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108-402: During the time of the elective monarchs , the clergy and nobility placed the crown on the king's head at the coronation ceremony. After the introduction of absolutism in 1660, the crowning of the king was replaced by anointment , for which the king arrived in the church wearing the crown and was consecrated to his calling by being anointed with oil. For the anointing of Christian V , a new crown

216-562: A hereditary monarchy in which the office is automatically passed down as a family inheritance. The manner of election, the nature of candidate qualifications, and the electors vary from case to case. Historically, it was common for elective monarchies to transform into hereditary ones (whether legally or de facto ) by repeated election of the previous rulers' children, or for hereditary monarchies to acquire elective or semi-elective succession laws, particularly following dynastic crises. Many kingdoms were officially elective historically, though

324-575: A supermajority for election. The Regency of Algiers (from the seventeenth century to the nineteenth century) was an elective monarchy, whose dey was elected, depending on the period, by the Divan of Algiers or by the Taïfa of the raïs (Assembly of the corsairs). The elected deys also bore the title of governor-sultan of Algiers or sultan of Algiers. In Africa, the Mali Empire functioned as both

432-467: A European acting on their behalf. He later proclaimed himself as the King of Araucanía and Patagonia . Frederick III of Denmark Frederick III ( Danish : Frederik ; 18 March 1609 – 9 February 1670 ) was King of Denmark and Norway from 1648 until his death in 1670. He also governed under the name Frederick II as diocesan administrator (colloquially referred to as prince-bishop) of

540-716: A King at their discretion, despite having already elected Ferdinand II as king, and bestowed the Bohemian Crown on Frederick V, Elector Palatine – "The Winter King". However, the Habsburgs regarded this as an act of rebellion, re-imposed their rule over Bohemia in the Battle of the White Mountain and in the aftermath abolished the Bohemian Elective Monarchy and made exclusive Habsburg rule

648-472: A blue enamel grip decorated with diamonds. This crown is the official crown that was used for the anointments of Danish absolute monarchs until the end of absolutism in 1849. The first Danish absolute monarch Frederick III wanted his son and heir-apparent, the later Christian V , to be in possession of the visible symbols of power at the moment he himself died and his son inherited the title. Therefore, he secretly commissioned several crown regalia, including

756-508: A conference of tribal and village elders in 57 BC. Unified Silla 's kings were elected by the aristocracy whose powers were on par with the king. In the kingdom of Goguryeo, the ruler was originally chosen from among the heads of the five tribes, most often the Sono tribe. There were several occasions that the Kingdom of Siam and Thailand turned to a semi-elective monarchy system to settle

864-551: A constitutional and elective monarchy. The mansa , or emperor, had to be approved by the Great Assembly known as the Gbara , despite hereditary claims. The Kingdom of Kongo was a purer example of an elective monarchy, where blood claims had even less influence. Nobles elected a king's successor, and it was common for the successor to be of a different family than his predecessor. This form of elective monarchy existed in

972-484: A crown, to surround the anointing of the absolute monarchs with as much glory as possible. The crown was first used for the coronation of Christian V and the last time for the coronation of Christian VIII in 1840. Today the crown is used as a symbol of the monarchy and the state. Its only ceremonial use is when it is placed on the Castrum doloris of a deceased monarch. The crown is the visible sign of royal power and

1080-457: A democratically elected monarch was needed in Spain. The debates regarding Isabella's succession took place until October 1869, when Amadeo I was finally chosen. Nevertheless, his reign lasted until 11 October 1873, when he abdicated citing his inability to solve the problems Spain was going through, after which the parliament proclaimed a republic . Portugal's monarchy contained the remnants of

1188-770: A different king than Denmark and Norway upon succession. The election was usually contested through a Danish invasion of Sweden until Christian II of Denmark after his reconquest of Sweden had many of those voting against him executed in the Stockholm Bloodbath (1520), which ended much of the support for the Danish king on the Swedish throne. In 1810, the Swedish Riksdag elected the French Marshall and Prince of Pontecorvo Jean Bernadotte to be

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1296-554: A field in Wola , today a district in Warsaw . Since in Poland, all sons of a noble were nobles, and not only the eldest, every one of an estimated 500,000 nobles could potentially have participated in such elections in person – by far the most extensive franchise of any European country at the time. During the election period, the function of the king was performed by an interrex (usually in

1404-618: A mixture of proclamation by the Legions or Senate as much as by blood (though sons did succeed fathers). In order to bypass the prohibition on heredity and ensure dynastic continuity, many reigning Byzantine emperors had their heirs crowned co-emperor so that the throne could not be considered vacant at their own death and thus the need for succession by election would not arise. A system of elective monarchy existed in Anglo-Saxon England (see Witenagemot ). John of England

1512-499: A monarch, to make it officially hereditary (which it became in the later part of the 18th century) and finally to transform it into a full-fledged monarchy – as it was in 1815. The Gallic tribes were each ruled by a rix , which can be translated as king, who were elected for terms of one year or longer. Candidates were drawn from relatives of past kings. The Frankish kingdom was at least partly elective. Merovingian kings were elected, while Carolingian kings were elected at times. In

