Which term describes the belief that monarchs derive authority from God?

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The belief that monarchs derive authority from God is called the divine right of kings. This idea holds that a king’s power comes directly from a higher divine source, not from the people, elections, or a governing constitution. Because of this, the ruler’s decisions are seen as carrying a sacred sanction, and disobedience is framed as rebellion against God’s will. Historically, this doctrine helped justify centralized, sometimes absolute, royal rule and discouraged challenges from nobles or parliaments by claiming that resistance would be a violation of divine order.

This concept contrasts with popular sovereignty, which locates authority in the people rather than in God or the crown. It also differs from the separation of powers, which describes how government responsibilities are divided among different branches to prevent the concentration of power. And it is not a constitutional monarchy, where the monarch’s powers are limited by a constitution and real political power typically rests with elected representatives.