8 Countries in the World Still Practising Monarchy

From the days of King David of Israel, Ahab, Solomon, Pharoah and now King Charles III of the United Kingdom, royal rule has existed long before civilisation and modernisation. This monarchical system sees an individual steer the affairs of a people or nation until the end of their lives or consensual abdication. They subsequently hand over power to an offspring to proceed with the legacy.

The present world boasts a large number of multiparty systems that allow citizens of a country to vote for a new leader or president every four or five years. However, some countries chose to continue with the monarchy. Grab your soda and relax as this article takes you through eight royal countries in the world.

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom is one of the many countries in the world popularly known for its royal family and sovereignty.  From the long-standing reign of the Tudors between 1485 and 1603 after the split from Rome, the UK has indeed preserved and sustained the most successful monarchy. The royal leader of the United Kingdom currently is King Charles III after he succeeded his mother Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022.

Denmark

Denmark is another country that holds an interesting history of monarchical systems. Queen Margrethe II has been on the Danish throne since January 14, 1972. Apart from the late Queen Elizabeth of the UK, Queen Magarethe is the second-longest serving female monarch in the 21st century.

Netherlands

The Netherlands, just like the preceding countries in this article practises monarchy. With the royal power and rule constitutionally taking centre stage in the governance of the country since 1814, monarchy in the Netherlands spans over two centuries. The reigning king of the Netherlands is Willem-Alexander who has been ruling the country since 2013 after his mother, Beatrix of the Netherlands’ abdication.

Morocco

One of the few African countries still practising monarchical rule is Morocco. Located in the Northern part of Africa, the monarch of this country possesses complete authority over the judiciary, and armed forces as well as the power to appoint and dismiss Prime Ministers. The King of Morocco Mohammed VI ascended the throne in 1999 and has held that title to date.

Belgium

Monarchism happens to have spread across the European continent and Belgium is no exception. The Belgium kingdom has seen the presence of absolute power since July 1831. The country is currently ruled by Phillipe, the eldest child of King Albert II and Queen Paola. He acceded to the throne in 2013 after his father’s abdication due to health reasons.

Eswatini

Eswatini is one of the smallest countries in Africa which boasts an absolute monarchy. It had a population of 1.192 million people as of 2021. The current king Mswati III, took the throne at the young age of 18 in 1986. Unfortunately, he is the least performed ruler of the Eswatini populace as his government has faced some of the harshest protests from the people in recent years due to his lavish and polygamous lifestyle.

Bhutan

Since the early 20th century, the South Asian country, Bhutan, has been ruled by the Wangchuck family. Interestingly, the current king of Bhutan comes from the same family but instead of following the family tradition of autocratic rule, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck has transformed the country into a constitutional monarchy. The country even conducted a general election on Tuesday, January 9, 2024.

Oman

Oman, a country located in West Asia is said to be the oldest self-reliant state in the Arab world. Oman is known for its sultanate rule and its high mountain ranges. The country is currently ruled by Sultan Qaboos who took over power after he toppled his father through a palace coup in 1970. The country, however, conducts parliamentary elections.