Constitutional monarchy facts for kids

Systems of government
Republican forms of government:      Presidential republics with an executive presidency separate from the legislature      Semi-presidential system with both an executive presidency and a separate head of government that leads the rest of the executive, who is appointed by the president and accountable to the legislature      Parliamentary republics with a ceremonial and non-executive president, where a separate head of government leads the executive and is dependent on the confidence of the legislature      Republics in which a combined head of state and government is elected by, or nominated by, the legislature and may or may not be subject to parliamentary confidence Monarchical forms of government:      Constitutional monarchies with a ceremonial and non-executive monarch, where a separate head of government leads the executive      Semi-constitutional monarchies with a ceremonial monarch, but where royalty still hold significant executive or legislative power      Absolute monarchies where the monarch leads the executive      One-party states (in principle republics)      Countries where constitutional provisions for government have been suspended      Countries which do not fit any of the above systems (e.g. provisional government or unclear political situations)

The three constitutional monarchs of the Scandinavian kingdoms of Sweden, Norway and Denmark gathered in November 1917 in Oslo.
From left to right: Gustaf V, Haakon VII and Christian X.

A constitutional monarchy, also called a limited monarchy, parliamentary monarchy, or democratic monarchy, is a type of government with a royal leader. In this system, a monarch shares power with an elected government and follows a written set of laws. This legal framework is called a constitution. The sovereign cannot simply make up any rule they want. Instead, the monarch must follow the established legal system of the country. This system is very different from an absolute monarchy. In an absolute monarchy, a king, queen, or emperor holds total control over the entire nation. In a constitutional monarchy, leaders must follow specific legal rules. Today, the sovereign is often viewed as a symbol of national unity for their people.

The duties and actual influence of constitutional monarchs vary greatly from one country to another. In some nations, the royal sovereign has almost no day-to-day governing power. Instead, they serve primarily as a ceremonial head of state. This leader might be an emperor, king, queen, prince, or grand duke. In other countries, the ruler keeps meaningful authority. This can include formal duties such as signing bills into law or using a veto power. They may also hold the authority to appoint leaders or use the power to dissolve parliament for an election.

Some countries give their monarch significant day-to-day power under their national rules. Examples include Liechtenstein, Monaco, Morocco, Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Thailand, and Bhutan. In other nations, the ruler has far less personal discretion in how they govern. Such countries include the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth realms, along with the Netherlands, Spain, Luxembourg, Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Lesotho, Malaysia, Cambodia, and Japan. Many constitutional monarchies are strong democracies, while others are not.

A meeting in the Japanese privy council in 1946 led by Hirohito

Many countries known as Commonwealth realms share the same individual as a ceremonial hereditary monarch. They run their governments using the Westminster system of democracy. A couple of nations choose their monarch differently. For example, both Malaysia and Cambodia are elective monarchies. In these places, a council chooses the king for a set term.

Some political experts use the term semi-constitutional monarchy for nations where kings hold great authority. In those nations, a monarch works much like an elected president in a presidential or semi-presidential system. Many free nations limit royal power through custom rather than just written text. For example, the constitution of the United Kingdom gives formal power to the monarch, but in practice, elected leaders make the rules.

The Long History of Limited Monarchy

The earliest known kingdom with legal limits dates all the way back to the ancient Hittites. They were an ancient Anatolian people who thrived during the ancient Bronze Age. The Hittite ruler had to share authority with a special gathering called the Panku. This assembly worked much like a modern parliament or legislative body. Members of the Panku were noble representatives who watched over royal actions and helped maintain order across the land.

Centuries later, an ancient Greek historian named Herodotus wrote about another early constitutional system. He described how a wise lawmaker named Demonax established laws for King Battus III in the city of Cyrene. Around 548 BC, political problems swept across Cyrenaica. The lawmaker created new rules that divided public authority and limited the powers of the royal throne.

