Constitutional monarchy

A constitutional monarchy is a form of monarchy in which the sovereign exercises authority in accordance with a written or
unwritten constitution.[1] Constitutional monarchy differs from absolute monarchy (in which a monarch holds absolute power) in that
constitutional monarchs are bound to exercise their powers and authorities within the limits prescribed within an established legal
framework. Constitutional monarchies range from countries such as Morocco, where the constitution grants substantial discretionary
powers to the sovereign, to countries such asJapan and Sweden where the monarch retains no formal authorities.

Constitutional monarchy may refer to a system in which the monarch acts as a non-party political head of state under the constitution,
whether written or unwritten.[2] While most monarchs may hold formal authority and the government may legally operate in the
monarch's name, in the form typical in Europe the monarch no longer personally sets public policy or chooses political leaders.
Political scientist Vernon Bogdanor, paraphrasing Thomas Macaulay, has defined a constitutional monarch as "A sovereign who
reigns but does not rule".[3]

In addition to acting as a visible symbol of national unity, a constitutional monarch may hold formal powers such as dissolving
parliament or giving royal assent to legislation. However, the exercise of such powers is largely strictly in accordance with either
written constitutional principles or unwritten constitutional conventions, rather than any personal political preference imposed by the
sovereign. In The English Constitution, British political theorist Walter Bagehot identified three main political rights which a
constitutional monarch may freely exercise: the right to be consulted, the right to encourage, and the right to warn. Many
constitutional monarchies still retain significant authorities or political influence however, such as through certain reserve powers,
and may also play an important political role.

The United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms are all constitutional monarchies in the Westminster system of
constitutional governance. Two constitutional monarchies – Malaysia and Cambodia – are elective monarchies, wherein the ruler is
periodically selected by a smallelectoral college.

Contents
History
Constitutional and absolute monarchy
England and the United Kingdom
Continental Europe
Modern constitutional monarchy
List of current constitutional monarchies
Former constitutional monarchies
Unique constitutional monarchies
See also
References
Citations
Sources
Further reading

History
The oldest constitutional monarchy dating back to ancient times was that of the Hittites. They were an ancient Anatolian people that
lived during the Bronze Age whose king or queen had to share their authority with an assembly, called the Panku, which was the
equivalent to a modern-day deliberative assembly or a legislature. Members of the Panku came from scattered noble families who
[4][5]
worked as representatives of their subjects in an adjutant or subaltern federal-type landscape.

The most recent country to move from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy was Bhutan, between 2007 and 2008 (see
Politics of Bhutan, Constitution of Bhutanand Bhutanese democracy).

Constitutional and absolute monarchy

England and the United Kingdom

In the Kingdom of England, the Glorious Revolution of 1688 led to a constitutional monarchy restricted by laws such as the Bill of
Rights 1689 and the Act of Settlement 1701, although limits on the power of the monarch ("a limited monarchy") are much older than
that (see Magna Carta). At the same time, in Scotland, the Convention of Estates enacted the Claim of Right Act 1689, which placed
similar limits on the Scottish monarchy.

Although Queen Anne was the last monarch to veto an Act of Parliament when, on 11 March, 1708, she blocked the Scottish Militia
Bill, Hanoverian monarchs continued to selectively dictate government policies. For instance King George III constantly blocked
Catholic Emancipation, eventually precipitating the resignation of William Pitt the Younger as prime minister in 1801.[6] The
sovereign's influence on the choice of prime minister gradually declined over this period, King William IV being the last monarch to
dismiss a prime minister, when in 1834 he removedLord Melbourne as a result of Melbourne's choice ofLord John Russell as Leader
of the House of Commons.[7][8] Queen Victoria was the last monarch to exercise real personal power, but this diminished over the
course of her reign. In 1839, she became the last sovereign to keep a prime minister in power against the will of Parliament when the
Bedchamber crisis resulted in the retention of Lord Melbourne's administration.[9] By the end of her reign, however, she could do
nothing to block the unacceptable (to her) premierships of William Gladstone, although she still exercised power in appointments to
the Cabinet, for example in 1886 preventing Gladstone's choice of Hugh Childers as War Secretary in favor of Sir Henry Campbell-
Bannerman.[10]

