Simone Lawson
A parliamentary constitutional monarchy is a system of government in which a monarch, such as a king or queen, shares power with a constitutionally organized government. The monarch is a non-political figure and is above daily politics, with the country being governed by the government. While the monarch's powers differ between countries, they generally do not exercise executive or policymaking power, with the main decisions being made by the government and the parliament. The monarch's role is primarily representative and civic, serving to help politicians overcome their conflicts and advising government officials to work together for the benefit of the country and its people.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| System of government | A country is ruled by a king or queen whose power is limited by a constitution |
| Powers of the monarch | The powers of the monarch differ between countries. In some, the monarch is the nominal chief executive, while in others, they are a non-political figure and above daily politics |
| Role of the monarch | The monarch may be the de facto head of state or a purely ceremonial leader. They may also be a factor of stability, unity, continuity, and reconciliation |
| Decision-making | The monarch shares power with a constitutionally organized government and is not the sole decision-maker. The constitution allocates the rest of the government's power to the legislature and judiciary |
| Examples | The United Kingdom, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, Denmark, Luxembourg, Monaco, Liechtenstein, Sweden, Japan, Thailand, and Serbia |
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What You'll Learn
The role of the monarch
A parliamentary constitutional monarchy is a system of government in which a monarch acts as a non-political figurehead, while the country is governed by an elected parliament. The monarch's role is largely ceremonial and symbolic, performing representative and civic duties without exercising any executive or policymaking power.
The monarch is expected to remain above daily politics and not be a member of any political party. This position ensures that the monarch is the sovereign representative of all citizens, providing stability, unity, and continuity to the state. The monarch is also a crucial factor in fostering reconciliation and helping politicians navigate conflicts.
While the specific powers of the monarch vary between different countries, their role is generally limited by a constitution, which outlines the distribution of power among the legislature, judiciary, and the monarch. In some countries, the monarch formally appoints a representative to preside over the formation of a coalition government after a parliamentary election. For example, in Norway, the King chairs special cabinet meetings.
In exceptional circumstances, such as constitutional crises, some monarchs or their representatives may wield significant "reserve" or "prerogative" powers. For instance, during the 1975 Australian constitutional crisis, the Governor-General, representing the monarch, dismissed the Australian Prime Minister, citing the need to uphold parliamentary government.
In summary, the role of the monarch in a parliamentary constitutional monarchy is primarily ceremonial and non-political, focused on fostering unity, stability, and continuity, while the actual governance of the country lies with the elected parliament and government.
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Separation of powers
A parliamentary constitutional monarchy is a system of government in which a monarch acts as a non-political figurehead or symbolic head of state, while the government retains the power to govern. The monarch's role is primarily representative and civic, and they are expected to remain above daily politics. While the monarch's powers differ between countries, they are generally bound by a constitution and do not exercise policymaking power.
In a constitutional monarchy, the separation of powers is an important principle. The constitution allocates power to different branches of government, such as the legislature and judiciary, with the monarch typically retaining residual powers. The monarch is expected to act on the advice of the cabinet and is often the nominal chief executive. However, some countries, such as Japan and Sweden, have amended their constitutions to remove the monarch as the nominal chief executive.
The separation of powers in a constitutional monarchy ensures that no single branch of government holds absolute power. While the monarch may have some reserve or prerogative powers, they are generally not involved in the day-to-day governance of the country. Instead, the people elect their representatives in free and fair parliamentary elections, who then propose a prime minister, typically based on a parliamentary majority. The monarch approves the appointment of the prime minister, who holds the power of governance.
The role of the monarch in a constitutional monarchy is often described as "reigning but not ruling." The monarch is expected to serve the interests of their people and act as a source of stability, unity, and continuity for the state. They may also have ceremonial duties and represent their country on diplomatic visits.
The separation of powers in a constitutional monarchy provides a system of checks and balances, preventing any one branch of government from accumulating too much power. This can help protect against dictatorship or executive overreach, as witnessed in the case of Australia, where the Governor-General, representing the monarch, dismissed the Prime Minister during a constitutional crisis.
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The constitution
A parliamentary constitutional monarchy is a system of government in which a monarch acts as a non-political figurehead or symbolic head of state, while the government retains the power to govern. The monarch's role is largely ceremonial, and they are expected to remain above daily politics. They may be a king, queen, emperor, prince, duke, or grand duke, depending on the country.
In a constitutional monarchy, the people elect their representatives in free and fair parliamentary elections. These representatives then propose a prime minister based on a parliamentary majority, and the monarch approves their appointment. While the monarch is still the nominal chief executive in most countries, they are bound by convention to act on the advice of the cabinet. The monarch's powers differ between countries, with some having more significant "reserve" or "prerogative" powers than others. For example, in Norway, the King chairs special meetings of the cabinet, while in Belgium, the monarch formally appoints a representative to preside over the creation of a coalition government following a parliamentary election.
