Editing Monarchy (section)

==Characteristics and role==
[[File:Allan Ramsay - King George III in coronation robes - Google Art Project.jpg|thumb|upright|[[George III|King George III of the United Kingdom]], [[Coronation Portrait of George III|coronation portrait]] by [[Allan Ramsay (artist)|Allan Ramsay]], 1762]]
Monarchies are associated with [[Hereditary monarchy|hereditary reign]], in which monarchs reign for life{{NoteTag|Malaysia is a special case. Malaysia's head of state, the [[Yang di-Pertuan Agong]] (often translated as "King"), is elected to serve a five-year term. However, he is elected from among the federation's subnational monarchies, each of whom inherit their position and rule for life.}} and the responsibilities and power of the position pass to their child or another member of their family when they die. Most monarchs, both historically and in the modern-day, have been born and brought up within a [[royal family]], the centre of the [[royal household]] and [[Royal court|court]]. Growing up in a royal family (called a [[dynasty]] when it continues for several [[generation]]s), [[heir apparent|future monarchs]] are often trained for their expected future responsibilities as monarch.<ref>{{Cite web |last=UCL |date=2021-11-08 |title=What is the role of the monarchy? |url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit/explainers/what-role-monarchy |access-date=2023-02-28 |website=The Constitution Unit |language=en}}</ref>

Different systems of hereditary [[Order of succession|succession]] have been used, such as [[proximity of blood]], [[primogeniture]], and [[agnatic seniority]] ([[Salic law]]). While most monarchs in history have been male, many female monarchs also have reigned.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Beemer |first=Cristy |date=2011 |title=The Female Monarchy: A Rhetorical Strategy of Early Modern Rule |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/23064026 |journal=Rhetoric Review |volume=30 |issue=3 |pages=258–274 |doi=10.1080/07350198.2011.581937 |jstor=23064026 |s2cid=144455583 |issn=0735-0198|url-access=subscription }}</ref> The term "[[queen regnant]]" refers to a ruling monarch, while "[[queen consort]]" refers to the wife of a reigning king. Rule may be hereditary in practice without being considered a monarchy: there have been some family dictatorships{{NoteTag |Examples are [[Oliver Cromwell]] and [[Richard Cromwell]] in the [[Commonwealth of England]], [[Kim il-Sung]] and [[Kim Jong Il]] in [[North Korea]], the [[Somoza family]] in [[Nicaragua]], [[François Duvalier]] and [[Jean-Claude Duvalier]] in [[Haiti]], and [[Hafez al-Assad]] and [[Bashar al-Assad]] in [[Syria]].}} (and also [[Political family|political families]]) in many [[Democracy|democracies]].{{NoteTag |For example, the [[Kennedy family]] in the United States and the [[Nehru-Gandhi family]] in [[India]]. See [[list of political families]].}}

The principal advantage of hereditary monarchy is the immediate continuity of leadership (as evidenced in the classic phrase "[[The king is dead, long live the king!|The King is dead. Long live the King!]]").

Some monarchies are not hereditary. In an [[elective monarchy]], monarchs are [[Election|elected]] or appointed by some body (an [[electoral college]]) for life or a defined period. Four elective monarchies exist today: [[Cambodia]], [[Malaysia]] and the [[United Arab Emirates]] are 20th-century creations, while one (the [[Pope|papacy]]) is ancient.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Definition of an Elective Monarchy|url=https://www.theclassroom.com/definition-elective-monarchy-5221.html|access-date=2021-08-30|website=The Classroom {{!}} Empowering Students in Their College Journey|language=en}}</ref>

