The story
Coined in 1975 by German-born British historian Helmut Koenigsberger and popularised by Sir John Huxtable Elliott.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
composite monarchy
Today it means: A type of monarchy, common in Europe during the early modern period, in which a single ruler governed several territories as if they were separate kingdoms, each with its own local traditions and legal structures. Full definition →