1620-461: A mortal struggle seemed to point to nothing but peace and friendship in the future. Charles's suspicion of Denmark-Norway led him to a further assault on his neighbor. Terror was the first feeling produced at Copenhagen by the landing of the main Swedish army at Korsør on Zealand on 17 July 1658. None had anticipated the possibility of such a sudden and brutal attack, and everyone knew that

1728-576: A non-binding referendum was held, in which William Charles Lunalilo won; he was subsequently elected king by the legislature in 1873. King Kalākaua was elected by the legislature in 1874, after Lunalilo's death. However, when Kalākaua died in 1891, the crown demised to the collateral line of his sister, Queen Liliʻuokalani . Prior to 1864, the Hawaiian King-in-Council appointed the heir to the Hawaiian throne. The Tlatoanimeh of

1836-625: A pertaining territory. Since medieval times, the King of Bohemia was elected by the Estates of Lands of the Bohemian Crown . Since 1526, when Ferdinand I assumed the Bohemian Crown, it was always held by the Habsburg branch who later became Holy Roman Emperor and who expected this situation to go on indefinitely. In 1618 the Bohemians chose to exercise in practice their legal right to choose

1944-519: A source of danger to Denmark-Norway . He felt that temperament and policy would combine to make Charles an aggressive warrior-king: the only uncertainty was in which direction he would turn his arms first. Charles's invasion of Poland in July 1655 came as a distinct relief to Frederick, even though the Polish War was full of latent peril to Denmark. Frederick was resolved upon a rupture with Sweden at

2052-669: A war, which was never formally declared. The Swedish king confounded all the plans of his enemies with the March across the Belts in January and February 1658. The effect of this unheard-of achievement of crossing the frozen sea to invade Danish territory was crushing. Frederick at once sued for peace. Yielding to the persuasions of the English and French ministers, Charles finally agreed to be content with mutilating, instead of annihilating,

2160-457: Is a golden globe decorated with a band of enamel and diamonds. On top of this is a half-circle of enamel and diamonds. It is topped by a diamond-studded cross. The cross represents Christ's dominion over the orb of the world. It was made in Hamburg for the coronation of Frederick III in 1648. The sword of state symbolizes the protecting, punishing and judging authority of the king. The sword

2268-426: Is a small diamond-studded crown. The ampulla , used to contain the anointing oil , is a gold cylinder and its lid enameled with a variety of flowers and studded with table cut diamonds made by an unknown Copenhagen goldsmith for the coronation of Frederick III in 1648. Elective monarchy Philosophers Works An elective monarchy is a monarchy ruled by a monarch who is elected , in contrast to

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2376-479: Is decorated with a large table cut diamond with Christian V's royal cypher visible behind it. Attached to the backs of each of these acanthus leaves by screws are narrow diamond-studded half arches that meet at the top of the crown to support a sky blue-enameled sphere ( monde ) decorated with diamonds and with a diamond-studded cross on top. On the top of this cross is a cabochon ruby . The crown weighs 2080 g. The queen consort Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Kassel

2484-404: Is decorated with table cut diamonds that are assumed to come from the 1648 crown of Queen Sophie Amalie . The sceptre was made by an unknown Copenhagen goldsmith for the coronation of Frederick III in 1648. It is made of gold and ends in an elongated enameled knob at the bottom decorated with diamond-studded ribs and an enameled lily at the top with a royal crown above it. The globus cruciger

2592-454: Is ornamented with six sets of table cut diamonds between two large round pearls with enameled putti on either side. Between each of these sets are star-like ornaments of triangular and square table cut diamonds. On the upper rim of the circlet are six large and six small arabesque -like points. At the center of each of the larger points is an enameled allegorical figure of one of the king's ruling functions and virtues. The three points above

2700-490: Is perhaps the best-known example of an elective monarchy. However, from 1440 to 1740, a Habsburg was always elected emperor , the throne becoming unofficially hereditary. During that period, the emperor was elected from within the House of Habsburg by a small council of nobles called prince-electors . The secular electoral seats were hereditary. However, spiritual electors (and other prince-(arch)bishops) were usually elected by

2808-555: The simite . Sabhā was a sort of rural council. In India they are referred to as Samiti and Sabha . The Parthian Empire (248 BC–224 AD), also known as the Arsacid Empire, is considered to be the oldest elective monarchy in Asia. The King of Kings has been required to undergo an assembly of the nobles called Mahestān , as a vote of approval before being allowed to ascend to the imperial throne or to be removed from

2916-400: The 1575/1576 Polish–Lithuanian royal election as the most significant for several reasons. First, 'the citizens of the commonwealth were forced to de facto depose their first elected king  – thus applying the right of disobedience they had inscribed in their public records only two years before.' Second, it resulted in two candidates being proclaimed the winner, and in subsequent events

