List of monarchy referendums explained

Monarchy referendums are referendums on the establishment, abolition, or restoration of monarchy or on the rules of succession.

Referendums on the establishment, abolition, or restoration of a monarchy

!Country!Referendum!Date!Result!For republic [%]!For monarchy [%]!Turnout [%]!Comments!Notes
Albania1997 Albanian monarchy referendum29 June 1997republic retained66.733.371.64Legitimacy of the results have been called into question by the House of Zogu.[1] [2]
Australia1999 Australian republic referendum6 November 1999monarchy retained45.1354.8795.1[3]
Brazil1993 Brazilian constitutional referendum21 April 1993republic retained86.613.484.3[4]
Bulgaria1946 Bulgarian republic referendum8 September 1946monarchy abolished95.64.491.7[5]
The Gambia1965 Gambian republic referendum24 November 1965monarchy retained65.8534.1560.46Required 2/3 majority[6]
The Gambia1970 Gambian republic referendumdata-sort-value="1 April 1970" April 1970monarchy abolished70.4529.5590.1[7]
Greece1920 Greek referendum22 November 1920monarchy restored--Constantine I returned to the throne[8]
Greece1924 Greek republic referendum13 April 1924monarchy abolished69.9830.02On 25 March 1924 the Second Hellenic Republic was proclaimed[9]
Greece1935 Greek monarchy referendum3 November 1935monarchy restored2.197.9the referendum is viewed as having not been free or fair. [10] [11] [12]
Greece1946 Greek referendum1 September 1946monarchy retained31.668.486.6[13]
Greece1973 Greek republic referendum29 July 1973monarchy abolished78.621.475.0[14]
Greece1974 Greek republic referendum8 December 1974republic retained69.230.875.6The Junta had already staged a plebiscite held on 29 July 1973, which resulted in the establishment of the Republic. However, after the fall of the military regime, the new government, under Constantine Karamanlis, decided to hold another one, as Junta legal acts were considered illegal. [15]
Iceland1944 Icelandic constitutional referendumdata-sort-value="20 May 1944" between 20 and 23 May 1944monarchy abolished98.51.598.4[16]
IranMarch 1979 Iranian Islamic Republic referendumdata-sort-value="30 March 1979" 30 and 31 March 1979monarchy abolished99.30.798[17]
Italy1946 Italian institutional referendum2 June 1946monarchy abolished52.347.789.1[18]
Luxembourg1919 Luxembourg referendum28 September 1919monarchy retained19.780.372.1[19]
Maldives1952 Maldivian constitutional referendumdata-sort-value="17 April 1952" 17 and 18 April 1952monarchy abolished964[20]
Maldives1953 Maldivian constitutional referendumdata-sort-value="1 August 1953" August 1953monarchy restored2.098.0the 2nd referendum was held after [21]
Maldives1968 Maldivian constitutional referendum15 March 1968monarchy abolished81.2318.7793.35[22]
Mexico1863 Mexican emperor referendum4 December 1863monarchy restored010074.76Second Mexican Empire was created; Archduke Maximilian of Austria installed as Maximilian I of Mexico[23]
Norway1905 Norwegian monarchy referendumdata-sort-value="12 November 1905" 12 and 13 November 1905monarchy retained21.0678.9475.3[24]
Rhodesia1969 Rhodesian constitutional referendum20 June 1969monarchy abolished81.0118.9980.97
Rwanda1961 Rwandan monarchy referendum25 September 1961monarchy abolished79.8520.1595.31[25]
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines2009 Vincentian constitutional referendum25 November 2009monarchy retained43.7155.2953.48[26]
Kingdom of Sikkim1975 Sikkimese monarchy referendum14 April 1975monarchy abolished97.552.4563.02Sikkim was annexed by India a month later.[27]
South Africa1960 South African republic referendum5 October 1960monarchy abolished52.2947.7190.77[28]
Spain1947 Spanish law of succession referendum6 July 1947monarchy restored4.995.188.6It was a referendum with no democratic guarantees, carried out by a totalitarian state. It appointed Francisco Franco, the current Dictator, as head of state for life until Franco's death or resignation, but also granted him the power to appoint his successor as King or Regent of the Kingdom and thereby formally establish a new Kingdom of Spain.[29]
Tuvalu1986 Tuvaluan constitutional referendumdata-sort-value="1 February 1986" February 1986monarchy retained5.1490.75
Tuvalu2008 Tuvaluan constitutional referendum30 April 2008monarchy retained35.0264.98[30]
Vietnam1955 State of Vietnam referendum23 October 1955republic retained98.911.09108.42[31]

Referendums to choose or confirm a new monarch or to change the rules of succession

