In politics, a
figurehead is a person who holds
de jure (in name or by law) an important title or office (often supremely powerful), yet
de facto (in reality) executes little actual power, most commonly limited either by convention or law. The
metaphor derives from the carved
figurehead at the prow of a sailing ship. Commonly cited figureheads include Queen
Elizabeth II, who is Queen of sixteen
Commonwealth realms and
head of the Commonwealth, but has no power over the nations in which she is not head of state and does not exercise power in her own realms on her own initiative. Other figureheads are the
Emperor of Japan, the
King of Sweden, or
presidents in some
parliamentary republics, such as the
President of India,
President of Israel,
President of Bangladesh,
President of Greece,
President of Germany,
President of Pakistan, and the
President of the People's Republic of China (without
CPC General Secretary and
Chairman of CMC posts).