Constitutional monarchy

A constitutional monarchy is a type of government where a king, queen, or other monarch rules, but their power is limited by a constitution. Unlike an absolute monarchy, where the monarch has total control, a constitutional monarch must follow rules set by laws and often works closely with elected leaders. The monarch usually serves as a symbol of national unity and continuity for the country.

The amount of power a constitutional monarch has can vary greatly from one country to another. In some places, the monarch acts mainly as a figurehead with little real decision-making ability. In other countries, the monarch may have important powers, such as the ability to veto power laws, appoint officials, or dissolve parliament.

Examples of constitutional monarchies include Liechtenstein, Monaco, Morocco, Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Bhutan, the United Kingdom, and many others like the Netherlands, Spain, Denmark, and Japan. Some constitutional monarchies, such as Malaysia and Cambodia, choose their rulers through special groups called electoral college rather than through inheritance.

History

The oldest constitutional monarchy dates back to ancient times with the Hittites, an ancient Anatolian people living during the Bronze Age. Their king shared power with an assembly called the Panku, similar to a modern legislature. Members of the Panku came from noble families representing their people.

Later, around 548 BC, Herodotus described how Demonax created a constitutional monarchy for King Battus III the Lame of Cyrene when Cyrenaica became unstable.

Constitutional and absolute monarchy

England, Scotland and the United Kingdom

In the Kingdom of England, the Glorious Revolution of 1688 strengthened constitutional monarchy through laws like the Bill of Rights 1689 and the Act of Settlement 1701. The first constitution was the Magna Carta of 1215. In Scotland, the Convention of Estates passed the Claim of Right Act 1689, placing similar limits on the monarchy.

Queen Anne was the last monarch to block a law passed by Parliament in 1708. Later monarchs still influenced government decisions. For example, King George III often blocked policies related to Catholic Emancipation, leading to the resignation of William Pitt the Younger as prime minister in 1801. Over time, the monarch’s role in choosing the prime minister decreased.

King William IV was the last monarch to dismiss a prime minister in 1834. Queen Victoria was the last to hold real power, but her influence lessened during her reign. By the end, she could not stop unpopular leaders from becoming prime minister, though she still had some influence in appointments. Today, the British monarch’s role is mostly symbolic. British Parliament and the Government hold the real power, led by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. The monarch must follow the advice of the government and cannot make major decisions alone.

No one can hold an important government position without promising to support the monarch. The monarch usually follows the government’s advice but has a few special powers in very rare situations.

Continental Europe

Poland created the first constitution for a monarchy in Europe in 1791. Constitutional monarchy also appeared briefly during the French Revolution and later became more common. Napoleon Bonaparte was one of the first rulers to see himself as representing the nation, not just as a ruler chosen by God. This idea influenced constitutional monarchies in Europe and Japan.

German philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel supported the idea of a constitutional monarch with limited powers in his book Elements of the Philosophy of Right in 1820. His ideas matched the views of many people at the time.

Executive monarchy versus ceremonial monarchy

There are two main types of constitutional monarchies today: executive and ceremonial. In executive monarchies, the monarch has some real power, like choosing or removing government leaders. In ceremonial monarchies, the monarch has little to no real power but still has an important role in society and culture.

For example, in Liechtenstein and Monaco, the rulers have some power, but not as much as absolute monarchs. They are still seen as democratic countries.

Modern constitutional monarchy

Originally, constitutional monarchs had real power, even if limited by laws and parliaments. Over time, especially in the United Kingdom, the monarch’s role became mostly symbolic, with real power held by elected leaders and parliaments.

Many European countries and nations in the Commonwealth follow this model. In some countries, like Japan and Sweden, the monarch no longer even has a formal role as the head of government.

Today, most constitutional monarchies are in Western Europe, like the United Kingdom, Spain, and Netherlands. The two largest are in Asia: Japan and Thailand. In these countries, the prime minister runs the government, while the monarch has some remaining powers.

In nearly all constitutional monarchies, the monarch is the official head of state but must follow the advice of the government. However, a few, like Japan and Sweden, have changed their rules so the monarch is not even the official head of government.

There are fifteen countries where Charles III is the monarch, known as Commonwealth realms. In these countries, the monarch and their representatives have special powers they can use in very serious situations to protect the government.

In Thailand, the monarch is also the leader of the military and the main supporter of the Buddhist religion. The previous king, Bhumibol Adulyadej, was very respected and helped solve political problems.

