Constitutional monarchy

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Monarchy

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A constitutional monarchy is a form of monarchy in which

the sovereign exercises their authorities in accordance with a written or
unwritten constitution.[1] 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. Constitutional monarchies
range from countries such as Morocco, where the constitution grants
substantial discretionary powers to the sovereign, to countries such
as Sweden or Denmark where the monarch retains very few formal authorities.
A constitutional monarchy may refer to a system in which the monarch acts as
a non-party political head of state under the constitution, whether written
or unwritten.[2] While most monarchs may hold formal authority and the
government may legally operate in the monarch's name, in the form typical in
Europe the monarch no longer personally sets public policy or chooses political
leaders. Political scientist Vernon Bogdanor, paraphrasing Thomas Macaulay,
has defined a constitutional monarch as "a sovereign who reigns but does not
rule".[3]
In addition to acting as a visible symbol of national unity, a constitutional
monarch may hold formal powers such as dissolving parliament or giving royal
assent to legislation. However, the exercise of such powers is largely strictly in
accordance with either written constitutional principles or unwritten
constitutional conventions, rather than any personal political preference
imposed by the sovereign. In The English Constitution, British political
theorist Walter Bagehot identified three main political rights which a
constitutional monarch may freely exercise: the right to be consulted, the right
to encourage, and the right to warn. Many constitutional monarchies still retain
significant authorities or political influence however, such as through
certain reserve powers, and may also play an important political role.

The United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms are all constitutional
monarchies in the Westminster tradition of constitutional governance. Three
states Malaysia, Cambodia and the Holy See are elective monarchies,
wherein the ruler is periodically selected by a small electoral colleg