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{{Short description|Form of government}}
{{Basic forms of government}}

'''Constitutional monarchy''', also known as '''limited monarchy''', ''' parliamentary monarchy''' or '''democratic monarchy''', is a form of [[Social:Monarchy|monarchy]] in which the monarch exercises their authority in accordance with a constitution and is not alone in making decisions.{{sfn|Blum|Cameron|Barnes|1970|pp=2Nnk67–268}}<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Tridimas |first1=George |title=Constitutional monarchy as power sharing |journal=[[Finance:Constitutional Political Economy|Constitutional Political Economy]] |date=2021 |volume=32 |issue=4 |pages=431–461 |doi=10.1007/s10602-021-09336-8 |doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Stepan |first1=Alfred |last2=Linz |first2=Juan J. |last3=Minoves |first3=Juli F. |date=2014 |title=Democratic Parliamentary Monarchies |url=http://muse.jhu.edu/content/crossref/journals/journal_of_democracy/v025/25.2.stepan.html |journal=Journal of Democracy |language=en |volume=25 |issue=2 |pages=35–36 |doi=10.1353/jod.2014.0032 |issn=1086-3214 |s2cid=154555066}}</ref> Constitutional monarchies differ from [[Social:Absolute monarchy|absolute monarchies]] (in which a monarch is the only decision-maker) in that they are bound to exercise powers and authorities within limits prescribed by an established legal framework.

Constitutional monarchies range from countries such as [[Finance:Liechtenstein|Liechtenstein]], [[Place:Monaco|Monaco]], Morocco, Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain and Bhutan, where the constitution grants substantial discretionary powers to the sovereign, to countries such as the {{wipe|United Kingdom}} and other Commonwealth realms, the Netherlands, {{wipe|Spain}}, Belgium, {{wipe|Norway}}, Sweden, Lesotho, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, and {{wipe|Japan}}, where the monarch retains significantly less, if any, personal discretion in the exercise of their authority. On the surface level, this distinction may be hard to establish, with numerous liberal democracies restraining monarchic power in practice rather than written law, e.g., the constitution of the United Kingdom, which affords the monarch substantial, if limited, legislative and executive powers.


[[File:Trekongemøtet 1917 OB.F16064.jpg|thumb|The three constitutional monarchs of the Scandinavian kingdoms of Sweden, {{wipe|Norway}} & {{wipe|Denmark}} gathered in November 1917 in Oslo.<br />From left to right: Gustaf V, Haakon VII & Christian X.]]
[[File:Privy Council (Japan).jpg|thumb|A meeting in the Japanese privy council in 1946 led by Hirohito.]]

''Constitutional monarchy'' may refer to a system in which the monarch acts as a non-party political [[Social:Head of state|head of state]] under the constitution, whether codified or uncodified.{{sfn|Kurian|2011|p={{page needed|date=December 2015}}}} 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 [[Social:Public policy|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".{{sfn|Bogdanor|1996|pp=407–422}}

In addition to acting as a visible symbol of national unity, a constitutional monarch may hold formal powers such as dissolving parliament or giving [[Social:Royal assent|royal assent]] to legislation. However, such powers generally may only be exercised strictly in accordance with either written constitutional principles or unwritten constitutional conventions, rather than any personal political preferences of 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 [[Social:Reserve power|reserve power]]s, and may also play an important political role.

The Commonwealth realms share the same person as hereditary monarchy under the [[Social:Westminster system|Westminster system]] of constitutional governance. Two constitutional monarchies&nbsp;– Malaysia and Cambodia&nbsp;– are elective monarchies, in which the ruler is periodically selected by a small [[Social:Electoral college|electoral college]].

