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Divine Right of Kings

Definition

The Divine Right of Kings is a political and religious doctrine that asserts the monarchy derives its authority directly from God, not from the people or any earthly authority. This means that only God can judge a king's actions.

Analogy

Think of the Divine Right of Kings like an exclusive VIP pass at a concert. Just as this pass gives you special privileges and access that regular ticket holders don't have, the Divine Right gave kings unique powers and rights that ordinary citizens didn't possess. And just like how a VIP pass is given by the event organizers (in this case, God), not by other attendees, a king's power was believed to be granted by God, not by his subjects.

Related terms

Absolute Monarchy: A form of government where the monarch has absolute power among his or her people. An absolute monarch wields unrestricted political power over the sovereign state and its people.

Monarchism: A political system based on the belief in ruling through a single leader who is either appointed or inherited (like kingship). It supports maintaining such systems or returning to them if they are gone.

Sovereignty: The full right and power of a governing body over itself, without any interference from outside sources or bodies.