!Country!Referendum!Date!Question!Result!Vote breakdown!Turnout [%]!Comments
Belgium1950 Belgian monarchy referendum12 March 1950Whether King Leopold III should return, have his royal powers and duties restored and the regency of Prince Charles, Count of Flanders be terminatedKing Leopold III returned, with powers and duties restored57.68% in favor, 42.32% opposed92.92King Leopold III gave up his powers and duties in August 1950, making his eldest son Baudouin, regent. Leopold III later abdicated in July 1951, in favour of Baudouin.[32]
Denmark2009 Danish Act of Succession referendum7 June 2009Whether male-preference primogeniture should be abolished in determining succession to the Danish throne and replaced with absolute primogenitureAbsolute primogeniture adopted85.3% in favour, 14.6% opposed58.32[33] [34]
Greece1862 Greek head of state referendum19 November 1862Who if anyone should succeed Otto as King of the Hellenes after his depositionPrince Alfred of the United Kingdom should be installed as the new monarch-Prince Alfred declined the Greek throne due to pressure from the British government and from his mother, Queen Victoria; Prince William of Denmark was later installed as George I of Greece[35] [36]
Romania1866 Romanian prince referendum20 April 1866Prince Karl Ludwig confirmed99.97% in favor, 0.03% opposed84.60Prince Karl Ludwig was immediately installed as Domnitor Carol I. His status was elevated to that of King in 1881.https://www.sudd.ch/event.php?lang=en&id=ro011866

See also

Notes and References

  1. News: Albania: two thousand attend Tirana protest rally in support of monarchy. 1997-07-02. 2008-07-31. ATA.
  2. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/2072440.stm Ex-king's son returns to Albania
  3. Web site: Key results. Australian Electoral Commission. en-AU. 2018-05-10.
  4. Web site: Comerciais Caça ao voto - VEJA.com. https://web.archive.org/web/20110615195338/http://veja.abril.com.br/blog/caca-ao-voto/tag/comerciais/. dead. 2011-06-15. 2011-06-15. 2018-05-10.
  5. [Dieter Nohlen]
  6. Web site: Elections in The Gambia.
  7. Arnold Hughes & David Perfect (2006) A political history of the Gambia, 1816–1994, University of Rochester Press, p346
  8. Nohlen & Stöver, p838
  9. [Dieter Nohlen]
  10. Nohlen & Stöver, p838
  11. Miller. William. 1936. A New Era in Greece. Foreign Affairs. 14. 4. 654–661. 20030766. 10.2307/20030766.
  12. see Gazette 456, dated 10.10.1935, p. 2295
  13. Nohlen & Stöver, p838
  14. [Dieter Nohlen]
  15. [Dieter Nohlen]
  16. [Dieter Nohlen]
  17. News: Landslide Victory for Khomeini Reported in Voting. Jaynes. Gregory. 1979-04-01. The New York Times. 2018-05-10. en-US. 0362-4331.
  18. Web site: Dipartimento per gli Affari Interni e Territoriali. elezionistorico.interno.gov.it. it. 2018-05-10.
  19. [Dieter Nohlen]
  20. Web site: Islamism and radicalism in the Maldives.
  21. Web site: Malediven, ??. August 1953 : Wiedereinführung des Sultanats -- [in German]]. Beat. Müller. www.sudd.ch. en. 2018-05-10.
  22. Book: The Far East and Australasia 2003. 2002. Psychology Press. 9781857431339. en.
  23. Web site: Mexiko, 4. Dezember 1863 : Erzherzog Maximilian von Habsburg-Lothringen als Kaiser -- [in German]]. Beat. Müller. www.sudd.ch. en. 2018-05-10.
  24. Web site: Kong Haakon VII (1872-1957). www.kongehuset.no. no. 2018-05-10.
  25. Web site: Rwanda's new king named – a father of two living on an estate near Manchester. Perraudin. Frances. 12 January 2017. The Guardian. 9 April 2018.
  26. Web site: Trinidad News, Trinidad Newspaper, Trinidad Sports, Trinidad politics, Trinidad and Tobago, Tobago News, Trinidad classifieds, Trinidad TV, Sports, Business. https://web.archive.org/web/20091113082735/http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_news?id=161555837. dead. 2009-11-13. 2009-11-13. 2018-05-11.
  27. Web site: Sikkim (Indien), 14. April 1975 : Abschaffung der Monarchie -- [in German]]. Beat. Müller. www.sudd.ch. en. 2018-05-11.
  28. Book: Paxton, J.. The Statesman's Year-Book 1975-76. 2016-12-22. Springer. 9780230271043. en.
  29. [Dieter Nohlen|Nohlen, D]
  30. Web site: News. www.tuvaluislands.com. 2018-05-11.
  31. Web site: Staat Vietnam (Südvietnam), 23. Oktober 1955 : Staatsform und Staatsoberhaupt -- [in German]]. Beat. Müller. www.sudd.ch. en. 2018-05-11.
  32. Web site: 1950 Belgian monarchy referendum.
  33. http://www.dst.dk/valg/Valg1191213/valgopg/valgopgHL.htm Folkeafstemning Søndag 7. Juni 2009
  34. Web site: Denmark votes to change royal succession rules. 2009-06-08. Deutsche Welle. en. 2018-05-10.
  35. The Times, 16 February 1863, p. 6, col. A
  36. [George Finlay|Finlay, George]

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