divine right of kings

American  

noun

1. the doctrine that the right of rule derives directly from God, not from the consent of the people.

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divine right of kings British  

noun

1. history the concept that the right to rule derives from God and that kings are answerable for their actions to God alone

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divine right of kings Cultural  

1. The doctrine that kings and queens have a God-given right to rule and that rebellion against them is a sin. This belief was common through the seventeenth century and was urged by such kings as Louis xiv of France. (See absolute monarchy.)

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Etymology

Origin of divine right of kings

First recorded in 1735–45

Example Sentences

Forget about the divine right of kings: The vying monarchs of “Henry 6” are forced to appeal to military might and unholy alliances.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 15, 2024

The idea of an Appeal to Heaven comes from John Locke, who wrote about this idea of an appeal to heaven against the political idea of the divine right of kings.

From Slate • Jan. 6, 2024

“Defendant’s four-year service as commander in chief, she added, “did not bestow on him the divine right of kings to evade the criminal accountability that governs his fellow citizens.”

From Salon • Jan. 3, 2024

“Charles I very much believed in the divine right of kings, and when Parliament disagreed, he shut them down,” Hammond says.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 17, 2023

If all mankind had continued satisfied to "trust the instinct to the end though it can render no reason," we should still believe in the divine right of kings, and the supremacy of evil spirits.

From Liberty In The Nineteenth Century by Holland, Frederic May