How Constitutional Monarchies Developed in Europe

England, Scotland, and the United Kingdom

In the old Kingdom of England, royal power changed dramatically after the Glorious Revolution of 1688. Historic laws like the Bill of Rights 1689 and the Act of Settlement 1701 strictly limited royal control. Long before that, the famous Magna Carta of 1215 had started placing basic limits on royal power. Meanwhile, in the Kingdom of Scotland, lawmakers approved the Claim of Right Act 1689 to establish similar restrictions on Scottish kings.

Queen Anne was the very last British sovereign to veto an act passed by parliament. On 11 March 1708, she chose to stop the proposed Scottish Militia Bill. Later Hanoverian rulers still tried to direct government affairs. For example, King George III repeatedly refused to support Catholic Emancipation. His stubborn stance eventually led to the sudden resignation of William Pitt the Younger as prime minister in 1801.

Over time, British monarchs lost their say in picking the chief minister. The Fox-North Coalition took office in April 1783 despite royal objections. This was the first time that George III was completely excluded from choosing government ministers. Later on, King William IV became the final monarch to remove a prime minister directly. In 1834, he dismissed Lord Melbourne when Melbourne chose Lord John Russell to lead parliament.

Queen Victoria was the last British sovereign to wield strong personal political power. During the famous Bedchamber crisis of 1839, she managed to keep Lord Melbourne in office against political wishes. However, by the end of her long reign, parliament held nearly all the control. She could not prevent the appointment of William Gladstone, whom she disliked. She could only influence a few appointments, such as picking Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman over Hugh Childers as War Secretary.

Today, the duties of the British royal family are almost entirely ceremonial. The elected British Parliament and the official Government run the country. The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom leads the government, using authority known as the royal prerogative. Official decisions are formally made in the name of the Crown.

Public officials in Britain must swear an official oath of allegiance to the King. Even though authority is technically in the monarch's name, unwritten customs guide everyday government. These traditional rules are called constitutional conventions. Under these customs, the monarch must always act on the formal advice of elected ministers.

Developments in Continental Europe

Across continental Europe, Poland established the first written constitution for a royal government with the Constitution of 3 May 1791. It was only the second written modern constitution in the world, following the groundbreaking Constitution of the United States. Limited monarchies also appeared during the French Revolution. A bit later, Napoleon Bonaparte became ruler and claimed to embody the entire nation rather than ruling through divine right.

A German thinker named Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel explored these new ideas in his book, Elements of the Philosophy of Right, published in 1820. He suggested that a monarch should stand as a steady symbol of the nation during crises, while elected officials ran daily affairs. Hegel's ideas helped shape political thought in Europe and later influenced the government of Japan.

How Modern Constitutional Monarchies Operate

Executive Monarchies versus Ceremonial Monarchies

Political scientists divide constitutional monarchies into two main forms: executive systems and ceremonial systems. In an executive monarchy, the king or prince holds substantial political influence. While their authority is not total, they can still hire and dismiss ministers. The ruler works alongside a collegial executive and may even have the power to dissolve the assembly.

By contrast, in a ceremonial monarchy, often described as a crowned republic, the monarch has very little direct political power. They participate in state ceremonies and inspire national unity, but leave government decisions to elected leaders. In 2011, Hereditary Prince Alois of Liechtenstein warned he might veto a new law, which surprised many because royal vetoes had not been used there for three decades.

The Role of the Monarch in Modern Democracies

Originally, a constitutional monarch was viewed as the true leader of the executive branch. Thinkers like Montesquieu wrote about dividing governmental powers so that no single ruler held complete control. Over the nineteenth century, democratic systems evolved. Today, an elected parliament and a cabinet run by a prime minister manage the laws of the country.

During the famous July Monarchy in France, the new ruler Louis-Philippe I took the title "King of the French" to show he served the people. In contrast, after the unification of Germany, leader Otto von Bismarck designed a different system under the Constitution of the German Empire. In that empire, the Kaiser kept enormous executive power, and the Imperial Chancellor did not answer to parliament. That imperial system collapsed at the end of the First World War.

