Coprinces

Coprinces, or co-princes, are rulers who share sovereignty over a territory, with two individuals holding the office jointly rather than in succession. This arrangement is a form of diarchy, and the powers of a coprince vary depending on a constitution, treaty, or customary law. In many cases, the role is largely ceremonial, with real executive authority exercised by another government body.

The best-known modern example is the principality of Andorra, where the office of co-prince is held by two distinct figures: the Bishop of Urgell and the President of the French Republic. The pair act as heads of state, while day-to-day governance is carried out by Andorra’s head of government and the General Council. The current diarchy traces back to the Pareage of 1278, which established mutual sovereignty between a church authority and a secular ruler. The 1993 Andorran constitution formalized their status as co-heads of state, while preserving a largely ceremonial role for the co-princes and leaving executive power to other institutions.

Historically, coprinces have appeared in various medieval arrangements designed to balance competing claims to sovereignty, often involving religious and secular authorities or rival dynastic houses. In most cases, the practical government of the state rests with elected or appointed bodies, and the coprinces’ responsibilities emphasize representation, diplomacy, and the symbolic functions of statehood.

In contemporary usage, the term remains most closely associated with Andorra, but it also appears in discussions of constitutional design and historical diarchies as a general concept of shared rule.