Game of Thrones in the modern era: How some monarchies survive today
Today, only around 40 monarchies remain. Of these, just about 10 to 12, mostly in the Middle East and North Africa, still have ruling power. The rest are ceremonial, their crowns polished by tradition rather than authority
I still remember the day Queen Elizabeth II died. It was not just Britain that mourned; television screens across the world glowed with her image. Something seemed to fade away that day, an age when kings and queens ruled not by votes, but by divine right.
Her passing reignited debates about the monarchy's future. It also served as a reminder that while monarchies may have largely vanished from the world stage, their legacy — and, in some cases, their presence — endures.
Once, monarchy was the default form of government. For centuries, the world was mapped in crowns and dynasties like the Ottoman Sultans, the Romanovs, the Ming emperors, and the Mughal Badshahs.
The Holy Roman Empire lasted from 800-1806 AD; the Mongols ruled across Asia from 1206-1368 AD. Later came the great imperial powers: the Ming (1368–1644 AD), Mughal (1526–1857 AD), Russian (1613–1917 AD), Qing (1644–1911 AD), and Ottoman (1299–1922 AD) empires.
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By the end of the First World War, the German, Austro-Hungarian, and Ottoman crowns had all fallen within months of each other, and their demise marked the twilight of hereditary rule.
Today, only around 40 monarchies remain. Of these, just about 10 to 12, mostly in the Middle East and North Africa, still have ruling power. The rest are ceremonial, their crowns polished by tradition rather than authority.
But how did the world turn away from monarchy, and why do some thrones still stand?
Monarchies of the past
The fall of monarchies was neither a single nor a sudden event; rather, it was a slow, global revolution driven by new ideas, wars and shifting loyalties.
The Enlightenment had already sown the seeds of rebellion. Thinkers like Rousseau and Locke championed individual rights and equality over divine right and heredity. As industry transformed economies and new classes rose to prominence, the idea that power should be inherited began to feel increasingly archaic.
Most monarchies that exist today — such as those in Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, and the UK — have transformed into constitutional monarchies. These are democracies in which the monarch reigns but does not rule; political power lies with elected parliaments, while the monarch serves as a symbolic head of state.
By the 19th century, monarchies still dominated, but liberal revolutions were gaining strength. Then came the 20th century — and with it, catastrophe. Two world wars shattered the old order.
The Romanovs of Russia, the Habsburgs of Austria-Hungary, the Hohenzollerns of Germany, and the Ottomans all fell in the aftermath of World War I.
"The political upheavals wrought by two world wars were crucial in dismantling the old political order," noted Stephen R Grand in his research article 'How Monarchies End.'
World War II and the wave of decolonisation that followed further buried imperial monarchies across Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
The reasons were not only political but also moral. Critics argued that monarchy was "governance by genetics" — rule by birthright, not merit. As political scientist Sean Yom observed, "It disqualified all but a tiny circle of biologically related kin, making it sexist, classist, and fundamentally non-meritocratic."
Once, kings ruled by myth, divine right, ancient bloodlines, and inherited wisdom. But in the modern world, legitimacy came to rest on something else: consent. People began to believe that leadership should be earned, not inherited — and monarchies that failed to evolve, like those of Russia and Germany, were swept aside.
The monarchies that remain
Of the 40 monarchies that still exist, the vast majority — from Denmark to Japan — are ceremonial. The ruling monarchies are the exceptions: Brunei, Eswatini, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Bhutan, Jordan, Kuwait, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Morocco, Tonga, and the United Arab Emirates, with the Gulf Cooperation Council states being the most powerful.
These ruling monarchies survive largely due to what one might call a perfect storm of favorable conditions.
In the Middle East, oil wealth enables rulers to distribute financial benefits to citizens and elites, maintaining social peace. Geopolitical alliances, particularly with the United States, further ensure stability and protection. Many monarchs also claim legitimacy through religion or heritage: Jordan's King Abdullah II and Morocco's King Mohammed VI both trace their lineage to the Prophet Muhammad, while the Saudi king styles himself the "Guardian of the Holy Mosques."
Yet even these systems are not invincible. Their resilience depends on oil wealth, U.S. backing, and domestic loyalty — factors that may not endure forever. Their apparent stability owes much to the poor performance of other authoritarian alternatives in the region.
Survival through transformation
Monarchies that exist today actually adapted. The key to survival was reinvention.
Monarchies in Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom have transformed into constitutional monarchies. These are democracies in which the monarch reigns but does not rule; political power lies with elected parliaments, while the monarch serves as a symbolic head of state.
"Within a political system, the idea of having a head of state separate from a head of government is very helpful, i.e. a queen and a prime minister. It allows criticism of the government without criticising the whole political system," Shaun Bowler, a British-born political scientist at UC Riverside explained in an interview published on the university's official website.
In countries like Britain, that distinction between the monarch and the prime minister acts as a stabilising force. "Britons can criticise the prime minister all they want. They are criticising the government of the day, not the state," he added.
Jonathan Eacott, a British historian at UC Riverside, further elaborated on the quiet power the monarchy retains. "The monarchy is not strictly ceremonial. The available powers are extremely limited by long-standing conventions," he said.
The monarch can technically dismiss a prime minister who refuses to resign after losing parliamentary support, but nothing of the sort has happened in nearly two centuries.
Still, the monarch remains above the political fray. As Eacott explained, "The monarch meets regularly with the prime minister in strict privacy but can only offer advice."
The ceremonial advantage
Despite their cost, maintaining the British monarchy alone costs around $100 million a year; ceremonial monarchies still hold a certain utility.
Eacott mentioned several reasons why the institution survives. First, the separation of the head of state and the head of government prevents politicians from using the ceremonial authority of the state to protect themselves.
"When an elected politician is also head of state, they can use the latter position as a political shield to stifle or deflect legitimate political criticisms."
Second, monarchy is a cultural industry. "They are some of the original celebrity influencers," Eacott said, noting that the monarchy attracts tourism and global fascination. Buckingham Palace, royal weddings, and scandals alike generate international interest and economic benefit.
Third, it is about identity. The British monarchy, nearly a thousand years old, is woven into national consciousness. "Many people are attached to it. It has a powerful nostalgic and ceremonial role," he added.
Finally, the monarchy's survival owes to its restraint. "One thing that has ended monarchies in the past has been the flexing of strong monarchical political muscles," he noted. Today's monarchs simply do not have that power, and so, for most Britons, abolishing them is not worth the fight.
Still, generational tides are shifting. A recent YouGov poll found that more Britons aged 18–24 would rather end the monarchy than keep it. The Commonwealth, too, is changing; Barbados has already dropped the British monarch as its head of state.
