Can Queen Elizabeth II Be Impeached?

As the monarch, Queen Elizabeth II enjoys a few perks that other heads of state do not. For instance, she doesn’t need a password when traveling abroad, nor is she required to have a license to drive any vehicle in the UK.

Given her vast powers and unique set of privileges, many royal family fans naturally wonder just what she can get away with. For instance, some are wondering just what it might take for Her Majesty to be removed from power.

However, impeachment might not be the best term to use in the UK. “The Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms cannot be impeached because there is no impeachment mechanism in place,” Chris Hawkes, user on the Q&A forum Quora, explained.

In addition, as the monarch, Queen Elizabeth II just can’t be sued in the UK. “The monarch of the UK is above the law because the law is enacted in the name of the monarch,” Hawkes said.

Thus, even if the mild-mannered monarch would go on a killing spree for whatever reason, she will still be able to get away with it. “So you can sue her majesty government but you cannot sue her,” Ian Jackson, another Quora user, wrote on the forum. “This means that the Queen can murder someone and not be charged.”

Her Majesty is also the only person in the UK allowed to drive any vehicle without a driver’s license. The reason is that all licenses are issued under her name, so her personal presence is even better than any driver’s license there is. For the same reason, she even travels abroad without any passport.

But the Queen can still be removed from office theoretically. “However, the removal of a monarch from the British Throne would be done by and [sic] Act of Parliament, an Act that would require Royal Assent to become law,” Marsh explained.

“Of course, they could first pass an Act that would abolish Royal Assent,” Marsh noted. But since the monarchy remains popular with the British people, this scenario isn’t likely happening anytime soon.