FOR the Mayor of Brighton to pose the question in the Argus on Saturday as to whether the Royal Family is needed any longer simply demonstrates that the Mayor of Brighton appears to be completely ignorant of the English Constitution.

Britain is a prescriptive monarchy; the world’s oldest prescriptive monarchy.

The sovereign power of the crown of England as it is exercised through council and committee in Parliament comes not from treaty, or contract, or document, but from prescription, from the fact that it has been so since time immemorial, that it is imminent in the nation itself.

The crown of England, currently born by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, is a Parliamentary crown. It is the Crown in parliament.

The unique authority of the monarchy is exercised entirely through a unique representative institution, namely, Parliament and the People.

They are inextricably linked together by law forever and form what we call The United Kingdom.

Christopher Fox-Walker, Meads Road, Eastbourne