Malcolm Rivera
There are 12 monarchies in Europe, 11 of which are constitutional monarchies. In a constitutional monarchy, the monarch does not influence the politics of the state. The monarch is either legally prohibited from doing so or does not utilise the political powers vested in the office by convention. Andorra, Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, and Sweden are fully democratic states in which the monarch has a limited, largely, or entirely ceremonial role. Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom now adhere to absolute primogeniture, whereby the eldest child inherits the throne, regardless of gender.
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
- Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the UK are constitutional monarchies
- In Norway, the King chairs special cabinet meetings
- Belgium is the only explicit popular monarchy
- The UK is the last country in Europe to crown its new monarch
- Spain is the only southern European country with a monarch as Head of State
Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the UK are constitutional monarchies
There are 12 monarchies in Europe, 11 of which are constitutional monarchies. Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom are all constitutional monarchies. This means that while the monarch may retain some powers, they do not influence the politics of the state.
In Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden, the monarch has a limited, largely, or entirely ceremonial role. In these countries, the monarch is not allowed to influence politics, either by law or by convention. While the monarch in Norway chairs special meetings of the cabinet, they are still bound by convention to act on the advice of the cabinet. In Denmark and Belgium, the monarch formally appoints a representative to preside over the creation of a coalition government following a parliamentary election. In the Netherlands, the monarch is invested, not crowned, and in Belgium and Luxembourg, there is no royal regalia, but there are swearing-in ceremonies for the monarchs in the legislature.
The United Kingdom is the last country in Europe that crowns its new monarch. The UK is also unique among constitutional monarchies in that it is the only country where the monarch is still the nominal chief executive. While the monarch's powers are limited, they are more extensive than in other constitutional monarchies.
Most of the monarchies in Europe became constitutional monarchies after World War I or World War II. There are currently no major campaigns to abolish the monarchy in any of the twelve monarchies, although there are small republican movements in many of them.
The Genesis of Constitutional Monarchy
You may want to see also
In Norway, the King chairs special cabinet meetings
Norway is one of the twelve constitutional monarchies in Europe. The other eleven are:
- Belgium
- Denmark
- Luxembourg
- The Netherlands
- Sweden
- The United Kingdom
- Spain
- Andorra
- Monaco
- Liechtenstein
- Vatican City State
In Norway, the King plays an important role in the transition from one government to the next. He is the Commander-in-Chief of the country's armed forces and holds the rank of General in the Army and Air Force, and Admiral in the Navy. The King also served as the formal head of the Church of Norway, in accordance with Article 4 of the Constitution, until the constitutional amendment of 21 May 2012. The King's day-to-day duties include meetings with the Prime Minister, the Foreign Minister, and representatives of the Defence Establishment.
The King also travels to different parts of Norway, visiting public and private institutions. Every autumn, the King presides over the formal opening of the Storting, following the fixed ceremony laid down in the Constitution. The King presides over the Council of State, which is held at the Royal Palace every Friday at 11 am.
The Council of State, or the Støre Cabinet, is the incumbent government of Norway, headed by Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre. The government was appointed by King Harald V on 14 October 2021, following a parliamentary election. The cabinet consists of 19 ministers, one fewer than the previous Solberg cabinet. The current cabinet has been marred by scandals, including several breaches of impartiality rules.
In Norway, the King chairs special meetings of the cabinet, also known as the King-in-Council or the Queen-in-Council, depending on the gender of the reigning monarch. This term refers to the monarch exercising executive authority, usually by approving orders on the advice of the country's privy council or executive council. The Council of State, or cabinet, meets at the Royal Palace, and matters of importance and major decisions are made.
Constitutional Monarchy: Prime Minister's Role Explained
You may want to see also
Belgium is the only explicit popular monarchy
There are currently twelve monarchies in Europe, eleven of which are constitutional monarchies. Most of the monarchies in Europe are constitutional monarchies, which means that the monarch does not influence the politics of the state. The exceptions are Liechtenstein and Monaco, which are usually considered semi-constitutional monarchies due to the large influence the princes still have on politics. The Vatican City is an absolute monarchy.
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 the monarch of the July Monarchy.
Belgium is one of six European constitutional monarchies that are members of the European Union. The other five are Denmark, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain, and Sweden. Belgium and its fellow European constitutional monarchies are fully democratic states in which the monarch has a limited, largely, or entirely ceremonial role. In Belgium, the monarch formally appoints a representative to preside over the creation of a coalition government following a parliamentary election. However, the country does not have royal regalia but instead has a swearing-in ceremony for its monarch in the legislature.
The public looks to the monarchy to represent continuity, stability, and tradition, but also wants it to be modern, to reflect modern values, and be a focus for national identity. The whole institution is shot through with contradictions, myths, and misunderstandings.
Constitutional Monarchy: Power Dynamics and Influence Explored
You may want to see also
Explore related products
The UK is the last country in Europe to crown its new monarch
The UK is the last country in Europe that crowns its new monarch. While many European countries have constitutional monarchies, most of these countries have swearing-in ceremonies for their monarchs, rather than coronation ceremonies. For example, Belgium and Luxembourg do not have royal regalia but hold swearing-in ceremonies for their monarchs in the legislature. The Netherlands, under Article 32 of the Constitution, has a new monarch sworn in at a joint session of the two Houses of the States General. They are invested, rather than crowned, at the Nieuwe Kerk, with the crown and other regalia simply on display.
The UK's coronation ceremony is a tradition dating back centuries. Elizabeth II was anointed and crowned by the Archbishop of Canterbury in Westminster Abbey in 1953, and Charles III will be crowned in a similar fashion. At his coronation, Charles III will swear an oath to uphold the Protestant religion in a ceremony overseen by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
The UK is not alone in being a constitutional monarchy in Europe. Other European constitutional monarchies include Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, and Sweden. These countries are fully democratic states in which the monarch has a limited, largely, or entirely ceremonial role.
Most of the monarchies in Europe are constitutional monarchies, which means that the monarch does not influence the politics of the state. The exceptions are Liechtenstein and Monaco, which are usually considered semi-constitutional monarchies due to the large influence the princes still have on politics.
US Constitution: Absolute Monarchy's End?
You may want to see also
Spain is the only southern European country with a monarch as Head of State
There are currently twelve monarchies in Europe, eleven of which are constitutional monarchies. Spain is one of these constitutional monarchies and is the only southern European country with a monarch as Head of State.
Most of the monarchies in Europe are constitutional monarchies, which means that the monarch does not influence the politics of the state. The monarch is either legally prohibited from doing so or does not utilize the political powers vested in their office by convention. In some constitutional monarchies, the monarch acts as a non-party political ceremonial head of state under the constitution. While most monarchs may hold formal powers, they are bound by convention to act on the advice of the Cabinet.
In Spain, there are plans to change to absolute primogeniture, which means that the eldest child, regardless of gender, takes precedence in the line of succession. This process is complicated, as it requires a constitutional amendment.
Other European constitutional monarchies include Andorra, Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden. These countries are fully democratic states in which the monarch has a limited, largely, or entirely ceremonial role.
Barbados' Constitutional Monarchy: A Political System Overview
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
There are 11 constitutional monarchies in Europe.
The following countries in Europe have constitutional monarchies: Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, the United Kingdom, Spain, Andorra, Monaco, and Liechtenstein.
The role of a constitutional monarch varies depending on the country. In some countries, the monarch has a largely ceremonial role and is prohibited from influencing politics. In other countries, the monarch retains some powers and may appoint a representative or chair cabinet meetings.
