Keep Factually independent
Whether you agree or disagree with our analysis, these conversations matter for democracy. We don't take money from political groups - even a $5 donation helps us keep it that way.
Fact check: No kings
Executive Summary
The claim "no kings" functions as both a political slogan used by grassroots movements and as an ideological statement rooted in anarchist and republican thought; it is not a literal fact about the contemporary world because hereditary and ceremonial monarchs continue to exist in several countries. Recent materials show three distinct uses: theoretical anarchist critique of hierarchy, activist campaigns invoking the phrase in U.S. political protest, and reporting that documents the continued existence and planned successions of actual monarchs. The sources span October 2025 to May 2026 and present conflicting purposes—philosophical argument, mobilizing rhetoric, and factual reporting on monarchies [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6].
1. Why activists chant 'No Kings' — a slogan, not a census
Activist usage of "No Kings" appears prominently in recent protest organizing that frames the United States and local communities as places where power should reside with citizens rather than a singular ruler. Event descriptions and local reporting show the phrase used to oppose specific policies and administrations, emphasizing nonviolent action and grassroots mobilization as alternatives to centralized authority [5] [6]. These sources indicate that the slogan's purpose is rhetorical and mobilizational rather than a literal claim that monarchs no longer exist worldwide; its effectiveness depends on resonant messaging and political context rather than factual completeness [5].
2. Anarchist theory provides intellectual ballast to the slogan
Academic and historical sources connect "no kings" to anarchist critiques of hierarchical power structures. James C. Scott’s book and contemporary manifestos outline principles such as autonomy, dignity, mutual aid, decentralization, and non-hierarchical organization as intellectual foundations for rejecting kingship and concentrated authority [1] [2] [3]. These works present systematic arguments for replacing monarchic or top-down governance with distributed, cooperative forms of social organization; they supply the ideological underpinnings activists draw upon when they chant the slogan in public spaces [1] [2].
3. Reporting undercuts absolutist readings — monarchs still exist
Contrary to an absolutist reading of the statement as a factual claim about the world, mainstream reporting documents living monarchs and scheduled successions, demonstrating that kingly offices persist in multiple constitutional monarchies. Coverage noting Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and the passing of authority to Crown Prince Frederik shows that royal institutions remain active and newsworthy as of late 2025 [4]. This factual reporting reframes the slogan from a literal description of political reality to an aspirational or oppositional stance aimed at limiting concentrated power [4].
4. Source reliability and bias — activists vs. scholars vs. legacy press
The materials supplied reflect distinct institutional positions: activist press and protest organizers promote mobilizing language; anarchist scholars advance critique and alternatives; legacy news outlets report institutional facts and successions. Each source has an evident agenda—movement-building, ideological persuasion, or maintaining public records—so constructing a balanced picture requires cross-referencing all three kinds of materials [5] [2] [4]. Treating each as biased, the dominant finding is that they are complementary rather than mutually exclusive: slogan, theory, and reality coexist.
5. Timeline matters — voices from Oct 2025 through May 2026
Dates indicate a cluster of intellectual publications and local reporting in October–December 2025 followed by activist events and additional commentary into early 2026. The anarchist essays and historical treatments were recorded on or around October 31 and October 6, 2025 [2] [3] [1], while protest reporting and movement materials appear in December 2025 and March 2026 [6] [5]. Factual reporting about living monarchs was available in September 2025 and noted again in early 2026, underscoring that the claim’s symbolic use intensified even as monarchies remain extant [4] [7].
6. What the slogan omits and why that matters
The phrase "no kings" omits key distinctions: it conflates ceremonial constitutional monarchies with absolutist regimes and ignores the legal and cultural roles monarchs still play in many states. Activists intentionally simplify to sharpen rhetoric, while scholars unpack the institutional complexities and propose alternatives. Reporting on succession and constitutional roles shows that a literal reading would be inaccurate; the omission matters because policy debates require precision about what institutions are being targeted and what replacement governance models are viable [1] [2] [4].
7. Bottom line: slogan as political claim, not empirical truth
Synthesis of the supplied sources shows that "no kings" functions primarily as a political and intellectual stance, grounded in anarchist critique and used by contemporary movements to challenge centralized authority, but it is not a factual statement about the global absence of monarchs. Reporting documenting monarchs and successions directly contradicts a literal interpretation. Understanding the claim requires reading activists’ rhetoric alongside scholarly critique and traditional reporting to see how symbolism, ideology, and empirical facts interact [5] [3] [4].