A [[self-proclaimed monarchy]] is established when a person claims the monarchy without any historical ties to a previous dynasty. There are examples of republican leaders who have proclaimed themselves monarchs: [[Napoleon|Napoleon I of France]] declared himself [[List of French monarchs|Emperor of the French]] and ruled the [[First French Empire]] after having held the title of [[French Consulate|First Consul]] of the [[French First Republic|French Republic]] for five years from his seizing power in the coup of [[Coup of 18 Brumaire|18 Brumaire]]. President [[Jean-Bédel Bokassa]] of the [[Central African Republic]] declared himself Emperor of the [[Central African Empire]] in 1976.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/the-central-african-republic-where-emperor-bokassa-ruled-with-violence-and-greed-1.1750805|title=The Central African Republic, where Emperor Bokassa ruled with violence and greed|last=Marlowe|first=Lara|newspaper=The Irish Times|language=en|access-date=2019-02-05}}</ref> [[Yuan Shikai]], the first formal President of the [[Republic of China (1912–1949)|Republic of China]], crowned himself Emperor of the short-lived "[[Empire of China (1915–1916)|Empire of China]]" a few years after the Republic of China was founded.<ref>[[Jonathan Spence|Spence, Jonathan D.]] (1999) ''[[The Search for Modern China]]'', [[W.W. Norton and Company]]. p. 274. {{ISBN|0-393-97351-4}}.</ref>

===Powers of the monarch===
[[File:Salman of Saudi Arabia - 2020 (49563590728) (cropped).jpg|thumb|upright|King [[Salman of Saudi Arabia]] is an absolute monarch.]]
* In an [[absolute monarchy]], the monarch rules as an [[Autocracy|autocrat]], with absolute power over the state and government—for example, the right to [[rule by decree]], promulgate [[law]]s, and impose [[punishment]]s.
* In a [[constitutional monarchy]], the monarch's power is subject to a [[constitution]]. In most current constitutional monarchies, the monarch is mainly a ceremonial [[figurehead]] [[symbol]] of national unity and state continuity. Although nominally [[sovereignty|sovereign]], the electorate (through the [[legislature]]) exercises political sovereignty. Constitutional monarchs' [[Power (social and political)|political power]] is limited. Typical monarchical powers include granting [[pardon]]s, granting [[Honor system|honours]], and [[reserve power]]s, e.g. to dismiss the [[prime minister]], refuse to dissolve parliament, or [[veto]] legislation ("withhold [[Royal assent|Royal Assent]]"). They often also have privileges of inviolability and [[sovereign immunity]]. A monarch's powers and influence will depend on tradition, precedent, popular opinion, and [[law]].
** [[Constitutional monarchy|Semi-constitutional monarchies]] exhibit fewer parliamentary powers or simply monarchs with more authority.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ecpr.eu/Events/PaperDetails.aspx?PaperID=30190&EventID=95 |title=Semi presidential systems and semi constitutional monarchies: A historical assessment of executive power-sharing |last1=Anckar|first1=Carsten|last2=Akademi|first2=Åbo |date=2016|publisher=European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR) |access-date=2019-08-14}}</ref> The term "parliamentary monarchy" may be used to differentiate from semi-constitutional monarchies.
* Monarchical reign has often been linked with [[Military dictatorship|military authority]]. In the late [[Roman Empire]], the [[Praetorian Guard]] several times deposed [[Roman emperor]]s and installed new emperors. Similarly, in the [[Abbasid Caliphate]], the [[Ghilman]]s (slave soldiers) deposed Caliphs once they became prominent, allowing new ones to come to power. The Hellenistic kings of [[Macedonia (ancient kingdom)|Macedon]] and of [[Epirus]] were elected by the army, which was similar in composition to the ''[[Ecclesia (ancient Greece)|ecclesia]]'' of [[Democracy|democracies]], the council of all free citizens; military service was often linked with citizenship among the male members of the royal house. The military has dominated the monarch in modern [[Thailand]] and in [[History of Japan|medieval Japan]] (where a hereditary military chief, the ''[[Shogun|shōgun]]'', was the ''de facto'' ruler, although the [[Emperor of Japan|Japanese emperor]] nominally reigned). In [[Fascist Italy (1922–1943)|Fascist Italy]], the [[House of Savoy|Savoy]] monarchy under King [[Victor Emmanuel III]] coexisted with the [[National Fascist Party|Fascist]] single-party rule of [[Benito Mussolini]]; [[Kingdom of Romania|Romania]] under the [[Iron Guard]] and [[Kingdom of Greece|Greece]] during the first months of the [[Greek junta|Colonels' regime]] were similar. [[Francoist Spain|Spain under Francisco Franco]] was officially a monarchy, although there was no monarch on the throne. Upon his death, Franco was succeeded as head of state by the [[House of Bourbon|Bourbon]] heir, [[Juan Carlos I]], and [[Spanish transition to democracy|Spain became a democracy]] with the king as a figurehead constitutional monarch.

