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Monarchies have been a part of human history for as long as we can remember. However, kings’ absolute powers have now eroded, taking on ceremonial roles. Despite this, we still have monarchs unaccountable to anyone and wield absolute control over their countries and people. There are 44 monarchies in existence at the moment. While some monarchs are simply ceremonial, others genuinely feel kingship in their rule. Some of the world’s most ancient monarchies are listed here, but who knows how long they will remain in power?
The Kingdom of Sweden
When was the Kingdom of Sweden established? King Eric the Victorious, the country’s first and most revered monarch, reigned about the year 970. Since the year 80 A.D., Swedish tradition says, the country has been controlled by a line of powerful mythical monarchs. For all intents and purposes of this document (and for all future ones), Eric the Victorious founded the modern monarchy in 970 AD and has retained it ever since. Since the establishment of a strong parliament in the Kingdom of Sweden, the kings and queens of Sweden have taken on a ceremonial role, just as in other European monarchies. Since 1818, the House of Bernadotte has been in power in the kingdom of Sweden. Primogeniture was established in 1980 regardless of gender due to this development. It means that from now on, the throne will be inherited by the eldest child, male or female. King Carl XVI Gustaf, Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Sweden and Crown Princess of Sweden, is the monarch’s current successor.
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The Kingdom of Denmark
Gorm the Old ruled the Danish Monarchy from 935 until 958 AD. Kingdom of Denmark’s monarchy was elective until Frederick III’s reign in the 17th century. In 1849, the Kingdom of Denmark was converted from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy by adopting the first democratic constitution. The current queen, Queen Margrethe II, has been on the throne since 1972 as the successor to Margrethe I, who reigned from 1375 to 1412. Crown Prince Frederik of the Kingdom of Denmark is the current heir apparent to the monarch of Denmark, having succeeded Margrethe II, the current monarch, in succession.
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The Kingdom of Norway:
Harald Fairhair, Kingdom of Norway’s first monarch and founder, founded the city in 885. Harald Fairhair consolidated Norway’s kingdoms a century after the Battle of Hafrsfjord. Since then, Norway has been ruled by a variety of families. Norwegian independence did not occur until 1905; only then did Norway become a sovereign nation. Following the union’s dissolution, the monarch of Norway’s new king was King Haakon VII of the House of Glücksburg. Norwegian King Harald V is descended from the 1905 throne-ascending royal family. Thanks to a well-functioning parliament, Norway’s government is a hereditary constitutional monarchy. The Kingdom of Norway’s current heir apparent is Crown Prince Haakon of Norway.
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland:
The first monarch was Alfred the Great in 871 AD. After the Romans left, the British Isles were divided and ruled by a series of Anglo-Saxon kings. Britain’s first king, Alfred the Great, ruled between 871 and 899 AD. This Anglo-Saxon ruler who failed to unite Britain was reviled by many, including William the Conqueror.
The British Isles were conquered under William the Conqueror’s leadership for the first time. William of Normandy invaded England in 1066 after Edward the Confessor’s death, hoping to claim the promised kingdom. Harold Godwinson, another candidate for the throne, was defeated by William the Conqueror on Christmas Day 1066, and William was anointed King of England.
Queen Elizabeth II became the country’s longest-serving ruler when sworn in 1952. Her ancestry goes back to William Conqueror, who founded England in 1066. Britain has a constitutional monarchy with a stable parliament in place. The gradual decline of the monarchy began with Magna Carta. Queen Elizabeth II’s son Charles, Prince of Wales, is the current monarch’s heir apparent.
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Kingdom of Morocco:
The first monarch, Idris ibn Abdallah, was born in 788 and reigned from 788 until his death Idriss I created the current monarchy in 788 AD, which lasted until 971 AD, despite various dynasties having ruled Morocco since prehistoric and pre-Islamic times. According to several historians, the first Moroccan state was founded by Idriss I. In 1666, the Algerian royal family rose to power under “sultan” and “king.” Since 1957, the monarch has been known as “King.”
Thus, the country now has a monarchy, but a democratically elected legislature rules it. The Alaouite dynasty places the throne in the hands of the heir male. Even yet, the king of Morocco retains significant legislative and executive authority. Apart from that, his involvement in politics and military matters is well-known. The heir presumptive is Mohammed VI, the reigning monarch Moulay Hassan, Prince of Asmara.
Conclusion
Most kingdoms no longer have absolute monarchies, and instead have constitutional monarchies, giving the people the freedom to democratically elect their leaders. The monarchs merely remain as figureheads for the governments with ceremonial roles. Some of them like Great Britain started the process a long time ago, with the Magna Carta, as the first step toward democracy. In time, monarchs may step down and abdicate and abolish the institutions as some have done. In other cases, governments have abolished monarchies based on popular referendums.