Monarchies in other places faced similar reckonings. For a time, Fascist Italy operated with a king as head of state while real power rested with Benito Mussolini. Because the crown did not stop totalitarian rule, the Italian public voted to abolish the monarchy in 1946. After the Second World War, most remaining European royal houses embraced the peaceful British model of democratic monarchy.

A modern parliamentary democracy can be either a constitutional monarchy or an elected republic. In both systems, a head of state represents the nation, while a prime minister and cabinet lead the government. The government stays in office only while it keeps the support of Members of Parliament.

In countries like the United Kingdom, the crown retains a few unique legal protections:

• The royal prerogative, which lets ministers make certain decisions without waiting for parliament.
• Sovereign immunity, a rule stating the sovereign cannot be personally sued in court, because the responsible government takes legal responsibility.
• Special tax rules and legal exemptions that apply strictly to the reigning sovereign.

Today, more than a quarter of all constitutional monarchies are found in Western Europe. These include the United Kingdom, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, Denmark, Luxembourg, Monaco, Liechtenstein, and Sweden. The two constitutional monarchies with the largest populations are found in Asia: Japan and Thailand.

Day-to-day duties vary across these nations. In Denmark and Belgium, the monarch helps appoint a negotiator to assemble a coalition government after close elections. In Norway, the king chairs weekly meetings of the cabinet. In Japan and Sweden, modern laws clearly state that the monarch is purely a national symbol with no executive power.

Commonwealth Realms and Reserve Powers

Fifteen independent countries, known as Commonwealth realms, share King Charles III as their head of state. Because the king lives in Britain, a local representative called a Governor-General represents him in places like Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. These representatives hold emergency authorities called reserve powers to safeguard democracy.

A famous test of these emergency powers occurred during the 1975 Australian constitutional crisis. The Australian Senate refused to approve the national budget, creating a huge political deadlock. Prime Minister Gough Whitlam wanted to resolve the dispute with an election for half the Senate. Instead, the Governor-General dismissed Whitlam from office and appointed opposition leader Malcolm Fraser to replace him.

Fraser quickly passed the necessary spending bills. The Governor-General then called a special double dissolution election so citizens could vote for an entirely new parliament. Fraser's party won this vote by a wide margin. Whitlam's supporters argued that an unelected official should not dismiss an elected leader, which sparked debates over whether Australia should become a republic. Others felt the intervention proved the monarchy was a helpful check against political gridlock.

Royal Roles in Thailand and the United Kingdom

In Thailand, the king serves as Head of State, leader of the military forces, and defender of the faith. King Bhumibol Adulyadej became one of the longest-reigning monarchs in modern history before his death in October 2016. Bhumibol often acted as a calm mediator during political disagreements. In Thailand, strict laws against lèse majesté protect the royal family from public insult.

In Britain, political experts debate how active a royal ruler should ever be. If a monarch steps into politics, they risk appearing partisan, which hurts their role as a neutral symbol. A theorist named Walter Bagehot wrote in The English Constitution that a monarch has three key rights: the right to be consulted, the right to encourage, and the right to warn. The royal veto is now considered a lapsed power that is never used. Scholar Vernon Bogdanor described the constitutional monarch as a leader who reigns but does not rule. Some writers, including H. G. Wells, have even called these systems crowned republics because the people hold true power.

Complete List of Current Constitutional Monarchies

There are currently 43 monarchies across the globe.

