Monarchies are countries ruled by a king, queen, or other hereditary leader. In a monarchy, leadership is passed down through families, going from the current ruler to their children or other close relatives. There are different types of monarchies that can be tribal, noble, dictatorial, religious, constitutional, or bureaucratic based on how the ruler attains and maintains power. Some key aspects of monarchies are that the monarch acts as the head of state and represents the country, though they may only hold nominal or ceremonial power instead of absolute rule, depending on the type of monarchy.