A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of government, but not necessarily a particular monarch. Most often, the term royalist is applied to a supporter of a current regime or one that has been recently overthrown to form a republic.

In the United Kingdom, today the term is almost indistinguishable from "monarchist" because there are no significant rival claimants to the throne. Conversely, in 19th-century France, a royalist might be either a Legitimist, Bonapartist, or an Orléanist, all being monarchists.

United Kingdom

The Wars of the Roses were fought between the Yorkists and the Lancastrians
During the English Civil War the Royalists or Cavaliers supported King Charles I and, in the aftermath, his son King Charles II
Following the Glorious Revolution, the Jacobites supported the deposed James II and his Stuart successors to the thrones of England, Scotland and Ireland
Following the Glorious Revolution, the Loyalists supported the Williamite dynasty, and after the ascension of George I to the British throne in 1714, the Hanoverian dynasty to the thrones of England, Scotland and Ireland

Russia

During the Russian Civil War, the Royalists constituted a part of the White Army

Yugoslavia

During and especially towards at the end of World War II in Yugoslavia, the Royalist Chetniks supported the exiled King of Yugoslavia.

France

Legitimists, French royalists upholding Salic Law
- Chouannerie, a royalist group during the French Revolution
- Ultra-royalists, a 19th-century reactionary faction of the French parliament
Orléanists, who, in late 18th and 19th century France, supported the Orléans branch of the House of Bourbon, which came to power in the French monarch July Revolution
Bonapartists, supporters of the Bonaparte imperial line.

Low countries

Union of Arras, states of the Netherlands loyal to Philip II
Orangism in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg
Supporters of the return of Leopold III as King of the Belgians after the Second World War, also called Leopoldists

Portugal

Miguelist, a supporter of King Miguel

Spain

Carlist, a Spanish legitimist
Royalist (Spanish American Revolution), a supporter of continued Spanish rule during the Latin American wars of independence

Italy

During World War II the royalists were Italians who supported Victor Emmanuel III and the government of Pietro Badoglio after the Fascist dictator Benito Mussolini was overthrown.

China

Chinese Empire Reform Association (Royalist Society) in the late Qing dynasty, an organisation that supported the pro-reform Guangxu Emperor and advocated constitutional monarchy as a peaceful political reform, against both the conservative rulers (such as the Empress Dowager Cixi) who opposed any reform and the Tongmenghui which sought to overthrow the Chinese monarchy and establish the Republic of China)
Royalist Party: This militant party was established during the Xinhai Revolution, and was vehemently opposed to the new Republic of China. It tried to use politics and later violence in order to restore the Qing dynasty or at least some form of monarchy, but failed.

Cambodia

The FUNCINPEC Party (Khmer: ហ្វ៊ុនស៊ិនប៉ិច; French: Front uni national pour un Cambodge indépendant, neutre, pacifique et coopératif), National United Front for an Independent, Neutral, Peaceful and Cooperative Cambodia is a royalist political party in Cambodia founded in 1981. The party draws its inspiration from the political legacy of the former King of Cambodia, Norodom Sihanouk.

Iran

The Constitutionalist Party of Iran (CPI) (Persian: حزب مشروطه ايران - لیبرال دموکرات‎) is a liberal democratic party founded in 1994 (originally as the Constitutional Movement of Iran) and is based in exile. The party favors a constitutional monarchy in Iran but isn't opposed to a republic based on referendum. It also supports returning of current Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi as the next shah of Iran.^[1]

United States

Loyalists during the American Revolution (and the ensuing American Revolutionary War) were American colonists opposed to seceding from the Kingdom of Great Britain and instead remained loyal to the British Crown. After the war ended in independence for the Thirteen Colonies, many loyalists emigrated north to British North America (Present-day Canada), referring to themselves as the United Empire Loyalists.

Malaysia

Johor Royalists Club is a non-governmental organization which was founded in the State of Johor, within the Federation of Malaysia, on 23 March 2015. Its mission is to restore the "Order", and its objectives are to support the monarchy of Johor; to create awareness of the heritage of the monarchy of Johor; and to close up racial relations through the monarchy of Johor. Its membership is open to pure Johoreans (Anak Jati Johor) who, and both of whose parents, were born in Johor, and are loyal (and only loyal) to the Sultan of Johor. It operates in the form of a people's congress, and has a standing committee to manage the day-to-day affairs.^[2]

Nepal

The Rastriya Prajatantra Party was founded on the principles of democracy, constitutional monarchy, nationalism and economic liberalization.^[3] When the monarchy was abolished in 2008 and Nepal was declared a secular state, the Rastriya Prajatantra Party Nepal changed its constitution to support monarchy and the re-establishment of the Hindu state.^[4]

References

^ "The Constitutionalist Party of Iran". Archived from the original on 2012-03-04.
^ "Johor Royalists Club - Royalists in Malaysia".
^ "Major Political Parties". www.nepaldemocracy.org. Retrieved 2017-06-25.
^ RPP. "राप्रपा नेपालः सुस्पष्ट बिचार र अलग पहिचान सहितको राजनैतिक दल". RPP. Retrieved 2017-06-25.

Royalist