Editing Abolition of monarchy (section)

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The '''abolition of monarchy''' is a legislative or revolutionary movement to abolish [[monarchy|monarchical]] elements in government, usually hereditary. The abolition of an [[absolute monarchy]] in favour of [[limited government]] under a [[constitutional monarchy]] is a less radical form of anti-[[monarchism]] that has succeeded in some nations that still retain monarchs, such as Sweden, Spain, and Thailand.

Abolition has been carried out in various ways, including via [[abdication]] leading to the extinction of the monarchy, legislative reform, [[revolution]], [[coup d'état]], and [[decolonisation]]. Abolition became more frequent in the 20th century, with the number of monarchies in [[Europe]] falling from 22 to 12 between 1914 and 2015, and the number of [[republic]]s rising from 4 to 34. Decolonisation and independence have resulted in an abolition of monarchies in a number of former colonies such as those created by the United Kingdom.

Motivations for abolition include [[egalitarianism]] and anti-[[social class|class]] views, eliminating a rival system potentially opposed to another incoming system (as had occurred in [[Romania]] in 1947), opposition to undemocratic and hereditary institutions, perception of monarchy as anachronistic or outdated, and opposition to a particular monarch or [[dynasty]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/royal-family-abolish-wedding-queen-monarchy-sexist-institution-why-meghan-markle-a8357266.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180519163012/https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/royal-family-abolish-wedding-queen-monarchy-sexist-institution-why-meghan-markle-a8357266.html |archive-date=2018-05-19 |url-access=limited |url-status=live|newspaper=The Independent|date=19 May 2018|title=We need to abolish the monarchy – because it's not fair on anyone, including the royals|access-date=12 January 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/may/08/monarchy-is-corrupt-bring-down-house-of-windsor-royal-wedding|work=The Guardian|date=9 May 2018|title='Essentially, the monarchy is corrupt' – will republicanism survive Harry and Meghan?|access-date=12 January 2020}}</ref> In many colonies and former colonies, abolishing the influence of the monarchy of a colonising state is considered part of decolonisation. In many [[Commonwealth realms]], the monarchy may be viewed as a foreign institution running counter to the [[national identity]] or [[Sovereignty#Nation-states|national sovereignty]].

In the 21st century, some countries that are monarchies have significant [[republicanism|republican]] movements, such as [[Republicanism in Spain|Spain]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://qz.com/1281030/royal-families-the-countries-that-most-want-to-abolish-the-monarchy/|publisher=QZ|date=18 May 2018|title=Royal families: The countries that feel the strongest about abolishing their monarchies|access-date=12 January 2020}}</ref> and [[Republicanism in Australia|Australia]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dhakatribune.com/uncategorized/2020/01/11/does-the-monarchy-have-a-future|publisher=Dhaka Tribune|date=11 January 2020|title=Does the monarchy have a future?|access-date=12 January 2020}}</ref> Since the beginning of the 20th century, restorations of monarchies have been comparatively rare. Examples are the [[monarchy of Spain]], which since [[1947 Spanish law of succession referendum|1947]] had been nominally [[Francoist Spain|a regency with a vacant throne]] but the [[Spanish Bourbons|Bourbon dynasty]] was restored in 1975; the reinstatement in 1991 of the Emir of [[Kuwait]] following abolition in 1990 and the [[Gulf War]]; and a 1993 transition of [[Cambodia]] from a [[People's Republic of Kampuchea|Marxist-Leninist republic]] to an [[elective monarchy]].