A monarchy is a form of government in which a person (as king or queen) is the head of the state.
Here supreme authority is vested in the monarch, an individual ruler who functions as the head of state and who achieves his or her position through heredity.
The political legitimacy and authority of the monarch may vary from restricted and largely symbolic (constitutional monarchy), to fully autocratic (absolute monarchy), and can span across executive, legislative, and judicial domains.
Currently, 43 nations in the world have a monarchy. 15 commonwealth nations share Queen Elizabeth II as their head of state. Modern monarchies are constitutional monarchies.
Types of Monarchy
1. Absolute Monarchy: An absolute monarchy is a form of monarchy in which the monarch rules in their own right or power. In an absolute monarchy, the king or queen is by no means limited and has absolute power, though a limited constitution may exist in some countries. e.g Mughal Empire, Ottoman Empire etc.
2. Constitutional Monarchy: A constitutional monarchy is a form of government in which a non-elected monarch functions as the head of the state within the constitution’s limits. Britain is an example of a constitutional monarchy.
3. Federal Monarchy: A federal monarchy is a federation of states with a single monarch as overall head of the federation, but retaining different monarchs, or having a non-monarchical system of government, in the various states joined to the federation.In United Arab Emirates and Malaysia both, the head of state of the entire federation is selected from among the heads of states (Emir, Sultan or Raja, respectively) who rule the constituent states of the federation.