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Examples of constitutional monarchies
A parliamentary constitutional monarchy is a system of government in which a monarch acts as the head of state within the parameters of a constitution, with their powers restricted by a parliament. The monarchy exists alongside a parliamentary system of government, where the elected parliament holds the power to govern, and the monarch's role is largely ceremonial and symbolic. Now, here are some examples of constitutional monarchies:
United Kingdom:
The UK is a well-known example of a parliamentary constitutional monarchy. The current monarch, King Charles III, ascended the throne following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in September 2022. While the monarch has certain legal and theoretical powers, in practice, their role is largely ceremonial. The monarch officially appoints the Prime Minister, dissolves Parliament, and gives royal assent to bills passed by Parliament, but these duties are carried out within the constraints of constitutional convention and on the advice of the Prime Minister and other ministers. The UK's constitution is uncodified, consisting of various documents, laws, and traditions, and the monarch is considered the "guardian of the constitution."
Sweden:
Sweden is another example of a constitutional monarchy. The current monarch, King Carl XVI Gustaf, has a primarily ceremonial role and does not participate directly in government decision-making. The Swedish constitution, which dates back to 1974, outlines the role of the monarch as the country's head of state. While the monarch is formally part of the legislative process, signing and promulgating laws passed by the Riksdag (the Swedish parliament), this is done in a non-partisan manner, and the monarch is expected to remain politically neutral.
Japan:
Japan has the world's oldest continuous hereditary monarchy, with a history spanning more than 2,600 years. The current monarch, Emperor Naruhito, ascended the Chrysanthemum Throne in 2019 following the abdication of his father, Emperor Akihito. The Japanese constitution, enacted after World War II, defines the emperor's role as "the symbol of the State and of the unity of the people." The emperor has no political powers and is prohibited from participating in political activities, with their duties being largely ceremonial, including performing public duties and representing Japan on official visits abroad.
Spain:
Spain is a constitutional monarchy, with King Felipe VI as the current head of state. The Spanish constitution of 1978 outlines the monarch's role, which includes representing Spain in international relations, promoting relations with other countries, and serving as the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. While the monarch is the head of state, the government and its president (Prime Minister) have the exclusive power to propose and enforce policies. The monarch does have some discretionary powers, such as the ability to dissolve parliament and call for new elections, but these are rarely used.
These examples demonstrate how constitutional monarchies can vary in their specific structures and traditions while sharing the common feature of a monarch whose powers are limited by a constitution and a parliamentary system of government.
The history of constitutional monarchy
A constitutional monarchy is a system of government in which a monarch shares power with a constitutionally organized government. The monarch may be the de facto head of state or a ceremonial leader, while the constitution allocates the rest of the government's power to the legislature and judiciary.
Another early example of a constitutional monarchy was the Anglo-Corsican Kingdom, which existed from 1794 to 1796. During this period, Corsica was an independent kingdom under George III of the United Kingdom, with its own elected parliament and a written constitution guaranteeing local autonomy and democratic rights.
France also experimented with constitutional monarchy during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The French Constitution of 1791 established an executive constitutional monarchy, which was short-lived and ended with the establishment of the French First Republic in 1792. Napoleon Bonaparte later proclaimed himself Emperor of the French in what was ostensibly a constitutional monarchy, though historians often characterize his reign as an absolute monarchy.
In the 19th and early 20th centuries, several other countries adopted constitutional monarchies, including Portugal, the German Empire, Italy, and the Hashemite Kingdom of Iraq. However, many of these early constitutional monarchies were discredited or abolished due to political changes, military coups, or world wars.
After the Second World War, surviving European monarchies almost invariably adopted some variant of the constitutional monarchy model originally developed in Britain. 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. The two most populous constitutional monarchies in the world are in Asia: Japan and Thailand.
Frequently asked questions
A parliamentary constitutional monarchy is a system of government in which a monarch (a hereditary symbolic head of state) shares power with a constitutionally organized government. The monarch is non-political and above daily politics.
The monarch's role is mainly representative and civic. They do not exercise executive or policymaking power. The monarch is there to help politicians overcome their political conflicts and advise government officials to work together for the good of the country and the people.
In a parliamentary constitutional monarchy, the monarch exercises their authority in accordance with a constitution and is not the only decision-maker. In contrast, an absolute monarchy is a system in which the monarch is the sole decision-maker and has unlimited power.
Examples of parliamentary constitutional monarchies include the United Kingdom, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, Denmark, Luxembourg, Monaco, Liechtenstein, Sweden, Japan, and Thailand.
