A monarchy is a form of government led by an individual who holds the
position for life , having inherited the position and who passes it on to a
relative ,usually a son or daughter. Today absolute and constitutional
monarchies exist.
Current Monarchies Are:
Current Monarchies |
Head of State |
Head of Government |
Type of Monarchy |
Succession |
Canada |
queen |
Prime Minister |
Constitutional |
Hereditary |
Spain |
queen |
Prime Minister |
Constitutional |
Hereditary |
Japan |
emperor |
Prime Minister |
Constitutional |
Hereditary |
Bhutan |
king |
Prime Minister |
Constitutional |
Hereditary |
New Zealand |
king |
President |
Constitutional |
Hereditary |
Constitutional Monarchy:
Constitutional monarchy differs from absolute
monarchy (in which a monarch holds absolute power) in that constitutional
monarchs are bound to exercise their powers and authorities within the limits
prescribed within an established legal framework.It's a form of government
established under a constitutional system which acknowledges hereditary or
elected monarch as head of state. Though the king or queen may be regarded as
the government's symbolic head, it's the prime minister who actually governs the
country. Example : - Queen Elizabeth II of England.
Canada:
Many foreigners, and even some Canadians, are surprised to learn that Canada is
a monarchy, which means the country's political system is always headed by a
king or queen. The current Canadian monarch is Queen Elizabeth II, who has
reigned since 6 February 1952. The monarchy is the foundation of the executive
(Queen-in-Council), legislative (Queen-in-Parliament), and judicial
(Queen-on-the-Bench) branches of both federal and provincial jurisdictions
Canada is one of the oldest continuing monarchies in the world. Canada operates
as a constitutional monarchy, in which the monarch agrees to delegate her powers
to the nation's elected politicians, rather than use them herself. Queen
Elizabeth II is described as being Canada's head of state — a symbolic figure of
political authority — but the prime minister is called the head of government —
the actual ruler of the country. The monarchy of Canada is at the core of
Canada's constitutional federalstructure.
In Canadian law, the impressive powers of the monarch are thus formally held by
Elizabeth II but lent to other people, mostly the Prime Minister of Canada who
governs on the Queen's behalf and passes laws in her name using her
authority.The Governor General is her representative in Canada, proclaiming laws
passed by Parliament.
The Queen is a patron of a number of Canadian organizations, including the
Canadian Cancer Society, the Canadian Red Cross Society, and the Royal Canadian
Humane Association.
Spain
The Spanish Constitution of 1978 re-established a constitutional monarchy as the
form of government for Spain after the fall of the dictatorship and advocates
the essential values of freedom, justice, equality, and political pluralism. The
monarchy of Spain is constitutionally referred to as The Crown which is a
constitutional institution and the highest office of Spain.It also provides for
the separation of powers into executive, legislative, and judicial branches.
Article 56 of the Spanish Constitution establishes that the monarchy is the head
of state and symbolizes the unity of the Spanish state. It refers to the
monarch's role as a "moderator" whose main role is to oversee and ensure the
regular functioning of the institutions. The monarch is also commander in chief
of the armed forces and the symbol of national unity.
Although the monarch is the head of state and the country's highest
representative in international affairs, the crown's role is defined as strictly
neutral and apolitical. The King is the highest-ranked representative of the
Spanish state in international relations and only exercises the functions that
are explicitly attributed to him by the Constitution and the laws. Thus , the
King of Spain enjoys immunity and is not subject to legal responsibility.
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