The concept of '''semi-constitutional monarch''' identifies constitutional monarchies where the monarch retains substantial powers, on a par with a [[Social:President (government title)|president]] in a [[Social:Presidential system|presidential]] or [[Social:Semi-presidential system|semi-presidential system]].<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 |year=2016 |publisher=European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR) |access-date=14 August 2019 |archive-date=14 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191214014519/https://ecpr.eu/Events/PaperDetails.aspx?PaperID=30190&EventID=95 |url-status=dead }}</ref> As a result, constitutional monarchies where the monarch has a largely ceremonial role may also be referred to as "'''parliamentary monarchies'''" to differentiate them from semi-constitutional monarchies.<ref>{{cite web |last = Grote |first = Rainer |title = Parliamentary Monarchy |url = https://oxcon.ouplaw.com/view/10.1093/law:mpeccol/law-mpeccol-e408 |website = Oxford Constitutional Law |year = 2016 |publisher = Max Planck Encyclopedia of Comparative Constitutional Law (MPECCoL) |doi = 10.1093/law:mpeccol/e408.013.408 |access-date = 17 August 2019 }}</ref> Strongly limited constitutional monarchies, such as those of the United Kingdom and Australia, have been referred to as [[Social:Crowned republic|crowned republic]]s by writers [[Biography:H. G. Wells|H. G. Wells]] and Glenn Patmore.<ref>{{cite web |title = 64. The British Empire in 1914. Wells, H.G. 1922. A Short History of the World |url = https://www.bartleby.com/86/64.html |access-date = 27 April 2021 |website = bartleby.com }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last = Patmore |first = Glenn |url = https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/635291529 |title = Choosing the Republic |year=  2009 |publisher = UNSW Press |isbn = 978-1-74223-200-3 |location = Sydney, NSW |page = 105 |oclc = 635291529 }}</ref>

==History==

The oldest constitutional monarchy dating back to ancient times was that of the [[History:Hittites|Hittites]]. They were an ancient Anatolian people that lived during the [[History:Bronze Age|Bronze Age]] whose king had to share his 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 worked as representatives of their subjects in an adjutant or subaltern federal-type landscape.<ref>{{citation |date=12 September 2008 |title=The Hittites |work=smie.co |url=http://www.smie.co/html/cultural_history/hittites/hittites_3.shtml |access-date=21 November 2015 |archive-date=20 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171020063846/http://www.smie.co/html/cultural_history/hittites/hittites_3.shtml |url-status=dead }}</ref>{{better source needed|date=December 2015}}{{sfn|Akurgal|2001|p=118}}

=== Constitutional and absolute monarchy ===

====England, Scotland and the United Kingdom====

In the [[History:Kingdom of England|Kingdom of England]], the Glorious Revolution of 1688 furthered the constitutional monarchy, restricted by laws such as the Bill of Rights 1689 and the Act of Settlement 1701, although the first form of constitution was enacted with the Magna Carta of 1215. At the same time, in [[History:Kingdom of Scotland|Scotland]], the Convention of Estates enacted the Claim of Right Act 1689, which placed similar limits on the Scottish monarchy.

Queen Anne was the last monarch to veto an Act of Parliament when, on 11 March 1708, she blocked the Scottish Militia Bill. However 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.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Hague|first1=William|title=William Pitt the Younger|date=2004|publisher=HarperCollins|location=London|isbn=0007147198|pages=469–472|edition=1st}}</ref> The sovereign's influence on the choice of prime minister gradually declined over this period. King William IV was the last monarch to dismiss a prime minister, when in 1834 he removed Lord Melbourne as a result of Melbourne's choice of Lord John Russell as Leader of the House of Commons.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Hurd|first1=Douglas|title=Robert Peel – a biography|date=2007|publisher=Weidenfeld & Nicolson|location=London|isbn=978-0297848448|pages=169–170|edition=1st}}</ref><ref name="Mitchell">{{cite book|last1=Mitchell|first1=L.G.|title=Lord Melbourne 1779–1848|date=1997|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=New York|isbn=0198205929|page=147|edition=}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Mitchell|first1=L.G.|title=Lord Melbourne 1779–1848|date=1997|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=New York|isbn=0198205929|pages=241–242|edition=}}</ref> 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 she vetoed Gladstone's choice of Hugh Childers as War Secretary in favour of Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Wilson|first1=John|title=CB - A life of Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman|url=https://archive.org/details/cblifeofsirhenry0000wils|url-access=registration|date=1973|publisher=Constable and Company Limited|location=London|isbn=009458950X|pages=[https://archive.org/details/cblifeofsirhenry0000wils/page/161 161–162]|edition=}}</ref>

Today, the role of the British monarch is by convention effectively ceremonial.{{Citation needed|reason=This is commonly stated but need independent evidential support. e.g. The King more frequently meets with and advises the PM than he performs ceremonies.|date=April 2023}}{{sfn|Royal Household staff|2015a}} The British Parliament and the Government – chiefly in the office of Prime Minister of the United Kingdom – exercise their powers under "royal (or Crown) prerogative": on behalf of the monarch and through powers still formally possessed by the monarch.{{sfn |Dunt|2015}}{{sfn|Parliamentary staff|2010}}

No person may accept significant public office without swearing an oath of allegiance to the King.{{sfn|Sear|2001|page=3}} With few exceptions, the monarch is bound by [[Social:Constitutional conventions of the United Kingdom|constitutional convention]] to act on the advice of the government.

