A personal union is the combination by which two different states are governed by the same monarch, while their boundaries, their laws and their interests remain distinct.[1] It is not to be confused with a federation, which internationally is considered as a single state. Neither is it to be confused with dynastic union, where the union can be under a dynasty.
Personal unions can arise for very different reasons, ranging from near coincidence (a princess who is already married to a king becomes queen regnant, and their child inherits the crown of both countries) to virtual annexation (where a personal union sometimes was seen as a means of preventing uprisings). They can also be codified (i.e. the constitutions of the states clearly express that they shall share the same person as head of state) or non-codified, in which case they can easily be broken (e.g. by different succession rules).
Because presidents of republics are ordinarily chosen from within the citizens of the state in question, personal unions are almost entirely a phenomenon of monarchies, and sometimes the term dual monarchy is used to signify a personal union between two monarchies. With the decline of monarchies during the 20th century, personal unions have become quite uncommon. Where they do exist is most notably between the Commonwealth realms[2][3], where, beyond the United Kingdom, the Governor-General is the vice-regal representative of the Monarch.
There is a somewhat grey area between personal unions and federations, and the first has regularly grown into the second. This article is an attempt at listing some historical and contemporary personal unions.
On 1162 Alfonso II of Aragon was the first person to bear the titles of King of Aragon and Count of Barcelona, ruling what was called later Crown of Aragon.
Bohemia
Personal union with Poland 1003 - 1004 (Bohemia occupied by Poles)
The assumption is made in this section that each of Commonwealth realms came into personal union[4][5][6][7] at the time they were given complete freedom to legislate for themselves.
Other possible dates that personal union could claim to have come about are:
when colonies were granted Dominion status: Canada in 1867, Australia in 1901, New Zealand in 1907, South Africa in 1910
when the Governor became a Governor-General: as above for all except New Zealand (1917)
when a High Commissioner was appointed to represent the British Government instead of the Governor or Governor-Generalhttp://www.psa.ac.uk/publications/psd/1998/lloyd1.htm: Canada 1928, South Africa 1930, Australia 1931-6, New Zealand 1939, Irish Free State 1939. It appears that the Governor-General of the Irish Free State stopped representing the British government in 1928 but that an alternative official was not appointed until 1939.
when a country gained both the power to make laws with extraterritorial effect and the power to change their constitution (this is the assumption used below): South Africa and the Irish Free State with the Statute of Westminster, New Zealand in 1947, Canada in 1982, Australia in 1986
when the power of the Parliament of the United Kingdom to make laws for the Commonwealth realm in question was removed: Canada in 1982, Australia in 1986, New Zealand in 1986
when the right of appeal to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council was removed: Canada in 1949, Australia in 1986, New Zealand (but not the Cook Islands, Niue or Tokelau) in 2004
Antigua and Barbuda
Since 1981 upon obtaining independence as a Commonwealth realm. In personal union sharing Queen Elizabeth II as head of state with other Commonwealth realms (formerly known as dominions).
Australia
Since 1941, upon the ratification of the Statute of Westminster in 1942 - which ended the British Parliament's ability to legislate for Australia. The Australia Act of 1986, amongst other things, removed the Privy Council as the last court of Appeal in the Australian Judicial System. Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom serves, independently, as Queen of Australia, through her Vice-Regal Representative, the Governor-General, nominated by the Prime Minister.
Personal union with the Kingdom of Scotland from 1603, when King James VI of Scotland became King of England and King of Ireland to 1707, when the kingdom of England and the kingdom of Scotland united and were replaced by the Kingdom of Great Britain.
Since 1947 upon adoption of The New Zealand Constitution (Amendment) Act 1947. In personal union sharing Queen Elizabeth II as head of state with 15 other current Commonwealth realms.
Personal union with the Netherlands from 1689 to 1702, with the DutchStadtholder also serving as the King of England, Scotland and Ireland. The actual situation was slightly more complex with the Dutch provinces Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Gelderland and Overijssel entering into personal union in 1689 and Drenthe in 1696. Only 2 Dutch provinces never entered into the personal union: Friesland and Groningen.
