Motion to oppose SURHUL participation of the Queen's visit This union notes:

1. That Queen Elizabeth II will be visiting Royal Holloway on the 14 March 2014 2. That her visit is part of the awarding of a Professorship of Music to the Music Department at Royal Holloway. 3. That the Queen is the head of the British monarchy, the head of state, head of the Armed Forces, and Supreme Governor of the Church of England. She has been elected to none of these positions, despite their constitutional centrality to the British state. 4. That, contrary to popular opinion, the role of the monarchy in Britain is not merely ceremonial, but actively political. The royal prerogative can be used to overrule parliamentary legislation and dismiss governments. Both of these prerogatives have been used in recent memory. 5. That following Freedom of Information requests, it was revealed in a number of newspapers, including the Independent, that members of the Royal Family have regularly used their privileges to veto parliametary legislation and to interfere in the democratic process. 6. That in 1975, the Labor government of Australia was dismissed by the Governor-General, Sir John Kerr, using Royal Assent as the constitutional basis for removing a democratically-elected government from power. 7. That at a time of austerity and large cuts in wages and the provision of public services and social benefits, the Mirror and Guardian newspapers revealed that the Royal Family have received tens of thousands of pounds a year in housing benefit from local councils, due to tenants living in property belonging to the royal family.

This union believes:

1. That the Music Department is to be warmly congratulated for it's success in being awarded a Regius Professorship. SURHUL should continue to take pride in the academic and artistic achievements of staff and students at Royal Holloway. 2. That the visit of the Queen to campus is far from an apolitical event, since the monarch is far from an apolitical figure. 3. That by its very definition, the monarchy is undemocratic.

4. That by its very definition, having a simultaneous head of state and a head of a state church militates against secularism and religious equality 5. That by its very definition, the monarchy enshrines inequality at the very heart of the British state. 6. That the kind of society that SURHUL wants to work for is a thoroughly democratic, egalitarian and free society.

This union resolves:

1. To continue to campaign for democratic reform both of the University's structures, and of the British state and public life. 2. That SURHUL should not take part in the ceremony involving the Queen in March, 2014. 3. That while officers of SURHUL are free to attend the ceremony, they may not do so in an official capacity as representatives of the union. 4. To facilitate any protests that students want to organise around the issues of the democratisation and secularisation of the state. Proposed by; Jack Saffery-Rowe, LGBT+ Officer Seconded by; Chris Wall, Academic Affairs Officer