Monarchy: The History of an Idea: The History of an Idea

The most remarkable feat of monarchy is to have survived into the 21st century, frequently challenged but still strong. It has persisted even though the hereditary principle has frequently meant that a reigning king or queen was not suited to the role, whatever their birthright. How was monarchy come to be associated with democracy and tolerance, when its roots lie elsewhere, in religious ritual, in absolutism and in the theory that kings rule by divine right? Brenda Ralph Lewis traces the ...