Ceremonial Constitutional Monarchies

Executive Constitutional Monarchies

Former Constitutional Monarchies

Many countries have been constitutional monarchies at different points in their history:

• The Kingdom of Afghanistan was a constitutional monarchy from 1964 to 1973.
• The Hashemite Kingdom of Iraq was a constitutional monarchy until 1958.
• The Anglo-Corsican Kingdom (1794–1796) was an independent kingdom under George III with its own parliament.
• Barbados was a constitutional monarchy from 1966 until it became a republic in 2021.
• Brazil was an empire and constitutional monarchy from 1822 to 1889.
• The Tsardom of Bulgaria was a constitutional monarchy until 1946.
• Many republics in the Commonwealth of Nations were constitutional monarchies for a time after their independence, including South Africa (1910–1961), Sri Lanka (1948–1972), Fiji (1970–1987), Gambia (1965–1970), Ghana (1957–1960), Guyana (1966–1970), Mauritius (1968–1992), and Trinidad and Tobago (1962–1976).
• Egypt had a constitutional system from the 1860s until it became a republic in 1952, though it was under British influence for much of that time.
• The Grand Duchy of Finland was a constitutional monarchy, even though its ruler was also an absolute ruler in Russia.
• France was a constitutional monarchy several times between 1789 and the 19th century, including under the French Constitution of 1791 and later empires.
• The German Empire (1871–1918) was a constitutional monarchy.
• Greece was a constitutional monarchy until 1973.
• Hawaii transitioned from an absolute to a constitutional monarchy in 1840 until its overthrow in 1893.
• The Kingdom of Hungary was a constitutional monarchy at various times, including as part of Austria-Hungary.
• Iceland was a sovereign kingdom united with Denmark from 1918 until it became a republic in 1944.
• India was a constitutional monarchy from its independence in 1947 until it became a republic in 1950.
• Pahlavi Iran was a constitutional monarchy, established in 1906.
• Italy was a constitutional monarchy until 1946.
• The Kingdom of Laos was a constitutional monarchy until 1975.
• Malta was a constitutional monarchy from 1964 to 1974.
• Mexico was an empire and constitutional monarchy twice, from 1822–1823 and 1864–1867.
• Montenegro was a constitutional monarchy until 1918.
• Nepal was a constitutional monarchy until 2008.
• Nigeria was a constitutional monarchy from 1960 to 1963.
• The Ottoman Empire was a constitutional monarchy from 1876–1878 and again from 1908–1922.
• Pakistan was a constitutional monarchy from its independence in 1947 until it became a republic in 1956.
• The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (1569–1795) functioned like a constitutional monarchy, with an elected king and a parliament.
• Portugal was a constitutional monarchy from 1822 to 1828, and again from 1834 to 1910.
• Kingdom of Romania was a constitutional monarchy from 1881 to 1947.
• Kingdom of Serbia was a constitutional monarchy from 1882 to 1918.
• Yugoslavia was a constitutional monarchy from 1918 to 1945.
• Vietnam was a semi-constitutional monarchy from 1949 to 1955.

Other Unique Constitutional Monarchies

Some constitutional monarchies have very special features:

• Andorra is unique because it has two co-princes: the bishop of Urgell (in Spain) and the president of France.
• Andorra, Monaco, and Liechtenstein are the only countries today with reigning princes.
• Belgium is the only remaining "popular monarchy," meaning its king is titled King of the Belgians rather than King of Belgium, showing he rules over the people, not just the land.
• Japan is the only country in the world that still has an emperor.
• Luxembourg is the only country remaining with a grand duke.
• Malaysia is a federal country with an elective monarchy. The King of Malaysia is chosen from among nine state rulers, who are also constitutional monarchs in their own states.
• In Papua New Guinea, the people are considered to hold the main power, and the monarch acts as Head of State because the people requested it.
• In Spain, the Spanish Constitution states that "National Sovereignty belongs to the Spanish People, from whom all state powers emanate," meaning the people are the ultimate source of power, not the monarch.
• The United Arab Emirates is a federal country with an elective monarchy. Its President is chosen from among the rulers of the seven emirates, each of whom is a hereditary absolute monarch in their own emirate.

See also

In Spanish: Monarquía constitucional para niños