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A personal union is a combination of two or more monarchical states that have the same monarch while their boundaries, laws, and interests remain distinct.[1] A real union, by contrast, involves the constituent states being to some extent interlinked, such as by sharing some limited governmental institutions. Unlike a personal union, in a federation or a unitary state, a central (federal) government spanning all member states exists, with the degree of self-governance distinguishing the two. The ruler in a personal union does not need to be a hereditary monarch.[note 1]
The term was coined by German jurist Johann Stephan Pütter, introducing it into Elementa iuris publici germanici (Elements of German Public Law) of 1760.[2]
Personal unions can arise for several reasons, such as:
- inheritance through a dynastic union, e.g. Louis X of France inherited France from his father and Navarre from his mother
- decolonization, where ex-colonies install the monarch of the former colonizing power as their own upon becoming independent, e.g. several former members of the British Empire (then becoming Commonwealth realms)
- autonomization, e.g. instead of annexing Finland into the Russian Empire, Alexander I of Russia organized Finland as an autonomous grand duchy and acted as its head of state[3]
They can also be codified (i.e., the constitutions of the states clearly express that they shall share the same person as head of state) or non-codified, in which case they can easily be broken (e.g., by the death of the monarch when the two states have different succession laws).
The concept of a personal union has only very rarely crossed over from monarchies into republics.
There are currently two personal unions in the world: the 15 Commonwealth realms, who share Charles III as their head of state, and one of the co-princes of Andorra being the President of France.
- ^ Oppenheim, Lassa; Roxbrough, Ronald (2005). International Law: A Treatise. The Lawbook Exchange. ISBN 978-1584776093. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
- ^ Harding, Nick (2007). Hanover and the British Empire, 1700–1837. Boydell & Brewer. ISBN 978-1843833000.
- ^ Gadolin, A. De (2012). The Solution of the Karelian Refugee Problem in Finland. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 2. ISBN 978-9401179645. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
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