1) as the others said, any attempt needs a much earlier PoD.
2) OTOH, it's probably impossible anyway. One of the reasons that Britain did so well at Empire building was because of its merchant base and manufacturing (later), which let the country punch WAY above its weight as a global power. If you have an absolute monarchy, that's a horrid environment for commercial success, so the country would be much weaker, and far less able to project power to build and keep an empire.
2a) if the Absolute monarchy precedes the 'nation of shopkeepers', then Britain never gains strength or any significant empire.
2b) if the Absolute monarchy is imposed AFTER the establishment of the commercial base, then you're going to get significant amounts of unrest at home, where people who used to have a say in the government are now excluded. That reduces the amount of power available abroad AND decreases the total amount of power available. Net result? Other powers start picking away at the edge of the empire, and the empire declines. Canada joins the US, for instance.