According to reports, Thursday's UK election is the first since King Charles III ascended to the throne. So can the reigning monarch and senior members of the royal family vote in the election? In fact, they are allowed to vote but they choose not to do so. Richard Fitzwilliams, a commentator on the UK royal family, said that the monarch and members of the royal family would choose to abstain from voting, 'any other course would be unconstitutional.' Robert Hazell, a professor of government and constitution at University College London, also pointed out that 'as a matter of convention,' senior members of the royal family including the monarch 'do not vote in order to remain politically neutral.' According to the official website of the UK royal family, the monarch should 'remain strictly neutral with respect to political matters,' even though they play a role in elections. To hold an election, the UK Prime Minister must request that the monarch dissolve parliament, and once the election results are out, the monarch will ask the new PM to form a government.