Divine Right of Kings
The doctrine that a monarch's authority comes directly from God, making the king accountable to God alone and removing any human right to depose him.
Origin
The most aggressive articulation came from James I of England (and VI of Scotland) and his son Charles I in the early 17th century — partly as a counter to growing Parliamentary claims. Charles I's attempt to govern without Parliament led directly to the English Civil War (1642–1651), his beheading (1649), and the temporary abolition of the monarchy. France's Bourbons (especially Louis XIV: 'l'État, c'est moi') used the doctrine more successfully until the 1789 Revolution. Most modern monarchies quietly dropped the claim during the 19th century; Saudi Arabia and a few Gulf states are the surviving cases that come closest in practice.
Modern usage
Mostly invoked sarcastically about any leader who acts like they're above accountability — 'he behaves as if by divine right.' The phrase is occasionally still used straight in religious-monarchist writing. The execution of Charles I is the foundational political precedent for the idea that even a king can be tried by his people.
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