3024-643: The 1660 state of emergency in Denmark . At the September 1660 gathering of the Estates, intended to solve the financial problems faced after the wars, Frederick played the different Estates against each other. He succeeded in gaining support for the hereditary monarchy, the annulment of the Haandfæstning , and the institution of absolute monarchical rule by decree. During the last ten years of his reign,

3132-683: The Aztec Empire were chosen by a council of elders, nobles, and priests. He would be selected from a pool of four candidates. The mánkeme (king) of the Kingdom of Nicoya was elected by a council of elders known as the monéxico . French explorer Orélie-Antoine de Tounens claimed to be elected by the Mapuche to be the Great Toqui , Supreme Chieftain of the Mapuches, possibly in the belief that their cause might be better served with

3240-521: The Dutch Republic of the 17th and 18th centuries there was the office of the Stadtholder , whose powers fell short of those of a monarch, and which was elective. Each of the seven Dutch provinces could separately elect its own Stadtholder, and it did not have to be the same person in all of them. In theory anyone could be elected Stadtholder, though in practice it was restricted to members of

3348-805: The Exclusion Crisis , King Charles II strongly opposed any such idea. Following the Glorious Revolution , Parliament enacted the Act of Succession , whose effect was to disinherit the Stuarts and replace them by the Hanoverians , whose dynastic claim was far more remote. William III and Mary II were chosen by Parliament to replace James II . (Mary was James' daughter, William was James' nephew, and William and Mary were succeeded by Mary's younger sister Anne .) Parliament passed laws in

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3456-823: The First French Republic . The Order is ruled by the Prince and Grand Master , who is elected for life by the Council Complete of State. The Prince and Grand Master holds the rank of Prince, bestowed by the Holy Roman Emperor in 1607 and holds the precedence of a cardinal of the Church since 1630. The Council that elects the prince includes members of the Sovereign Council and other high-ranking office-holders and representatives of

3564-593: The House of Orange . There was no obligation to elect a Stadtholder at all, and the leaders of the Dutch Republican faction, such as Oldenbarnevelt and De Witt , repeatedly tried to abolish the office of Stadtholder or leave it vacant – which it was for several decades of Dutch history. Conversely, the House of Orange and its adherents tried to increase the powers of the Stadtholder to approximate those of

3672-544: The Netherlands and France . As a young man, he demonstrated an interest in theology , natural sciences , and Scandinavian history . He was a reserved and enigmatic prince who seldom laughed, spoke little, and wrote less, a striking contrast to Christian IV. Even though he lacked the impulsive and jovial qualities of his father, Frederick possessed the compensating virtues of moderation and self-control. On 1 October 1643 Frederick wed Sophie Amalie of Brunswick-Lüneburg ,

3780-659: The Prince-Bishopric of Verden (1623–29 and again 1634–44), and named coadjutor of the Bishopric of Halberstadt . Thus, from an early age, he had considerable experience as an administrator. At the age of eighteen, he was the chief commandant of the Bremian fortress of Stade . During the Torstenson War of 1643–45, Frederick lost control of his possessions within the empire. He was then appointed commander in

3888-537: The Prince-Bishopric of Verden (1623–29 and again 1634–44), and the Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen (1635–45). The second-eldest son of Christian IV and Anne Catherine of Brandenburg , Frederick was only considered an heir to the throne after the death of his older brother Prince Christian in 1647. He instituted absolute monarchy in Denmark-Norway in 1660, confirmed by law in 1665 as

3996-627: The Senate continued. Over time the principle weakened as republican government passed into distant history, and the Empire became functionally an absolute monarchy. The office of Roman and Byzantine emperor remained vaguely elective (albeit with the election procedure never strictly defined, but generally understood to be a matter for the Senate). For instance, whilst the first five Emperors were all descended from Julius Caesar , in each case their position

4104-421: The cathedral chapters as religious leaders, but simultaneously ruled as monarch (prince) of a territory of imperial immediacy (which usually comprised a part of their diocesan territory). Thus the prince-bishoprics were elective monarchies too. The same holds true for prince-abbacies, whose princess-abbesses or prince-abbots were elected by a college of clerics and imperially appointed as princely rulers in

4212-623: The crown of King Christian IV , which is a fine example of Renaissance guildwork, the better known crown of King Christian V and a smaller crown for the king's consort. The Royal Collection has other important items and jewels, as well as precious prayer-books, and items belonging to the Order of the Elephant and the Order of the Dannebrog (such as the large diamond and pearl star of the Order of

4320-497: The 10th century Western Frankish royal elections switched between different lineages before settling on the Capetians. Medieval France was an elective monarchy at the time of the first Capetian kings; the kings however took the habit of, during their reign, having their son elected as co-king and successor during their reigns. The election soon became a mere formality and vanished after the reign of Philip II . After declaring

4428-411: The Danish capital was very inadequately fortified and garrisoned. During this war, Frederick attained great popularity in the general public, as he rebuked the advice of his counsellors to flee Copenhagen with the memorable words "I will die in my nest" and actively led the defense of the city. On 8 August, representatives from all Estates in the capital urged the necessity of a vigorous resistance, and

