When a country was ruled by a king or queen who had absolute power, the rulers were called absolute monarchs. This is a rare situation today, because although there are still countries with king and queens, these countries have taken much of the power away from them. Louis XIV of France was an absolute monarch.

Limited monarchies exist today in Nepal, Sweden, Belgium, England, and other countries with a king or queen who shares power with other branches of government. Monarchs today may have little influence beyond their primarily ceremonial roles, but they are still considered an important part of the government.