The concept of monarchy has dominated human culture for thousands of years, with civilizations across the globe organizing themselves around the belief that a certain family or dynasty had within its bloodline the divine right to rule over the rest of society. Ancient Egypt, for example, was a theocratic monarchy with the king, or Pharaoh, typically exhibiting their power before the landworking peasants by traveling through the country as part of a large and impressive retinue.

In Europe, royal families enjoyed sovereignty until the arrival of democratic parliaments, which generally took control of a country's political power. Where royal families remain, they do so as figureheads, executing an assortment of ceremonial duties throughout the calendar year. Queen Elizabeth II of the United

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