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An '''absolute [[monarchy]]''' is a form of [[government]] where a [[country]] that is ruled by a [[monarch]] who has little or no [[democratic]] limitation to his [[power]]s. Quite rare in the modern [[world]], examples include: [[Saudi Arabia]], [[Brunei]] and, until recently, [[Kuwait]] and [[Nepal]]. There have been good absolute monarchs, for example, [[Israel|Israel's]] [[King David]], and bad ones like [[King John]] of [[England]].

An '''absolute [[monarchy]]''' is a form of [[government]] where a [[country]] that is ruled by a [[monarch]] who has little or no [[democratic]] limitation to his [[power]]s. Quite rare in the modern [[world]], examples include: [[Saudi Arabia]], [[Brunei]] and, until recently, [[Kuwait]] and [[Nepal]]. There have been good absolute monarchs, for example, [[Israel|Israel's]] [[King David]], and bad ones like [[King John]] of [[England]].

Contrary to popular opinion, absolute monarchies were never the norm in [[Medieval Europe]], where some form of representative bodies always tended to exist. What happened was that ''after'' the end of the medieval period, some monarchies sought to increase their power, the prime example being [[France]], which had indeed become an absolute monarchy by the 17th century. [[Louis XIV]] of France epitomizes the rule of an absolute monarch with his declaration ''"L'etat c'est moi. ('I am the state')"''.

Contrary to popular opinion, absolute monarchies were never the norm in [[Medieval Europe]], but [[Feudalism|feudal]] monarchies. What happened was that ''after'' the end of the medieval period, some monarchies sought to increase their power, the prime example being [[France]], which had indeed become an absolute monarchy by the 17th century. [[Louis XIV]] of France epitomizes the rule of an absolute monarch with his declaration ''"L'etat c'est moi. ('I am the state')"''.

In [[Kingdom of Great Britain|Great Britain]] (from 1801 the [[United Kingdom]]), on the other hand, went in totally the opposite direction, and the monarchs were gradually stripped of their powers until very few remain today.  

In [[Kingdom of Great Britain|Great Britain]] (from 1801 the [[United Kingdom]]), on the other hand, went in totally the opposite direction, and the monarchs were gradually stripped of their powers until very few remain today.