===Person of monarch===
[[File:Ruling Monarchs in 1908 Postcard Print.png |thumb|right|Postcard of ruling monarchs, taken in 1908, between February (accession of [[Manuel II of Portugal|King Manuel II of Portugal]]) and November (death of the [[Guangxu Emperor]])|upright]]

Most monarchies only have a single person acting as monarch at any given time, although two monarchs have ruled simultaneously in some countries, a situation known as [[diarchy]]. Historically this was the case in the ancient [[Polis|Greek city-state]] of [[Sparta]]. There are examples of joint sovereignty of spouses, parent and child or other relatives (such as [[William III of England|William III]] and [[Mary II of England|Mary II]] in the kingdoms of [[Kingdom of England|England]] and [[Kingdom of Scotland|Scotland]], [[Tsar]]s [[Peter the Great|Peter I]] and [[Ivan V of Russia]], and [[Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles I]] and [[Joanna of Castile]]).

[[Andorra]] currently is the world's only constitutional diarchy, a co-principality. Located in the [[Pyrenees]] between [[Spain]] and [[France]], it has two co-princes: the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Urgell|bishop of Urgell]] in Spain (a [[prince-bishop]]) and the [[president of France]] (derived ''ex officio'' from the French kings, who themselves inherited the title from the counts of Foix). It is the only case in which an independent country's (co-)monarch is [[Democracy|democratically]] elected by the citizens of another country.

In a [[personal union]], separate independent states share the same person as monarch, but each realm retains separate laws and government. The fifteen separate [[Commonwealth realm]]s are sometimes described as being in a personal union with King Charles III as monarch. However, they can also be described as being in a shared monarchy.

A [[regent]] may rule when the monarch is a [[Minor (law)|minor]], absent, or debilitated.

A [[pretender]] is a claimant to an abolished throne or a throne already occupied by somebody else.

[[Abdication]] is the act of formally giving up one's monarchical power and status.

Monarchs may mark the ceremonial beginning of their reigns with a [[coronation]] or [[enthronement]].

===Role of monarch===
Monarchy, especially absolute monarchy, is sometimes linked to [[Religion|religious]] aspects; many monarchs once claimed the right to rule by the will of a [[deity]] ([[Divine right of kings|Divine Right of Kings]], [[Mandate of Heaven]]), or a special connection to a deity ([[sacred king]]), or even purported to be divine kings, or [[incarnation]]s of deities themselves ([[imperial cult]]). Many European monarchs have been styled {{Lang|la|[[Defender of the Faith|Fidei defensor]]}} (Defender of the Faith); some hold official positions relating to the [[state religion]] or established church.

In the Western political tradition, a morally based, balanced monarchy was stressed as the ideal form of government, and little attention was paid to modern-day ideals of egalitarian democracy: e.g. [[Thomas Aquinas|Saint Thomas Aquinas]] unapologetically declared: "Tyranny is wont to occur not less but more frequently on the basis of polyarchy [rule by many, i.e. oligarchy or democracy] than on the basis of monarchy." (''On Kingship''). However, Thomas Aquinas also stated that the ideal monarchical system would also have at lower levels of government both an aristocracy and elements of democracy in order to create a balance of power. The monarch would also be subject to both natural and divine law, and to the [[Catholic Church|Church]] in matters of religion.

In [[Dante Alighieri]]'s ''De Monarchia'', a spiritualised, imperial Catholic monarchy is strongly promoted according to a [[Guelphs and Ghibellines|Ghibelline]] world-view in which the "royal religion of [[Melchizedek]]" is emphasised against the priestly claims of the rival papal ideology.