====Continental Europe====
Poland developed the first constitution for a monarchy in continental Europe, with the [[History:Constitution of 3 May 1791|Constitution of 3 May 1791]]; it was the second single-document 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 {{wipe|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 [[Biography:Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel|Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel]], in his work ''[[Philosophy:Elements of the Philosophy of Right|Elements of the Philosophy of Right]]'' (1820), gave the concept a philosophical justification that concurred with evolving contemporary political theory and the [[Religion:Protestantism|Protestant]] Christian view of natural law.{{sfn|Hegel|1991|p={{page needed|date=December 2015}} }} Hegel's forecast of a constitutional monarch with very limited powers whose function is to embody the national character and provide constitutional continuity in times of emergency was reflected in the development of constitutional monarchies in Europe and Japan.{{sfn|Hegel|1991|p={{page needed|date=December 2015}} }}

==== Executive monarchy versus ceremonial monarchy ==== <!-- Linked to by Fumimaro Konoe -->
There exist at least two different types of constitutional monarchies in the modern world – executive and ceremonial. In executive monarchies, the monarch wields significant (though not absolute) power. The monarchy under this system of government is a powerful political (and social) institution. By contrast, in ceremonial monarchies, the monarch holds little or no actual power or direct political influence, though they frequently have a great deal of social and cultural influence.

Ceremonial and executive monarchy should not be confused with democratic and non-democratic monarchical systems. For example, in Liechtenstein and Monaco, the ruling monarchs wield significant executive power. However, while they are theoretically very powerful within their small states, they are ''not'' absolute monarchs and have very limited ''de facto'' power compared to the [[Social:Monarchy#Monarchies in the Muslim world|Islamic monarchs]], which is why their countries are generally considered to be liberal democracies. For instance, when Hereditary Prince Alois of Liechtenstein threatened to veto a referendum to legalize abortion in 2011, it came as a surprise because the prince had not vetoed any law for over 30 years (in the end, this referendum failed to make it to a vote).

=== Modern constitutional monarchy ===
As originally conceived, a constitutional monarch was head of the executive branch and quite a powerful figure even though their 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.{{sfn|Montesquieu|1924|p={{page needed|date=December 2015}} }}

The present-day concept of a constitutional monarchy developed in the United Kingdom, where the democratically elected parliaments, and their leader, the [[Social:Prime minister|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 {{wipe|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 [[Social:Republic|republic]] only in detail rather than in substance. In both cases, the titular head of state{{snd}}monarch or president{{snd}}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 {{wipe|United Kingdom}} from systems where greater power might otherwise rest with [[Social:Parliament|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
* The immunity of the monarch from some taxation or restrictions on property use

Other privileges may be nominal or ceremonial (e.g., where the executive, judiciary, police or armed forces act on the authority of or owe [[Social:Allegiance|allegiance]] to the Crown).

Today slightly more than a quarter of constitutional monarchies are [[Place:Western Europe|Western Europe]]an 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 [[Social:Prime minister|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 {{wipe|Japan}} and Sweden) have amended their constitutions so that the monarch is no longer even the nominal chief executive.

