List of current pretenders
Encyclopedia
A pretender is an aspirant or claimant to a throne
that either has been abolished
or is presently occupied by another. It should be immediately distinguished from the term impostor
, which instead refers to a person who exercises deception under an assumed name or identity. A pretender professes a claim under his own name, and the term is also applied to those persons on whose behalf a claim is advanced, regardless of whether that person himself makes the claim.
Entries in this list are governed with respect to their relevant succession laws
, whether hereditary
or elective
. Prominent and reliably-sourced claims made on a person's behalf are included regardless of whether that person himself actually stakes an active claim, provided that the person possesses a legitimate link to the line of succession. Claimants with no legitimate right to inheritance, often distinguished as "false pretenders", are not listed.
Another living figure sometimes identified as a pretender is Albert Kalonji Ditunga
. During the Congolese struggle for independence
in 1960, Kalonji reigned as king of South Kasai
, a short-lived separatist state founded by the Baluba
. Declared mulopwe (meaning "god-king") on 12 April 1960, Kalonji allegedly later rejected royalty status on 16 July, but retained the title. He was captured by Congolese forces on 30 December, when the central government regained control of the region. He escaped imprisonment in 1962, and fled into exile, returning June 1964. While his self-proclaimed monarchy
was never recognised by any foreign government, Kalonji remains an influential leader of the Luba people in Kasai
.
Another throne with a living pretender is that of the Kingdom of Araucanía and Patagonia
, a short-lived monarchy established during the 19th Century. It encompassed the far southern stretches of South America, where the native Mapuche
were fighting to maintain their sovereignty against the advancing Argentine and Chilean forces. In 1860, the Frenchman Orélie-Antoine de Tounens convinced the Mapuche chiefs that they would be better served in negotiations with the surrounding powers by a European leader, and was elected "king" over a loosely-governed confederation of tribes. His efforts to gain international recognition prompted an invasion by Chile, resulting in de Tounens' capture and deportation. The current pretender is Felipé Boiry
(since 26 October 1952), who has renounced any claim to the throne. However, the Mapuche nation continues to recognise the Araucanían monarchy, with Felipé as its king.
in 1947, the majority of princely state
s in the subcontinent asceded to either the Dominion of Pakistan
or the Union of India. Official recognition of hereditary royal entitlements and accompanying privy purses
was abolished in the Republic of India through a constitutional amendment on 28 December 1971. The same was done in Pakistan on 1 January 1972. In many cases, members of the former ruling families of princely states retain a considerable degree of social prestige and even political influence within their communities. Many leaders continue to be referred to by their claimed titles, including most notably within the Supreme Court.
and Jajarkot
had been vacant since the deaths of rajas Gopendra Bahadur Shah and Prakash Bikram Shah respectively (both in 2003), and have remained vacant.
were united in the 1960s to form the People's Republic of South Yemen, which became independent on 30 November 1967. South Yemen later merged with its northern counterpart to form the modern state of Yemen in 1990.
was a federation of myriad smaller monarchies, all of which are now abolished under modern republican Germany. As a result, there are a large number of claimants to various German thrones. Since the dissolution of the empire, however, a number of former royal households have become extinct in the male line, and are therefore not represented in the list below. Mecklenburg-Schwerin
went extinct in 2001, Saxe-Altenburg
in 1991, and Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt
and Schwarzburg-Sondershausen
in 1971.
, the monarchs of such agglomerated states lost their sovereignty and their titles became purely ceremonial. The resultant throne of the Kingdom of Italy was held by the former king of Sardinia
.
Upon independence in 1941, a puppet monarchy of Italy
was instituted in Croatia
, with Prince Aimone of the House of Savoy
appointed king. Aimone accepted the nomination in May 1941, adopting the regnal name "Tomislav II". In July 1943, however, he was forced to abdicate his throne on the orders of the Italian king Vittorio Emanuele III, before ever having been crowned. Aimone formally renounced all claims in October 1943. Since his death on 29 January 1948, his eldest son Amedeo may be argued to be the heir to that throne, although he does not advance the claim. If reigning, he would be known as "Zvonimir II". However, the Habsburg
claim is normally considered the primary one in regard to Croatia (see under "Austria-Hungary", above).
