monarchismus

Monarchismus, or monarchism, is a political ideology that favors rule by a monarch as the legitimate form of government or as a central element of the state's constitutional order. In practice, monarchism covers a spectrum from absolute, hereditary rule to constitutional forms in which the monarch's powers are largely ceremonial. Proponents often frame monarchy as a source of continuity, national identity, and political stability.

Constitutional or ceremonial monarchies have monarchs as heads of state with limited or symbolic powers, while elected institutions hold governing authority. Countries with this model include the United Kingdom, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, Denmark, Japan, Canada, Australia, and other Commonwealth realms, as well as Belgium and Spain in various forms. Absolute monarchies concentrate political power in a reigning monarch, such as in Saudi Arabia, Brunei, or Eswatini, where succession and state governance are intertwined with dynastic rule and, in many cases, religious or legal frameworks.

Historically, monarchies emerged as early centralized polities in medieval Europe and other regions, evolving through the doctrine of the divine right or sacred kingship. The rise of constitutionalism, liberal revolutions, and republican movements from the 17th to 19th centuries gradually constrained monarchs in many states and reinforced parliamentary sovereignties. In the 20th and 21st centuries, constitutional monarchies became common in Europe and parts of the Commonwealth, while some monarchies retained autocratic powers.

Supporters argue that monarchy offers political stability, ceremonial legitimacy, and continuity, while opponents view hereditary rule as inherently undemocratic and susceptible to elitism, dynastic privilege, or costly state functions. Debates often center on the balance between symbolic duties and democratic accountability, as well as the fiscal implications of maintaining royal households.