In [[Saudi Arabia]], the [[King of Saudi Arabia|king]] is a head of state who is both the absolute monarch of the country and the [[Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques]] of Islam (خادم الحرمين الشريفين).

The roles of monarchs can overlap with other monarchies through [[personal union]] or [[dynastic union]], with maybe becoming institutional [[real union]] and possibly a larger [[federal monarchy|federal]], [[composite monarchy|composite]] or [[Unitary state|unitary]] monarchy, [[realm]] and state.

===Titles of monarchs===
{{See also|Composite monarchy}}
[[File:Téwodros II - 2.jpg|thumb|right|[[Tewodros II]], [[Emperor of Ethiopia]]|upright]]
Monarchs can have various [[title]]s. Common European titles of monarchs (in that hierarchical order of nobility) are [[emperor]] or empress (from [[Latin]]: ''[[imperator]]'' or ''imperatrix''), [[king]] or [[Queen regnant|queen]], [[grand duke]] or grand duchess, [[prince]] or [[princess]], [[duke]] or duchess.<ref>Meyers Taschenlexikon Geschichte 1982 vol.1 p21</ref> Some [[Early modern period|early modern]] European titles (especially in German states) included [[prince-elector|elector]] (German: {{Lang|de|Kurfürst}}, Prince-Elector, literally "electing prince"), [[margrave]] (German: {{Lang|de|Markgraf}}, equivalent to the French title ''marquis'', literally "count of the borderland"), and [[burgrave]] (German: {{Lang|de|Burggraf}}, literally "count of the castle"). Lesser titles include [[count]] and [[Graf|princely count]]. Slavic titles include [[knyaz]] and [[tsar]] (ц︢рь) or [[Tsarina|tsaritsa]] (царица), a word derived from the [[Roman Empire|Roman imperial]] title ''[[Caesar (title)|Caesar]]''.

In the [[Muslim world]], titles of monarchs include [[Caliphate|caliph]] (successor to the Islamic prophet [[Muhammad]] and a leader of the entire Muslim community), [[padishah]] (emperor), [[sultan]] or [[Sultana (title)|sultana]], [[Shah|shâhanshâh]] (emperor), [[shah]], [[malik]] (king) or [[malik]]ah (queen), [[emir]] (commander, prince) or [[emir]]a (princess), [[sheikh]] or [[sheikh]]a, [[imam]] (used in [[Oman]]). East Asian titles of monarchs include [[Emperor of China|''huángdì'']] (emperor) or ''nǚhuáng'' (empress regnant), [[Son of Heaven|''tiānzǐ'']] (son of heaven), ''[[Emperor of Japan|tennō]]'' (emperor) or ''[[Josei Tennō|josei tennō]]'' (empress regnant), ''[[Korean nobility#Royal titles|wang]]'' (king) or ''[[Korean nobility#Royal titles|yeowang]]'' (queen regnant), ''[[Emperor of Korea|hwangje]]'' (emperor) or ''yeoje'' (empress regnant). South Asian and South East Asian titles included ''[[Maharaja|mahārāja]]'' (high king) or ''maharani'' (high queen), ''[[raja]]'' (king) and ''[[rana (title)|rana]]'' (king) or ''[[rani]]'' (queen) and ''ratu'' (South East Asian queen). Historically, [[Mongolic languages|Mongolic]] and [[Turkic languages|Turkic]] monarchs have used the title ''[[Khan (title)|khan]]'' and ''[[khagan]]'' (emperor) or ''[[khatun]]'' and ''[[khanum]]''; [[Ancient Egypt]]ian monarchs have used the title ''[[pharaoh]]'' for men and women. In [[Ethiopian Empire]], monarchs used title ''[[Emperor of Ethiopia|nəgusä nägäst]]'' (king of kings) or [[Emperor of Ethiopia|''nəgəstä nägäst'']] (queen of kings).

