A monarchy is a form of government that has a monarch as its head. In this system, the monarch—typically a king or queen—acts as the ceremonial or political leader of a nation. Monarchy can be absolute, where the monarch has nearly complete control over the government, or constitutional, where their powers are limited by law or a constitution, often sharing governance with an elected body. Monarchies are prevalent in various forms around the world, with notable examples including the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, and Japan.