Southeast Asia

On July 6, 2024, newly elected British Prime Minister Keir Starmer reaffirmed his commitment to British King Charles III, continuing a history that dates back a long time.

Since the demise of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, the monarchy’s political control has become more royal and even more vulnerable because of Prime Minister David Lloyd George’s leadership in World War I.

This pattern is not exclusive to the UK, in recent decades, the role of nobility in politics has declined significantly worldwide. European colonial power began to destroy their power abroad as social ideals began to challenge royal expert in Europe.

Many European monarchies fell into dissolution as a result of World War I, and World War II increased their statistics. Following this, the Soviet Union and the US divided Europe along ideological outlines and sought to establish their democratic and liberal democratic principles elsewhere, while the remaining rulers were facing growing inequality.

Currently, fewer than 30 aristocratic families are politically active on a federal level. Some, like Japan’s and the UK’s, trace their bloodlines up more than a decade, while Belgium’s is less than 200 years older. Some have adapted, while others have maintained their powerful political influence while reducing their political influence. Their numerous methods and conditions make it difficult to determine where royals does withstand, collapse, or return.

Alongside the UK, the princes of Belgium, Spain, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and the Netherlands have all seen their forces become mostly symbolic. Smaller European aristocratic says like Andorra and the Vatican City are no inheritance, while Luxembourg, Monaco, and Liechtenstein are—though only the latter two still wield substantial strength.

Efforts to practice the remaining royal political strength have frequently highlighted its growing reliability. Due to his refusal to sign an pregnancy act in 1990, Belgian King Baudouin was declared unfit to rule before being reinstated once it was approved.

Henri, the Grand Duke of Luxembourg, lost his legislative authority in 2008 after he refrained from signing a bill preventing death. Following increasing scrutiny of Queen Beatrix’s effect, the Dutch king’s role in forming coalition governments was transferred to legislature in 2012, and she also lost the ability to dissolve congress.

The English king’s decline in social influence is also obvious, but it can also prove beneficial. Due to their world popularity, aristocratic visits can aid in the signing of important agreements, especially in nations with other royal families. Additionally, the rulers of 14 different nations appoint King Charles III as their head of state.

Also, the monarchy can be used to bypass particular political processes. The American government advised Queen Elizabeth II to deny her consent in 1999, preventing political discussion of the Military Action Against Iraq Bill, which would have restricted the ability to carry out military operations without political acceptance.

Royal efforts to maintain sweet energy and keep a positive reputation have also been essential for their success. The royal family of Belgium is seen as a important source of political unification and security.

Past Spanish King Juan Carlos participated significantly in the government’s transition to democracy in the 1970s. Politically conservative political guardians with relevant traits who work in advocacy and humanitarian causes frequently receive higher approval ratings from European royal families than politicians.

Recent years have imperial families decreased in order to have more choice and lower costs. In 2019, Sweden’s prince removed royal titles, jobs, and some protections from five of his children. Similar changes were made by the Danish monarch in 2022. Norway’s royal household then consists only of the King, Queen, Crown Prince, and Princess, while the British royal family has hinted at more reducing its latest range of 10 “working princes”.

Despite these attempts, aristocratic families in Europe continue to face scandals and intense attention from the media and the public. Hispanic and European officials began an investigation into former Spanish King Juan Carlos in 2020 after he reportedly received US$ 100 million from a bargain with Saudi Arabia. In 2023, Belgium’s Prince Laurent was accused of fraud and bribery by Libya’s sovereign wealth fund.

The current treatment of Megan Markle by the UK royal family and Prince Harry’s and Prince Andrew’s connection with Jeffrey Epstein have also shook the country. Record-low support since Queen Elizabeth II’s death in 2022 amplifies the British monarchy’s extraordinary challenges. The King’s and Princess Kate’s tumor treatments have also added to the feeling of weakness.

Across Europe, social swings, concern over royal costs, and increasing political indifference have threatened its royal people. Activities like the Alliance of German Republican Actions, created in 2010 to abolish kings immediately, reflect the increasing disrespect for royal authority.

The impenetrable nature of imperial finances, nevertheless, has granted some respite. Actually, Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg’s$ 4 billion makes him Europe’s richest king. But, suspicions abound regarding billion more in resources like trusts, apparel, and art selections that point to larger degrees of success.

Intensive efforts go into hiding these riches. Liechtenstein’s imperial family operates a lender criticized by the US Senate for aiding users in tax avoidance, dodging debts, and other misbehavior. Queen Elizabeth II once used her Queen’s Consent to alter a draft law, concealing her wealth while the Panama Papers leaks exposed sizable undisclosed royal assets in Europe.

Europe’s poorest royal family in Belgium saw King Phillippe declare the monarchy’s wealth at roughly £11 million in 2013, but the European Union Times estimated it at £684 million.

Estimates for King Charles’s worth range from$ 750 million to more than$ 2 billion, while the fortunes of the entire British royal family, also known as” the Firm”, can range from$ 28 billion to almost$ 90 billion. Additionally, more institutionalized ties to national wealth are held by the British monarchs than by other European monarchs.

Through the peerage system that upholds British nobility, a network of support from wealthy Dukes, Marquesses, Earls, Viscounts, and Barons helps the monarchy remain firmly entrenched in the UK’s wealth centers.

Royal families in the Asia-Pacific consist of Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Brunei, Japan, and Tonga. Thailand’s king is the world’s richest, with a net worth of$ 43 billion, but faces his own controversies relating to personal scandals and the use of political powers that have led to an anti-monarchy movement.

