A common tactic of English Kings was to detain opposition members of parliment to keep them from supporting a bill the King didn't like or opposing a bill that he did. IIRC the tactic was used against members of Colonial governments in the run up to the Revolutionary War and was, I believe, one of the complaints leveled against King George (it's only possible to infer this practice from the list of injuries in the Declaration of Independene).
Surely though now in 2006 time has come for a change after here in Britain the political system as was then bears no resemblance to now. Our royal family not only having no say in the actual policy of our government but it is frowned upon them making any form of political point or statement.