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4536-533: The Danish monarchy. The Treaty of Taastrup was signed on 18 February and the Treaty of Roskilde on 26 February 1658. The conclusion of peace was followed by a remarkable episode. Frederick expressed the desire to make the personal acquaintance of his conqueror and Charles X consented to be his guest for three days, 3 to 5 March, at Frederiksborg Palace . Splendid banquets lasting far into the night and intimate conversations between princes who had only just emerged from

4644-773: The Danish-Norwegian throne. However, this issue was still unsettled when Christian IV died on 28 February 1648. After long deliberation among the Danish Estates and in Rigsraadet (royal council), he was finally accepted as his father's successor. On 6 July, Frederick received the homage of his subjects, and he was crowned on 23 November. However, due to misgivings about the rule of Christian IV, as well as Frederick's previous confrontational administrations in Bremen and Verden and his quarrels with Anders Bille , he

4752-508: The Elephant worn on the coronation mantle). The term old regalia is used to describe the crown regalia used prior to the introduction of absolute monarchy in 1660. The crown was fashioned by Dirich Fyring (1580-1603) at Odense assisted by the Nuremberg goldsmith Corvinianus Saur during the years 1595-1596 for the coronation of Christian IV . It is made of gold, enamel, table cut gemstones and pearls and weighs 2895 g. The circlet

4860-474: The Estates designated the heirs of King Gustav Vasa as the heirs to the throne. The Danish monarchy was also officially elective, although the eldest son of the reigning monarch was usually elected. This continued until 1660, when a hereditary and absolute monarchy was instituted by Frederick III . Though the monarchy of Norway was originally hereditary, it too became elective in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. Candidates had to be of royal blood, but

4968-725: The Order's worldwide entities. The Sovereign Council, including the Grand Commander, the Grand Chancellor, the Grand Hospitaller, and the Receiver of the Common Treasure, aid the prince in governing the order. The Republic of Venice was ruled from 697 to 1797 by a doge , who normally ruled for life, though a few were forced from office. His powers were never those of an absolute monarch, but he

5076-800: The Return Fleet from the Dutch East Indies from the English navy. The English had blocked the English Channel , forcing the Return Fleet to sail all around the British Isles. The Dutch took refuge in Bergen, Norway , pursued by English warships. There they were protected by the fortress at the harbor, whose commander treated them as Danish allies. The English urged Frederick to seize the Return Fleet for himself, claiming that it

5184-594: The administrative structure from chancellery to resort colleges and replaced the administrative divisions of fiefs with amt counties. In 1665, the Kongeloven ( Lex Regia ) was introduced: the “constitution” of Danish-Norwegian absolute monarchy, and the first assertion of divine right underpinned by a written constitution in Europe. It decreed that the Monarch "shall from this day forth be revered and considered

5292-519: The aftermath of 1383–1385 Crisis , the Council of the Kingdom elected John I , then Master of the Order of Aviz , as King of Portugal . His half-brother Ferdinand I had died without a male heir in October 1383, and different factions made strenuous efforts to secure the throne for Princess Beatrice , Ferdinand's only daughter and Queen consort of Castile and León , or for either of her uncles Infante John, Duke of Valencia de Campos and Infante Denis, Lord of Cifuentes . The Council elected instead

5400-450: The ancient Roman Kingdom the kings were elected by the Roman assemblies . When a king died, the senate would appoint an interrex to oversee the election for a new king. Once the Roman kings were overthrown, there remained an absolute prohibition for royal establishment in the Roman constitution, a prohibition which formally remained in place during imperial times, both classical Roman and Byzantine . In practice, however, Imperial Rome

5508-403: The candidates were typically only from the family of the deceased monarch. Eventually, however, most elected monarchies introduced hereditary succession , guaranteeing that the title and office stayed within the royal family and specifying, more or less precisely, the order of succession. Today, almost all monarchies are hereditary monarchies in which the monarchs come from one royal family with

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5616-416: The childless King Louis II died after the Battle of Mohács . Visigothic Hispania elected the king from the relatives of past kings, in accordance with the Germanic traditions. In practice, the Visigoth kings appointed their eldest sons to manage the kingdom's affairs, so that when the king died the eldest son was politically skilled enough to secure the throne. In the 5th century, hereditary succession

5724-412: The citizens of Copenhagen, headed by the mayor Hans Nansen , protested their unshakable loyalty to the king and their determination to defend Copenhagen to the uttermost. The Danes had only three weeks of warning of the approaching danger, and the vast and dilapidated line of defence had at first only 2,000 regular defenders. But the government and the people displayed a memorable and exemplary energy under

5832-405: The common interests of the country and the dynasty. The traditional loyalty of the Danish middle classes was transformed into enthusiasm for the king personally, and for a brief period Frederick found himself the most popular man in his kingdom. He made use of his popularity by converting the elective monarchy into an absolute monarchy by the Revolution of 1660. To ensure this conversion he instituted

