Isabella Carter
A constitutional monarchy is a system of government in which a monarch is the head of state, but their power is limited by a constitution. This form of government is often associated with Western Europe, but Japan and Thailand are the most populous nations using it. There are several types of constitutional monarchies, including executive and ceremonial. In executive monarchies, the monarch wields significant power, while in ceremonial monarchies, the monarch holds little to no political power but often has great social and cultural influence. Examples of constitutional monarchies include the United Kingdom, Belgium, Japan, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and Thailand.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Form of government | A constitutional monarchy is a form of government in which a monarch—typically a king or queen—acts as the head of state within the parameters of a written or unwritten constitution. |
| Powers of the monarch | The monarch's powers are enumerated in the constitution and are very limited, with their duties being mostly ceremonial. |
| Real governmental power | Real governmental power is exercised by a parliament or similar legislative body overseen by a prime minister. |
| Number of constitutional monarchies | There are 43 constitutional monarchies in the world. |
| Examples | Examples of constitutional monarchies include the United Kingdom, Canada, Sweden, Japan, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Morocco, Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Bhutan, Norway, Spain, Belgium, Denmark, Lesotho, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, and Australia. |
| Oldest constitutional monarchy | The oldest constitutional monarchy was that of the Hittites, an ancient Anatolian people that lived during the Bronze Age. |
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What You'll Learn
Commonwealth realms
A Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state in the Commonwealth of Nations that has the same monarch and head of state as the other realms. The current monarch is King Charles III, who is also the Head of the Commonwealth. Except for the United Kingdom, in each of the realms, the monarch is represented by a governor-general. The phrase "Commonwealth realm" is an informal description not used in any law.
As of 2025, there are 15 Commonwealth realms: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, The Bahamas, Belize, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, and the United Kingdom. While the Commonwealth of Nations has 56 independent member states, only these 15 have Charles III as their head of state.
The notion of these states sharing the same person as their monarch traces back to 1867 when Canada became the first dominion, a self-governing nation of the British Empire. The Balfour Declaration of 1926 established the Commonwealth of Nations and proclaimed that the nations were "equal in status, in no way subordinate one to another in any aspect of their domestic or external affairs, though united by a common allegiance to the Crown". The Statute of Westminster in 1931 further set the relationship between the realms and the Crown, including a convention that any alteration to the line of succession in any one country must be voluntarily approved by all the others.
The modern Commonwealth of Nations was formally constituted by the London Declaration in 1949 when India wanted to become a republic without leaving the Commonwealth. This left seven independent nations sharing the Crown: Australia, Canada, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. Since then, new realms have been created through the independence of former colonies and dependencies. Saint Kitts and Nevis is the youngest extant realm, becoming one in 1983. Some realms have since become republics; Barbados, for example, changed from being a realm to a republic in 2021.
The diplomatic practice of exchanging ambassadors with letters of credence and recall from one head of state to another does not apply between Commonwealth realms. Diplomatic relations are thus at a cabinet level only, and high commissioners are exchanged between realms.
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European constitutional monarchies
Constitutional monarchies are systems 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. The constitution allocates the rest of the government's power to the legislature and judiciary. Most of the monarchies in Europe are constitutional monarchies, with the exceptions of Liechtenstein, Monaco, and Vatican City, which are usually considered semi-constitutional monarchies due to the large influence the princes still have on politics.
The United Kingdom is an example of a European country with a constitutional monarchy. 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. The sovereign's influence on the choice of prime minister gradually declined over this period. Similarly, the German Empire (the Second Reich) of 1871 was a constitutional monarchy. The 1871 Constitution of the German Empire placed the legislative power of the Empire in the Federal Council and the Imperial Diet, meaning that the German Emperor William I did not have sovereignty or exclusive law-making power.
The French Revolution (1789-1799) marked the beginning of the modern resurgence of parliamentarism and anti-monarchism. The absolutist Kingdom of France was first transformed into a constitutional monarchy in 1791-92 before being fully abolished in 1792. The former king was even executed, to the great shock of the other European courts. Following World War I and World War II, the remaining European monarchies were transformed into constitutional monarchies.
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. Six of these twelve monarchies are members of the European Union: Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain, and Sweden.
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East and Southeast Asian constitutional monarchies
Southeast Asia has four monarchies, each with its unique characteristics. Brunei is an absolute monarchy, while Thailand, Malaysia, and Cambodia are constitutional monarchies. Indonesia, a republic, has several provinces or regencies that preserve their own monarchies, although only the Special Region of Yogyakarta retains actual administrative authority.