There are fifteen constitutional monarchies under King Charles III, which are known as Commonwealth realms.{{sfn|Royal Household staff|2015b}} Unlike some of their continental European counterparts, the Monarch and his 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. For example, during the 1975 Australian constitutional crisis, the Governor-General dismissed the Australian Prime Minister Gough Whitlam. The Australian Senate had threatened to block the Government's budget by refusing to pass the necessary appropriation bills. On 11 November 1975, Whitlam intended to call a half-Senate election to try to break the deadlock. When he sought the Governor-General's approval of the election, the Governor-General instead dismissed him as Prime Minister. Shortly after that, he installed leader of the opposition Malcolm Fraser in his place. Acting quickly before all parliamentarians became aware of the government change, 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 event confirmed the monarchy's value 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 immediate former King, Bhumibol Adulyadej, was the longest-reigning monarch in the world and in all of Thailand's history, before passing away on 13 October 2016.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Dewan|first1=Angela|title=Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej dies at 88|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2016/10/13/asia/thai-king-bhumibol-adulyadej-dies/index.html|website=CNN Regions+|date=13 October 2016 |publisher=|access-date=13 October 2016}}</ref> Bhumibol reigned through several political changes in the Thai government. He 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 Thai 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 were reverent of Bhumibol. Much of his social influence arose from this reverence and from the socioeconomic improvement efforts undertaken by the royal family.

In the United Kingdom, a frequent debate centres on when it is appropriate for a British 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 favour 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 [[Social:Lapsed power|lapsed power]]s.

== List of current constitutional monarchies ==
{{Main list|Social:List of current monarchies}}

There are currently 43 monarchies worldwide.

===Ceremonial constitutional monarchies===
{|
|valign="top" style="width:20em;"|
* {{Flagg|uxx|Antigua and Barbuda}} Antigua and Barbuda<ref name="Commonwealth" group=lower-alpha>Commonwealth realms, which share the same person as their monarch.</ref>
* {{Flagg|uxx|Australia}} Australia<ref name="Commonwealth" group=lower-alpha/>
* {{Flagg|uxx|Bahamas}} The Bahamas<ref name="Commonwealth" group=lower-alpha/>
* {{Flagg|uxx|Belgium}} Belgium
* {{Flagg|uxx|Belize}} Belize<ref name="Commonwealth" group=lower-alpha/>
* {{Flagg|uxx|Cambodia}} Cambodia
* {{Flagg|uxx|Canada}} Canada<ref name="Commonwealth" group=lower-alpha/>
* {{Flagg|uxx|Denmark}} Denmark
* {{Flagg|uxx|Grenada}} Grenada<ref name="Commonwealth" group=lower-alpha/>
* {{Flagg|uxx|Indonesia}} Indonesia<ref name="Indonesia" group=lower-alpha>Indonesia, as a presidential republic, has a special region with a monarch as its head.</ref>
** {{flagg|uxx|Special Region of Yogyakarta}} Special Region of Yogyakarta
* {{Flagg|uxx|Jamaica}} Jamaica<ref name="Commonwealth" group=lower-alpha/>
|valign="top"  style="width:20em;"|
* {{Flagg|uxx|Japan}} Japan
* {{Flagg|uxx|Lesotho}} Lesotho
* {{Flagg|uxx|Luxembourg}} Luxembourg
* {{Flagg|uxx|Malaysia}} Malaysia
** {{flagg|uxx|Johor}} Johor
** {{flagg|uxx|Kedah}} Kedah
** {{flagg|uxx|Kelantan}} Kelantan
** {{flagg|uxx|Negeri Sembilan}} Negeri Sembilan
** {{flagg|uxx|Pahang}} Pahang
** {{flagg|uxx|Perak}} Perak
** {{flagg|uxx|Perlis}} Perlis
** {{flagg|uxx|Selangor}} Selangor
** {{flagg|uxx|Terengganu}} Terengganu
|valign="top" style="width:20em;"|
* {{Flagg|uxx|Netherlands}} The Netherlands
* {{Flagg|uxx|New Zealand}} New Zealand<ref name="Commonwealth" group=lower-alpha/>
* {{Flagg|uxx|Norway}} Norway
* {{Flagg|uxx|Papua New Guinea}} Papua New Guinea<ref name="Commonwealth" group=lower-alpha/>
* {{Flagg|uxx|Saint Kitts and Nevis}} Saint Kitts and Nevis<ref name="Commonwealth" group=lower-alpha/>
* {{Flagg|uxx|Saint Lucia}} Saint Lucia<ref name="Commonwealth" group=lower-alpha/>
* {{Flagg|uxx|Saint Vincent and the Grenadines}} Saint Vincent and the Grenadines<ref name="Commonwealth" group=lower-alpha/>
* {{Flagg|uxx|Solomon Islands}} Solomon Islands<ref name="Commonwealth" group=lower-alpha/>
* {{Flagg|uxx|Spain}} Spain
* {{Flagg|uxx|Sweden}} Sweden
* {{Flagg|uxx|Thailand}} Thailand
* {{Flagg|uxx|Tuvalu}} Tuvalu<ref name="Commonwealth" group=lower-alpha/>
* {{Flagg|uxx|United Kingdom}} United Kingdom<ref name="Commonwealth" group=lower-alpha/>
|}
{{Reflist|group=lower-alpha}}

