<P> A hereditary monarchy is one in which the crown or throne passes from one member of a royal family to another member of the same family . It represents an institutionalised form of nepotism . </P> <P> It is historically the most common type of monarchy and remains the dominant form in extant monarchies . It has the advantages of continuity of the concentration of power and wealth and predictability of who one can expect to control the means of governance and patronage . Provided that a monarch is competent, not oppressive, and maintains an appropriate royal dignity, it might also offer the stabilizing factors of popular affection for and loyalty to a royal family . The adjudication of what constitutes oppressive, dignified and popular tends to remain in the purview of the monarch . The main disadvantage of hereditary monarchy arises when the heir apparent may be physically or temperamentally unfitted to rule . Other disadvantages include the inability of a people to choose their head of state, the ossified distribution of wealth and power across a broad spectrum of society, and the continuation of outmoded religious and social - economic structures mainly for the benefit of monarchs, their families, and supporters . </P> <P> Theoretically, when the king or queen of a hereditary monarchy dies or abdicates, the crown typically passes to the next generation of the family . If no qualified child exists, the crown may pass to a brother, sister, nephew, niece, cousin, or other relative, in accordance with a predefined order of succession, often enshrined in legislation . Such a process establishes who will be the next monarch beforehand and avoids disputes among members of the royal family . In practice, there is an almost irresistible drive amongst the claimants to the throne . Few if any monarchies have not acquired and defended their hold on power through deceit, murder, war and oppression . Usurpers may resort to inventing semi-mythical genealogies to bolster their respectability . </P> <P> In most current monarchies, the typical order of succession uses some form of primogeniture, but there exist other methods such as seniority, tanistry (in which an heir - apparent is nominated from among qualified candidates) and rotation, which were more common in the past . </P>

Who becomes king after the previous one dies in the hereditary ruler system