Today, the role of the British monarch is by convention effectively ceremonial.[11] Instead, the British Parliament and the
Government – chiefly in the office of Prime Minister of the United Kingdom – exercise their powers under "Royal (or Crown)
[12][13]
Prerogative": on behalf of the monarch and through powers still formally possessed by the Monarch.

No person may accept significant public office without swearing an oath of allegiance to the Queen.[14] With few exceptions, the
monarch is bound by constitutional conventionto act on the advice of the Government.

Continental Europe
Constitutional monarchy originated in continental Europe, with Poland developing the first constitution for a monarchy with the
Constitution of May 3, 1791; it was the third constitution in the world just after the first republican Constitution of the United States.
Constitutional monarchy also occurred briefly in the early years of the French Revolution, but much more widely afterwards.
Napoleon Bonaparte is considered the first monarch proclaiming himself as an embodiment of the nation, rather than as a divinely-
appointed ruler; this interpretation of monarchy is germane to continental constitutional monarchies. German philosopher Georg
Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, in his work Elements of the Philosophy of Right (1820), gave the concept a philosophical justification that
concurred with evolving contemporary political theory and the Protestant Christian view of natural law.[15] Hegel's forecast of a
constitutional monarch with very limited powers whose function is to embody the national character and provide constitutional
[15]
continuity in times of emergency was reflected inthe development of constitutional monarchies in Europe and Japan.

Modern constitutional monarchy

As originally conceived, a constitutional monarch was head of the executive branch and quite a powerful figure even though his or
her power was limited by the constitution and the elected parliament. Some of the framers of the U.S. Constitution may have
envisioned the president as an elected constitutional monarch, as the term was then understood, following Montesquieu's account of
the separation of powers.[16]

The present-day concept of a constitutional monarchy developed in the United Kingdom, where the democratically elected
parliaments, and their leader, the prime minister, exercise power, with the monarchs having ceded power and remaining as a titular
position. In many cases the monarchs, while still at the very top of the political and social hierarchy, were given the status of
"servants of the people" to reflect the new, egalitarian position. In the course of France's July Monarchy, Louis-Philippe I was styled
"King of the French" rather than "King of France."

Following the Unification of Germany, Otto von Bismarck rejected the British model. In the constitutional monarchy established
under the Constitution of the German Empire which Bismarck inspired, the Kaiser retained considerable actual executive power,
while the Imperial Chancellor needed no parliamentary vote of confidence and ruled solely by the imperial mandate. However this
model of constitutional monarchy was discredited and abolished following Germany's defeat in the First World War. Later, Fascist
Italy could also be considered a constitutional monarchy, in that there was a king as the titular head of state while actual power was
held by Benito Mussolini under a constitution. This eventually discredited the Italian monarchy and led to its abolition in 1946. After
the Second World War, surviving European monarchies almost invariably adopted some variant of the constitutional monarchy model
originally developed in Britain.

Nowadays a parliamentary democracy that is a constitutional monarchy is considered to differ from one that is a republic only in
detail rather than in substance. In both cases, the titular head of state—monarch or president—serves the traditional role of
embodying and representing the nation, while the government is carried on by a cabinet composed predominantly of elected
Members of Parliament.

However, three important factors distinguish monarchies such as the United Kingdom from systems where greater power might
otherwise rest with Parliament. These are: the Royal Prerogative under which the monarch may exercise power under certain very
limited circumstances; Sovereign Immunity under which the monarch may do no wrong under the law because the responsible
government is instead deemed accountable; and the monarch may not be subject to the same taxation or property use restrictions as
most citizens. Other privileges may be nominal or ceremonial (e.g., where the executive, judiciary, police or armed forces act on the
authority of or owe allegiance to the Crown).

