How Constitutional Monarchy Works

In a constitutional monarchy the crown is head of state while elected parliaments hold real power. The model evolved in Britain after 1688, when the bill of rights limited the sovereign, and spread to Belgium, the Netherlands, Scandinavia and Japan.

Monarchs assent to laws, open parliaments and appoint prime ministers, all on advice, acting as a neutral symbol above party politics. Sweden went furthest in 1974, leaving the king no formal role in government at all.