The monarch could force the dissolution of Parliament through a refusal of royal assent ; this would inevitably lead to a government resigning . By convention , the monarch always assent to bills ; the last time the royal assent was not given was in 1704 during the reign of Queen Anne . This do not mean that the right to refuse have died : George V believed he could veto the Third Irish Home Rule Bill ; Jennings write that " it was assumed by the King throughout that he had not only the legal power but the constitutional right to refuse assent " . The royal prerogative to dissolve Parliament was abrogated by the Fixed @-@ term Parliaments Act 2011 . Section 6 ( 1 ) of the Act however specifically state that the monarch 's power to prorogue Parliament is not affected by the Act .