Personal union with the Duchy of Brittany from 1491, when Duchess Anne of Brittany married King Charles VIII of France under duress, to 1532 when the Duchy of Brittany was formally annexed to the Kingdom of France.
Personal union with the Kingdom of Navarre from 1589 to 1620, when Navarre was formally integrated into France.
Partial personal union with Andorra since 1607 (the French president is one of the Heads of State in Andorra)
Note: The point at issue in the War of the Spanish Succession was the fear that the succession to the Spanish throne dictated by Spanish law, which would devolve on Louis, le Grand dauphin — already heir to the throne of France — would create a personal union that would upset the European balance of power (France had the most powerful military in Europe at the time, and Spain the largest empire).
Personal union with Poland from 1370 to 1382 under the reign of Louis the Great. This period in Polish history is sometimes known as the Andegawen Poland. Louis inherited the Polish throne from his maternal uncle Casimir III. After Louis' death the Polish nobles (the szlachta) decided to end the personal union, since they didn't want to be governed from Hungary, and chose Louis' younger daughter Jadwiga as their new ruler, while Hungary was inherited by his elder daughter Mary. Personal union with Poland in the second time from 1440 to 1444.
Personal union with Bohemia from 1419 to 1439 and from 1490 to 1918
Personal union with the Holy Roman Empire from 1410 to 1439 and from 1526 to 1806 (except 1608-1612)
Personal union with Denmark from 1918 to 1944 when the country became a republic
Ireland
Personal union with England from 1541 (when the Irish Parliament proclaimed King Henry VIII of England, King of Ireland) to 1707 (upon the formation of Great Britain).
Personal union with Scotland (and England) from 1603 to 1707 (when England and Scotland were joined together in the Kingdom of Great Britain)
Personal union with the Netherlands from 1689 to 1702, with the King of Ireland, Scotland and England also serving as Stadtholder of most of the provinces of the Netherlands. The actual situation was slightly more complex with the Dutch provinces Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Gelderland and Overijssel entering into personal union in 1689 and Drenthe in 1696. Only 2 Dutch provinces never entered into the personal union: Friesland and Groningen.
Personal union with France from 1589 to 1620, when Navarre was formally integrated into France.
The Netherlands
Personal union with England, Scotland and Ireland from 1689 to 1702, with the stadtholder of most of the provinces of the Netherlands also serving as King of England, Scotland and Ireland. The actual situation was slightly more complex, as until 1795 the Dutch Republic was a confederation of nominally independent provinces. The provinces of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Gelderland and Overijssel entered into personal union in 1689 and Drenthe followed in 1696. Two Dutch provinces never entered into the personal union: Friesland and Groningen, as they had different stadtholders from the other provinces.
Personal union with Electorate of Saxony from 1697 to 1706, 1709 to 1733, and 1734 to 1763.
Eastern part: Personal union with Russia from 1814 to 1832, known as Congress Poland; following the suppression of an army revolt, the territory was annexed outright by Russia.
The duchies of Saxe-Weimar and Saxe-Eisenach were in personal union from 1741, when the ruling house of Saxe-Eisenach died out, until 1809, when they were merged into the single duchy
of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach.
Personal union with the Netherlands from 1689 to 1702, with the King of Scotland, England and Ireland also serving as Stadtholder of most of the provinces of the Netherlands. The actual situation was slightly more complex with the Dutch provinces Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Gelderland and Overijssel entering into personal union in 1689 and Drenthe in 1696. Only 2 Dutch provinces never entered into the personal union: Friesland and Groningen.
Personal union with Norway from 1814 to 1905 (sometimes called Sweden-Norway)
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
Personal union with Hanover from 1801 to 1837, when differing succession laws resulted in Queen Victoria ascending the British throne and her uncle Ernest Augustus that of Hanover.
Vatican City / Holy See
Technically speaking, the Vatican City and the Holy See form a personal union in the sense that they are two separate sovereign entities under international law and administered by separate organs, with the Pope as the head of both. For the Vatican City, it is governed by the Pope through the President of the Governorate of Vatican City appointed by him.
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