Rule, commonly hereditary, by or in the name of a single individual. Absolute monarchs wielding unlimited authority were once the norm throughout Europe, but are now rare. Most contemporary monarchs are constitutional rulers, with severely limited or even purely ceremonial powers. Succession to the position of monarch is usually hereditary, though other methods, including election, have been known. The association of monarchy with aristocracy and privilege can be politically divisive, but constitutional monarchs can often provide a head of state as a symbol of national unity without the need to involve party politics in the election of a president.