MONARCHY DURING THE THE EARLY MODERN AGE

In this period there were three types of monarchy: authoritarian, absolute and parlimentary monarchy.

- AUTHORITARIAN MONARCHY: Monarchs in the 16th century are described as "authoritarian" because the had forced the nobility to accept their authority. However, these monarchs also had to respect institutions that were able to limit their power, such as the Cortes in Spain and Estates General in France. In Spain, an authoritarian monarchy was establised by the Catholic Monarchs: Carlos I (1556 - 1598) and his son Felipe II (1556 - 1598)

- ABSOLUTE MONARCHY OR ABSOLUTISM: meant that the ultimate authority to run a state was in the hands of a king who ruled by divine right. Divine right was the claim that a king was given his position by some higher power. The authority of the monarch could include any or all of the following areas: administration, taxes, justice, and foreign policy. One of the most prominent advocates of divine-right monarchy during the seventeenth century was Bishop Jacques-Benigne Bossuet. According to Bossuet, all governments were ordained by God to allow humanity to live in an organized society. Because kings and queens were given their authority by God, their power was unconditional. Unlike a limited monarchy, the absolute monarch would not share his power with another governing body, such as parliament.

- PARLIAMENTARY MONARCHY: the monarch´s power is limited by Parliament. There is only and example in Europe: England after Glorious Revolution of 1688