Many monarchs are addressed with particular [[Style (form of address)|styles]] or manners of address, like "[[Majesty]]", "[[Royal Highness]]", "[[By the Grace of God]]", ''[[Amir al-Mu'minin|Amīr al-Mu'minīn]]'' ("Leader of the Faithful"), ''[[List of sultans of the Ottoman Empire|Hünkar-i Khanedan-i Âl-i Osman]]'', "Sovereign of the Sublime House of Osman"), ''[[Malay styles and titles|Duli Yang Maha Mulia Seri Paduka Baginda]]'' ("Majesty"), ''Jeonha'' ("Majesty"), ''Tennō Heika'' (literally "His Majesty the heavenly sovereign"), ''Bìxià'' ("Bottom of the Steps").

Sometimes titles are used to express claims to territories that are not held in fact (for example, [[English claims to the French throne]]), or titles not recognised ([[antipope]]s). Also, after a monarchy is deposed, often former monarchs and their descendants are given alternative titles (the [[List of Portuguese monarchs|King of Portugal]] was given the hereditary title [[Duke of Braganza]]).

===Non-sovereign monarchies===
{{Main|Non-sovereign monarchy}}
A non-sovereign monarchy is one where the monarch is subject to a temporal authority higher than their own. Some are dependent on other powers (see [[vassal]]s, [[suzerainty]], [[puppet state]], [[hegemony]]). In the British colonial era, [[indirect rule]] under a [[Paramount ruler|paramount power]] existed, such as the [[princely state]]s under the [[British Raj]].

In [[Botswana]], [[South Africa]], [[Ghana]] and [[Uganda]], the ancient kingdoms and [[chiefdom]]s that were met by the colonialists when they first arrived on the continent are now constitutionally protected as regional or sectional entities.

Furthermore, in [[Nigeria]], though the hundreds of [[List of Nigerian traditional states|sub-regional polities]] that exist there are not provided for in the current constitution, they are nevertheless legally recognised aspects of the structure of governance that operates in the nation. For example, the [[Yoruba people|Yoruba]] city-state of [[Akure Kingdom|Akure]] in south-western Nigeria is something of an elective monarchy: its reigning ''[[Oba (ruler)|Oba]] [[Akure Kingdom|Deji]]'' has to be chosen by an electoral college of [[Nigerian Chieftaincy|nobles]] from amongst a finite collection of royal princes of the realm upon the death or removal of an incumbent.

In addition to these five countries, non-sovereign monarchies of varied sizes and complexities exist all over the rest of the continent of [[Africa]].

===Statehood===
Monarchies pre-date [[polity|polities]] like [[nation state]]s<ref>{{Cite journal |title=The Rise of the Nation-State across the World, 1816 to 2001.|date=2010-10-08 |journal=American Sociological Review |volume=75 |issue=5 |doi= 10.1177/0003122410382639 |last1=Wimmer|first1=Andreas|last2=Feinstein|first2=Yuval|pages=764–790|s2cid=10075481 |quote=Sovereignty has a domestic and an external component. Domestically, a written constitution claims a nationally defined community of equal citizens as the political (and moral) foundation of the state and foresees some institutional representation of this community (not necessarily a freely elected parliament). Internal sovereignty thus stands in opposition to dynasticism, theocracy, feudal privilege, and mass slavery. [page 773]}}</ref> and even [[territorial state]]s. A [[nation]] or constitution is not necessary in a monarchy since a person, the monarch, binds the separate territories and [[Legitimacy (political)|political legitimacy]] (e.g. in personal union) together.

Monarchies, though, have applied [[National symbol|state symbols]] like [[insignia]] or abstracts like the concept of [[the Crown]] to create a state identity, which is to be carried and occupied by the monarch, but represents the monarchy even in absence and [[#Succession|succession]] of the monarch.

Nevertheless, monarchies can also be bound to [[territory|territories]] (e.g., the [[Monarchy of Norway|King of Norway]]) and [[popular monarchy|peoples]] (e.g., the [[Monarchy of Belgium|King of the Belgians]]).