Monarchies: The Types, How the Crown Passes, and Today's Monarchies Compared
Monarchies explained by type: hereditary and elective, absolute and constitutional, unitary and federal. Includes the succession rules of Europe's monarchies and a compact list of today's monarchies by type.
Last updated September 2026
Contents9
Monarchies share one feature: a single head of state who inherits the post or is elected to it. Beyond that they vary a great deal. Some monarchs rule, but most only reign.
Most inherit the crown, but a few are elected. This page sorts monarchies by type. It compares how Europe's monarchies pass the crown. It also groups today's monarchies so the differences are easy to see.
TL;DR: Monarchies are sorted by power and by how the monarch is chosen. By power they are absolute or constitutional. Some constitutional monarchs are purely ceremonial. By choice they pass by birth or by election. Most pass by birth and are constitutional. Seven European monarchies now pass the crown to the eldest child, whether a son or a daughter. Japan and Liechtenstein allow only male heirs. Malaysia, Cambodia and Vatican City elect their monarchs.
Types of monarchies by power
| Type | Monarch's power | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Absolute | Supreme in law and practice | Saudi Arabia, Oman, Brunei, Eswatini, Vatican City |
| Constitutional with strong royal powers | Real powers alongside a parliament | Jordan, Morocco, Liechtenstein, Monaco |
| Parliamentary (ceremonial) | Head of state only; acts on ministers' advice | United Kingdom, Sweden, Japan, Spain, the Netherlands |
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The type describes how power works in practice, not only what the law says. In the UK, for example, many formal powers still belong to the Crown. But ministers decide how they are used. The absolute rulers and ceremonial monarch pages cover the two ends of this range.
Types of monarchies by how the monarch is chosen
| Type | How the monarch is chosen | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Hereditary | By birth, under fixed rules | Most monarchies |
| Elective, by fellow rulers | The nine Malay state rulers elect one of themselves for five years | Malaysia |
| Elective, by a council | A Throne Council chooses from royal descendants | Cambodia |
| Elective, by clergy | Cardinals elect the Pope in a conclave | Vatican City |
| Federal | Seven hereditary emirs choose a president from among themselves | United Arab Emirates |
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Elected monarchs were once common. A small group of princes, the electors, chose the Holy Roman emperor. Poland-Lithuania elected its kings from 1573 to 1795.
How Europe's monarchies pass the crown
European monarchies use different rules for which child inherits. Several changed their laws in recent decades.
| Monarchy | Rule of succession | Adopted | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sweden | Absolute primogeniture | 1980 | Reviewed |
| Netherlands | Absolute primogeniture | 1983 | Reviewed |
| Norway | Absolute primogeniture | 1990 | Reviewed |
| Belgium | Absolute primogeniture | 1991 | Reviewed |
| Denmark | Absolute primogeniture | 2009 | Reviewed |
| Luxembourg | Absolute primogeniture | 2011 | Reviewed |
| United Kingdom | Absolute primogeniture | 2015 (for births after 28 October 2011) | Reviewed |
| Spain | Male-preference primogeniture | 1978 constitution | Reviewed |
| Monaco | Male-preference primogeniture | Current constitution | Reviewed |
| Liechtenstein | Male-only (agnatic) | House law | Reviewed |
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Absolute primogeniture means the eldest child inherits, whether a son or a daughter. Male-preference primogeniture puts sons ahead of their sisters. Agnatic succession allows only men descended through men.
Changes that applied only to later births
Timing of absolute primogeniture reforms.
Status: Reviewed Sources agree on the years. The effect on existing heirs differed.
Note: Some countries applied the new rule at once. Some applied it only to people born later. Sweden's 1980 change moved Crown Princess Victoria ahead of her younger brother.
The UK's change applied only to those born after 28 October 2011. So it did not reorder older royals. That is why the year of the change and the first heir affected can differ.
Sources: Britannica, "Primogeniture and ultimogeniture"; Legislation.gov.uk, Succession to the Crown Act 2013.
Outside Europe, Japan's Imperial House Law allows only men of the male line to inherit. Saudi Arabia chooses its crown prince from the male descendants of the kingdom's founder.
