Personal union
A personal union consists of two or more entities that are internationally considered separate states, only sharing the same Head of State (and thence also sharing whatever political actions are vested in the Head of State, but no, or at least extremely few, others). It is not to be confused with a federation (like the USA), which is internationally considered a single state.
Personal unions can arise for very different reasons, ranging from near coincidence (a princess who is already married to a king becomes a queen regnant, and their child inherits the crown of both countries) to virtual annexation (where a personal union sometimes was seen as a means of preventing uprisings). They can also be codified (the constitutions of the states clearly express that they shall be joined together) or non-codified (in which case they can easily be broken by e.g. different succession rules).
Because presidents of republics are ordinarily chosen from within the citizens of the state in question, personal unions are almost entirely a phenomenon of monarchies. With the decline of their number during the 20th century, personal unions have become quite uncommon. Where they do exist, most notably between the so-called Commonwealth Realms, they are now mostly ceremonial, as the Governor-General, who is the representative of the Head of State, has only marginal political power.
There is a somewhat grey area between personal unions and federations, and the one has regularly grown into the other. This article is an attempt at listing some historical and contemporary personal unions.
- Personal union (not universally recognized) with Italy from 1939 to 1946 (when republic was proclaimed)
- Personal union (not universally recognized) with Ethiopia from 1939 to 1941
- Partial personal union with France since 1607 (the French president is one of the Heads of State in Andorra)
- The Commonwealth Realms, officially a personal union since 1927, presently with Australia, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and the United Kingdom
- The Commonwealth Realms, officially a personal union since 1927, presently with Australia, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and the United Kingdom
- The Commonwealth Realms, officially a personal union since 1927, presently with Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and the United Kingdom
- The Commonwealth Realms, officially a personal union since 1927, presently with Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Belize, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and the United Kingdom
- The Commonwealth Realms, officially a personal union since 1927, presently with Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Barbados, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and the United Kingdom
- The Commonwealth Realms, officially a personal union since 1927, presently with Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Grenada, Jamaica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and the United Kingdom
- Personal union (not universally recognized) with Italy from 1936 to 1941
- Personal union (not universally recognized) with Albania from 1939 to 1941
- Partial personal union with Andorra since 1607 (the French president is one of the Heads of State in Andorra)
- The Commonwealth Realms, officially a personal union since 1927, presently with Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Jamaica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and the United Kingdom
- The Commonwealth Realms, officially a personal union since 1927, presently with Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Grenada, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and the United Kingdom
- The Commonwealth Realms, officially a personal union since 1927, presently with Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and the United Kingdom
- The Commonwealth Realms, officially a personal union since 1927, presently with Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, New Zealand, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and the United Kingdom
- The Commonwealth Realms, officially a personal union since 1927, presently with Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and the United Kingdom
- The Commonwealth Realms, officially a personal union since 1927, presently with Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and the United Kingdom
- The Commonwealth Realms, officially a personal union since 1927, presently with Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and the United Kingdom
Duchies with peculiar rules for succession.
- 1460 to 1864 were parts or all of the duchies in personal union with Denmark.
- The Commonwealth Realms, officially a personal union since 1927, presently with Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Tuvalu and the United Kingdom
Main article: Unions of Sweden
- The Commonwealth Realms, officially a personal union since 1927, presently with Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the Solomon Islands and the United Kingdom
- Personal union with Hanover from 1801 to 1837
- Personal union with Ireland from 1922 (broken out) to 1949
- The Commonwealth Realms, officially a personal union since 1927, presently with Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the Solomon Islands and Tuvalu
