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Why did many European monarchies survive after their political powers were limited?

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Frescoed throne room in the palace of King Minos at Knossos, Crete, featuring red walls with painted motifs, a stone throne, benches, and a round basin on the floor. — government Frescoed throne room, palace of King Minos at Knossos, Crete, c. 1700–1400 bce.

Many European monarchies survived by evolving into constitutional monarchies, a transition that allowed them to remain relevant by relinquishing actual political power to elected officials and democratic processes.1

Rather than attempting to maintain absolute authority, these monarchs adapted to the changing social and political landscape through a legacy of bargaining, gradually transferring their governing duties to various societal groups. In this modern framework, the monarch functions as a symbolic and unifying head of state, performing ceremonial duties that serve as national assets and symbols of historical continuity.1

This survival was predicated on the monarch's ability to align with the needs of a modern society, effectively shifting from a position of absolute rule to one of symbolic representation. While other monarchies that failed to adapt to nationalist or popular movements were often overthrown, those that successfully integrated into democratic systems demonstrated that monarchical traditions could persist when they no longer conflict with the principles of popular sovereignty.12