Nine sultans who rule their own states and serve as heads of state in Malaysia are a rotational system that takes place every five years. The sultans have limited formal authority, but they do have influence in cultural and religious matters. They also occasionally intervene in politics despite constitutional amendments restricting their authority. In Cambodia, the monarchy is similarly politically and culturally influential.

Brunei’s absolute monarchy has granted its Sultan, Hassanal Bolkiah, supreme authority over his country for more than 50 years. His$ 288 billion fortune makes him the second-richest monarch in the world. However, as a microstate, Brunei’s influence in international affairs is limited.

Japan’s monarchy’s diminished power since 1945 has since resembled European monarchies the most, despite the fact that its powers have remained constant since then. In sub-Saharan Africa, partnerships with British colonial authorities have allowed Lesotho’s monarchy to retain largely ceremonial influence, while Eswatini’s King Mswati III exerts strong control over the country.

Nonetheless, alongside Europe, most regions have seen general declines in royal power over decades. The Middle East, where monarchies once had swayed hands under the Ottoman Empire, is bucking that trend. Its collapse after World War I allowed them to increase their power considerably, even those under loose French and British protectorates.

Particularly the Gulf monarchies were successful by utilizing their increasingly valuable resource reserves. Today, absolute monarchies exist in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates ( UAE), Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, and Kuwait with complete control over media, government branches, and law enforcement.

They are supported by religious organizations that reinforce their status as the preservers of cultural traditions, and no opposition is tolerated. Despite their heavy-handed behavior, they largely enjoy strong support, even among young people. The Saudi Crown Prince has long been a favorite among younger Saudis in particular.

As in Europe, Middle Eastern royal wealth is often hidden and difficult to discern. Between$ 100 billion and$ 1.1.4 trillion, the Saudi royal family’s combined wealth is estimated. According to other estimates, Abu Dhabi’s Al Nahyan family, which owns more than$ 300 billion in assets, is the richest royal family in the world. Qatar and Kuwait’s royal families have fortunes that range from hundreds to billions.

The other Middle Eastern royal families in Oman, Jordan, and Morocco, have less influence, but still more so than in Europe, and have also withstood democratization pressures by promoting stability. The monarchies and their political systems remained in place during the Arab Spring as other Middle Eastern states went through revolutions and civil wars.

However, the downfall of royal families in Egypt, Tunisia, Iraq, North Yemen, Libya, and Iran during the 20th century shows the risks of instability. Today, this often comes from within the royal families themselves. Saudi royal disputes frequently occur in public, including a widespread purge in 2017.

Jordan’s crown prince was placed under house arrest in 2023 for an attempted coup, but he later emerged and pledged his allegiance to the king days later. The 2017–21 Qatar-Saudi Crisis meanwhile saw Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, and Egypt sever diplomatic relations and blockade Qatar following accusations of supporting terrorism and supporting Iran.

While some of their positions may be difficult, royal families still show some decency in their relationships. The historical unions between European royals indicate that the current ruling royals in Europe are all related, much like some Middle Eastern monarchies. Following controversy over corruption allegations, Spain’s Juan Carlos meanwhile lived in exile in the UAE for two years.

Royals have also taken more active roles to help one another. In World War I, the British royal family significantly assisted the Arab monarchs in supporting the Ottoman Empire. In 1962, the British monarchy, which was in close contact with the Brunei monarchy, helped lobby for the country’s independence and halted an armed rebellion, keeping British influence in Southeast Asia.

Other royal families may still be able to retake the throne. More than 20 royal families remain without a country to reign over, with Spain’s monarchy being restored in 1975 and Cambodia’s in 1993 the latest to be reintegrated into politics.

An estimated one million people gathered in Romania to welcome the former King Michael, who had abdicated in 1947. The daughter of former King Michael, Margareta of Romania, now lives in Elisabeta Palace in Bucharest, and other family members have taken a growing role in politics.

Bulgaria’s former Tsar, Simeon II, lived in Spain after being overthrown in 1946 and returned to Bulgaria after the communist government crumbled, serving as prime minister from 2001 to 2005.

Albania’s Prince Leka, grandson of former King Zog I, attempted to reinstate the monarchy in a 1997 referendum but failed. Family members of the ex-Italian King Umberto II filed a lawsuit in 2007 for damages for their exile and the return of assets, but the Italian government objected.

The case of the Italian royal family demonstrates how disputes between exiled royals can have political connotations. Greece’s royal family now lives in London, frequently appearing at royal functions. Meanwhile, members of Iran’s former royal family, as well as descendants of Ethiopia’s and Russia’s, live in the US.

Although there is no current strategy or desire to re-establish a political movement to replace them, diaspora communities ‘ support for royalty can still aid host governments in exerting influence through them.

Monarchies have largely relinquished political power in the contemporary liberal world order after surviving fascism and communism. Yet, as symbols of state continuity, some monarchs have maintained their relevance by providing long-term stability.

While incompatible with communism, royalty’s adaptability to democratic and fascist regimes highlights their resilience. Their ability to reinvent themselves and demonstrate how useful they are to contemporary politics may ensure their survival, despite the fact that their declining popularity suggests this will continue to be challenging.

John P Ruehl is an Australian-American journalist living in Washington, DC, and a world affairs correspondent for the Independent Media Institute. He contributes to several other foreign affairs publications as well as contributing to Strategic Policy. His book,” Budget Superpower: How Russia Challenges the West With an Economy Smaller Than Texas”, was published in December 2022.

This article first appeared on Independent Media Institute, and it has since been republished with kind permission.

Continue Reading