coregents

Coregents, or co-regents, are individuals who exercise sovereign authority concurrently with a reigning monarch or who serve as regent jointly with the monarch. The term describes arrangements in which two or more rulers share power during a transition or within a constitutional framework that permits joint rule. It is distinct from a regent, who governs on behalf of a monarch who is a minor, incapacitated, or otherwise unable to rule; a regent acts as a substitute rather than as a co-ruler.

Coregencies can take several forms. In some cases, two or more individuals are designated to rule as a diarchy, sharing full royal authority as co-sovereigns. In other situations, a monarch may rule alongside a designated co-regent who has equal status or specific, limited powers. The legal basis for coregency varies by jurisdiction and can be established by royal charter, inheritance custom, treaty, or statute. Duties commonly include issuing decrees, directing the royal council, and representing the realm in diplomacy, though the exact balance of power depends on the arrangement.

Today, true coregencies are uncommon in modern constitutional monarchies, where duties are defined by written law and regencies tend to be episodic rather than ongoing. The concept remains primarily of historical interest and is studied in constitutional history and political theory. Related topics include regency, diarchy, and dual monarchy.