Today slightly more than a quarter of constitutional monarchies are Western European countries, including the United Kingdom,
Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, Denmark, Luxembourg, Monaco, Liechtenstein and Sweden. However, the two most
populous constitutional monarchies in the world are in Asia: Japan and Thailand. In these countries the prime minister holds the day-
to-day powers of governance, while the monarch retains residual (but not always insignificant) powers. The powers of the monarch
differ between countries. In Denmark and in Belgium, for example, the Monarch formally appoints a representative to preside over
the creation of a coalition government following a parliamentary election, while in Norway the King chairs special meetings of the
cabinet.

In nearly all cases, the monarch is still the nominal chief executive, but is bound by convention to act on the advice of the Cabinet.
Only a few monarchies (most notably Japan and Sweden) have amended their constitutions so that the monarch is no longer even the
nominal chief executive.

There are sixteen constitutional monarchies under Queen Elizabeth II, which are known as Commonwealth realms.[17] Unlike some
of their continental European counterparts, the Monarch and her Governors-General in the Commonwealth realms hold significant
"reserve" or "prerogative" powers, to be wielded in times of extreme emergency or constitutional crises, usually to uphold
parliamentary government. An instance of a Governor-General exercising such power occurred during the 1975 Australian
constitutional crisis, when the Australian Prime Minister, Gough Whitlam, was dismissed by the Governor-General. The Australian
senate had threatened to block the Government'sbudget by refusing to pass the necessary appropriation bills. On November 11, 1975,
Whitlam intended to call a half-Senate election in an attempt to break the deadlock. When he sought the Governor-General's approval
of the election, the Governor-General instead dismissed him as Prime Minister, and shortly thereafter installed leader of the
opposition Malcolm Fraser in his place. Acting quickly before all parliamentarians became aware of the change of government,
Fraser and his allies secured passage of the appropriation bills, and the Governor-General dissolved Parliament for a double
dissolution election. Fraser and his government were returned with a massive majority. This led to much speculation among
Whitlam's supporters as to whether this use of the Governor-General's reserve powers was appropriate, and whether Australia should
become a republic. Among supporters of constitutional monarchy, however, the experience confirmed the value of the monarchy as a
source of checks and balances against elected politicians who might seek powers in excess of those conferred by the constitution, and
ultimately as a safeguard against dictatorship.

In Thailand's constitutional monarchy, the monarch is recognized as the Head of State, Head of the Armed Forces, Upholder of the
Buddhist Religion, and Defender of the Faith. The former King, Bhumibol Adulyadej, was the longest reigning monarch in the world
and in all of Thailand's history, prior to passing away on 13 October 2016.[18] Bhumibol has reigned through several political
changes in the Thai government. He has played an influential role in each incident, often acting as mediator between disputing
political opponents. (See Bhumibol's role in Thai Politics.) Among the powers retained by the monarch under the constitution, lèse
majesté protects the image of the monarch and enables him to play a role in politics. It carries strict criminal penalties for violators.
Generally, the Thai people are reverent of Bhumibol. Much of his social influence arises from this reverence and from the socio-
economic improvement efforts undertaken by theroyal family.

In the United Kingdom, a frequent debate centers on when it is appropriate for a monarch to act. When a monarch does act, political
controversy can often ensue, partially because the neutrality of the crown is seen to be compromised in favor of a partisan goal, while
some political scientists champion the idea of an "interventionist monarch" as a check against possible illegal action by politicians.
For instance, the monarch of the United Kingdom can theoretically exercise an absolute veto over legislation by withholding royal
assent. However, no monarch has done so since 1708, and it is widely believed that this and many of the monarch's other political
powers are lapsed powers.

There are currently 43 monarchies worldwide.

