thronecentric

Thronecentric is an adjective used to describe political, cultural, or organizational systems in which the authority of a throne or monarch, or the symbolic center of royal power, is emphasized as the primary source of legitimacy and decision-making. It is a neologism employed in political theory, cultural studies, and literary or media analysis to signal the centrality of dynastic rule, court institutions, or regal prerogatives within a given framework.

In political and historical contexts, thronecentric describes arrangements where power is tightly associated with the monarchy, whether through legal frameworks that vest authority in a sovereign, or through institutional practices and rituals that elevate the monarch’s role in governance and policy. It can apply to outright absolute monarchies as well as to constitutional or ceremonial systems where royal institutions still shape public life, public opinion, or state symbolism. In cultural studies and art history, thronecentric may refer to works and practices that foreground royal imagery, courtly ritual, and dynastic legitimacy as organizing themes.

In speculative fiction and world-building, thronecentric describes settings where succession, legitimacy, and court politics drive plot and world dynamics. Critics typically note that the term is qualitative and context-dependent; it highlights emphasis on monarchy while not necessarily implying absence of other power centers such as religious authorities, parliaments, or commercial elites.

See also: monarchy, dynastic legitimacy, court culture, political symbolism.