On 6 February 2022, Queen Elizabeth II became the first British monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee, marking 70 years of service to the people of the United Kingdom, the Realms and the Commonwealth. Events and initiatives will take place throughout the year to celebrate this milestone, culminating in a four-day UK bank holiday weekend in early June.
The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee: A Brief Parliamentary History of Her Reign (221 KB , PDF)
The monarchy holds a prominent place in British political life. As noted in Erskine May, Parliament can be regarded as the sovereign, the House of Lords and the House of Commons. Collectively they form the legislature, and as distinct parts of the constitution they exercise functions and enjoy privileges peculiar to each.
Originally published in 2016 as part of a briefing examining the role of the sovereign as part of the constitution of Parliament, the following presents a brief updated overview of the Queen’s participation in key parliamentary events since she ascended to the throne.
This briefing was updated on 15 September 2023 to amend broken links.
The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee: A Brief Parliamentary History of Her Reign (221 KB , PDF)
The House of Lords (Peerage Nominations) Bill [HL] is a private member’s bill sponsored by Lord Norton of Louth (Conservative). The bill seeks to strengthen the House of Lords Appointments Commission.
![House of Lords (Peerage Nominations) Bill [HL]: HL Bill 36 of 2024-25](https://lordslibrary.parliament.uk/content/uploads/sites/2/2020/09/House-of-Lords-568x426.png)
The Church of Scotland (Lord High Commissioner) Bill would remove the restriction on people of the Roman Catholic faith holding the office of His Majesty’s lord high commissioner to the general assembly of the Church of Scotland.
The Lords Library has drawn together lists of members who have held selected positions in public life. This non-exhaustive collection provides an introduction to the diversity of experience in the House of Lords, including political careers in central, local, devolved and international settings; senior positions in defence, public service, policing and law; and leadership in science, education, culture and sport.
