Government plans to introduce. The latest State Opening took place in May 2026.
Source: GOV.UK, What is the King's Speech and what does it mean for me?
Key words
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| to reign | to be king or queen |
| to rule | to govern, to take decisions |
| dignified | worthy of respect, ceremonial |
| efficient | here: the part that really governs |
| Royal Assent | the monarch's formal agreement that turns a bill into an Act |
| a formality | something that must be done but changes nothing |
Words in action
EntryReign or rule? Complete.
- The King ______ but does not ______.
- The Prime Minister ______ with the support of the Commons.
- Charles III began to ______ in 2022.
Show the answers
1. reigns, rule. 2. rules. 3. reign.
CoreFalse friends. Explain in English: efficient (in Bagehot), a formality, to rule.
Show the answers
efficient: here, the part that really does the work of government (not simply efficace). A formality: something done because it must be done but that changes nothing. To rule: to govern, to take decisions (not une règle).
StretchGive the noun for each verb: to reign, to rule, to consult, to assent.
Show the answers
a reign, a ruler or rule, consultation, assent.
To say it: Contrast
but: simple contrast in the middle. The King reads the speech, but he does not write it.
whereas / while: two facts side by side. The Crown is dignified, whereas the Cabinet is efficient.
although + clause: a concession. Although the King can refuse Royal Assent, no monarch has done so since 1708.
However, starts a new sentence, with a comma.
EntryChoose: but, whereas, although.
- The King reigns, ______ he does not rule.
- The King reads the speech, ______ the Government writes it.
- ______ the King has the right to refuse Royal Assent, he never does.
Show the answers
1. but. 2. whereas. 3. Although.
CoreJoin the two facts with the connector given.
- The Crown is dignified. The Cabinet is efficient. (whereas)
- The King meets the Prime Minister every week. He cannot give orders. (although)
- Royal Assent is required. It is a formality. (however)
Show the answers
1. The Crown is dignified, whereas the Cabinet is efficient. 2. Although the King meets the Prime Minister every week, he cannot give orders. 3. Royal Assent is required. However, it is a formality.
StretchWrite a three-sentence argument for or against the monarchy, with three different connectors.
Show the answers
For example: Although the King has no real power, he represents the whole country. Politicians come and go, whereas the monarch stays. However, a head of state who is never elected is hard to defend in a democracy.
Activities
- Read Document A: draw two columns, dignified / efficient, and place the King, the Prime Minister, MPs, the State Opening.
- Document B: why do you think no monarch has refused a law since 1708?
- Document C: who speaks, who writes? Link with Bagehot.
- Debate: Does the UK still need a monarch? B1: agree or disagree with one reason. B2: two structured arguments. C1: answer an opponent's argument (rebuttal). Language: In the debate, answer your opponent with a contrast connector: Although the King ..., ...
Exercise: Reign or rule?
Complete with reigns, rules, can or cannot.
- The King ______ but does not rule.
- The Prime Minister ______ with the support of the Commons.
- The King ______ warn the Prime Minister in private.
- The King ______ refuse a law today without causing a crisis.
- The King ______ read a speech he did not write.
Show answers
1. reigns. 2. rules. 3. can. 4. cannot. 5. can.
Figures of speech in the documents
“the dignified parts” and “the efficient parts” (Document A); “The King reigns but does not rule”
Two opposed ideas side by side form an antithesis. Bagehot opposes the parts that impress (dignified) and the parts that work (efficient). The title of the session uses the same figure: reign / rule. Antithesis is easy to remember, so it is often used in speeches.
EntryFind the two opposed words in Bagehot's text.
Show the answers
dignified and efficient.
CoreFind another antithesis in Document C.
Show the answers
The King reads the speech / the Government writes it.
StretchInvent an antithesis about the Prime Minister and the King, in fewer than ten words.
Show the answers
For example: The King speaks; the Prime Minister decides.
Expression task
Debate (activity 4): Does the UK still need a monarch?
EntryOne opinion and one reason, with but.
CoreTwo arguments linked with whereas and although.
StretchAnswer an opponent (rebuttal) with however and one antithesis.
Tools to use:
- but, whereas, although, however
- to reign / to rule, a formality
- one antithesis
Show a model answer
Although the King has no real power, I think the UK still needs a monarch. Prime Ministers come and go, whereas the King stays and represents all four nations. You say that Royal Assent is a formality; however, a formality can also be a guarantee: the King reigns, the Government rules, and everyone knows the rules.
C1 extension
The formula “le roi règne et ne gouverne pas” was made famous in France by Adolphe Thiers in 1830. Explain in English why a French formula describes the British system so well, and compare with the powers of the French President today.
Lesson plan for the teacher (55 minutes)
| 5 min | Marked recap |
| 10 min | Bagehot: two columns |
| 10 min | Royal Assent and the King's Speech |
| 20 min | Debate |
| 5 min | Summary |
| 5 min | Homework |
List three things the King does and three things he cannot do. Give one example for each.
Write it in your planner before the bell. It is also posted on the school platform.
Show a model answer
Model answer: The King reads the King's Speech (May 2026); he gives Royal Assent to Acts (the Hereditary Peers Act in March 2026); he meets the Prime Minister every week. He cannot choose the laws, he cannot refuse Royal Assent without a crisis (not since 1708), he cannot take sides in an election.