Today's monarchies by type
| Group | Monarchies |
|---|---|
| Parliamentary, in Europe | Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Andorra |
| Parliamentary, sharing the British King | Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Belize, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu |
| Parliamentary or constitutional, elsewhere | Japan, Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, Bhutan, Lesotho, Tonga |
| Strong royal powers | Liechtenstein, Monaco, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco |
| Absolute | Saudi Arabia, Oman, Brunei, Eswatini, Vatican City |
| Classified differently by sources | Qatar, United Arab Emirates |
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For the same states listed by region, with each monarch's title, see countries having monarchy.
Three paths from power to ceremony
Most monarchies that survive today gave up power along one of three paths.
- Gradual change. In the United Kingdom and Sweden, power moved to parliament over centuries, through laws and conventions, without abolishing the crown.
- Revolution and restoration. France, Spain and others lost their monarchies in revolutions. Spain restored its crown in 1975 as a parliamentary monarchy.
- A new constitution imposed from outside. Japan's 1947 constitution, written under American occupation, turned the emperor into a symbol with no powers related to government.
Unusual monarchies
A few monarchies do not fit the usual pattern.
- Andorra has had two co-princes since a settlement of 1278, now the Bishop of Urgell in Spain and the President of France.
- Eswatini gives a formal role to the Queen Mother, the Ndlovukati, alongside the king.
- Malaysia rotates its throne among nine hereditary state rulers.
- Vatican City is an elective absolute monarchy whose monarch is also head of a worldwide church.
What monarchies have in common
Whatever their type, monarchies tend to share a few institutions.
- A royal household that runs the monarch's official life, such as Japan's Imperial Household Agency or the UK's Royal Household.
- Public funding rules, often set in law, as with the UK's Sovereign Grant.
- Ceremony, from coronations and enthronements to the opening of parliament.
- Law on succession, usually in the constitution or a special statute.
For how these parts fit into a working government, see monarchy government.
Are monarchies becoming rarer
Over the past century, far more monarchies have ended than begun. Dozens fell in the 1900s, from China and Russia to Egypt, Greece and Iran. Since 2000, Nepal (2008) and Barbados (2021) have become republics.
No new monarchy has been created. Restorations are rare. Spain in 1975 and Cambodia in 1993 are the main examples.
To follow one monarchy through all its changes, see our guide to the best books about the royal family. It runs from 1066 to Elizabeth II.
Verdict: how monarchies differ
Monarchies differ most on power and on how the monarch is chosen. Most today pass the crown by birth and are constitutional. A growing number pass it to the eldest child, son or daughter.
A few, from Saudi Arabia to Vatican City, keep the monarch's power close to absolute. Three choose their monarchs by election. For the idea and its history, see define monarchy and the monarchy hub.
Sources checked for this page
- Britannica, "Monarchy"
- Britannica, "Primogeniture and ultimogeniture"
- The Royal Court of Sweden, "The monarchy of Sweden"
- The Imperial Household Agency, "The Imperial House Law"
- La Moncloa, Spanish Constitution, Part II: The Crown
- Britannica, "Yang di-Pertuan Agong"
- Legislation.gov.uk, Succession to the Crown Act 2013
Questions people also ask
What are the main types of monarchies?
By power: absolute, constitutional (or limited) and ceremonial. By selection: hereditary and elective. Some monarchies are also federal, with several rulers in one state, as in Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates.
Which monarchies use absolute primogeniture?
Sweden (from 1980), the Netherlands (1983), Norway (1990), Belgium (1991), Denmark (2009), Luxembourg (2011) and the United Kingdom (2015) pass the crown to the eldest child regardless of sex.
Which monarchies only allow men to inherit?
Japan and Liechtenstein limit succession to men in the male line. Spain and Monaco give sons preference over daughters but allow women to inherit.
How many monarchies are there?
About 43 sovereign states, counting separately each Commonwealth realm that shares the British monarch.
Which monarchies still have a monarch with real power?
Saudi Arabia, Oman, Brunei, Eswatini and Vatican City are generally classed as absolute. Jordan, Morocco, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Bahrain and Kuwait give the monarch important powers alongside a parliament or government.
What is a federal monarchy?
A state made up of several units, each with its own hereditary ruler, that share one federal head of state. Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates are the two current examples.