Monarchy of Belize
The monarchy of Belize is a system of government in which a hereditary monarch is the sovereign and head of state of Belize. The current Belizean monarch and head of state, since, is. As sovereign, he is the personal embodiment of the Belizean Crown. Although the person of the sovereign is shared with 14 other independent countries within the Commonwealth of Nations, each country's monarchy is separate and legally distinct. As a result, the current monarch is officially titled ''of Belize'' and, in this capacity, he and other members of the royal family undertake public and private functions as representatives of the Belizean state. However, the is the only member of the royal family with any constitutional role.
All executive authority is vested in the monarch, and royal assent is required for the National Assembly to enact laws and for letters patent and Orders in Council to have legal effect. Most of the powers are exercised by the elected members of parliament, government ministers, and judges. Other powers vested in the monarch are significant but are treated only as reserve powers and as an important security part of the role of the monarchy.
The Crown today primarily functions as a guarantor of continuous and stable governance and a nonpartisan safeguard against the abuse of power. While some powers are exercisable only by the sovereign, most of the monarch's operational and ceremonial duties are exercised by his representative, the governor-general of Belize.
Origins
In 1836, after the emancipation of Central America from Spanish rule, the British claimed the right to administer the region nowadays known as Belize. In 1862, the Settlement of Belize in the Bay of Honduras was declared a British colony called British Honduras, and the crown's representative was elevated to a lieutenant governor, subordinate to the governor of Jamaica.Under a new constitution, the United Kingdom granted British Honduras self-governance in 1964. On 1 June 1973, British Honduras was officially renamed Belize. Independence from the United Kingdom was granted on 21 September 1981, following the signing of the Belize Independence Order in 1981 by Queen Elizabeth II, which made Belize a sovereign state and an independent constitutional monarchy.
Prince Michael of Kent represented the Queen at the independence celebrations. In the capital, Belmopan, in the morning of 21 September, Prince Michael handed the instruments of independence to George Price, who became the prime minister of the newly independent country. Elmira Minita Gordon, a sociologist, was appointed governor-general of Belize by the Queen the same day, who upon assuming office became the first female governor-general in Commonwealth history.
The Belizean Crown and its aspects
The sovereign of Belize is shared with 14 other Commonwealth realms, members of the Commonwealth of Nations that share the same person as sovereign. However, the monarch's relationship with Belize is completely independent from his position as monarch of any other realm. Despite sharing the same person as their respective national monarch, each of the Commonwealth realms is sovereign and independent of the others.Since independence in 1981, the Belizean Crown has had both a shared and a separate character and the sovereign's role as monarch of Belize is distinct to his or her position as monarch of any other realm, including the United Kingdom. Only Belizean ministers can advise the sovereign on matters of the Belizean state. The monarchy thus ceased to be an exclusively British institution and in Belize became a Belizean, or "domesticated" establishment.
This division is illustrated in a number of ways: The sovereign, for example, holds [|a unique Belizean title] and, when he is acting in public specifically as a representative of Belize, he uses, where possible, Belizean symbols, including the country's national flag and the like.
File:Flag of the Governor-General of Belize.svg|thumb|The flag of the governor-general of Belize, featuring St Edward's Crown in the centre, and a crowned lion on top.
In Belize, the legal personality of the state is referred to as the "Crown in Right of Belize", or "His Majesty in right of His Government in Belize", or the "Crown in right of His Majesty's Government in Belize".
Title
In Belize, the King's official title is: Charles the Third, by the Grace of God, King of Belize and of His Other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth.This style communicates Belize's status as an independent monarchy, highlighting the sovereign's role specifically as Sovereign of Belize, as well as the shared aspect of the Crown throughout the Commonwealth realms. Typically, the sovereign is styled "King of Belize", and is addressed as such when in Belize.
Succession
Like some realms, Belize defers to United Kingdom law to determine the line of succession.Succession is by absolute primogeniture governed by the provisions of the Succession to the Crown Act 2013, as well as the Act of Settlement 1701, and the Bill of Rights 1689. This legislation limits the succession to the natural, legitimate descendants of Sophia, Electress of Hanover, and stipulates that the monarch cannot be a Roman Catholic, and must be in communion with the Church of England upon ascending the throne. Though these constitutional laws, as they apply to Belize, still lie within the control of the British parliament, both the United Kingdom and Belize cannot change the rules of succession without the unanimous consent of the other realms, unless explicitly leaving the shared monarchy relationship; a situation that applies identically in all the other realms, and which has been likened to a treaty amongst these countries.