5940-433: The constant supervision of the king and queen and mayor Nansen. By the beginning of September, all the breaches were repaired, the walls bristled with cannons, and 7,000 men were under arms. So strong was the city by this time that Charles X, abandoning his original intention of carrying the place by assault, began a regular siege. This he also was forced to abandon when an auxiliary Dutch fleet reinforced and reprovisioned

6048-426: The daughter of George, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg , who had an energetic, passionate, and ambitious character. He was an enthusiastic collector of books and his collection became the foundation for the Copenhagen Royal Library . In his youth, Frederick became the instrument of his father's political schemes in the Holy Roman Empire . He was granted administration of the Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen (1635–45),

6156-400: The de jure as well as de facto situation. The attempt to make Frederick V King of Bohemia is regarded as a catalyst for the Thirty Years War . Hungary was an elective monarchy until 1687. This elective right carried on for another two more decades in the Principality of Transylvania which de jure continued to belong to the Lands of the Hungarian Crown but had split from Hungary when

6264-445: The death of his father, Frederick III conceded significant influence to the nobility. As king, he fought losing wars against Sweden. He was defeated in the Dano-Swedish War of 1657–1658 , and in the Dano-Swedish War of 1658–1660 . However, when it seemed like king Charles X Gustav of Sweden was about to suffer a catastrophic defeat in the Second Northern War , Frederick III declared war on Sweden. Unexpectedly, Charles X Gustav crossed

6372-430: The descendants of a previous king, which was connected to descent from gods. There could also be joint rule between multiple kings. Disputed succession was common because of a large number of sons sired by kings. However, when single rule appeared in the 9th century, civil wars grew in frequency throughout the region. Later, Christianisation led to the promulgation of primogeniture in Norway in 1163 and Denmark in 1170, but

6480-401: The elective idea still persisted in the requirement to be certified by a local assembly and subsequently the magnates would still elect the new king, albeit while the incumbent king was still alive. This demonstrated the enduring power of the nobles. Originally, the Kings of Sweden were elected by all free men at the Mora Thing . Elective monarchy continued until 1544, when the Riksdag of

6588-460: The elective principle in requiring reciprocal oaths, the assent of the Cortes and acclamation before acceding to the throne. Portugal's first king Afonso I followed Visigothic precedent by appointing his son as co-ruler to establish a hereditary line of succession, but whenever there was doubt on succession, the elective principle would resume. The Cortes affirmed the crown as elective when it elevated King John in 1385. In Portugal, on 6 April 1385 in

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6696-417: The event of the extinction of the royal line, the Legislature would elect a "native aliʻi " as the new monarch and stirps of a new dynasty. In practice, however, during the entire time from 1864 until the abolition of the monarchy, the throne was never passed from parent to child, as every Hawaiian monarch who reigned during that period died without leaving issue. Following the 1872 death of King Kamehameha V ,

6804-422: The first convenient opportunity. When Rigsdagen assembled on 23 February 1657, it willingly granted considerable subsidies for mobilization and other military expenses. On 23 April he received the assent of the majority of Rigsraadet to attack Sweden's German dominions . In the beginning of May, the still pending negotiations with that power were broken off, and on 1 June Frederick signed the manifesto justifying

6912-474: The first in Western historiography . He also ordered the creation of the Throne Chair of Denmark . After failed and costly aggressive wars under Christian IV, most Danes did not want to go to war again. According to Cathal Nolan, when Frederick III became king in 1648, he was excluded from the talks leading to the Peace of Westphalia and had to watch as Bremen was lost to rivaling Sweden , also freed from paying Oresund Tolls . In order to be elected king after

7020-540: The forehead of the wearer (presumably a gift to his father, Christian I , from Galeazzo Maria Sforza , the Duke of Milan in 1474) and a thicker one at the back of the head and by a spinel at one side and a garnet at the other. The four curved segments of the circlet between these stones is decorated with volutes made of table cut diamonds. On the upper edge of the circlet are eight acanthus leaves, four larger and four smaller ones. These acanthus leaves are decorated with diamond-studded ribs. The front acanthus leaf

7128-429: The frozen Belts to Zealand and appeared with 5,000 men near Copenhagen. Frederick III was unprepared and forced to sign the Treaty of Roskilde . Frederick disbanded the elective monarchy in favour of absolute monarchy, which lasted until 1814 in Norway and 1848 in Denmark. He married Sophie Amalie of Brunswick-Lüneburg , with whom he fathered Christian V of Denmark . Frederick was born at Haderslev in Slesvig ,

7236-474: The garrison and defeated him on 29 October in the Battle of the Sound . The Dutch then assisted in the liberation of the Danish Isles in 1659. Thus, the Danish capital had saved the Danish monarchy. The war was ended by the Treaty of Copenhagen in May 1660, which confirmed the cession of Scania , Halland , and Blekinge from the Treaty of Roskilde, while Bornholm and parts of Schleswig reverted to Denmark. Frederick III profited by his spirited defense of

