Robin Oakley is a former political editor for the BBC and The Times. He was CNN's European Political Editor between 2000 and 2008.

London (CNN) Theresa May is taking a lead from a frequently divorced former monarch in preparing the way for life after the Brexit break-up.

In order to deal with tens of thousands of EU laws, regulations, treaties and directives that must be incorporated into UK law on Brexit Day, the British government wants to invoke controversial powers that date back 500 years to the time of King Henry VIII.

The so-called "Henry VIII clauses" in the Great Repeal Bill, plans for which were published on Thursday , will give ministers and civil servants sweeping authority to comb through the vast EU legislative soup and decide which bits to keep, which to amend, and which to repeal in their entirety. Crucially, ministers can wave the decisions through without recourse to the House of Commons.

King Henry VIII by Hans Holbein at Tate Britain. He was not to be crossed.

The government argues the powers are needed in order to get the job done in a limited time and avoid legal chaos on the day Britain leaves the EU. But opposition politicians fear a power grab.

These arcane British parliamentary procedures date back to the 16th century. In 1539, King Henry VIII, not a man it was easy to cross, published a Statute of Proclamations, which gave his decisions and commands the same legal status as legislative acts passed by Parliament. Since then, governments have on rare occasions used Henry VIII clauses to repeal or amend legislation by a "secondary act" which involves little or no Parliamentary scrutiny.

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