Royalist

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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 UK 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 or an Orléanist, both being monarchists.

More specifically, it may refer to: