>> Firstly, the Monarch has no power to direct Parliament to do anything <<
When the Sovereign expresses an opinion (which she is gravely loathe to do), it has great political sway. In fact, there is no legal position as “Prime Minister” at all. Rather, the Prime Minister is nothing other than the person whom the sovereign wishes to represent her in Parliament.
>> There is no legal impediment to a Catholic becoming Prime Minister. <<
I cited the very law which proves you don’t know what the hell you are talking about.
SUCCESSION TO THE CROWN ACT OF 2013.
“A person is not disqualified from succeeding to the Crown or from possessing it as a result of marrying a person of the Roman Catholic faith.”
AMENDS ACT OF SETTLEMENT OF 1703:
“ that all and every person and persons that then were, or afterwards should be reconciled to, or shall hold communion with the see or Church of Rome, or should profess the popish religion, or marry a papist, should be excluded, and are by that Act made for ever incapable to inherit, possess, or enjoy the Crown and government of this realm, and Ireland, and the dominions thereunto belonging, or any part of the same, or to have, use, or exercise any regal power, authority, or jurisdiction within the same: and in all and every such case and cases the people of these realms shall be and are thereby absolved of their allegiance: and that the said Crown and government shall from time to time descend to and be enjoyed by such person or persons, being Protestants, as should have inherited and enjoyed the same, in case the said person or persons, so reconciled, holding communion, professing or marrying, as aforesaid, were naturally dead.”
Lest you think some intervening Act gave rights to Catholics:
“The Bill of Rights 1689 and the Act of Settlement 1701, restrict succession to the throne to the legitimate Protestant descendants of Sophia of Hanover that are in ‘communion with the Church of England.’ [1] Spouses of Roman Catholics were disqualified from 1689 until the law was amended in 2015. Protestant descendants of those excluded for being Roman Catholics are eligible”
“It’s a gross distortion to describe the Gorsedd as ‘pagan worship’. Silly, yes, faux-antique, yes, but ‘pagan worship’ - no.”
That a clergyman would participate in a ceremony designed to appear pagan, and dedicated, even in jest, to demon-gods is outrageous. It declares to the world, “Fear of the worship of demon-gods is ridiculous! Look at me, a Christian priest: even I join in such pagan rites!”
I made it perfectly clear, I hope, that there is indeed still a prohibition on a Catholic becoming King or Queen.
That does not, however, apply to the office of Prime Minister, which didn’t exist at the time the Act of Settlement was adopted. You appear to be unaware of the provisions of the Catholic Emancipation Act of 1829, which removed the restriction on Catholics holding any public office except that of Lord Chancellor. That exception was removed during Margaret Thatcher’s government.
Had Ian Duncan Smith, a Catholic, remained leader of the Conservative Party, and had gone on to win the 2001 General Election, there would thus have been no impediment to his becoming PM. Had the Catholic Emancipaton Act not been in force, he would never have been elected party leader.
Incidentally, there have been Prime Ministers who have belonged to various Protestant denominatons other than the CoE (Presbyterian, Methodist, Congregationalist). And of course we had a Jewish Prime Minister as long ago as 1868. (Although Disraeli had nominally converted and joiuned the CoE, it now seems to be accepted by istorians that everybody at the time understood and accepted that this was for convenience only). And had Labour won the 2015 election, there would have been a second Jewish PM - Ed Milliband.