===Executive constitutional monarchies===
{{columns-list|colwidth=18em|
* {{Flagg|uxx|Bahrain}} Bahrain
* {{Flagg|uxx|Bhutan}} Bhutan
* {{Flagg|uxx|Jordan}} Jordan
* {{Flagg|uxx|Kuwait}} Kuwait
* {{Flagg|uxx|Liechtenstein}} Liechtenstein
* {{Flagg|uxx|Monaco}} Monaco
* {{Flagg|uxx|Morocco}} Morocco
* {{Flagg|uxx|Qatar}} Qatar
* {{Flagg|uxx|Tonga}} Tonga
* {{Flagg|uxx|United Arab Emirates}} United Arab Emirates<ref name="UAE" group=lower-alpha> In the case of the [[Place:United Arab Emirates|United Arab Emirates]], the president functions as the head of state of a federation seven [[Social:Absolute monarchy|absolute monarchies]], and is ''de jure'' elected by the Supreme Council, the prime minister is ''de jure'' appointed and is the head of government; the president and prime minister are ''de facto'' the rulers of the absloute monarchies of Abu Dhabi and Dubai, respectively.</ref>
}}
{{Reflist|group=lower-alpha}}

== Former constitutional monarchies ==
* The [[Place:Kingdom of Afghanistan|Kingdom of Afghanistan]] was a constitutional monarchy under Mohammad Zahir Shah from 1964 to 1973.
*Kingdom of Albania from 1928 until 1939, Albania was a Constitutional Monarchy ruled by the House of Zogu, King Zog I.
* The [[History:Anglo-Corsican Kingdom|Anglo-Corsican Kingdom]] was a brief period in the history of Corsica (1794–1796) when the island broke with Revolutionary France and sought military protection from [[Place:Kingdom of Great Britain|Great 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.
* Barbados from gaining its independence in 1966 until 2021, was a constitutional monarchy in the [[Organization:Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth of Nations]] with a Governor-General representing the Monarchy of Barbados. After an extensive history of republican movements, a republic was declared on 30 November 2021.
* {{wipe|Brazil}} from 1822, with the proclamation of independence and rise of the Empire of Brazil by Pedro I of Brazil to 1889, when Pedro II was deposed by a military coup.
* [[History:Kingdom of Bulgaria|Kingdom of Bulgaria]] until 1946 when Tsar Simeon was deposed by the communist assembly.
* Many republics in the Commonwealth of Nations were constitutional monarchies for some period after their independence, including South Africa (1910–1961), Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) (1948–1972), Fiji (1970–1987), Gambia (1965–1970), Ghana (1957–1960), Guyana (1966–1970), Trinidad and Tobago (1962–1976), and Barbados (1966–2021).
* [[Place:Egypt|Egypt]] was a constitutional monarchy starting from the later part of the Khedivate, with parliamentary structures and a responsible khedival ministry developing in the 1860s and 1870s. The constitutional system continued through the Khedivate period and developed during the Sultanate and then [[History:Kingdom of Egypt|Kingdom of Egypt]], which established an essentially democratic liberal constitutional regime under the Egyptian Constitution of 1923. This system persisted until the declaration of a republic after the Free Officers Movement coup in 1952. For most of this period, however, Egypt was occupied by the United Kingdom, and overall political control was in the hands of British colonial officials nominally accredited as diplomats to the Egyptian royal court but actually able to overrule any decision of the monarch or elected government.
* The Grand Principality of Finland was a constitutional monarchy though its ruler, Alexander I, was simultaneously an [[Social:Autocracy|autocrat]] and [[Social:Absolute monarchy|absolute ruler]] in Russia.
* {{wipe|France}}, several times from 1789 through the 19th century. The transformation of the Estates General of 1789 into the National Assembly initiated an ad-hoc transition from the absolute monarchy of the ''Ancien Régime'' to a new constitutional system. France formally became an executive constitutional monarchy with the promulgation of the French Constitution of 1791, which took effect on 1 October of that year. This first French constitutional monarchy was short-lived, ending with the overthrow of the monarchy and establishment of the French First Republic after the Insurrection of 10 August 1792. Several years later, in 1804, 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.{{citation needed|date=September 2013}} 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 and sometimes within them.
* The [[Place:German Empire|German Empire]] from 1871 to 1918, (as well as earlier confederations, and the monarchies it consisted of) was also a constitutional monarchy—see Constitution of the German Empire.
* Greece until 1973 when Constantine II was deposed by the military government. The decision was formalized by a plebiscite 8 December 1974.