List of current constitutional monarchies

Antigua and Barbuda Malaysia
Australia Monaco
Bahamas Morocco
Bahrain Netherlands
Barbados New Zealand
Belgium Norway
Belize United Arab Emirates
Bhutan Papua New Guinea
Cambodia Qatar
Canada Saint Kitts and Nevis
Denmark Saint Lucia
Grenada Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Jamaica Solomon Islands
Japan Spain
Jordan Sweden
Kuwait Thailand
Lesotho Tonga
Liechtenstein Tuvalu
Luxembourg United Kingdom

Former constitutional monarchies

The Anglo-Corsican Kingdomwas a brief period in thehistory of Corsica (1794–1796) when the island broke with
Revolutionary France and sought military protection fromGreat Britain. Corsica became an independent kingdom
under George III of the United Kingdom, but with its own elected parliament and a written constitution guaranteeing
local autonomy and democratic rights.
Brazil from 1822, with the proclamation of independence and rise of theEmpire of Brazil by Pedro I of Brazil to 1889,
when Pedro II was deposed by a military coup.
Kingdom of Bulgaria until 1946 when Tsar Simeon was deposed by the communist assembly .
Many Commonwealth republicswere constitutional monarchies for some period after their independence, including
Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), Fiji (1970–87), Gambia (1965–70), Ghana (1957–60), Guyana (1966–70), and Trinidad and
Tobago (1962–76).
The Grand Principality of Finlandwas a constitutional monarchy though its ruler , Alexander I, was simultaneously an
autocrat and absolute ruler in Russia.
France, several times during the 19th century. Napoleon Bonaparte proclaimed himself Emperor of the French in
what was ostensibly a constitutional monarchy , though modern historians often call his reign as an absolute
monarchy. The Bourbon Restoration (under Louis XVIII and Charles X), the July Monarchy (under Louis-Philippe),
and the Second Empire (under Napoleon III) were also constitutional monarchies, although the power of the
monarch varied considerably between them.
The German Empire from 1871 to 1918, (as well as earlier confederations, and the monarchies it consisted of) was
also a constitutional monarchy—seeConstitution of the German Empire.
Greece until 1973 when Constantine II was deposed by the military government. The decision was formalized by a
plebiscite December 8, 1974.
Hawaii, which was an absolute monarchy from its founding in 1810, transitioned to a constitutional monarchy in 1840
when King Kamehameha III promulgated the kingdom'sfirst constitution. This constitutional form of government
continued until the monarchy was overthrown in an 1893coup.
The Kingdom of Hungary. In 1848–1849 and 1867–1918 as part ofAustria-Hungary. In the interwar period (1920–
1944) Hungary remained a constitutional monarchy without a reigning monarch.
Iceland. The Act of Union, a December 1, 1918 agreement with Denmark, established Iceland as sovereign a
kingdom united with Denmark under a common king. Iceland abolished the monarchy and became a republic on
June 17, 1944 after the Icelandic constitutional referendum, May 24, 1944.
Iran under Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlaviwas a constitutional monarchy, which had been originally established
during the Persian Constitutional Revolutionin 1906.
Italy until June 2, 1946, when a referendum proclaimed the end of the Kingdom and the beginning of the Republic.
Korean Empire proclaimed in October 1897 to the Annexation of Korea by Japan on August 20, 1910. It succeeded
the Joseon Dynasty.
The Kingdom of Laos was a constitutional monarchy until 1975, whenSisavang Vatthana was forced to abdicate by
the communist Pathet Lao.
Malta was a constitutional monarchy withElizabeth II as Queen of Malta, represented by a Governor-General
appointed by her, for the first ten years of independence from 21 September 1964 to the declaration of the Republic
of Malta on 13 December 1974.
Mexico was twice an Empire. TheFirst Mexican Empire was from July 21, 1822, to March 19, 1823, withAgustín de
Iturbide serving as emperor. Then, with the help of the Austrian and Spanish crowns,Napoleon III of France installed
Maximilian of Austria as Emperor of Mexico. This attempt to create a European-style monarchy lasted three years,
from 1864 to 1867.
Montenegro until 1918 when it merged withSerbia and other areas to formYugoslavia.
Nepal until May 28, 2008, whenKing Gyanendra was deposed, and the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal was
declared.
Ottoman Empire from 1876 until 1878 and again from 1908 until the dissolution of the empire in 1922.
The Kingdom of Afghanistanwas a constitutional monarchy underMohammad Zahir Shahuntil 1973.
The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, formed after the Union of Lublin in 1569 and lasting until the final partition of
the state in 1795, operated much like many modern European constitutional monarchies (into which it wasficially of
changed by the establishment of theConstitution of May 3, 1791, which historian Norman Davies calls "the first
constitution of its kind in Europe").[19] The legislators of the unified state truly did not see it as a monarchy at all, but
as a republic under the presidency of the King. Poland–Lithuania also followed the principle of "Rex regnat et non
gubernat", had a bicameral parliament, and a collection of entrenched legal documents amounting to a constitution
along the lines of the modernUnited Kingdom. The King was elected, and had the duty of maintaining the people's
rights.
Kingdom of Albania from 1928 until 1939, Albania was a Constitutional Monarchy ruled by the House of Zogu, King
Zog I.
Portugal was a monarchy since 1139 and a constitutional monarchy from 1822 to 1828, and again from 1834 until
1910, when Manuel II was overthrown by a military coup. From 1815 to 1825 it was part of the United Kingdom of
Portugal, Brazil and the Algarveswhich was a constitutional monarchy for the years 1820–23.
Kingdom of Romania From its establishment in 1881 until 1947 whenMichael I was forced to abdicate by the
communists.
 Kingdom of Serbia until 1918, when it merged with the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs into the unitaryugoslav
Y
Kingdom, that was led by the SerbianKaradjordjevic dynasty.
Yugoslavia from 1918 (as Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes) until 1929 and from then (asKingdom of
Yugoslavia) until 1944 when under pressure from the AlliesPeter II recognized the communist government.

