divine right of kings: Quick Facts

Written and fact-checked by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Photos

Bossuet, detail of an oil painting by Hyacinthe Rigaud, 1698; in the Uffizi, Florence

See All Images →

Topics

sacred kingship monarchy authority paternalism British Royal Line of Succession hierarchy monarch emperor False Dmitry patrimonialism heterarchy imperium shogunate

Key People

Full-length portrait of Charles I of England standing in elaborate blue and silver attire, holding a staff, with a crown and red drapery on a table beside him.

Charles I

king of Great Britain and Ireland

Charles Le Brun: Portrait of King Louis XIV

Louis XIV

king of France

Bossuet, detail of an oil painting by Hyacinthe Rigaud, 1698; in the Uffizi, Florence

Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet

French bishop