Editing Monarch (section)

==Characteristics==
Monarchs, as such, bear a variety of titles – [[king]] or [[Queen regnant|queen]], [[prince]] or [[princess]] (e.g., [[Sovereign Prince of Monaco]]), [[emperor]] or [[Emperor|empress]] (e.g., [[Emperor of China]], [[Emperor of Ethiopia]], [[Emperor of Japan]], [[Emperor of India]]), [[archduke]], [[duke]] or [[grand duke]] (e.g., [[Grand Duke of Luxembourg]]), [[emir]] (e.g., [[Emir of Qatar]]), [[sultan]] (e.g., [[List of rulers of Oman|Sultan of Oman]]), or [[pharaoh]].

[[Monarchy]] is political or sociocultural in nature, and is generally (but not always) associated with [[hereditary monarchy|hereditary rule]]. Most monarchs, both historically and in the present day, have been born and brought up within a [[royal family]] (whose rule over a period of time is referred to as a [[dynasty]]) and trained for future duties. Different systems of [[Order of succession|succession]] have been used, such as [[proximity of blood]] (male preference or absolute), [[primogeniture]], [[agnatic seniority]], [[Salic law]], etc. While traditionally most monarchs have been male, female monarchs have also ruled, and the term [[queen regnant]] refers to a ruling monarch, as distinct from a [[queen consort]], the wife of a reigning king.

Some monarchies are non-hereditary. In an [[elective monarchy]], the monarch is [[election|elected]] but otherwise serves as any other monarch. Historical examples of elective monarchy include the [[Holy Roman Emperor]]s<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Holy Roman Empire - Qualifications |url=https://www.heraldica.org/topics/national/hre.htm#Qualifications|access-date=2021-04-23|website=Heraldica |archive-date=2017-12-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171229151544/http://www.heraldica.org/topics/national/hre.htm#Qualifications|url-status=live}}</ref> (chosen by [[prince-elector]]s, but often coming from the same dynasty) and the [[royal elections in Poland|free election]] of kings of the [[Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth]]. Modern examples include the [[Yang di-Pertuan Agong]] (lit. "He Who is Made Lord') of [[Malaysia]], who is appointed by the [[Conference of Rulers]] every five years or after the king's death,<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-08-03|title=Explained: Malaysia is the world's only monarchy of its kind. Here's why|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-malaysia-is-the-worlds-only-monarchy-of-its-kind-heres-why-5874995/ |url-access=subscription |first1=Om |last1=Marathe |access-date=2021-04-23|website=The Indian Express|language=en|archive-date=2021-04-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210423161942/https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-malaysia-is-the-worlds-only-monarchy-of-its-kind-heres-why-5874995/|url-status=live}}</ref> and the [[pope]] of the [[Roman Catholic Church]], who serves as sovereign of the [[Vatican City|Vatican City State]] and is elected to a life term by the [[College of Cardinals]].

In recent centuries, many states have abolished the monarchy and become [[republic]]s. Advocacy of government by a republic is called [[republicanism]], while advocacy of monarchy is called [[monarchism]]. A principal advantage of hereditary monarchy is the immediate continuity of national leadership,<ref>{{Cite book|last=Nicolson|first=Harold|author-link = Harold Nicolson | title=King George the Fifth: his life and reign.|publisher=Constable|year=1952|location=London}}</ref> as illustrated in the classic phrase "[[:The King is dead. Long live the King.|The [old] King is dead. Long live the [new] King!]]". In cases where the monarch serves mostly as a ceremonial figure (e.g., most modern constitutional monarchies), real leadership does not depend on the monarch.

A form of government may, in fact, be hereditary without being considered a monarchy, such as a family dictatorship.