7344-401: The inside these points are decorated with the coats of arms of various regions of the realm. The six smaller points each bears a star-like design in triangular and square table diamonds with a large pear shaped pearl at its top. Originally an open crown, in 1648 it was closed with arches and a monde and cross, but Christian V later removed these again, using the diamonds and gold from them in

7452-549: The king again took a relative obscure position while the new monarchy was built up and the country tried to recover after the wars. New men came into government, which was marked by a rivalry between the ministers and councillors like Hannibal Sehested and the king's favourite Kristoffer Gabel . During the early and mid 1660s there was an influential circle around Sehested, Frederik Ahlefeldt , Peter Bülche , Hans Svane , Jacob Petersen and Theodor Lente , who became increasingly opposed to Gabel. Frederick concentrated on changing

7560-450: The king was considered a primus inter pares (first among equals), and in his absence his duties were performed by his seneschal . The tradition of electing the country's ruler, which occurred when there was no clear heir to the throne, dates to the very beginning of Polish statehood. The election privilege, exercised during the gatherings known as wiec , was usually limited to the most powerful nobles ( magnates ) or officials, and

7668-405: The king's forehead and behind each of his ears bears a " pelican in her piety." The point on the right of the king's forehead bears a representation of Fortitude riding a lion, while that on the left bears the image of Justice as a woman holding a sword and a pair of scales. The point above the back of the king's neck bears the traditional image of Charity as a mother suckling her child. On

7776-539: The kingdom from its inception around 1400 until its complete disintegration in the early 20th century. In the pre-colonial period, a number of West African rulers, such as the kings and chieftains of the Ashanti Empire and those of Ife and the Oyo Empire , were elected from amongst the various royal families of their polities by colleges of noblemen known as kingmakers . This practice has continued to

7884-477: The kingship was elected by a council of noblemen, rather than automatically passing to the eldest son. In 1905 Prince Carl was elected King of the newly independent Norway by the Storting after a referendum resolved in favor of monarchy. The Scandinavian kingdoms were united under the Danish crown by Margaret I of Denmark in 1389, but many of her successors had the united kingdoms split up as Sweden elected

7992-520: The late 17th and early 18th centuries which explicitly excluded Catholics (and thus the male descendants of James II) from the order of succession . The Succession to the Crown Act 2013 , replaced male-preference primogeniture with absolute primogeniture and ended disqualification of a person who married a Roman Catholic from succession. In Scotland, the Declaration of Arbroath of 1320 asserted

8100-414: The making of his own crown. It was used for the last time at the 1648 coronation of Frederick III . The sword of state of Christian III was made in 1551 by Johann Siebe . It is made of gilded silver and decorated with enamel and table cut gemstones. Prior to the introduction of absolute monarchy, the sword was the first of the regalia presented to the king. The sword was used for accolades and has

8208-662: The most perfect and supreme person on the Earth by all his subjects, standing above all human laws and having no judge above his person, neither in spiritual nor temporal matters, except God alone." This law consequently authorized the king to abolish all other centers of power. Most important was the abolition of the Council of the Realm . In 1665, Frederick had an opportunity to repay the Netherlands for their support, by protecting

8316-677: The most remote of dynastic claims to the Swedish throne – his being chosen derived solely from urgent political and military considerations of the crisis time of the Napoleonic Wars . The Sovereign Military Order of Malta , formerly known as the Knights Hospitaller or the Knights of Malta, remains a sovereign subject of international law since it was exiled to Rome from Malta during the French occupation of Malta under

8424-453: The new Crown Prince , since it was apparent that the Swedish branch of the House of Holstein-Gottorp would die with the childless King Charles XIII . Bernadotte eventually ascended the throne as Charles XIV John of Sweden and founded the still current House of Bernadotte . In this case the elective aspect in the choice of Monarch was especially prominent, since Bernadotte had been a French commoner with no previous connection to Sweden and not

8532-614: The nobility was able to confirm their majority choice for Stephen Báthory and have it recognised, while avoiding war with Maximilian II of Habsburg . Scandinavian kingship, according to the Germanic tradition, was elected upon the death of the previous king. The selection was not always limited to the heirs of the previous king (e.g. in Sweden when the royal house was changing between the houses of Eric and Sverker between generations). Originally, kings were supposed to be elected from among

8640-510: The office of sovereign being passed from one family member to another upon the death or abdication of the incumbent. The kings of Macedon and of Epirus were elected by the army, which was similar in composition to the Ecclesia of the Demos , the assembly of all free Athenian citizens. Military service often was linked with citizenship among the male members of the royal house. In

8748-629: The person of the primate of Poland ). This unique Polish election was termed the free election ( wolna elekcja ). Although the elective principle was already established in Polish political culture in the late Middle Ages, the rules changed significantly in the 1570s, and the principles developed in that period lasted until the Partitions of Poland . There have been thirteen royal elections in Poland–Lithuania from 1573 to 1764. Roșu (2017) marked