* [[History:Kingdom of Hawaii|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's first constitution. This constitutional form of government continued until the monarchy was overthrown in an 1893 coup.
* The [[History:Kingdom of Hungary|Kingdom of Hungary]]. In 1848–1849 and 1867–1918 as part of [[Place:Austria-Hungary|Austria-Hungary]]. In the interwar period (1920–1944) Hungary remained a constitutional monarchy without a reigning monarch.
* Iceland. The Act of Union, a 1 December 1918 agreement with Denmark, established Iceland as a sovereign kingdom united with Denmark under a common king. Iceland abolished the monarchy and became a republic on 17 June 1944 after the Icelandic constitutional referendum, 24 May 1944.
* India was a constitutional monarchy, with George VI as head of state and the Earl Mountbatten as governor-general, for a brief period between gaining its independence from the British on 15 August 1947 and becoming a republic when it adopted its constitution on 26 January 1950, henceforth celebrated as Republic Day.
* Pahlavi Iran under Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi was a constitutional monarchy, which had been originally established during the Persian Constitutional Revolution in 1906.
* Italy until 2 June 1946, when a referendum proclaimed the end of the Kingdom and the beginning of the Republic.
* The Kingdom of Laos was a constitutional monarchy until 1975, when Sisavang Vatthana was forced to abdicate by the communist Pathet Lao.
* Malta was a constitutional monarchy with Elizabeth 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. The First Mexican Empire lasted from 19 May 1822 to 19 March 1823, with Agustin I elected as emperor. Then, the Mexican monarchists and conservatives, with the help of the Austrian and Spanish crowns and Napoleon III of France, elected Maximilian of Austria as Emperor of Mexico. This constitutional monarchy lasted three years, from 1864 to 1867.
* [[History:Kingdom of Montenegro|Montenegro]] until 1918 when it merged with [[Place:Kingdom of Serbia|Serbia]] and other areas to form Yugoslavia.
* Nepal until 28 May 2008, when King Gyanendra was deposed, and the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal was declared.
* [[Place:Ottoman Empire|Ottoman Empire]] from 1876 until 1878 and again from 1908 until the dissolution of the empire in 1922.
*Pakistan was a constitutional monarchy for a brief period between gaining its independence from the British on 14 August 1947 and becoming a republic when it adopted the first Constitution of Pakistan on 23 March 1956. The Dominion of Pakistan had a total of two monarchs (George VI and Elizabeth II) and four Governor-Generals (Muhammad Ali Jinnah being the first). Republic Day (or Pakistan Day) is celebrated every year on 23 March to commemorate the adoption of its Constitution and the transition of the Dominion of Pakistan to the {{wipe|Pakistan}}. 
* The [[Place:Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth|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 was officially changed by the establishment of the [[History:Constitution of 3 May 1791|Constitution of 3 May 1791]], which historian [[Biography:Norman Davies|Norman Davies]] calls "the first constitution of its kind in Europe").{{sfn|Davies|1996|page=699}} 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 {{Lang|la|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 modern {{wipe|United Kingdom}}. The King was elected and had the duty of maintaining the people's rights.
* 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 Algarves which was a constitutional monarchy for the years 1820–23.
* [[History:Kingdom of Romania|Kingdom of Romania]] from its establishment in 1881 until 1947 when Michael I was forced to abdicate by the communists.
* [[Place:Kingdom of Serbia|Kingdom of Serbia]] from 1882 until 1918, when it merged with the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs into the unitary Yugoslav Kingdom, that was led by the Serbian Karadjordjevic dynasty.
* Trinidad and Tobago was a constitutional monarchy with Elizabeth II as Queen of Trinidad and Tobago, represented by a Governor-General appointed by her, for the first fourteen years of independence from 31 August 1962 to the declaration of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago on 1 August 1976. Republic Day is celebrated every year on 24 September.
* Yugoslavia from 1918 (as [[Place:Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes|Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes]]) until 1929 and from 1931 (as Kingdom of Yugoslavia) until 1944 when under pressure from the Allies Peter II recognized the communist government.