Finland
In 1918, following Finland's independence from Russia, the national parliament
made an attempt to establish a monarchy
under the reign of a German
king. Prince Friedrich Karl
, of the House of Hesse
, was elected as King of Finland in October 1918. He renounced this throne two months later, without ever having taken up the position, and Finland subsequently adopted a republican constitution. For this reason, there is a dispute as to whether the House of Hesse may lay claim to this title, as many maintain that since the king-elect was never installed, the title was never officially bestowed, and thus no claim has any legal basis. The order of succession to the throne was never established, but following the desire to the keep the throne separate from the senior line of the family, the current heir (since 18 November 1999) would be Phillipp
, the great grandson of Friedrich Karl.
Ireland
The Chiefs of the Name are the hereditary chieftains of the Irish clans
, who are directly descended from the Gaelic
royal families
which ruled in parts of Ireland before the Norman conquest
. Most prominent among these are: Desmond Roderic O'Conor (since 10 July 2000) of the Ó Conchobair
, descended from the kings of Connacht. William Butler Kavanagh (since 29 May 1962) of the Mac Murrough clan, descended from the kings of Leinster. Conor Myles John O'Brien
(since 20 May 1982) of the Ó Brien clan, descended from the kings of Munster. Hugo Ricciardi O'Neill
of the Ó Neill
clan, descended from the kings of Ulster.
Lithuania
Following the country's independence from Russia in 1918, the Council of Lithuania
voted to establish a monarchy
, and invited Prince Wilhelm
, the Duke of Urach
, to take the throne as king. Wilhelm accepted the nomination in July 1918, and adopted the regnal name "Mindaugas II". During the subsequent German Revolution, however, the Council withdrew its decision in November 1918, and Wilhelm was never crowned. His grandson, Wilhelm Albert
is the current head of the family since 9 February 1991. In 2009, the Duke of Urach's brother Prince Ingio of Urach visited Lithuania and announced that if offered the throne he would be ready to assume it.
, as Queen of Ceylon from 6 February 1952 until 22 May 1972, as Queen of the Gambia, from 18 February 1965 until 24 April 1970
, as Queen of Ghana, from 6 March 1957 until 1 July 1960
, as Queen of Guyana, from 26 May 1966 until 23 February 1970, as Queen of Kenya, from 12 December 1963 until 12 December 1964, as Queen of Malawi, from 6 July 1964 until 6 July 1966, as Queen of Malta, from 21 September 1964 until 13 December 1974, as Queen of Mauritius, from 12 March 1968 until 12 March 1992, as Queen of Nigeria, from 1 October 1960 until 1 October 1963
Pakistan
, as Queen of Pakistan, from 6 February 1952 until 23 March 1956, as Queen of Sierra Leone, from 27 April 1961 until 19 April 1971, as Queen of South Africa, from 6 February 1952 until 31 May 1961, as Queen of Tanganyika, from 9 December 1961 until 9 December 1962, as Queen of Trinidad and Tobago, from 31 August 1962 until 1 August 1976, as Queen of Uganda, from 9 October 1962 until 9 October 1963
Monarchy
A monarchy is a form of government in which the office of head of state is usually held until death or abdication and is often hereditary and includes a royal house. In some cases, the monarch is elected...
that either has been abolished
Abolished monarchy
Throughout history, monarchies have been abolished, either through revolutions, legislative reforms, coups d'état, or wars. The twentieth century saw a major acceleration of this process, with many monarchies violently overthrown by revolution or war, or else abolished as part of the process of...
or is presently occupied by another. It should be immediately distinguished from the term impostor
Impostor
An impostor or imposter is a person who pretends to be somebody else, often to try to gain financial or social advantages through social engineering, but just as often for purposes of espionage or law enforcement....
, which instead refers to a person who exercises deception under an assumed name or identity. A pretender professes a claim under his own name, and the term is also applied to those persons on whose behalf a claim is advanced, regardless of whether that person himself makes the claim.
