Prince Charles Holds Veto Power

Government ministers have been forced to get permission from Prince Charles to pass at least 12 bills since 2005, due to a constitutional loophole that gives him the right to veto anything that might hurt his private interests. The government has not revealed if the prince requested changes to any of the legislation that has been brought before him. One parliamentary lawyer described the loophole as “something of a nuclear-button option that everybody knows he is not likely to push. But like the nuclear deterrent, the fact that it is there, influences negotiations.” Recently, there has been growing concern that Prince Charles may be going outside of his constitutional role by lobbying ministers to support his projects.