Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021, Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition Navigate 'A History of the British Nation' << The Union of Scotland and England under James I - James I and the Divine Right of Kings - The Foreign Policy of James I >> Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). n (History) the concept that the right to rule derives from God and that kings are answerable for their actions to God alone. In the late 17th and 18th centuries, kings such as Louis XIV (1643–1715) of France continued to profit from the divine-right theory, even though many of them no longer had any truly religious belief in it. divine service. Divine right of kingswas a way of justifying monarchies, particularly in Europe during the 16th to the 18th centuries. James I and the Divine Right of Kings From 'A History of the British Nation' by AD Innes, 1912. • DIVINE RIGHT OF KINGS (noun) The noun DIVINE RIGHT OF KINGS has 1 sense:. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. Omissions? All rights reserved. The bishop Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet (1627–1704), one of the principal French theorists of divine right, asserted that the king’s person and authority were sacred; that his power was modeled on that of a father’s and was absolute, deriving from God; and that he was governed by reason (i.e., custom and precedent). 1. Learn the words you need … The king's power to rule was derived from his ancestors who, as monarchs, were appointed to serve by God. Start studying Divine right of kings. Because of this, he had the 'right' to rule completely and totally, with no need for approval from the people or any representative body such as a parliament. Over the sixteenth and the first half of the seventeenth century, religious reformation led men to wrestle with this distinction in ways that enhanced the absolute power of the king. It meant that a monarch was given the right to rule by God alone. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. According to this a doctrine the kings derive their right to rule directly from God and are accountable only to God. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Divine Right of Kings The authority of a monarch to rule a realm by virtue of birth. It is grandstanding for a right rarely protected unless under immediate attack. Improve your vocabulary with English Vocabulary in Use from Cambridge. The first written statement of the theory in France...…, …political philosophy explicitly denied the divine right of kings and the absolute power of the sovereign....…. The doctrine that kings and queens have a God-given right to rule and that rebellion against them is a sin. Kings ruled by divine right, as individuals and as a caste, and they w… The concept mirrored the unchecked authority in spiritual matters enjoyed by the Papacy. The concept of the divine right of kings, as postulated by the patriarchal theory of government, was based upon the laws of God and nature. “Vaccinate” vs. “Inoculate” vs. “Immunize”: What Are The Differences? 372, October 1846. This idea became known as the divine right of kings. The theory of the divine right of kings became a passing fancy, exposed to the type of ridicule with which John Locke treated it. Divine Right of Kings Law and Legal Definition Divine Right of Kings is a long-abandoned tenet of the law which formed the basis of the absolute authority of kings and queens. Corrections? The doctrine that kings derive their authority from God not their subjects, from which it follows that rebellion is the worst of political crimes. Definition of Divine right of kings. It gave a king absolute rule over his subjects Beginnings. divine′ right′ of kings′. The divine right was an ancient idea that began with Europe’s medieval kings. The Divine right of kings, the doctrine that a monarch derives his or her power directly from God "The Divine Right of Kings" (poem), an 1845 poem attributed to Edgar Allan Poe Divine Right, a 1979 fantasy wargame; Divine Right: The Adventures of Max Faraday, a comic book series, 1997–1999; Divine Right, a 1989 anthology in the Merovingen Nights series the concept that the right to rule derives from God and that kings are answerable for their actions to God alone, Trolls and Martyrdom: Je Ne Suis Pas Charlie, Jeb Bush’s Unseen Anti-Gay Marriage Emails, Politicians Only Love Journalists When They're Dead, Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 60, No. divine right of kings in British English. According to divine right of kings theory, God created the State, the rulers were appointed by God. Divine right of kings, in European history, a political doctrine in defense of monarchical absolutism, which asserted that kings derived their authority from God and could not therefore be held accountable for their actions by any earthly authority such as a parliament. Gay marriage was the hot-button fight on the left and right. Charlie ridiculed my faith and culture and I died defending his right to do so. All Free. The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition The people must obey the King. divine right of kings - WordReference English dictionary, questions, discussion and forums. The last king in Britain to rule completely according to this belief was Charles I. “Have” vs. “Has”: When To Use Each One, “Affect” vs. “Effect”: Use The Correct Word Every Time. Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. The idea is that the king is given his authority directly by God. the idea that kings and queens are given their right to rule by God and that therefore nobody should question that right. The divine right of kings is a theory of monarchical absolutism, claiming that kings derive their powers directly from God and are therefore above reproach and beyond control by earthly bodies, including their own subjects. a belief that a king or queen represents, and has been given power by, God Want to learn more? The doctrine of divine right can be dangerous for both church and state. Mrs. Wurzel was quite right; they had been supplied, regardless of cost, from Messrs. Rochet and Stole's well-known establishment. What Is The Difference Between “It’s” And “Its”? King James I of England (reigned 1603–25) was the foremost exponent of the divine right of kings, but the doctrine virtually disappeared from English politics after the Glorious Revolution (1688–89). Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. n a service of the Christian church, esp. By 1450 the main features of divine right kingship were well established. (See absolute monarchy. BIBLIOGRAPHY. Under the Stuarts the doctrine of Divine Right was widely accepted by the Anglican clergy, though James II's attack on the C of E eroded its support. divine right of kings. "The doctrine of the divine right of kings was enunciated by the Stuarts in Britain in the 16th century" Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins the concept that the right to rule derives from God and that kings are answerable for their actions to God alone. The divine right of kings, or divine-right theory of kingship, is a political and religious doctrine of royal and political legitimacy. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. The American Revolution (1775–83), the French Revolution (1789), and the Napoleonic Wars deprived the doctrine of most of its remaining credibility. For the state it suggests that secular authority is conferred, and can therefore be removed, by the church, and for the church it implies that kings have a direct relationship to God and may therefore dictate to ecclesiastical rulers. Monarchy as a form of government was ordained by God. It asserts that a monarch is subject to no earthly authority, deriving the right to rule directly from the will of God. Divine Right. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/topic/divine-right-of-kings, Spartacus Educational - Divine Right of Kings, divine right of kings - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), divine right of kings - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). The rainy weather could not ________ my elated spirits on my graduation day. Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012. Divine right theory was modified by King James 1st of England and Sir Robert Filmer in the 17thCentury. Divine Right of Kings The authority of a monarch to rule a realm by virtue of birth. noun. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Bossuet, detail of an oil painting by Hyacinthe Rigaud, 1698; in the Uffizi, Florence, The idea of divine right, eloquently propounded by Bishop Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet and embodied in...…, …emerged the theory of the divine right of kings. Divine Right kingship confronted two opposing traditions: the claim to supreme authority by the Church and popular representative institutions. Disobedience means not only a crime but also a sin. Divine right of kings, in European history, a political doctrine in defense of monarchical absolutism, which asserted that kings derived their authority from God and could not therefore be held accountable for their actions by any earthly authority such as a parliament. What need to look to right or left when you are swallowing up free mile after mile of dizzying road? The king's power to rule was derived from his ancestors who, as monarchs, were appointed to serve by God. ), The Most Surprisingly Serendipitous Words Of The Day, The Dictionary.com Word Of The Year For 2020 Is …, “Effectiveness” vs. “Efficacy” vs. “Efficiency”: When To Use Each Word For The Best Results. Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. After the English Civil War the idea was gradually replaced by constitutional monarchy. Originating in Europe, the divine-right theory can be traced to the medieval conception of God’s award of temporal power to the political ruler, paralleling the award of spiritual power to the church. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. At first sight, paradoxically, these theoretical developments constituted an important staging post in that longer-term secularization process. James 1st had a dispute with the parliament over a s… the doctrine that the right of rule derives directly from God, not from the consent of the people. The concept of the divine right of kings, as postulated by the patriarchal theory of government, was based upon the laws of God and nature.