After a marathon six-hour debate among EU leaders in Brussels, Theresa May was offered a “flexible extension” to Brexit this week. The new deadline – October 31 – effectively took the prospect of the UK leaving the bloc without a deal off the table. European Council President Donald Tusk admitted the extension is shorter than he expected but added it can be ended early if Britain passes its withdrawal agreement.

However, the EU chief also emphasised the UK could decide to cancel Brexit altogether.

He added: “Britain can also reconsider the whole Brexit strategy. Until the end of this period, the UK will also have the possibility to revoke Article 50 and cancel Brexit altogether.”

As a withdrawal agreement is still being wrangled over in Westminster, in a newly-resurfaced book, veteran left-winger Tony Benn explained how dangerous Brussels has become for the monarchy since the Lisbon Treaty was ratified by member states.

The Treaty, which was signed in 2007 and came into force on December 1, 2009, included prominent changes such as a more powerful European Parliament and the creation of a long-term President of the European Council.

In 2009 book “Letters To My Grandchildren”, Mr Benn explained the impact of such changes on the Royal Family before they took effect.

He said: “One ironic aspect of the Lisbon Treaty is the impact it would have on the monarchy (to whom all MPs and privy counsellors have to swear an oath of allegiance before they can take up their position).

“In law, everyone, young and old, is a subject of the Queen: but our membership of the EU makes us all citizens of the Union and that includes the Queen herself, who has the right to vote in European elections, though I doubt she has ever exercised that right.

“And if, under the Lisbon Treaty, the EU were to elect a president, then he or she will be the titular head of a Union within which the Queen is a citizen and she, like all of us, will be expected to recognise the supremacy of that president in all matters affecting Europe.

“The European Union is planning to elect a president who would in effect become more senior than the British monarch.”

Mr Benn also noted that if a British national was elected in that capacity and met the Queen at Buckingham Place “he would not be a subject talking to his sovereign but a president talking to one of his citizens.”

The Labour Party icon added that this would be the case even if, as a Privy Counsellor, he or she had taken the oath: “You will to your uttermost bear faith and allegiance unto the Queen’s Majesty; and will assist and defend all jurisdictions, pre-eminences and authorities, granted to Her Majesty and annexed to the Crown by Act of Parliament, States and Potentates and generally in all things you will do as a faithful and true servant ought to do to Her Majesty.”

However, Professor of Constitutional Law at King’s College London Robert Blackburn, argued against Mr Benn’s claims.

Speaking to Express.co.uk this week, he noted that this would not spark a constitutional crisis, as “the customary ceremonies and oaths accompanying membership of the Privy Council and diplomatic meetings with the Queen are simply matters of etiquette”.

Tony Benn was a towering figure in British politics and was one of the most prominent eurosceptics in the Labour Party.

He campaigned strongly against Britain remaining in the European Economic Community during the 1975 referendum campaign.

Despite the country overwhelmingly endorsing continued membership of the common market, Mr Benn continued his fight against the bloc for 40 years.

He died on March 14, 2014.

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