We explain what a monarchy is, its origin, types, and countries with monarchies today. Also, the differences with a republic. Please read other MTV articles for more information. If you share it, it will be of little help to us.
What is a monarchy?
A monarchy is a form of government in which political power rests with one person, the monarch, who serves as head of state for life or until his or her abdication.
The word comes from the Greek monárkhes, which derives, in turn, from mónos (“one”) and árkho (“to command,” “to govern”).
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In most monarchies, succession is hereditary, meaning that political power remains in the hands of one family over several generations, which constitute dynasties. However, monarchies can also be elective or self-proclaimed.
Monarchs are usually called kings or queens, although they also bear other titles, such as emperor, tsar (in Russian), kaiser (in German), caliph, emir or sultan (in Arabic), rajah (in Malay), or tlatoani (in Nahuatl). The title of prince, which in European monarchies is usually used by the monarch’s heir, is also the title of the sovereign in some monarchies that are not considered kingdoms (such as the Principality of Monaco).
In ancient times, it was thought that monarchs were appointed by God to rule, or even that they themselves were gods (like the pharaohs of Ancient Egypt), and therefore their will was sacred. But in modern versions of monarchy, kings must generally coexist with a democratic apparatus. Therefore, their powers are subject to checks and balances, and are enshrined in the national constitution.
In most contemporary Western monarchies, the monarch performs rather representative functions, and the exercise of leadership falls to prime ministers or presidents elected according to popular will.
Characteristics of Monarchy
In general terms, monarchy is distinguished by the following characteristics:
- Power is personal: Power is exercised by a single person without vicars or intermediaries. However, diarchies, triarchies, and tetrarchies have existed, as well as regencies (in the latter, government was temporarily exercised by a person replacing the monarch).
- The monarch holds office for life: The office is held for life or until abdication.
- The monarchical office is hereditary: The office is passed down between two relatives of the same family, usually from father to son. Historically, sons have had priority over women in the line of succession to the throne. Although elective monarchies (such as the papacy) exist, the monarch is always appointed within a small group that administers power (i.e., it is not a democracy).
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Origin of the Monarchy
Monarchy is one of the oldest forms of government. Its predecessors were chiefdoms or chieftaincies, which emerged after humanity adopted a sedentary lifestyle in the Neolithic period, thanks to the invention of agriculture. It was a type of sociopolitical organization, proto-state in nature, in which authority and power were centralized in a person or group of people.
Monarchies emerged with the first civilizations, around 3000 BC, in Mesopotamia, Egypt, and the Indus Valley. They consisted of religious governments, in which the monarch was simultaneously god, priest, and military leader.
Among the Jews, the establishment of the monarchy occurred in the 11th century BC. The strong monotheism of this people prevented the deification of the monarch, as occurred elsewhere.
In Greece, the monarchy, present in Mycenaean culture, was replaced beginning in the 8th century BC by aristocratic and democratic forms of government, only to be reestablished under the Empire of Philip of Macedon and his son Alexander in the 4th century BC.
The monarchy was the primary form of government in Rome, from its founding in 753 BC until the establishment of the Republic in 509 BC. Subsequently, after the assassination of Julius Caesar and the rise to power of his son Augustus in the 1st century BC, the monarchy once again became the system of government in Rome, now an empire. The Roman emperors enjoyed much greater power than the ancient kings.
The Western Roman Empire fell in 476 AD (the Eastern Roman Empire lasted until 1453). However, the Roman monarchy was the model under which many barbarian peoples were organized, and monarchy was the primary form of government in Europe until the 18th century.
Beyond Europe, there were many other monarchies throughout the world, such as the caliphates, the Seljuk, Ottoman, Japanese, and Mongol empires, and the various imperial Chinese dynasties. Each of these was dominated by a monarch who exercised power more or less absolutely until 1453 AD.
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Types of Monarchy
Depending on the degree of power held by the monarch and the existence of other political institutions in the state, the following types of monarchies can be distinguished:
Absolute Monarchy
In an absolute monarchy, power rests entirely in the hands of the monarch, with no division of powers. The king exercises his authority unchallenged (his will is the law), often invoking religious arguments. In the past, absolute monarchy was the predominant form of government. In Europe, it declined after the French Revolution. It is currently in effect in Brunei, Oman, Saudi Arabia, the emirates comprising the United Arab Emirates, and Vatican City.
Constitutional Monarchy
In cases where absolute monarchical power is more difficult to sustain, many kings coexist with other political powers and cede some of their royal power. National sovereignty passes from the king to the people, and although the monarch remains the head of state, his power is limited by a constitution. This is currently the form of government in Morocco, Jordan, and Kuwait, among other countries.
Parliamentary Monarchy
Unlike constitutional monarchy, in which the monarch exercises executive power, in this type of monarchy the head of government resides in a prime minister appointed by the legislative branch. The monarch remains the head of state, but his power is more symbolic than real: “the king reigns, but he does not govern.” Any royal decision must be approved by parliament, and life under this regime adheres to the principles of separation of powers and democracy. Most modern Western monarchies are parliamentary.
Hybrid Monarchy
This last category includes regimes that are intermediate between absolute and constitutional monarchies, in which the king cedes some of his functions and powers to a relatively autonomous government, but without losing his influence within the state. This is common in principalities or irregular forms of monarchy, such as the principalities of Monaco and Liechtenstein in Europe.