Unique constitutional monarchies

Andorra is the only monarchy where the head of state is vestedjointly in two individuals("Co-Princes"): the Bishop of
Urgell and the President of France.
Andorra, Monaco and Liechtenstein are the only countries with a reigningprince.
Belgium is the only explicit popular monarchy, the formal title of its King being King of the Belgians rather than King
of Belgium.
Japan is the only country remaining with anemperor.[20]
Luxembourg is the only country with agrand duke.
Malaysia is the only federal country with an elective monarchy, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, being selected from
among nine state rulers who are also constitutional monarchs themselves.

See also
Australian Monarchist League
Monarchism
Figurehead

References

Citations
1. Blum, Cameron & Barnes 1970, pp. 267–268.
2. Kurian 2011, p. .
3. Bogdanor 1996, pp. 407–422.
4. "The Hittites" (http://www.smie.co/html/cultural_history/hittites/hittites_3.shtml), smie.co, September 12, 2008
5. Akurgal 2001, p. 118.
6. Hague, William (2004).William Pitt the Younger (1st ed.). London: HarperCollins. pp. 469–72.ISBN 0007147198.
7. Hurd, Douglas (2007).Robert Peel - a biography(1st ed.). London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson. pp. 169–70.
ISBN 9780297848448.
8. Mitchell, L.G. (1997). Lord Melbourne 1779-1848(1st ed.). New York: Oxford University Press. p. 147.
ISBN 0198205929.
9. Mitchell, L.G. (1997). Lord Melbourne 1779-1848(1st ed.). New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 241–2.
ISBN 0198205929.
10. Wilson, John (1973). CB - A life of Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman(1st ed.). London: Constable and Company
Limited. pp. 161–2. ISBN 009458950X.
11. Royal Household staff 2015a.
12. Dunt 2015.
13. Parliamentary staff 2010.
14. Sear 2001, p. 3.
15. Hegel 1991, p. .
16. Montesquieu 1924, p. .
17. Royal Household staff 2015b.
18. Dewan, Angela. "Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej dies at 88"(http://edition.cnn.com/2016/10/13/asia/thai-king-bhumib
ol-adulyadej-dies/index.html). CNN Regions+. CNN. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
19. Davies 1996, p. 699.
20. http://www.kunaicho.go.jp/e-about/seido/seido.html

