36 THE BRITISH APPROACH TO POLITICS

defended on the ground that the barons had approved John,
though they may have regretted it later. The Act of Settlement
disposed of the matter by setting James II and his descendants
aside, and fixing the succession on another branch of the family,
where it has remained ever since, except as modified by the
1936 Abdication. So George VI reigns not only by the Grace
of God, but by Act of Parliament. This is tactfully omitted
from his title, but not forgotten in the Oath of Allegiance taken
by M.P.sr "I will be faithful to H.M. George VI, his heirs and
successors as by law appointed"

To understand the monarchy one must ask what the King
does; how he does it; and, arising from this, how far his actions
reflect his personal* wishes, and how far he must act as he is
advised. In examining what he does attention will first be
directed to those actions which are immediately connected with
Government; and these can be classified accordingly as they are
connected with the Executive, the Legislature and the Judicature.

POLITICAL ACTIVITIES.

I. Executive. The King is the head of the Executive, but since
he cannot do everything himself he must have Ministers. These
he must choose or approve; the practice to-day is for the King
to choose the Prime Minister; the latter then prepares a list of
Ministers and submits it to the King for approval. But, when
choosing the Prime Minister, the King must remember that a
Ministry which has not the support of a majority of the House
of Commons will be unable to govern for lack of money. The
usual effect of this is that the King chooses the leader of the party
which has a majority. So, at the 1935 General Election, the elector
was choosing whether Mr. Baldwin or Mr. Attlee should be.
Prime Minister; and by providing Mr. Baldwin with a majority,
he created a situation in which the King could not appoint, or,
as the phrase is, "send for" anyone else. But sometimes there
is more than one person who would be able to get majority support,
and then the personal wishes of the King can be effective. In