AH Challenge: Monarchical State in W. Europe

Your challenge is to create a monarchical state in Western Europe that exists until the present day. By "monarchical," I mean a state that, while perhaps not an absolute monarchy, is very weighted or angled towards the monarchs.
 
Well thats not too hard. Italy is an excellent possible candidate. The referendum that was held on bieng either a monarchy or a republic was a very close turnout-54% in favor of a republic. Have a greater voter turnout on the monarchists side (many who were in favor of a monarchy were unable to arrive in time) and that 54% could instead be for keeping the monarchy. Perhaps after being kept in power so narowly the King puts more power into his positoion and rules a little more strictly somehow without crossing the line that leads to resentment....then there you have it. A monarchical state in Western Europe that exists to present day that isn't purely ceremonial.
 
There must be one of those tiny countries that's monarchical. San Marino, Lichtenstein... Though I don't actually know anything about these countries :eek: And that's not really in the spirit of the OP, anyway.

Unfortunately (for this PoD) the tendency recently has been towards either parliamentarianism with or without some form of socialism, both of which reject a powerful monarch to one extent or another. A Central Powers-victorious TL could lead to this, but it kind of depends how victorious the Central Powers are. If Austria-Hungary is completely exhausted in the war it may break up either way, whether the Allies force them to or not.

However, if anything, the Central Powers winning (unless it's very early in the war, like pre-April 1915) makes the eventual Bolshevik revolution even more bloody, I think. Then again, I'm sure a victorious Germany would support the White Russians... Hm.

So yes, victorious Central Powers would seem to be the best bet. Another one would be a somewhat more liberal, more open to reforms Romanov dynasty in the late 19th Century. Then, at least, we'd have Russia having a strong (though not absolute) monarch past WWI, and probably a stronger Russia in general (IMO, the Romanovs being so out of touch with reality, especially Nicholas II, was one of the main reasons for Russia's losses in WWI AND the 1905 and 1917 revolutions).

And as long as you have one great power with a strong monarchy, that one will probably support stronger monarchies in other countries (contrast to the Soviet Union spreading socialism, except not so universally reviled).
 

yourworstnightmare

Banned
Donor
What about Spain, the king has some influence there, if things had gone different (for example no republic, no Franco) the king could have even more power.
 
Sealand has a king...but he's 1/12th of the population so I don't think that counts :p

More seriously, all it would take is no Spanish Civil War. Or maybe lack of a French Revolution, but that was pretty much inevitable IMHO.
 
Well, if you want to keep an absolute monarchy then they're going to revolt eventually right?

They didn't revolt simply because it was an Absolute Monarchy. They revolted because it was an ineffective and backwards Absolute Monarchy. If the French Kings had followed the path of the Enlightened Despot like many of their peers, and passed certain reforms and above all ruled more effectively, then the French Revolution could be avoided.
 
They didn't revolt simply because it was an Absolute Monarchy. They revolted because it was an ineffective and backwards Absolute Monarchy. If the French Kings had followed the path of the Enlightened Despot like many of their peers, and passed certain reforms and above all ruled more effectively, then the French Revolution could be avoided.
Meh. Sooner or later you're going to have an incompetent monarch. And anyway, There's reform going on in the surrounding countries, if they stay in with the people they have to forfeit their power...
 
Meh. Sooner or later you're going to have an incompetent monarch. And anyway, There's reform going on in the surrounding countries, if they stay in with the people they have to forfeit their power...

Democracy need not develop in Europe. All it takes is an effective bureaucracy and good social reforms. Many Enlightened Despots gave their people this and thus were able to hold onto real power much longer. Without any other example of European democracy/republicanism, this would be even more the case.
 

Thande

Donor
Liechtenstein has become more monarchical, if that's a word, since they passed the new constitution a few years ago.
 
Democracy need not develop in Europe. All it takes is an effective bureaucracy and good social reforms. Many Enlightened Despots gave their people this and thus were able to hold onto real power much longer. Without any other example of European democracy/republicanism, this would be even more the case.
True, I suppose. :eek:
 

ninebucks

Banned
What about Spain, the king has some influence there, if things had gone different (for example no republic, no Franco) the king could have even more power.

I don't think so. Juan Carlos' popularity today is due in a large part to his being groomed by Franco as his successor, while still being a proven supporter of democracy. He bridges the cultural divide in Spain that still persists from the Civil War. I'd definately say that he is the most populary monarch in Europe, (perhaps save the Pope...), and it'd only take a relatively minor POD in 1970s/1980s Spain to get the kind of result this challenge asks for.
 
Liechtenstein has become more monarchical, if that's a word, since they passed the new constitution a few years ago.

I am aware that Lichtenstein and Luxembourg both have strong monarchies, but (no offense to any Luxembourgers or Lichtenstensteinians out there) I was hoping for a country that is a bit more influential on the world stage.
 
I don't think so. Juan Carlos' popularity today is due in a large part to his being groomed by Franco as his successor, while still being a proven supporter of democracy. He bridges the cultural divide in Spain that still persists from the Civil War. I'd definately say that he is the most populary monarch in Europe, (perhaps save the Pope...), and it'd only take a relatively minor POD in 1970s/1980s Spain to get the kind of result this challenge asks for.

Yeah, really all it takes is for him to not be such a supporter of democracy.

Of course, that's more fascism with a king, but, wait, isn't that what an absolute monarchy is all about?
 
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