Upon a demise of the Crown, it is customary for the accession of the new monarch to be proclaimed by the governor-general in the capital, Belmopan, after the accession. Regardless of any proclamations, the late sovereign's heir immediately and automatically succeeds, without any need for confirmation or further ceremony. An appropriate period of mourning also follows, during which flags across the country are flown at half-mast to honour the late monarch. The day of the funeral is likely to be a public holiday. A memorial service commemorating the late monarch is likely to be held at St. John's Cathedral, Belize City.
Constitutional role and royal prerogative
The Belizean Constitution gives Belize a similar parliamentary system of government as the other Commonwealth realms, in which all powers of the state are constitutionally reposed in the monarch, who is represented by the governor-general of Belize; appointed by the monarch upon the advice of the prime minister of Belize. The monarch's domestic duties are performed by this vice-regal representative.The role of the monarch and the governor-general is both legal and practical; the Crown is regarded as a corporation, in which several parts share the authority of the whole, with the monarch as the person at the centre of the constitutional construct.
Executive
The governor-general is responsible for appointing a prime minister, who thereafter heads the Cabinet and advises the monarch or governor-general on how to execute their executive powers over all aspects of government operations and foreign affairs. The monarch is informed by the governor-general of the acceptance of the resignation of a prime minister and the swearing-in of a new prime minister and members of the ministry.The governor-general also appoints and dismisses ministers, members of various executive agencies, and other officials.
There are also a few duties which must be specifically performed by the monarch, such as signing the appointment papers of governors-general.
As all executive authority of Belize is vested in the sovereign, the institutions of government are said to act under his authority; hence, the government of Belize is formally referred to as "His Majesty's Government in Belize".
Foreign affairs
The Royal Prerogative also extends to foreign affairs: the sovereign or the governor-general may negotiate and ratify treaties, alliances, and international agreements; no parliamentary approval is required. However, a treaty cannot alter the domestic laws of Belize; an Act of Parliament is necessary in such cases. The governor-general, on behalf of the monarch, also accredits Belizean High Commissioners and ambassadors, and receives diplomats from foreign states.In addition, the issuance of passports falls under the Royal Prerogative and, as such, all Belizean passports are issued in the governor-general's name, the monarch's vice-regal representative.
National Assembly
The governor-general is responsible for summoning the two Houses of the National Assembly: the Senate and the House of Representatives, and may at any time prorogue or dissolve the National Assembly. At the opening of a new parliamentary session, the governor-general reads the Speech from the Throne, outlining the government's legislative agenda. A general election follows dissolution, the writs for which are issued by the governor-general at Belize House.Further, the constitution outlines that the governor-general alone is responsible for appointing senators. The viceroy must make five senatorial appointments on the advice of the prime minister, one after consulting the Belize Advisory Council, and two on the advice of the leader of the opposition, or if the position is vacant, then in accordance with the advice of person selected by the governor-general in his own deliberate judgment.
All laws in Belize are enacted with the viceroy's signature. The granting of a signature to a bill is known as Royal Assent; it, and proclamation, are required for all acts of parliament, usually granted or withheld by the governor-general, with the Public Seal of Belize.
The authority of the Crown is embodied in the mace of the House of Representatives, which bears a crown at its apex; unlike other bicameral realms, however, the Belizean legislature only has a mace for the lower house.
Because the Belizean monarchy is a constitutional one, the powers that are constitutionally the monarch's are exercised almost wholly upon the advice of her prime minister and the ministers of the Crown in Cabinet, who are, in turn, accountable to the democratically elected House of Representatives, and through it, to the people. The monarch's role, and thereby the viceroy's role, is almost entirely symbolic and cultural, acting as a symbol of the legal authority under which all governments and agencies operate. In exceptional circumstances, however, the monarch or viceroy can act against such advice based upon his or her reserve powers.