> I think the UK might be an exception, where as far as I remember the royalty still theoretically holds pretty much all the power just politely decide to pretend they don't know they still rule.
I would say that it is the rest of the country politely pretending that the Queen actually holds the enormous power she is legally entitled to. It is the law that is a polite fiction.
In the UK, Parliament is sovereign. As such, the British Monarchy can be abolished by an Act of Parliament. It is the popular will of the people that prevents that happening.
That the British people should choose to maintain the monarchy, or that Canada and Australia should choose to have the Queen as their Head of State, confuses outsiders (particularly Americans) no end.
Re:Among Europe’s Ex-Royals
by diegoholiveira on Tuesday April 26, 2022 @06:07PM
(#31173767)
> They are not really monarchies, they are democracies with a small amount of monarchic elements.
The king is the head of state, so how this is not a monarchy?
> Monarchy in my understanding implies the rule of the monarch.
There are two types of monarchies:
- constitucional, like belgium, netherlands, norway and japan
- absolute: saudi arabia and the vatican city.
Monarchy in my understanding implies the rule of the monarch.
The Monarchs in most EU countries do not rule, through some have some restricted political influence.
I think the UK might be an exception, where as far as I remember the royalty still theoretically holds pretty much all the power just politely decide to pretend they don't know they still rule. But that might be a misconception of mine.