Final answer:
Absolute monarchies, with concentrated power in the hands of a ruler, could have policies that are considered selfish, but this is not representative of modern constitutional monarchs. In the UK, for instance, the monarchy serves a ceremonial role with the elected prime minister leading the government.
Step-by-step explanation:
An example of a constitutional monarchy being selfish is not easily defined, as contemporary constitutional monarchs typically have their powers limited by a constitution and democratic processes.
Private actions by a monarch that could be interpreted as selfish would often be personal rather than institutional, since policy and legislative power tend to reside with elected bodies, such as a parliament and a prime minister.
In the case of an absolute monarchy, a monarch can make decisions without checks and balances, which can lead to self-serving policies.
Nations like Oman under Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said illustrate a form of monarchy where a single individual had significant control, which could result in policies that favor the ruler's interests instead of the general population.
These policies can sometimes be oppressive or favor a narrow segment of society, which might be seen as an act of selfishness on the part of the ruling monarch.
Contrastingly, constitutional monarchies like the United Kingdom have largely ceremonial monarchs, and their role is to uphold tradition with limited direct influence on governance.
The UK parliamentary democracy, for instance, operates under the elected leadership of a prime minister, and the monarch is obliged to act in accordance with the constitution. Thus, acts of selfishness by a constitutional monarch would likely be contrary to the constitutional framework and, as such, would be anomalies rather than the norm.