Entries in this list are governed with respect to their relevant succession laws
Order of succession
An order of succession is a formula or algorithm that determines who inherits an office upon the death, resignation, or removal of its current occupant.-Monarchies and nobility:...
, whether hereditary
Hereditary monarchy
A hereditary monarchy is the most common type of monarchy and is the form that is used by almost all of the world's existing monarchies.Under a hereditary monarchy, all the monarchs come from the same family, and the crown is passed down from one member to another member of the family...
or elective
Elective monarchy
An elective monarchy is a monarchy ruled by an elected rather than hereditary monarch. The manner of election, the nature of the candidacy and the electors vary from case to case...
. Prominent and reliably-sourced claims made on a person's behalf are included regardless of whether that person himself actually stakes an active claim, provided that the person possesses a legitimate link to the line of succession. Claimants with no legitimate right to inheritance, often distinguished as "false pretenders", are not listed.
African
| State | Pretender | Since | House | Claim | Succession | Abolition | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burundi | Rose Paula Iribagiza Rose Paula Iribagiza Rose Paula Iribagiza is the current pretender to the throne of Burundi and a member of that nation's parliament. She was a sister of Burundi's last king, Ntare V , who was executed in 1972. In 2009, Ms. Iribagiza called for an investigation into the death of her brother.-References:... |
Ntwero | Daughter of King Mwambutsa IV Mwambutsa IV Bangiriceng of Burundi King Mwambutsa IV Bangiricenge was the king of Burundi from December 16, 1915 to July 8, 1966. He was given the title of Mwami,King. He succeeded Mutaga IV Mbikije. Like other Burundian kings, he was an ethnic Ganwa. During the early part of his reign, Burundi was transferred from Germany to... (1915–1966). |
Hereditary | 1966 | ||
 Central African EmpireCentral African Empire The Central African Empire was a short-lived, self-declared autocratic monarchy that replaced the Central African Republic and was, in turn, replaced by the restoration of the republic. The empire was formed when Jean-Bédel Bokassa, President of the republic, declared himself Emperor Bokassa I on... |
Bokassa II | Bokassa House of Bokassa The House of Bokassa claims to be an African Noble and Imperial House. Its founder ruled as Emperor over the territories of the Central African Empire from 4 December 1976, until he was overthrown on 21 September 1979.- Establishment and ruling history :... |
Heir apparent of Emperor Bokassa I Jean-Bédel Bokassa Jean-Bédel Bokassa , a military officer, was the head of state of the Central African Republic and its successor state, the Central African Empire, from his coup d'état on 1 January 1966 until 20 September 1979... (1976–1979). |
Hereditary | 1979 | ||
 EgyptKingdom of Egypt The Kingdom of Egypt was the first modern Egyptian state, lasting from 1922 to 1953. The Kingdom was created in 1922 when the British government unilaterally ended its protectorate over Egypt, in place since 1914. Sultan Fuad I became the first king of the new state... |
Fuad II Fuad II of Egypt Fuad II was the last King of Egypt and Sudan.- Biography :He ascended the throne on 26 July 1952 upon the abdication of his father King Farouk I following the Egyptian Revolution of 1952... |
Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali Dynasty The Muhammad Ali Dynasty was the ruling dynasty of Egypt and Sudan, from the 19th to the mid-20th Century. It is named after its progenitor, Muhammad Ali Pasha, regarded as the founder of modern Egypt. It was also more formally known as the Alawiyya Dynasty... |
Last reigning King (1952–1953). | Hereditary | 1953 | ||
 Ethiopian Empire |
Zera Yacob Amha Selassie Zera Yacob Amha Selassie, Crown Prince of Ethiopia Zera Yacob Amha Selassie, Crown Prince of Ethiopia is the grandson of Emperor Haile Selassie and son of Emperor-in-Exile Amha Selassie of Ethiopia. He has been Head of the Imperial House of Ethiopia since 17 February 1997 and is currently recognized as such by the Crown Council of Ethiopia... |
