The death of King Harald V of Norway this Friday, August 28, puts the 12 European monarchies back in the spotlight.
The Norwegian monarchy loses one of its best-known faces. Harald V, king since 1991, died this Friday August 28 at the age of 89. Hospitalized in Oslo since mid-August, the sovereign suffered from a blood disease: hemolytic anemia.
Norway: a monarchy under pressure
With the death of Harald V, his son Haakon VIII succeeded him. If the king is head of state, he has no political power.
The new king must now restore the image of a family weakened by several controversies, such as the links of his wife Mette-Marit with Jeffrey Epstein.
Denmark: king sooner than expected
If the King of Norway refused to abdicate, his cousin Margrethe did not hesitate. Since 2024, his son Frederik X has represented a country where the royal family remains very popular but does not govern.
Sweden: the queen will be a woman
The daughter of King Carl XVI Gustaf is primarily ceremonial. His daughter, Victoria, is to succeed him, before his granddaughter Estelle. The Swedish monarchy is distinguished by this female succession: the rules were modified to allow Victoria to become heir, ahead of her younger brother.
United Kingdom: the most famous monarchy
With Charles III, the United Kingdom retains the best-known European monarchy. The king represents the state and mainly fulfills constitutional and ceremonial functions.
Coronations, marriages, divorces or family scandals regularly make the headlines in the media around the world. It is also the monarchy long embodied by Elizabeth II, who died in 2022 after 70 years of reign.
Spain: the cumbersome memory of Juan Carlos
King since 2014, Felipe VI represents the State and intervenes in the formation of governments, without leading the country.
The monarchy remains very marked by his father, Juan Carlos I. Once adored for his role in the democratic transition, his image is damaged, particularly after a trip to hunt elephants in Botswana.
Netherlands: the king who flew planes
Willem-Alexander has been king since 2013. Like his neighbors, he mainly has a representative role.
The Dutch king has long had a second life. For more than 20 years, he worked as a co-pilot for KLM, without revealing his identity to passengers.
Belgium: a future queen fighter pilot
The daughter of the current King Philippe and heir to the throne, Elisabeth, could become the first woman to reign over Belgium.
She follows in the footsteps of her father, a former fighter pilot, by following military training. A way of embodying a monarchy which seeks to remain close to the country’s institutions.
Luxembourg: a grand duke, not a king
In this monarchy, the head of state is Grand Duke William. This title is the main particularity of the country: Luxembourg is the only sovereign Grand Duchy in the world. The Grand Duke exercises his functions with the government, in a system where his political power remains limited.
Liechtenstein: here, the prince has power
Little Liechtenstein is an exception among European monarchies. Prince Hans-Adam II remains the sovereign, even if his son Alois already exercises a large part of his functions. Above all, the prince has real powers: he can in particular oppose certain political decisions. In 2003, voters even voted to strengthen his powers. A very different situation from that of the United Kingdom or Sweden.
Monaco: a prince at the poles
Head of State, Prince Albert II has greater powers than the kings of parliamentary monarchies, even if Monaco remains a constitutional monarchy.
Albert II is also known for his ecological commitment. In 2006, he traveled to the North Pole by dog sled, becoming the first head of state to reach the North Pole.
Andorra and Vatican: two monarchies apart
Andorra has a unique organization: it has two heads of state, the co-princes, who are the French president and the bishop of Urguell, in Spain.
In the Vatican, the Pope is the head of state in a monarchy, again, non-hereditary: upon his death or in the event of resignation, a conclave elects his successor.