Sources
Akurgal, Ekrem (2001),The Hattian and Hittite civilizations, Ankara: Turkish Ministry of Culture, p. 118,ISBN 975-
17-2756-1
Blum, Jerome; Cameron, Rondo; Barnes, Thomas G. (1970),The European World, 1, Boston: Little, Brown,
pp. 267–268, OCLC 76819
Bogdanor, Vernon (1996), "The Monarchy and the Constitution", Parliamentary Affairs, 49 (3): 407–422,
doi:10.1093/pa/49.3.407 — excerpted from Bogdanor, Vernon (1995), The Monarchy and the Constitution, Oxford
University Press
Boyce, Peter (2008), The Queen's Other Realms, Annandale: Federation Press, p. 1,ISBN 978-1-86287-700-9
Davies, Norman (1996),Europe: A History, Oxford University Press, p.699, ISBN 0-19-820171-0
Dunt, Ian, ed. (2015), Monarchy - Background, politics.co.uk, retrieved September 13, 2011
Hegel, G. W. F. (1991) [1820], Wood, Allen W., ed., Elements of the Philosophy of Right, translated by Nisbet, H.B.,
Cambridge University Press, ISBN 0-521-34438-7 — originally published as Georg Friedrich Wilhelm Hegel,
Philosophie des Rechts.
Kurian, George Thomas (2011),"Constitutional Monarchy", The Encyclopedia of Political Science, CQ Press,
doi:10.4135/9781608712434, ISBN 9781933116440
McCannon, John (2006),Barron's how to Prepare for the AP World History Examination(2nd, illustrated ed.),
Barron's Educational Serie, pp.177–178, ISBN 9780764132711 — England and the Netherlands in the 17th and
18th centuries were parliamentary democracies.
Montesquieu, Charles-Louis, Baron de,(1924), The Spirit of Laws, Legal Classics Library
Orr, Campbell, ed. (2002),Queenship in Britain, 1660-1837: Royal Patronage, Court Culture, and Dynastic Politics
(illustrated ed.), Manchester University Press, p.3, ISBN 9780719057694
Crown Prerogative, Official website of the British Parliament, April 21, 2010, retrieved September 13, 2011
Patmore, Glenn (2009),Choosing the Republic, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Press, p. 105, ISBN 1-
74223-015-6
What is constitutional monarchy?, Official website of the British Monarchy, December 12, 2015
What is a Commonwealth realm?, Official website of the British Monarchy, December 12, 2015, archived fromthe
original on 2010-12-02
Schmitt, Carl (2008) [1928],Seitzer, Jeffrey (translator), ed., Constitutional Theory (illustrated ed.), Duke University
Press, pp. 313–314, ISBN 9780822340119
Sear, Chris (2001), Research Paper 01/116(PDF), Official website of the British Parliament

Further reading
Locke, John (2003) [1690], hapiro, Ian S, ed., Two Treatises of Government and A Letter Concerning o
Tleration (with
essays by John Dunn, Ruth W. Grant and Ian Shapiro ed.), New Haven:Yale University Press, ISBN 0-300-10017-5

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Constitutional_monarchy&oldid=871054790

"

This page was last edited on 28 November 2018, at 17:11(UTC).

Text is available under theCreative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this
site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of theWikimedia
Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.