Monarchies are also distinguished by the method of appointing the monarch. In this case, two types of monarchies are distinguished:
Hereditary Monarchy
In this type of monarchy, the position of monarch is inherited according to an order of succession established by law or custom. Typically, the heir to the throne belongs to a royal family, part of a lineage or dynasty. The eldest son of the monarch is usually first in the line of succession. Historically, men have been favored over women, who, in some monarchies, have even been excluded from the succession altogether. Currently, several European monarchies, such as Sweden and the United Kingdom, have established parity in the line of succession between the eldest son and daughter.
Elective Monarchy
In this type of monarchy, the monarch is designated or elected by someone, usually a small aristocratic group, which thus constitutes an electoral college. The monarch can be elected for a fixed term or for life. The best-known example of an elective monarchy was the Holy Roman Emperors, who were elected by the elector princes. A modern example of an elective monarchy is Vatican City, whose ruler, the Pope, is elected by the College of Cardinals.
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Monarchy and Republic
A monarchy, as a form of government, is the opposite of a republic. A republic is a system in which the state is governed by a group of people, acting on behalf of the citizens. It is based on the principle that power resides in the people.
In a republic, authorities are appointed by popular vote (in the case of democratic republics) or by other systems of appointment that are not related to blood nobility or divine right. This does not prevent forms of authoritarianism from occurring in a republic, as is the case in Islamic republics or some socialist republics.
However, in republics, ideally, all political power is counterbalanced by the separation and autonomy of the public branches of the State: an executive branch, a legislative branch, and a judicial branch, each of which limits the decisions of the remaining branches according to its specific powers.
Monarchy in Mexico
Throughout Mexico’s history, there were periods when the government was organized under some form of monarchy.
In the pre-Hispanic period, the monarchy was the system of government of the Aztec Empire, or Empire of the Triple Alliance. The monarch received the title of huey tlatoani (“great ruler” in Nahuatl) and was elected from among the descendants of Ācamāpīchtli, the first huey tlatoani, by a council made up of members of the nobility.
- Following the Spanish conquest in the 16th century, Mexico became part of the Spanish Empire and subject to the authority of the King of Spain, who wielded absolute power over all the empire’s territories and its inhabitants.
- After independence from Spain in 1521, Mexico adopted a monarchical regime. Agustín de Iturbide, leader of the Army of the Three Guarantees, was named monarch of the nascent Mexican Empire. Iturbide, who took the title of Agustín I, was crowned on July 21, 1822. The Congress that had appointed him established a hereditary and constitutional monarchy. However, shortly after assuming office, Iturbide dissolved Congress and replaced it with a Junta with legislative powers. In 1823, a rebellion led by General Antonio López de Santa Anna overthrew Iturbide and ended the First Mexican Empire.
- In 1863, during the second French intervention in Mexico, a monarchy was reestablished, known as the Second Mexican Empire. Archduke Maximilian of Habsburg, brother of the Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph I, was elected to the throne. He adopted the name Maximilian I. Although the Second Empire was created as a constitutional monarchy, the Constitution that was to govern it was never sanctioned. The Second Empire ended in 1867 with the defeat of French troops by the liberal republicans, led by Benito Juárez.
Countries with Monarchies
Currently (2022), monarchies in their various forms are the system of government of the following countries:
In Europe
- Kingdom of Belgium (ruled by Philip Leopold Louis Marie)
- Kingdom of Denmark (ruled by Margaret II)
- Kingdom of Spain (ruled by Philip VI)
- Kingdom of Norway (ruled by Harald V)
- Kingdom of the Netherlands (ruled by Willem-Alexander)
- Kingdom of Sweden (ruled by Carl XVI Gustaf)
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (ruled by Elizabeth II)
- Principality of Liechtenstein (ruled by John Adam II)
- Principality of Monaco (ruled by Albert II)
- Principality of Andorra (ruled by Co-Princesses Joan-Enric Vives and Emmanuel Macron)
- Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (ruled by Henri de Nassau-Weilburg and Bourbon-Parma)
In Asia and the Middle East
- Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (ruled by Salman bin Abdulaziz)
- Kingdom of Bahrain (ruled by Hamad II)
- State of Brunei Darussalam (ruled by Hassanal Bolkiah)
- Kingdom of Bhutan (ruled by Jigme Khesar Namgyel)
- Kingdom of Cambodia (ruled by Nodorom Sihamoni)
- State of Qatar (ruled by Tamim bin Hamad Al Zani)
- United Arab Emirates (ruled by Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in Dubai and Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahayan in Abu Dhabi)
- State of Japan (ruled by Naruhito Shinno)
- Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (ruled by Abdullah II)
- State of Kuwait (ruled by Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah)
- State of Malaysia (ruled by Yang di Pertuan Agong Abdullah)
- Sultanate of Oman (ruled by Haitham ibn Tariq Al Said)
- Kingdom of Thailand (ruled by Rama X)
In Africa
- Kingdom of Eswatini (ruled by Mswati III)
- Kingdom of Lesotho (ruled by Letsie III)
- Kingdom of Morocco (ruled by Mohammed VI)
In Oceania
- Independent Kingdom of Samoa (ruled by Sualawi II)
- Kingdom of Tonga (ruled by Tupou VI)
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References
All the information we offer is supported by authoritative and up-to-date bibliographic sources, ensuring reliable content in line with our editorial principles.
- Monarchy on Wikipedia.
- Monarchy on Wikipedia.
- What Is a Monarchy? on ToughtCo.
- Monarchy (government) on Britannica.
- Monarchy History on The International Commission & Association on Nobility (TICAN).
- Monarchy Definition, Concept, Origin, Types – concepto.de
