A hereditary monarchy is one in which the crown is passed down from one member of the royal

family to another.
It is historically the most common type of monarchy and remains the dominant form in extant
monarchies. It has the advantages of continuity of the concentration of power and wealth and
predictability of who controls the means of governance and patronage.. Provided that the monarch is
competent, not oppressive, and maintains an appropriate royal dignity, it also offers the stabilizing
factors of popular affection for and loyalty to the royal family.
[
citation needed
]
The adjudication of what is
oppressive, dignified and popular tends to remain in the purvue or the monarch. The main
disadvantage is the heir apparent may be physically or temperamentally unfitted to rule. Other
disadvantages are the inability of a people to choose their head of state, the ossified distribution of
wealth and power across a broad spectrum of society, and the continuation of outmoded religious and
social-economic structures mainly for the benefit of the Monarch, their families, and supporters.
Theoretically, when the king or queen of a hereditary monarchy dies or abdicates, the crown is
typically passed to the next generation of the family. If no qualified child exists, the crown may pass to
a brother, sister, nephew, niece, cousin, or other relative, in accordance with a predefined order of
succession, often enshrined in legislation. This process establishes who will be the next monarch
beforehand and avoids disputes among members of the royal family. In practice, there is an almost
irresistible drive amongst the claimants to the throne. There are few if any monarchies that have not
acquired and defended their hold on power through deceipt, murder, war and oppression.
In most current monarchies, the typical order of succession is based on a form of primogeniture, but
there exist other methods such as seniority, tanistry (in which an heir-apparent is nominated from
among qualified candidates) and rotation
[
clarification needed
]
, which were more common in the past.
Historically, there have been differences in systems of succession, mainly revolving around the
question of whether succession is limited to males, or if females are also eligible (historically, the
crown often devolved on the eldest male child, as ability to lead an army in battle was a requisite of
kingship). Agnatic succession refers to systems where females are neither allowed to succeed nor to
transmit succession rights to their male descendants (see Salic Law). An agnate is a kinsman with
whom one has a common ancestor by descent in an unbroken male line. Cognatic succession once
referred to any succession which allowed both males and females to be heirs, although in modern
usage it specifically refers to succession by seniority regardless of sex. Another factor which may be
taken into account is the religious affiliation of the candidate or the candidate's spouse, specifically
where the monarch also has a religious title or role; for example the British monarch has the title of
Supreme Governor of the Church of England.
Elective monarchy can function in practice as a hereditary monarchy. If eligibility is limited to
members of one family, or even specific sub-sets of members if allowed by the rules of the election.
The limiting case, that only one family member is eligible for election, functions as hereditary
monarchy (it could be regarded as a form of tanistry). This could come about if the reigning monarch
exercised the monarchical power to have a chosen relative elected as heir during his or her reign.
This system might be more aptly described as pseudo-elective or virtually-hereditary, with the
succession system being in transition. Many late-medieval countries of Europe were officially elective
monarchies, but in fact pseudo-elective; most became officially hereditary in the early modern age.






Hereditary monarchy
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A hereditary monarchy is a type of government where a monarch (usually a king or queen) becomes the
monarch because he or she is related to the last monarch. It is the most common sort of monarchy, and is the
form used by almost all of the world's monarchies today.

Types of Hereditary monarchy[change | edit source]
Hereditary monarchy[change | edit source]
In a hereditary monarchy, all the monarchs come from the same family, and the crown is passed down from
one member of the family to another. The hereditary system can be more stable, and can command loyalty,
but at other times has seen great bloodshed over the question of succession.
When the king or queen of a hereditary monarchy dies or quits the throne (abdicates), the crown is generally
passed to one of his or her children, often to the oldest. When that child dies, the crown will be then passed to
his or her child, or, if he or she has no child, to a sister, brother, niece, nephew, cousin, or some other relative.
Hereditary monarchies most usually arrange the succession by a law that creates an order of succession. This
way, it is known beforehand who will be the next monarch.
Nowadays, the order of succession in hereditary monarchies is often based on the idea of primogeniture
(oldest born), but there have been other methods that were much more common in the past.
Succession[change | edit source]
In the past, there were differences in systems of succession, often depending on whether only men can
succeed, or whether both men and women could succeed.
Agnatic succession[change | edit source]
Agnatic succession means women are not allowed to succeed, or pass the succession from their fathers to
their children. Agnates are relatives who have a common ancestor in an unbroken male line, from father to
father.
Cognatic succession[change | edit source]
Cognatic succession means both men and women can succeed. Women usually are only allowed succeed if
there is no male in the family. For example, in the United Kingdom, Princess Anne comes after her younger
brothers (and her nephews and nieces) in the line of succession.
In the 1970s, Sweden changed from agnatic succession to "fully-cognatic" succession. This means the line of
succession is based on age, not sex. This meant that when Princess Victoria of Sweden was born, she could
never become queen, and when her younger brother was born he became crown prince (heir to the throne) --
but then the law changed, and Victoria became crown princess.
Elective monarchy[change | edit source]
An elective monarchy can sometimes seem to be a hereditary monarch. For example, only members of one
family may be allowed to be elected; or before the monarch dies, they might have his chosen heir (son,
daughter, brother, sister, or other relative) elected.
In Europe, the Holy Roman Empire was an elective monarchy, but for many hundreds of years, only the head
of the Habsburg family was elected. In 1806, the Holy Roman Emperor abolished the empire and instead
became the Emperor of Austria-Hungary, a hereditary monarch.



Hereditary government: The state confers the powers of government upon person/persons coming from certain
family or immediate predecessors.

Monarchy in its raw and ripe natures is a hereditary form of government synonymous to the dynasties.
Monarchy is a form of government in which supreme power is absolutely or nominally lodged with an
individual, who is the head of state, often for life or until abdication, and "is wholly set apart from all other
members of the state." Monarch is also prevalent as an elective government in the precession of the papal seat
and anything within the cliques and organizations of the Vatican. With its narrow associations, monarchy is a
hereditary government at the same time an elective government.