N Europe, many nations are ruled by a monarchy—a royal family of kings and queens. In some countries, monarchies have existed for centuries. What do you think it might have been like to be a monarch 500 years ago? What do you think it might be like to be a monarch today?

Nowadays, monarchs have less political power than in the past - many decisions are made by the parliament and prime minister. However, they face new challenges.

Explanation:

Over the last few centuries, the responsibilities of a monarch have dramatically changed. In the past, monarchs had a complete authority over their kingdom - they were the ones who made all the decisions. They passed laws, decided which people should be punished or imprisoned, and even sentenced people to death. Today, this is not the case. The prime ministers, courts and parliaments make most of the decisions instead of the monarch. The king/queen seems to be just a figure that represents the nation, and his/her political power is quite limited. The monarch represents the nation abroad, delivers speeches on important occasions, etc. Due to the technological advances, however, the monarch today has an opportunity to connect with his/her people. Since the 20th century, they address the nation through radio, television, and even on the internet. It it also important to note that, as technology has developed, monarchs today have less privacy than before - news and rumors are circulating around websites, social networks, which was unimaginable two centuries ago. Finally, although the monarchs' political role has changed, they are now facing new challenges.

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