You know what's strange? There are still monarchies out there.

We're not talking about the Middle East and its sheikhs and princes, but rather Europe, where some of its supposedly most progressive countries still have a king or queen. Why?

Take Belgium, which is de facto ruled by King Philippe. What is the purpose of such a monarch? According to his own website, his "duties include contacts with a wide range of representatives of Belgian society, keep[ing] in close touch with the citizens of Belgium, represent[ing] Belgium abroad at the highest levels." Sounds important!

The real person in charge of Belgium is its prime minister. For the first time, they elected a woman (and a Jew!), Sophie Wilmes. So why even have a king? Does tradition justify an antiquated concept?

Alas, there is another category of countries, with no monarch per se, but the person in charge acting as if they were one...

Let's end this profile before the blood starts boiling.