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Bob Morris

Honorary Senior Research Associate, Constitution Unit, UCL
After infantry National Service, Bob Morris studied History at Christ’s College, Cambridge, before becoming a Home Office career civil servant.

Over nearly 40 years, his work spanned the normal departmental duties of, for example, immigration, prisons, policing and public control and protection functions. He was also involved in legislation and state litigation, acting as private secretary to Home Secretaries and as a secretary to public inquiries - in Northern Ireland and on the UK prison services. One of his later Home Office posts had responsibility for the Home Secretary's then constitutional functions which included certain royal, ceremonial and ecclesiastical matters.

At the Constitution Unit, Bob has been involved with a variety of interests. Latterly he has tended to concentrate on ecclesiastical and royal issues, for example on the Succession to the Crown Act 2013, at the same time contributing to the study on Commons Public Bill Committees led by Meg Russell.

He is currently working with Professor Robert Hazell on a monarchy project focused on the condition of the European monarchies. The work has produced the Unit reports No 170 The Queen at 90: The Changing Role of the Monarchy, and Future Challenges, published 2016, plus No 180 Swearing in the New King: The Accession Declarations and Coronation Oaths, and No181 Inaugurating a New Reign: Planning the Accession and Coronation, the latter two both published May 2018. Following a March 2019 seminar, it is planned to publish an edited book on European monarchy - 'The Role of Monarchy in Modern Democracy' - in July 2020.

Coronavirus: how Europe's monarchs stepped up as their nations faced the crisis

Apr 13, 2020 15:26 pm UTC| Politics

The British Queens address to the nation on Sunday, April 5 evoked huge interest, respect and widespread appreciation. Nearly 24 million people in the UK watched her deliver the four-minute speech, which paid tribute to...

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle: why half in, half out just isn't an option for royals

Jan 14, 2020 00:45 am UTC| Insights & Views Entertainment

Prince Harry and Meghan Markles decision to step back from royal duties has been described as a crisis for the monarchy, but they are the ones who are most likely to suffer the damage. Members of the royal family are in...

Economy

U.S.-Iran Ceasefire: Fragile Truce Raises Hopes for Strait of Hormuz Peace Deal

A temporary ceasefire between the United States, Iran, and Israel is holding but just barely. U.S. Vice President JD Vance described the two-week truce as fragile on Wednesday, warning that Iran appeared to be...

Gold Surges Near 3-Week High as Trump-Iran Ceasefire Eases Geopolitical Tensions

Gold prices climbed sharply on Wednesday, nearing a three-week high after President Donald Trump announced a temporary ceasefire with Iran, easing geopolitical tensions that had been gripping global markets. Spot gold...

Oil Prices Crash Nearly 15% After Trump-Iran Ceasefire Deal

Global oil markets experienced a dramatic selloff on Wednesday after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a two-week ceasefire agreement with Iran, easing fears of a major disruption to Middle East energy supplies. Brent...

U.S. Stock Futures Surge as Trump Announces Iran Ceasefire, Oil Prices Plunge

U.S. stock index futures posted sharp gains Wednesday after President Donald Trump announced a temporary ceasefire agreement with Iran, lifting market sentiment and triggering a dramatic drop in oil prices. The development...

U.S.-China Trade Talks: Trump and Xi Set for Summit Amid Rare Earths Focus

The United States and China are maintaining a stable trade relationship, and President Donald Trump intends to preserve that balance in an upcoming summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, according to U.S. Trade...

Politics

Trump Meets NATO Chief Rutte Amid Alliance Tensions Over Iran War

President Donald Trump welcomed NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte to the White House on Wednesday for high-stakes talks as the ongoing conflict with Iran continues to strain transatlantic relations. The meeting comes at a...

UK PM Keir Starmer Heads to Middle East Amid Ceasefire Agreement

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is traveling to the Middle East for high-level diplomatic meetings with regional allies, following a landmark ceasefire agreement reached overnight. The visit marks a significant moment...

Trump Credits China for Brokering Iran-Israel-U.S. Ceasefire

U.S. President Donald Trump stated on Thursday that he believes China played a pivotal role in persuading Iran to agree to a ceasefire in its ongoing conflict with Israel and the United States. The statement, made to AFP,...

Xi Jinping Pushes Demand-Driven Strategy to Modernize China's Service Sector

Chinas President Xi Jinping has outlined a bold strategy to transform the countrys service industry, calling for a demand-led approach supported by structural reform and technological innovation. The directive was reported...

Trump Announces U.S. Military Presence in Strait of Hormuz Following Iran Ceasefire Deal

President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that the United States will actively support the flow of maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the worlds most strategically critical waterways. Speaking publicly,...

Science

NASA Artemis II: First Crewed Moon Mission Since Apollo Takes Four Astronauts on 10-Day Lunar Journey

NASAs Artemis II mission launched Wednesday, marking humanitys return to crewed lunar exploration for the first time since the Apollo era. Carrying four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft, this historic 10-day mission...

NASA's Artemis II Mission: First Crewed Lunar Journey Since Apollo

NASA's Artemis II Crew Arrives in Florida for Historic Moon Mission

The four astronauts chosen for NASAs Artemis II mission have touched down at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking the beginning of final launch preparations for the first crewed lunar journey in over 50 years. NASA...

SpaceX Pivots Toward Moon City as Musk Reframes Long-Term Space Vision

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has revealed a significant shift in the companys near-term space exploration strategy, announcing that SpaceX is now prioritizing the development of a self-growing city on the Moon rather than focusing...

SpaceX Prioritizes Moon Mission Before Mars as Starship Development Accelerates

Elon Musks SpaceX is shifting its near-term space exploration strategy, choosing to prioritize a return to the Moon before pursuing missions to Mars, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report citing sources familiar...

Technology

U.S. Disrupts Russian Military Hackers' Global DNS Hijacking Network

The U.S. Justice Department has successfully executed a court-authorized operation to dismantle a DNS hijacking network tied to Russian military intelligence. The network was run by GRU Military Unit 26165, a cyber unit...

Samsung Electronics Posts Eightfold Profit Surge Driven by AI Chip Demand

Samsung Electronics delivered a stunning financial turnaround in the first quarter of 2025, projecting operating profit of approximately 57.2 trillion won (roughly $38 billion) a more than eightfold increase compared to...

China's Push to Steal Taiwan's Chip Technology and Talent Raises Security Alarms

Taiwans National Security Bureau has raised serious concerns about Beijings escalating efforts to infiltrate the islands world-class semiconductor industry. According to a report submitted to Taiwanese lawmakers, China is...

Apple's Foldable iPhone Faces Engineering Setbacks, Mass Production Timeline at Risk

Apples highly anticipated foldable iPhone is running into significant engineering hurdles during its test phase, raising concerns about potential delays in both mass production and product shipments, according to a report...

Britain Courts Anthropic Amid US Defense Department Dispute

The United Kingdom is actively working to attract Anthropic, the company behind the popular Claude AI app, to expand its footprint in the country. This diplomatic push comes as Anthropic finds itself in the middle of a...