monarchy

Learning objectives

By the end of this lesson, you should be able to;

• Define monarchy
• Describe characteristics and roles of monarchies
• Describe types of monarchy
• Describe countries with a monarchy system of government

Monarchy refers to a form of government where a person called the monarch, is the head of state for life or until death. The succession of monarchs is mainly hereditary. This means that it is passed from parent to children. However, elective monarchies are also present today.

Monarchs can have different titles like emperor, king, queen, empress, tsar, khan, raja, pharaoh, shah, or sultan.

Up until the 20^th century, monarchies were the most common form of government. After this period, many monarchies were replaced by republics. Today, more than 40 sovereign nations have a monarch. This includes 15 commonwealth realms that have King Charles the third as their head of state. Most of the modern monarchies are constitutional and retain only ceremonial roles for the monarch. The monarch in such systems has limited political power.

Characteristics and roles of monarchies

Monarchies are mainly associated with hereditary reign. In this system, monarchs reign for life and their power and responsibilities pass to their child or a member of their family in case of death. When this continues for many generations, it is called a dynasty. Most monarchs in history have been male but female monarchs have also reigned. A female ruling monarch is called queen regnant, and the wife of a reigning king is called queen consort.

The main advantage of hereditary monarchy is immediate continuity of leadership.

Not all monarchies are hereditary. In elective monarchy, monarchs are appointed or elected by an electoral college and it may be for life or for a defined period. Examples of elective monarchies include Malaysia, Cambodia, and the United Arab Emirates.

A self-proclaimed monarchy may be established when a person without any historical ties to the previous dynasty claims the monarchy. Examples include; Napoleon of France, president Jean Bokassa of the Central African Republic, and Yuan Shikai of the Republic of China.

Types of monarchy

• Hereditary monarchy. This is a type of monarchy where the title is handed down via bloodlines. For example, when a king dies, the throne is passed down to their eldest child. However, in the case where there is no child, the throne might go to a brother or cousin.
• Elective monarchy. This is a type of monarchy where the title is passed down to an elected official by a small group of elites. For example, the Pope of the Vatican is elected by the College of Cardinals.

Monarchy can also be classified on the basis of the level of control that a monarch has.

• Absolute monarchy. This is a type of monarchy where the monarch enjoys absolute powers. The word of the monarch is law, and the people have no say. An example of absolute monarchy today is Saudi Arabia. The government follows the basic law of Saudi Arabia but it does not have a constitution. The government’s executive powers are hereditary and the legislative and judicial branches are appointed by the royal decree. All those appointed by the monarch can only be dismissed by the monarch.
• Constitutional monarchy. It is also called limited monarchy. It has a written constitution and a central government body such as parliament. In this type of government, the monarch does not have unlimited powers. Often, the monarch is a figurehead and the government is run by a prime minister or by parliament. Examples include Sweden and Great Britain.

Monarchy countries

Constitutional monarchies; Bahrain, Belgium, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, Denmark, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Monaco, Morocco, Norway, Samoa, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Netherlands, Tonga, United Arab Emirates, and United Kingdom.

Absolute monarchies; Brunei, eSwatini, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Vatican City.

Role of monarch

Absolute monarchy is sometimes related to religious aspects. Many monarchs have claimed to be divine kings. Therefore, most monarchs have served as religious leaders and have offered religious guidance.

The monarch is head of state. As the head of the state, the monarch may be tasked with activities like appointing leaders and assenting bills.

The monarch is head of the nation. As such, the monarch is expected to act as a symbol of national unity, pride, and identity. This gives a country or state a sense of stability and continuity.

Summary

We've learned that;

• Monarchy is a form of government where a person called the monarch, is the head of state for life or until death.
• The succession of monarchs is mainly hereditary.
• Some monarchies are not hereditary.
• In absolute monarchy, the monarch enjoys unlimited powers (absolute) while in constitutional monarchy, the powers of the monarch are limited.