Skip to content
Not your typical tour

The Entity Known as “the Crown” and the Unique Status of the City of London

Most people think of “the Crown” as simply the British monarch or the glittering regalia locked in the Tower of London. In reality, the entity known as “the Crown” is a powerful legal fiction—an idea that stands for the collective authority of the United Kingdom itself: its government, courts, executive, and rule of law. This legal concept extends far beyond the person of the king or queen. While the Crown’s symbolic importance runs deep, its true significance is in how it structures power, grants rights, and shapes the lives of British institutions—including one of the oldest and most mysterious municipalities in the world: the City of London.wikipedia+1

The City of London, or the “Square Mile,” is both part of and apart from the UK. Unlike the rest of London, it is governed by an ancient body called the City of London Corporation, led by the Lord Mayor and empowered by centuries of royal charters. Many myths have grown up around this unusual relationship: that the monarch must ask permission to enter the City, or that the City is sovereign in its own right. In truth, the City’s autonomy and privileges are a direct product of their historic relationship with the Crown—a relationship that has shaped Britain’s constitutional landscape for nearly a thousand years.whatdotheyknow+2

In this article, we’ll unravel some of the most common misconceptions about what “the Crown” really is, explain the unique position of the City of London, and show how legal fictions and centuries-old traditions produce a system both bewildering and fascinating for modern observers.

What Does “the Crown” Actually Mean?

“The Crown” is a legal and political concept that stands for the state itself, rather than merely the person of the monarch. In the UK and other Commonwealth countries, it acts as the collective embodiment of government power—including all executive, legislative, and judicial authority. You can think of “the Crown” much as other countries think of “the State.”wikipedia+2

Key Points:

  • Not just Royalty: The Crown is distinct from the monarch as an individual. The monarch is the physical person, but “the Crown” is the continuing legal body that represents state power—regardless of who sits on the throne.wikipedia+1

  • Legal Fiction: The Crown is a “legal fiction”—an idea accepted by law so the machinery of the state functions smoothly. It exists on paper as the owner of government land, employer of officials, grantor of powers, and more, even though “the Crown” is not a living person or single institution.ibanet+1

  • Source of Authority: All government bodies, courts, and even Parliament act in the name of the Crown. It unifies them into a single framework, much as a written constitution does in republics.ibanet

How Does the Crown Relate to the City of London?

The City of London has a special legal and historic relationship with the Crown:

The City’s Unique Status

  • Autonomous Governance: The City of London Corporation runs the “Square Mile” and has its own Lord Mayor, courts, police, and traditions. Its charters—granted by the Crown over centuries—allow it privileges no other UK municipality enjoys.

  • Legal Independence: The City’s rights come from ancient royal charters and statutes. These empower it to govern itself for most matters, making it function as an “empire within an empire.”

  • Who is the Sovereign? Legally, the British monarch is the ultimate sovereign of the City, but in daily practice the City governs itself. When the monarch enters the City, they do so with the Lord Mayor’s ceremonial permission—a tradition symbolizing respect for the City’s autonomous status.

The Crown, the City, and Sovereignty

  • Derivative Authority: The City’s autonomy exists only because the Crown (the state) grants and maintains those privileges. The City is not fully independent, but it is highly autonomous within the state’s legal framework.

  • Acting for the Crown: Sometimes the City acts on behalf of the Crown or represents the Crown’s interests (for example, when the Lord Mayor promotes UK finance internationally). At other times, it simply acts for its own business and community interests, within the legal constraints set by national government.

Complexities Explained

The City “as the Crown”

  • The City is not itself “the Crown”—it is a privileged entity under the Crown’s legal authority.

  • Its powers are not independent; they are delegated or recognized by the state, with the monarch as the symbolic source.

  • In law, only the state as a whole—encompassed by “the Crown”—has true sovereignty. The City’s famed autonomy is thus a legally-recognized exception rather than a parallel sovereignty.

Why It’s Confusing

  • In some matters, the City represents or acts for “the Crown”; in others, it negotiates or even contests Crown policy (via its Remembrancer in Parliament).

  • Many public bodies (government departments, police, courts, the Crown Estate) also act “for the Crown.” The City’s uniqueness is its extremely ancient and broad set of privileges—not true statehood or royalty.

Everyday Implications

  • The City raises its own taxes, elects its own Lord Mayor, runs its police, and holds unique ceremonial roles.

  • Despite its autonomy, it cannot override Parliament, the government, or the monarch acting as the state.

Summary: The Crown as State, the City as Special Subject

  • The entity known as “the Crown” is a flexible legal fiction for the UK state as a whole—government, monarch, Parliament, and all.

  • The City of London is a special entity with powers and privileges conferred by the Crown (state), making it exceptionally autonomous but not sovereign.

  • This relationship is central to the City’s historic role in Britain: powerful, unique, and sometimes described as an “empire” within the British state—but always, ultimately, beneath the authority of the Crown.

  1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Crown
  2. https://ukconstitutionallaw.org/2023/11/23/robert-blackburn-the-formal-powers-of-the-royal-head-of-state-terminology-concepts-and-practice/
  3. https://www.blackstonechambers.com/documents/183/What_the_Crown_May_Do.pdf
  4. https://www.bihr.org.uk/get-informed/legislation-explainers/separation-of-powers-parliamentary-sovereignty-the-rule-of-law
  5. https://dacollege.org/uploads/stdmat/plsg-Role-of-crown.pdf
  6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy_of_the_United_Kingdom
  7. https://www.ibanet.org/Relationship-between-UK-Crown-and-law-in-focus-as-Carolean-era-begins
City of London, The Crown

What Our Customers Are Saying