When colonial rule in the Middle East ended in the mid 20th century, a variety of different kinds of regimes were charged with constructing the state in the post-colonial era: some were headed by monarchs, while others were run by nationalist parties and authoritarian strongmen. In the post-colonial period, these regimes have experienced different types of upheaval: coups, civil war, and protests. This paper argues that a state’s vulnerability to instability depended upon the authoritarian institutions in place. Specifically, monarchs were less likely to confront revolutionary protest than their counterparts in the authoritarian republics. This reduced threat from the street arises from a unique institutional feature: monarchies can democratize without destabilizing the leadership through transitioning to a constitutional monarchy. Constitutional monarchy is desirable because it offers both democracy and stability. Several observable implications follow from this argument. First, in comparison with other types of authoritarian regimes, we should observe lower levels of popular protest aimed at destabilizing the regime in monarchies; other types of opposition are not predicted to differ. Second, the constitutional monarchy option may complicate coordination among regime opponents. Third, it affects the kinds of reforms regime opponents seek. Fourth, it prompts citizens to engage in democratic practices and performances as part of an effort to transform the regime without overthrowing it. This paper contrasts the behavior of pro-democracy citizens in monarchies with their counterparts in other authoritarian regimes, and considers how the possibility of achieving constitutional monarchy affects both the character and the likelihood of instability. The paper draws on three streams of evidence. It first conducts a cross-national analysis of authoritarian regimes by using two existing datasets, one on regime type and instability (Geddes, Wright and Franz 2013) and on one on popular protest (NAVCO 2.0, Chenoweth 2013). In addition, drawing on secondary sources, it engages in comparative historical analysis of the collapse of monarchy in the Middle East in the early post-colonial period. Finally, the author draws on field research, including participant observation, interviews, and a survey done via Facebook, to conduct a subnational study of pro-democratic protest in contemporary Morocco.