Many countries in the world are monarchies. There are famous European monarchies such as the United Kingdom, Spain and the Netherlands. There also countries across Africa, the Middle East and the Far East that still have kings and queens. But what about the United States? Is there any chance that America could also become a monarchy?
The United States would never become a monarchy. The US constitution dictates how the country is governed and does not permit a king or queen. There is no public support in America for a transition to a monarchy and there is no royal family that could assume the position.
…the answer’s pretty clear then? But that’s not everything. Let’s take a quick look at America’s history in relation to royalty and dive a bit deeper…
Has The US Ever Been A Monarchy?
Looking back through history, huge numbers of countries have had kings or queens at some point in their history. It seems like hundreds of years ago almost every society was ruled by a monarch. So was the United States?
The United States as an independent country has never been a monarchy. When the US declared independence from great Britain it adopted a republican system of government. Prior to 1776, America had been a colony of Great Britain and was part of the British Empire ruled by King George III.
Although the United States as an independent country has never had a king or queen, prior to America’s independence there were times when what is now the US was ruled by monarchs.
Firstly, before becoming an independent country, the United States was part of the British Empire. This meant it was ruled by the monarch of Great Britain. From its founding as a British colony in 1607 to its independence in 1776, what is now the United States had a monarchy… the British one.
North America has a long history of indigenous people and cultures that pre-date the arrival of Europeans. Although tribes that occupied the territory that is now the United States did not have kings, they did have chiefs. American Indian Tribal chiefs did not rule by decree, like a king or queen would, but did wield significant power and were seen as the leaders of their societies.
Why Doesn’t America Have A King?
When America gained independence, many countries in the world were still monarchies. In the late 18th Century, having a monarchy was almost standard for countries, especially in Europe. So why, when America broke-away from Great Britain, did it not establish its own monarchy?
America does not have a monarchy because it was founded as a federal republic. The removal of the British monarchy was one of the key drivers of America’s independence movement. The ideas of democracy and equality were important to America’s founders and this led to the having an elected president as head of state, rather than a king.
The United States was founded on the ideas of the Enlightenment. This was an intellectual movement prominent in the 17th and 18th Centuries that questioned man’s relationship with god, the role of royalty, human individualism and the importance of science and reason. Many Enlightenment thinkers were against the idea of monarchies and this is an important reason why America never had a king or queen.
The core ideals of America’s founding included that every man be equal. This is in direct opposition to the idea of royalty – where one person through the right of birth alone rules over their subjects. This is another reason why the United States does not have a king.
Some believe that George Washington, the American revolutionary leader, was offered the position of king at the time of America’s independence, but turned it down. In fact, this is not historically accurate.
What If America Had Become A Monarchy?
Now we know the United States has never been a monarchy and why, and also that it almost certainly never will be. However, what would America look like if history had been different? What if America had become a monarchy? Really, there are three different scenarios to look at…
- Absolute monarchy
- Constitutional monarchy
- Transition from absolute to constitutional monarchy
Let’s go over each one…
Absolute Monarchy
At the time of America’s independence in 1776, Great Britain was a constitutional monarchy under George III. However, globally, almost all monarchs were absolute monarchs. This means there is a good chance that if America became a monarchy after it gained independence it would follow other countries in the world at that time, such as Russia and Spain, that had an absolute monarchy.
America under an absolute monarch would be a very different country. Individual freedoms would be curtailed and the role of the federal and state governments would be greatly reduced.
Constitutional Monarchy
If America had become a monarchy rather than a federal republic following independence it could have followed Great Britain and became a constitutional monarchy. A constitutional monarchy is where the king or queen is the head of the state, but the elected president or prime minister leads the governments. The king or queen retains a more ceremonial role under a constitutional monarchy.
The United States as a constitutional monarchy would likely be similar to the UK today. The president and congress would still be elected and run the government, but the king or queen would be the official head of state.
Transition From Absolute to Constitutional Monarchy
As we’ve said, most monarchies at the time of America’s independence were absolute monarchies. However, in the last two hundred years almost every monarchy in the world has either been abolished or transitioned to become a constitutional monarchy.
It is likely that if the US had become an absolute monarchy that it would have transitioned to be a constitutional monarchy at some point in its history. This would be in-line with most other countries that have retained their kings or queens. There is also the possibility that America retains a monarchy after independence, but later abolishes it and becomes a republic in the following centuries.
Does The US Have A Royal Family?
So, we know the US doesn’t have a king or queen and has never been a monarchy. However, some countries have royal families but are also not monarchies. Is there an American royal family, even if none of its members are the head of state?
There is no American royal family. The removal of the British monarchy after independence was not followed by the establishment of a royal family for the United States. America has never had a royal family in its history as an independent country.
When a country transitions to being a republic, sometimes the king or queen abdicates. Although this means the country is no longer a monarchy and the king or queen is no longer head of state, it doesn’t mean the end of the royal family or the royal bloodline. Countries such as France and Greece still have royal families, they just no longer have a king or queen.
This is not the case for the United States. Because the US was founded as republic, there has never been a king, queen or royal family. Prior to independence the king of America was the king of the Great Britain, as the United States was a British colony.
When the US gained independence, the British crown lost sovereignty over the territories. As king George III of Britain was never replaced with an American monarch, this means there has never been an American royal family.