page_title: Monarchy
section_title: Constitutional monarchy
hierarchical_section_title: Monarchy / Kinds of Monarchical Powers / Constitutional monarchy
caption_attribution_description: Português: A rainha Isabel II do Reino Unido durante um banquete em honra do presidente do Brasil Luís Inácio Lula da Silva no Palácio de Buckingham, Londres.English: Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom during a state banquet in honor of Brazilian president Lula da Silva at Buckingham Palace, London. Deutsch: Elizabeth II., Königin des Vereinigten Königreichs von Großbritannien und Nordirland, während eines Staatsbanketts zu Ehren des brasilianischen Staatspräsidenten Lula da Silva im Buckingham-Palast.
context_page_description: A monarchy is a kind of government where a monarch, a kind of hereditary ruler, is the head of state. Monarchs usually rule until they die or pass down. Most monarchies are hereditary, but some are elected. The most famous elected monarch is the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church. Some well known titles for monarchs are King, Queen, Emperor, Empress, Czar, Kaiser, Shah, Emir and Sultan.
context_section_description: A constitutional monarchy is a form of government that is usually a democracy and has a constitution, with the monarch as head of state.  Either the monarch has to obey the laws like everyone else, or there are special laws that say what the monarch can and cannot do.  The monarch usually can not decide their special laws on their own.  There may be laws about whom the monarch's children can marry, for example, that are passed by the Parliament.  For example, in the Netherlands, if a member of the royal family marries without the permission of Parliament, they cannot become king or queen themselves.  The army and navy may swear an oath to the monarch, but the real control is given to the elected government.  There are laws about property and the order of succession (who gets to be the next monarch) that can only be changed by the elected government.  Usually the monarch must sign laws into effect, but is required to follow the will of the elected government. 
  A constitutional monarchy usually has separation of powers, and the monarch often has only ceremonial functions, such as representing the country while traveling or acting as a symbol for the whole country (not for a particular political party). Constitutional monarchs usually do not vote, even when it is legal for them to do so. Voting would mean that they picked a side in political arguments and then could not claim to represent everyone in the country. Some constitutional monarchies give the power to veto laws to the monarch, but in most countries where this is the case it is a power that is very rarely used. In countries where the monarch can dismiss or appoint governments, this is usually only done to make sure that the democratic process is respected, without taking sides in politics. Appointments to public office made by constitutional monarchs are generally approved by the democratically elected government beforehand.
  Examples of Constitutional monarchies are the United Kingdom, most members of the Commonwealth of Nations, Australia, The Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Belgium, Japan and Spain. Thailand has a monarch who sometimes take part in politics to influence the government unlike in other constitutional monarchies, but he/she still is subject to law.
caption: Queen Elizabeth II of the Commonwealth realms, a constitutional monarch
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