== Unusual constitutional monarchies ==
* [[Religion:Andorra|Andorra]] is a [[Social:Diarchy|diarchy]], being headed by two co-princes: the bishop of Urgell and the president of France.
* [[Religion:Andorra|Andorra]], [[Place:Monaco|Monaco]] and [[Finance:Liechtenstein|Liechtenstein]] are the only countries with reigning princes.
* Belgium is the only remaining explicit popular monarchy: the formal title of its king is ''King of the Belgians'' rather than ''King of Belgium''. Historically, several defunct constitutional monarchies followed this model; the Belgian formulation is recognized to have been modelled on the title "King of the French" granted by the Charter of 1830 to monarch of the July Monarchy.
* {{wipe|Japan}} is the only country remaining with an emperor.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.kunaicho.go.jp/e-about/seido/seido.html|title=The Imperial Institution – The Imperial Household Agency|website=kunaicho.go.jp}}</ref>
* Luxembourg is the only country remaining with a grand duke.
* Malaysia is a [[Social:Federation|federal]] country with an [[Social:Elective monarchy|elective monarchy]]: the Yang di-Pertuan Agong is selected from among nine state rulers who are also constitutional monarchs themselves.
* Papua New Guinea. Unlike in most other Commonwealth realms, sovereignty is constitutionally vested in the citizenry of Papua New Guinea and the preamble to the constitution states "that all power belongs to the people—acting through their duly elected representatives". The monarch has been, according to section 82 of the constitution, "requested by the people of Papua New Guinea, through their Constituent Assembly, to become [monarch] and Head of State of Papua New Guinea" and thus acts in that capacity.
* {{wipe|Spain}}. The Constitution of Spain does not even recognize the monarch as ''sovereign'', but just as the [[Social:Head of state|head of state]] (Article 56). Article 1, Section 2, states that "the national sovereignty is vested in the Spanish people".<ref name="spain_const">[https://app.congreso.es/consti/constitucion/indice/index.htm Index]. Constitution of Spain, Congress of Deputies</ref>
* [[Place:United Arab Emirates|United Arab Emirates]] is a [[Social:Federation|federal]] country with an [[Social:Elective monarchy|elective monarchy]], the President or Ra'is, being selected from among the rulers of the seven emirates, each of whom is a hereditary absolute monarch in their own emirate.

== See also ==
* Australian Monarchist League
* Criticism of monarchy
* Monarchism
* [[Social:Figurehead|Figurehead]]
* [[Social:Parliamentary republic|Parliamentary republic]]
* [[Social:Reserve power|Reserve power]]

