Plus there is at least a surface level noblesse oblige in the aristocracy. The elites in (at least in a late stage democracy/republic) have no such illusion that they are meant to also serve the interests of the plebs.
The king is responsible to the barons. If the barons band together then the whole country (probably except the capital) is against the king.
The king is permitted to rule, as long as his rule is beneficial to the barons and the people.
Yes, the king can appoint barons. It is a big deal. It usually means deposing an existing baron and giving away their responsibilities / estates.
It is implicit in the role of monarch that if the king is shitty that they are deposed, removed or murdered because an actual popular resolution is fantastically destructive. See the French revolution.
Commodus was the son of Marcus Aurelus, who was one of the most highly regarded emperors of ancient Rome. He probably would have bene assassinated sooner, but the following fight over succession was a complete cluster fuck. Everyone saw it coming.
Kings have privileges and real power. They also have responsibilities. See the parable of the Sword of Damocles.
It's the worst of both worlds: over time the royal family handed over most de-jure powers and responsibilities, but actually does still hold considerable influence and power over the commonwealth.
The monarchs of the United Kingdom don't hold any real power. That's all with Parliament. English monarchs are mostly figureheads for British identity. They're basically celebrities with official titles.
The argument for monarchy and dictatorship is that you only have one guy to assassinate, instead of 560 replaceable party apparatchiks.
Plus there is at least a surface level noblesse oblige in the aristocracy. The elites in (at least in a late stage democracy/republic) have no such illusion that they are meant to also serve the interests of the plebs.
That is...fascinating. I've always seated monarchy/dictatorship arguments outside a "tree of liberty" mindset. I'll have to think about this.
The king is responsible to the barons. If the barons band together then the whole country (probably except the capital) is against the king.
The king is permitted to rule, as long as his rule is beneficial to the barons and the people.
Yes, the king can appoint barons. It is a big deal. It usually means deposing an existing baron and giving away their responsibilities / estates.
It is implicit in the role of monarch that if the king is shitty that they are deposed, removed or murdered because an actual popular resolution is fantastically destructive. See the French revolution.
Find attached an example of such an assassination. It is a YouTube short, and ... well, short.
https://youtube.com/shorts/SM_HP4Ov9Qw?si=teg81IBd3CVz2Di4
Commodus was the son of Marcus Aurelus, who was one of the most highly regarded emperors of ancient Rome. He probably would have bene assassinated sooner, but the following fight over succession was a complete cluster fuck. Everyone saw it coming.
Kings have privileges and real power. They also have responsibilities. See the parable of the Sword of Damocles.
Counterpoint: England's a monarchy and look how gay they turned out to be.
It's the worst of both worlds: over time the royal family handed over most de-jure powers and responsibilities, but actually does still hold considerable influence and power over the commonwealth.
The monarchs of the United Kingdom don't hold any real power. That's all with Parliament. English monarchs are mostly figureheads for British identity. They're basically celebrities with official titles.