Wizards and the Queen

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 83873

Lola: ( I was laura, but there's another laura...)
> 
> The Minister of Magic is a member of the Prime Minister's cabinet, 
so 
> the Prime Minister is his superior.  This has has been indicated on 
a 
> number of occasions, most recently when the Death Eaters escaped 
> Azkaban, and Fudge told the Prime Minister something about 'the 
> dangerous nature'(not exact quote, sorry).  As I understand it, Any 
> law passed in the UK has to be signed by the Queen, so the Prime 
> Minister is inferior to the Queen because he himself can't pass a 
> law.  That would make the Queen the official Head of State of the 
> British wizarding community.
> However, functionally, the Minister of Magic must be the Head of 
> State because the Queen can hardly have an in-depth knowledge about 
> wizarding affairs, can she?  

Geoff:
Interesting; I hadn't thought along those lines. I had been wondering 
why there seemed to be only one Minister in the Wizarding World, 
having tended to think of the WW as an independent entity in paraller 
with the Muggle world.

Referring to the UK, the Prime Minister does not pass laws. 
Parliament does. New laws will be introduced as a bill which will be 
debated at First Reading. It will then go to Committee stage where it 
is niggled over and any required modifications introduced before 
Second Reading. If it is then passed by the House of Commons, it goes 
to the House of Lords (our upper chamber). Once (or if) it has 
cleared these hurdles, it will be presented to HM for her signature. 
Constitutionally, she could refuse to sign but that would be 
unprecedented as the monarch is considered to be outside politics. 
His or her real function (re-quoting Bagehot) is to be consulted, to 
encourage and to warn. 

I wonder what would happen if some of Fudge's laws landed on her 
table for signature? :-)

Geoff