In the United Kingdom, there is often debate about when the monarch should act. The monarch has the power to block laws, but this has not been used since 1708. British writer Walter Bagehot said a constitutional monarch should be consulted, give encouragement, and give warnings. Some experts believe the monarch should sometimes step in to stop wrong decisions by leaders.

List of current constitutional monarchies

For a more comprehensive list, see List of current monarchies.

There are currently 43 monarchies worldwide.

Ceremonial constitutional monarchies

Executive constitutional monarchies

Former constitutional monarchies

Many countries once had rulers who shared power with their people under a special set of rules called a constitution. These are called constitutional monarchies.

Here are some examples:

• The Kingdom of Afghanistan was a constitutional monarchy under Mohammad Zahir Shah from 1964 to 1973.
• The Hashemite Kingdom of Iraq was a constitutional monarchy until 1958.
• The Anglo-Corsican Kingdom existed for a short time in the history of Corsica (1794–1796) when the island sought protection from Great Britain.
• Barbados was a constitutional monarchy from 1966 until 2021, when it became a republic.
• Brazil was a constitutional monarchy from 1822 to 1889.
• The Tsardom of Bulgaria ended its constitutional monarchy in 1946.
• Many republics in the Commonwealth of Nations were constitutional monarchies after gaining independence, including South Africa, Sri Lanka, Fiji, Gambia, Ghana, Guyana, Mauritius, and Trinidad and Tobago.
• Egypt had a constitutional system from the 1860s until 1952.
• The Grand Duchy of Finland was a constitutional monarchy even though its ruler was also the ruler of Russia.
• France had several periods as a constitutional monarchy during the 19th century.
• The German Empire was a constitutional monarchy from 1871 to 1918.
• Greece ended its constitutional monarchy in 1973.
• Hawaii became a constitutional monarchy in 1840 but was overthrown in 1893.
• The Kingdom of Hungary was a constitutional monarchy at times between 1848 and 1944.
• Iceland was a constitutional monarchy under Denmark until it became a republic in 1944.
• India was a constitutional monarchy briefly after independence in 1947 until 1950.
• Iran was a constitutional monarchy under Mohammad Reza Pahlavi from 1906 until 1979.
• The Kingdom of Italy ended its monarchy in 1946.
• The Kingdom of Laos was a constitutional monarchy until 1975.
• Malta was a constitutional monarchy from 1964 to 1974.
• Mexico had two periods as an empire, including a constitutional monarchy under Maximilian of Austria from 1864 to 1867.
• Montenegro ended its monarchy in 1918.
• Nepal was a constitutional monarchy until 2008.
• Nigeria was a constitutional monarchy from 1960 to 1963.
• The Ottoman Empire had constitutional periods in 1876–1878 and 1908–1922.
• Pakistan was a constitutional monarchy from 1947 to 1956.
• The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth had elements of a constitutional monarchy from 1569 to 1795.
• Portugal was a constitutional monarchy from 1822 to 1828 and again from 1834 to 1910.
• The Kingdom of Romania was a constitutional monarchy until 1947.
• The Kingdom of Serbia was a constitutional monarchy from 1882 to 1918.
• Taiwan was part of Japan and had a constitutional system from 1895 to 1945.
• Trinidad and Tobago was a constitutional monarchy from 1962 to 1976.
• Yugoslavia had constitutional monarchy periods from 1918 to 1929 and 1931 to 1945.
• Vietnam was a semi-constitutional monarchy from 1949 to 1955 under Bảo Đại.

Other variants of constitutional monarchies

Andorra is special because it has two leaders called co-princes: the bishop of Urgell and the president of France. Andorra, Monaco, and Liechtenstein are the only countries where princes are the rulers.

Belgium has a unique kind of monarchy where the king is officially called the "King of the Belgians" instead of "King of Belgium." This idea came from an old document called the Charter of 1830.

Japan is the only country that still has an emperor. Luxembourg is the only country with a grand duke as its ruler.

Malaysia has a special system where the King of Malaysia is chosen from among nine state rulers. Each of these rulers is also a monarch in their own state.

In Papua New Guinea, the people chose to have a monarch as their head of state, but real power comes from the people and their elected leaders.

Spain has a constitution that says the monarch is the head of state, but real power belongs to the Spanish people. The United Arab Emirates is made up of seven emirates, each ruled by its own monarch, and one of them is chosen to be the president of the whole country.