== References ==
=== Citations ===
{{Reflist}}

=== Sources ===
{{refbegin|30em}}
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* {{citation |last=Bogdanor |first=Vernon |year=1996 |url=http://pa.oxfordjournals.org/content/49/3/407 |archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20171020064121/https://academic.oup.com/pa/article-abstract/49/3/407/1592600/The-Monarchy-and-the-Constitution?redirectedFrom=fulltext |url-status=dead |archive-date=20 October 2017 |title=The Monarchy and the Constitution |journal=Parliamentary Affairs |volume=49 |issue=3 |pages=407–422 |doi=10.1093/pa/49.3.407 }} – excerpted from {{citation |ref=none |first=Vernon |last=Bogdanor |year=1995 |title = The Monarchy and the Constitution |publisher=[[Organization:Oxford University Press|Oxford University Press]] }}
* {{citation |last=Boyce |first=Peter |year=2008 |title=The Queen's Other Realms |publisher=Federation Press |location=Annandale |page=1 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kY-Tk0-quyoC |isbn=978-1-86287-700-9 }}
* {{citation |last = Davies |first = Norman |title = Europe: A History |year=1996 |publisher = Oxford University Press |page=[https://archive.org/details/europehistory00davi_0/page/699 699] |isbn=0-19-820171-0 }}
* {{citation |editor-last = Dunt |editor-first = Ian |year = 2015 |url = http://www.politics.co.uk/reference/monarchy/ |access-date = 13 September 2011 |title = Monarchy – Background |website = politics.co.uk }}
* {{citation |last = Hegel |first = G. W. F. |year=1991 |orig-year=1820  |title = Elements of the Philosophy of Right |editor-first = Allen W. |editor-last = Wood |translator-first = H. B. |translator-last = Nisbet |publisher = {{wipe|Cambridge University Press}} |isbn = 0-521-34438-7 }} – originally published as Georg Friedrich Wilhelm Hegel, ''Philosophie des Rechts''.
* {{Citation |last=McCannon |first=John |year=2006 |title = Barron's how to Prepare for the AP World History Examination |edition = 2nd, illustrated |publisher = Barron's Educational Serie |isbn=978-0764132711 |pages=[https://books.google.com/books?id=9UuH2pwQOI4C&pg=PA177 177]–178}} – England and the Netherlands in the 17th and 18th centuries were parliamentary democracies.
* {{citation |last = Montesquieu |first=  Charles-Louis, Baron de |year=1924 |title = The Spirit of Laws |publisher = Legal Classics Library }}
* {{citation |editor-last=Orr |editor-first=Campbell |year=2002 |title = Queenship in Britain, 1660–1837: Royal Patronage, Court Culture, and Dynastic Politics |edition=illustrated |publisher = Manchester University Press |isbn=978-0719057694 |page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=Z92wf0IMv6EC&pg=PA3 3]}}
* {{citation |date = 21 April 2010 |url = http://www.parliament.uk/site-information/glossary/crown-prerogative/ |access-date = 13 September 2011 |title = Crown Prerogative |website = Official website of the British Parliament |ref={{harvid|Parliamentary staff|2010}}}}
* {{citation |last = Patmore |first = Glenn |title = Choosing the Republic |year = 2009 |publisher = UNSW Press |isbn=978-1-74223-015-3 |page =[https://books.google.com/books?id=hc4p65yM_hYC&dq=%22Crowned+republic%22&pg=PB105 105] }}
* {{citation |date = 12 December 2015 |url = http://www.royal.gov.uk/MonarchUK/HowtheMonarchyworks/Whatisconstitutionalmonarchy.aspx |title = What is constitutional monarchy? |website = Official website of the British Monarchy |ref={{harvid|Royal Household staff|2015a}}}}
* {{citation |date = 12 December 2015 |url = http://www.royal.gov.uk/MonarchAndCommonwealth/QueenandCommonwealth/WhatisaCommonwealthRealm.aspx |title = What is a Commonwealth realm? |website = Official website of the British Monarchy |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20101202194643/http://www.royal.gov.uk/MonarchAndCommonwealth/QueenandCommonwealth/WhatisaCommonwealthRealm.aspx |archive-date = 2 December 2010  |ref={{harvid|Royal Household staff|2015b}}}}
* {{citation |last=Schmitt |first=Carl |orig-year=1928 |year=2008 |title = Constitutional Theory |edition = illustrated
|editor-first = Jeffrey
|editor-last = Seitzer
|translator-first = Jeffrey |translator-last = Seitzer
|publisher = Duke University Press |isbn=978-0822340119 |pages=313–[https://books.google.com/books?id=Oc7kELb-bJwC&pg=PA314 314] }}
* {{citation |last = Sear |first = Chris |year = 2001 |url = http://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summary/RP01-116 |title = Research Paper 01/116 |format = PDF |website = Official website of the British Parliament }}
{{refend}}

==Further reading==
* {{citation|ref=none |last=Locke |first=John |title=Two Treatises of Government and A Letter Concerning Toleration |editor-first=Ian |editor-last=Shapiro |edition=with essays by John Dunn, Ruth W. Grant and Ian Shapiro |location=New Haven |publisher=Yale University Press |year=2003 |orig-year=1690 |isbn=0-300-10017-5}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Constitutional Monarch}}
[[Category:Constitutional state types]]

{{Sourceattribution|Constitutional monarchy}}