8856-495: The position is not hereditary, in practice every Māori monarch thus far has been a child of the previous monarch. The Hawaiian Kingdom could be considered a de facto example. From 1864 until the monarchy was overthrown in 1893, it was constitutionally a hereditary monarchy utilizing male-preference primogeniture . However, the Constitutions of 1864 and 1887 , and the draft constitution of 1893, all provided that, in

8964-586: The power. Other monarchs, such as the former Shahs of Iran , have been required to undergo a parliamentary vote of approval before being allowed to ascend to the throne. In the Mongol Empire , the Great Khan was chosen by the Kurultai . This was often convened in the capital. Other critical leadership positions were also assigned. The ancient Korean kingdom of Silla elected its first king by

9072-606: The present day. In Afghanistan , loya jirgas have been reportedly organized since at least the early 18th century when the Hotaki and Durrani dynasties rose to power. The ancient Aryan tribes, who are hypothesized to have spoken Proto-Indo-Iranian , came down in intermittent waves from Central Asia and Afghanistan which is a common myth. They practiced a sort of jirga system with two types of councils – simite and sabhā . The simite (summit) comprised elders and tribal chiefs. The king also joined sessions of

9180-474: The regalia have only been used on the occasion of a deceased monarch's Castrum doloris ('camp of woe') where the crown is placed on the coffin, the other regalia laid at casket's foot, and the casket surrounded by the three lions. The lions were formerly also displayed in Parliament during the annual opening session, but this tradition was discontinued almost 100 years ago. They were also displayed before

9288-458: The rights of the nobles to choose a king if required, which implied elective monarchy. Tanistry was also the system of royal succession until King Malcolm II in the early 11th century introduced direct inheritance. The Isle of Man also used tanistry. In Ireland, from the beginning of recorded history until the mid-16th/early 17th century, succession was determined by an elective system based on patrilineal relationship known as tanistry . In

9396-635: The royal shares in the Duchies of Schleswig and Holstein by his father. His command was not successful, chiefly owing to his quarrels with the Earl-Marshal Anders Bille , who commanded the Danish forces. This was Frederick's first collision with the Danish nobility , who afterwards regarded him with extreme distrust. The death of his elder brother Christian in June 1647 opened the possibility for Frederick to be elected heir apparent to

9504-440: The son of Christian IV and Anne Catherine of Brandenburg . In his youth and early manhood, there was no prospect of his ascending the Danish-Norwegian throne, as his older brother Christian was elected heir apparent of Denmark in 1608, and was proclaimed as heir apparent of Norway in 1610. During his early childhood, he was raised under the supervision of Beate Huitfeldt . Frederick was educated at Sorø Academy and studied in

9612-459: The succession of the crown among disputed heirs: Several Māori tribes of the central North Island of New Zealand elected Pōtatau Te Wherowhero as their monarch in 1858. The Māori King movement or Kiingitanga has continued to the present. The current Māori monarch (i.e. monarch of the Kiingitanga movement, not of all Māori) is Kuīni (Queen) Ngā Wai Hono i te Pō . While in principle

9720-482: The throne in the throne room of Christiansborg Palace when the Danish kings granted audiences on particularly formal occasions. The crown jewels refer to four sets ( parures ) of jewellery owned by the state for an incumbent queen and, at least until the point of her abdication, still worn by the Margrethe II as Queen of Denmark. The royal regalia, which symbolised the monarch 's authority to rule, includes

9828-609: The throne vacant, the French Chamber of Deputies voted 229–33 to declare Louis-Philippe of France as King of the French during the July Revolution of 1830, creating an elective monarchy. France briefly had again a kind of elective monarchy when Napoleon III was first elected President of France and then transformed himself into an Emperor. The Holy Roman Empire , beginning with its predecessor Eastern Francia,

9936-566: The throne. Henry IV of England was chosen by Parliament in 1399 to replace Richard II . Richard was childless, and the Earl of March , the next in line to the throne, was a young child at the time, so Parliament bypassed him in favour of Henry, who had led a revolt against Richard. Parliament also confirmed depositions during the Wars of the Roses , as well as Henry VIII's settlements of the crown. During

10044-442: The two most influential members of Rigsraadet from office in 1651: his brothers-in-law Corfitz Ulfeldt and Hannibal Sehested . Ulfeldt went into exile in Sweden where he turned traitor, while Sehested was restored to favour in 1660. With all his good qualities, Frederick was not a man to recognize fully his own limitations and that of his country. But he rightly regarded the accession of Charles X of Sweden on 6 June 1654 as

10152-534: The younger (and illegitimate) son of Peter I , thus avoiding a jure uxoris Castilian king. In the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem , the kingship was partially elected and partially hereditary. During the height of the kingdom in the mid-12th century there was a royal family and a relatively clear line of succession. Nevertheless, the king was elected, or at least recognized, by the Haute Cour . Here

10260-629: Was a monarchy. During the Principate (27 BC to 284 AD), which was the foundational stage of Roman imperialism, Roman monarchs would often take care to disguise their de facto position with the de jure apparatus of republicanism. This was particularly the case for Augustus , the first Emperor, who established the Principate. Whilst given many titles (including "Augustus", i.e. "majestic") he described himself as princeps senatus , or merely "first among senators". The illusion of being elected from