The history of these monarchies and their future prospects are fascinating. They have survived colonialism and the transition towards democracy. For instance, Thailand was never colonized, but its monarchy modernized in response to pressure for democratic reform and adopted forms of government that established limits on its power.
Malaysia's monarchy is the least known in Southeast Asia, but it is unique for having a system of elective monarchy. The current Yang di-Pertuan Agong (Head of State) is Abdul Halim, the Sultan of Kedah. Malaysians have been engaged in public discussions about the monarchy's role in modern times, including criticism of the royal families' lavish lifestyles and scandals.
In Thailand and Malaysia, political uncertainty and instability have dragged the monarchy into politics. While this has allowed people with limited freedom of expression to air their grievances, as in Malaysia, it has also acted as an obstacle to free speech, as seen in Thailand, where a man was jailed for allegedly insulting the monarchy on Facebook.
In Cambodia, King Norodom Sihanouk was a pivotal figure in the country's modern history, serving as head of state, premier, and even becoming a guerrilla leader during the fight for independence. He was well-liked by the Cambodian people and was the first king to make direct contact with his subjects.
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Countries where the monarch retains substantial powers
Constitutional monarchies can be categorised as either executive or ceremonial. In executive monarchies, also known as semi-constitutional monarchies, the monarch wields significant power, akin to a president in a presidential or semi-presidential system. On the other hand, in ceremonial monarchies, the monarch holds little to no political power but often wields significant social and cultural influence.
Liechtenstein and Monaco
In Liechtenstein and Monaco, the ruling monarchs wield significant executive power. However, they are not absolute monarchs and have limited de facto power compared to Islamic monarchs. As such, their countries are generally considered liberal democracies.
Japan and
Japan and Thailand are the two most populous constitutional monarchies in Asia. While the prime minister handles day-to-day governance, the monarch retains residual powers that are not always insignificant. For example, in Thailand, the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej played an influential role in politics, often acting as a mediator between opposing political factions.
Norway
In Norway, the King chairs special meetings of the cabinet and is still the nominal chief executive, although bound by convention to act on the cabinet's advice.
Belgium
Belgium has a unique system where the new monarch does not automatically assume the throne upon the death or abdication of their predecessor but only becomes the monarch after taking a constitutional oath. The Belgian monarch formally appoints a representative to preside over the creation of a coalition government following a parliamentary election.
Commonwealth Realms
The Commonwealth realms, which include the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and several other nations, are constitutional monarchies where the monarch or their representative legally possesses vast prerogatives but fulfils a largely ceremonial role. The monarch in these countries may exercise certain reserve powers in times of extreme emergency or constitutional crisis. For example, during the 1975 Australian constitutional crisis, the Governor-General dismissed the Australian Prime Minister, Gough Whitlam.
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Countries where the monarch has a limited role
A constitutional monarchy is a system of government in which a monarch is recognised as head of state, but their power is limited by a constitution and shared with a democratically elected body. This is in contrast to an absolute monarchy, in which the king and queen hold all the power to govern their people.
There are two types of constitutional monarchies: executive and ceremonial. In executive monarchies, also known as semi-constitutional monarchies, the monarch wields significant power, though not absolute. In ceremonial monarchies, the monarch holds little or no actual power or direct political influence but often has a great deal of social and cultural influence.
The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy with democratic elections. The monarch has the ability to appoint a prime minister, proclaim laws, and handle foreign relations, but the real power is held by Parliament. The UK does not have a single document called "the constitution", but the monarch's power is limited by a set of laws and basic principles.
Other European countries with constitutional monarchies include Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, and Sweden. These are fully democratic states in which the monarch has a limited, largely, or entirely ceremonial role. For example, the Norwegian monarchy traces its roots back to Harald I Fairhair, who united the realm in 872, but today the monarch has a limited role.
Japan is a constitutional monarchy with the oldest continuous hereditary monarchy in the world, said to have originated with the mythical Emperor Jimmu. The first verifiable evidence begins with Emperor Kinmei in the 6th century. While the monarch is the head of state, the actual power to govern lies with the head of the government, the prime minister.
Lesotho and Tonga are two other constitutional monarchies outside of Europe. In Lesotho, the king is the administrative head of state, while the queen is the spiritual and national head of state, a largely symbolic position.
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