9781422277720

King Willem-Alexander (right) and Queen Maxima of the Kingdom of the Netherlands attend a ceremony. Willem-Alexander succeeded his mother, Queen Beatrix, when she abdicated her role as monarch in 2013.

tional monarchies today, the monarch has significant powers (for example, the authority to dissolve the legislature or veto laws). But in most cases the king or queen is a figurehead who performs only ceremonial functions. In addition to being a constitutional monarchy, the United Kingdom is also a parliamentary democracy . The British Parliament is a legislative body with two chambers: the House of Commons and the House of Lords. Most laws originate in the House of Commons, whose 650 members are elected by the people. The head of the political party with the majority of

12

Monarchy: Sovereignty of a King or Queen