THE LEGITIMACY OF NON REIGNING ROYAL FAMILIES: European Royal Families

The first states were mostly monarchies, as far as we can tell, they were ruled by
kings or queens. The earliest monarchies that we know about are the ones in
Sumer ("land of the civilized lords" or "native land", Sumer was a civilization
and historical region in southern Mesopotamia, modern Iraq during the
Chalcolithic – Early Greece and Early Bronze), and Egypt. These both began
around 3000 BC. But it was not only the early states which had kings and
queens. After all there are still many countries which have kings and queens
even today. Some other examples of places which were ruled by kings are
Greece in the Late Bronze Age, as described in Homers’ Iliad, the Etruscan cities
in northern Italy, including Rome between about 700 and 500 BC, China in the
Warring States period, the Early Medieval kingdoms of Western Europe and
Africa like the Visigoths, the Vandals, the Franks, Ethiopia and Mali, and the
later medieval kingdoms, both Christian and Islamic, of France, England, and
Spain.
People often think that in ancient and medieval times only men could rule. It is
true that there have been many more men in power than women, but there have
always been women rulers too. There were women who ruled Egypt, like
Hatshepsut and Cleopatra, and women who ruled the Byzantine Empire, like
Irene. There were women who ruled southern France, like Eleanor, and women
who ruled Castile in Spain, like Isabelle, and women who ruled the kingdom of
Kush in Africa, and the Empresses Lu and Wu Chao in China. Many other
women held power without having the official title, often as regents for their
sons or grandsons, like Agrippina and Julia Maesa in Rome, or Blanche of
Castile Blance in France

The largest segment of world history consists of the history of Europe, which has
mostly been determined by the concepts of sovereignty, religion (Christianity)
and war. List of treaties contains historic agreements, pacts, peaces, and major
contracts between states, armies, governments, and tribal groups. Situations of
international armed conflict regularly give rise to some misunderstandings with
regard to the applicable law and its interpretation. This especially holds true if
these misunderstandings are reinforced by statements of a purely political
character. All too often some commentators, obviously considering such
statements to be of higher relevance than the law, prefer to rely upon these
statements rather than on a proper analysis of the relevant treaties.

Non reigning Monarchies today, based largely in Europe and Far East some of
the ruling royal families are still wealthy and powerful. They are philanthropic
and excellent benefactors to the people and countries they rule. Others are
largely ceremonial or constitutional monarchies existing in a complimentary
relationship respected and revered but holding little or no ruling power. People
who are rightful heirs to titles may have lost their family wealth but their titles
and the right to rule a kingdom is customarily hereditary.