10368-574: Was chosen as King of England by a council of nobles and royal advisors at the death of his brother, Richard I , in 1199 because the heir by strict primogeniture, Arthur of Brittany , was a child at that time. This affirmed the principle of elective monarchy. In 14th, 15th, late 17th and early 18th century England, the evolving relations between the Crown and Parliament resulted in a monarchy with both hereditary and quasi-elective elements – at least as between various contenders with some dynastic claim for

10476-437: Was crowned with a queen's crown made for her, which was also used by Frederick IV to crown her successor Anna Sophie Reventlow . However, Sophia Magdalen of Brandenburg-Kulmbach , the consort of king Christian VI , did not want to use the crown worn by her predecessor and had a new crown made by royal jeweler Frederik Fabritius (1683–1755) in 1731. This crown is made like that of Christian V but only taller and more slender. It

10584-514: Was heavily influenced by local traditions and strength of the ruler. In Poland , after the death of the last Piast in 1370, Polish kings were initially elected by a small council; gradually, this privilege was granted to all members of the szlachta (Polish nobility). Kings of Poland and Grand Dukes of Lithuania during the times of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (1569–1795) were elected by gatherings of crowds of nobles at

10692-601: Was increasingly stable until the Frankish invasions against the Visigoths led to a period of crisis in which the Visigoths reverted to elections. After the crisis was over in the 6th century, the family of Leovigild attempted to revive hereditary succession until Swintila was overthrown and the Fourth Council of Toledo formally declared elective succession as the principle of succession in 633. The Kingship of Aragon

10800-467: Was initially elected by the "rich men" barons. Later this right was limited to the Cortes confirming the succession of the heir. During the 19th century, more precisely between 1870 and 1873, an attempt of such a system took place in Spain. After the Glorious Revolution and Isabella II 's subsequent deposition in 1868 a new parliament was constituted through direct male suffrage. It was then decided that

10908-489: Was made along with the Throne Chair of Denmark of narwhal teeth (supposedly the mythical unicorn 's horn) and three silver lions, the latter created by Ferdinand Küblich (1664–1687). This was inspired by the biblical description of King Solomon's throne , which was said to be composed of unicorn's horn and gold and guarded by twelve golden lions. With the 1849 Constitution, anointing was discontinued and since then

11016-460: Was made by the royal goldsmith Paul Kurtz in Copenhagen in the years 1670–1671. As the crown of the first absolute monarch it was made as a closed crown to look different than the open crowns of the elected kings, possibly inspired by the imperial crown of Charlemagne . The circlet of the crown is divided in four by two large sapphires , a flat one that can be traced back to Frederick I at

11124-772: Was more valuable than the whole of his kingdom. Instead of protecting the Dutch, Frederick agreed to collaborate with the English in seizing the Return Fleet. But before the Danish-Norwegian fleet or word of the deal reached Bergen, the English attacked, and were defeated in the Battle of Vågen by the Dutch, supported by the fortress. Frederick III died at Copenhagen Castle and is interred in Roskilde Cathedral . Frederick married Sophie Amalie of Brunswick-Lüneburg in Castle Glücksburg on 1 October 1643. The marriage had been arranged in 1640. Frederick was, at

11232-534: Was not crowned and did not wear a crown because she belonged to the Reformed church and was thus not a member of the Church of Denmark or because it was thought unnecessary to crown the queen since she had the right to wear any regalia through her marriage with the king. However all the following queens consort of the absolute monarchs were crowned. Louise of Mecklenburg-Güstrow , the consort of king Frederick IV ,

11340-573: Was only elected after he had signed a Haandfæstning charter. The Haandfæstning included provisions curtailing the already diminished royal prerogative in favour of increased influence for the Rigsraadet . In the first years of his reign, Rigsraadet was the main power center of Danish politics. However, Frederick wielded more effective power than what the Haandfæstning officially granted. He eventually succeeded in removing

11448-426: Was originally a wedding present from Christian IV to the 1643 wedding of Frederick III . It was used for the anointing of all absolute monarchs and probably also for the coronation of Frederick III . Its cross-guard and grip is decorated with gemstones. The scabbard has a diamond-studded Chape , is covered in red velvet and is decorated with the coats of arms of different parts of the realm. Above each coat of arms

11556-498: Was proclaimed, not inherited as of right. Claudius , the fourth Emperor, in particular stands out, being "elected" to office once the Praetorian Guard had made it clear he was their candidate. Accordingly, heredity never was, and could never be, formally established in law. And whilst the later, more overtly authoritarian Dominate period further stripped the republican veneer from the constitution, Emperors succeeded by

11664-540: Was the Republic's highest official and powerful within restrictions and levels of oversight that varied in different periods. The election process began with the Great Council of more than 2000 Venetian aristocrats and employed an elaborate system designed to prevent one family or alliance from dominating the process. It used smaller nominating groups that were reduced in number by the drawing of lots and required

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