Walter Bagehot: “It is a remnant of the old days when George III. would know…”

On the record

It is a remnant of the old days when George III. would know everything, however trivial, and assent to everything, however insignificant.

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Walter Bagehot

Source

Bagehot critiques the historical tendency of the monarchy to involve itself in trivial matters of governance.

More from Walter Bagehot

Nothing promotes intellect like intellectual discussion, and nothing promotes intellectual discussion so much as government by discussion.

Savages waste away before modern civilisation; they seem to have held their ground before the ancient.

They are solely concerned with his attractiveness as a candidate; they need not regard his efficiency as a ruler.

The work would be done so well that we should not want any one to look over or revise it.

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Walter Bagehot: “It is a remnant of the old days when George III. would know everything, however trivial, and assent to everything…”