Solomon Solomonic dynasty The Solomonic dynasty is the Imperial House of Abyssinia. Its members claim lineal descent from King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, the latter of whom tradition asserts gave birth to the first King Menelik I after her Biblically described visit to Solomon in Jerusalem .-Overview:The dynasty, a... |
Grandson of Emperor Haile Selassie I (1930–1974). | Hereditary Line of succession to the Ethiopian Throne The line of succession to the Ethiopian throne is described in the first section of the 1955 Revised Constitution of Ethiopia.In brief, the title of Emperor may pass only through male descendants of HIM Haile Selassie I, through the oldest male line before the younger... |
1975 Derg The Derg or Dergue was a Communist military junta that came to power in Ethiopia following the ousting of Haile Selassie I. Derg, which means "committee" or "council" in Ge'ez, is the short name of the Coordinating Committee of the Armed Forces, Police, and Territorial Army, a committee of... |
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| Girma Yohannes Iyasu Girma Yohannis Iyasu Prince Girma Yohannis Iyasu is the Iyasuist claimant to the throne of Ethiopia. He is also known by the name Girma Ghebresillasie.-Life:He is the son of Lij Yohannes Iyasu... |
Grandson of Emperor Iyasu V Iyasu V of Ethiopia Iyasu V , also known as Lij Iyasu was the designated but uncrowned Emperor of Ethiopia . His baptismal name was Kifle Yaqob... (1913–1916). |
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| Kongo Kingdom of Kongo The Kingdom of Kongo was an African kingdom located in west central Africa in what are now northern Angola, Cabinda, the Republic of the Congo, and the western portion of the Democratic Republic of the Congo... |
Yves Ñzînga Mvêmb’a | Kilukeni Kilukeni The Kilukeni were members of the Lukeni kanda or House of Kilukeni, the ruling dynasty of the Kingdom of Kongo from its inception in the late 14th century until the 1567 with the rise of the House of Kwilu... |
Descendant of Manikongo Afonso I Afonso I of Kongo Mvemba a Nzinga or Nzinga Mbemba , also known as King Afonso I, was a ruler of the Kingdom of Kongo in the first half of the 16th century. He reigned over the Kongo Empire from 1509 to late 1542 or 1543.-Pre-reign career:... (1509–1542). |
Elective and Hereditary | 1914 Colonial history of Angola During the colonial history of Angola, the Portuguese sought to reassert their control over Angola after the Dutch occupation of the 1640s. Angola was a part of Portuguese West Africa from the annexation of several territories in the region as a colony in 1655 until its designation as an overseas... |
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 LibyaKingdom of Libya The Kingdom of Libya, originally called the United Libyan Kingdom came into existence upon independence on 24 December 1951 and lasted until a coup d'état led by Muammar Gaddafi on 1 September 1969 overthrew King Idris of Libya and established the Libyan Arab Republic.- Constitution :Under the... |
Muhammad bin Hasan | Senussi Senussi The Senussi or Sanussi refers to a Muslim political-religious order in Libya and the Sudan region founded in Mecca in 1837 by the Grand Senussi, Sayyid Muhammad ibn Ali as-Senussi. Senussi was concerned with both the decline of Islamic thought and spirituality and the weakening of Muslim political... |
Son of Hasan ar-Rida, heir apparent of King Idris I Idris I of Libya Idris, GBE , , was the first and only king of Libya, reigning from 1951 to 1969, and the Chief of the Senussi Muslim order.- Early life :... (1916–1969). |
Hereditary | 1969 History of Modern Libya The history of Libya under Muammar Gaddafi spanned a period of over four decades from 1969 to 2011. Gaddafi became the de facto leader of the country on 1 September 1969 after leading a group of young Libyan military officers against King Idris I in a bloodless coup d'état... |
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| Idris bin Abdullah | May 1989 | Relative of King Idris I Idris I of Libya Idris, GBE , , was the first and only king of Libya, reigning from 1951 to 1969, and the Chief of the Senussi Muslim order.- Early life :... (1916–1969). |
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 Rwanda |
Kigeli V | Ndahindurwa | Last reigning King (1959–1961). | Hereditary and Elective | 1962 | ||
| Tunisia Beylik of Tunis -Ottoman beylik:The Beylik of Tunis was founded on July 15, 1705, after the Husainid Dynasty led by Al-Husayn I ibn Ali at-Turki defeated the Turkish Deys.... |
Muhammad X | Al Husain Husainid Dynasty The Husainid Dynasty is the former ruling dynasty of Tunisia originally of Cretan origin. They came to power under Al-Husayn I ibn Ali at-Turki in 1705 replacing the Muradid Dynasty. After taking power the Husainids ruled as Beys with succession to the throne determined by age with the oldest... |
Grandson of Bey Muhammad V an-Nasir Muhammad V an-Nasir Muhammad V an-Nasir, GCMG was the ruler of Tunisia between 11 May 1906 and 10 July 1922.-Notes:Source: at www.4dw.net... (1906–1922). |
Hereditary | 1956 | ||
| Zanzibar Zanzibar Zanzibar ,Persian: زنگبار, from suffix bār: "coast" and Zangi: "bruin" ; is a semi-autonomous part of Tanzania, in East Africa. It comprises the Zanzibar Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of numerous small islands and two large ones: Unguja , and Pemba... |
Jamshid bin Abdullah Jamshid bin Abdullah of Zanzibar Sayyid Sir Jamshid bin Abdullah Al Said GCMG, was the last Sultan of Zanzibar. He ruled Zanzibar from July 1, 1963 to January 12, 1964. On December 10, 1963, Zanzibar received its independence from the United Kingdom as a constitutional monarchy under Jamshid. This state of affairs was short... |
Al Bu Sa‘id | Last reigning Sultan (1963–1964). | Hereditary | 1964 Zanzibar Revolution The Zanzibar Revolution by local African revolutionaries in 1964 overthrew the Sultan of Zanzibar and his mainly Arab government. An ethnically diverse state consisting of a number of islands off the east coast of Tanganyika, Zanzibar had been granted independence by Britain in 1963... |
Another living figure sometimes identified as a pretender is Albert Kalonji Ditunga
Albert Kalonji
Albert Kalonji is a Congolese politician best known for leading the short-lived secessionist state of South Kasai during the Congo Crisis...
. During the Congolese struggle for independence
Congo Crisis
The Congo Crisis was a period of turmoil in the First Republic of the Congo that began with national independence from Belgium and ended with the seizing of power by Joseph Mobutu...
in 1960, Kalonji reigned as king of South Kasai
South Kasai
South Kasai was a secessionist region in the area of south central Republic of the Congo during the early 1960s. The region sought independence in similar circumstances to neighboring State of Katanga during the political turmoil arising from the decolonization of Belgian Congo...
, a short-lived separatist state founded by the Baluba
Luba people
The Luba are one of the Bantu peoples of Central Africa. They are indigenous to the Katanga, Kasai, and Maniema regions which were historic provinces of present-day Democratic Republic of the Congo...
. Declared mulopwe (meaning "god-king") on 12 April 1960, Kalonji allegedly later rejected royalty status on 16 July, but retained the title. He was captured by Congolese forces on 30 December, when the central government regained control of the region. He escaped imprisonment in 1962, and fled into exile, returning June 1964. While his self-proclaimed monarchy
Self-proclaimed monarchy
A self-proclaimed monarchy is a monarchy that is proclaimed into existence, often by an individual, rather than occurring as part of a longstanding tradition...
was never recognised by any foreign government, Kalonji remains an influential leader of the Luba people in Kasai
Kasai Province
Kasai is one of 25 new provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo specified in the country's 2005 Constitution , under Article 2. It was to be created from country's the existing 10 provinces within 36 months , according to Article 226...
.
American
| State | Pretender | Since | House | Claim | Succession | Abolition | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luís Gastão Prince Luís of Orléans-Braganza Prince Luís of Orléans-Braganza is one of the two claimants to the defunct Brazilian throne, and head of the Vassouras branch of the Brazilian Imperial House... |
Orléans-Braganza | Descendant of Emperor Pedro II Pedro II of Brazil Dom Pedro II , nicknamed "the Magnanimous", was the second and last ruler of the Empire of Brazil, reigning for over 58 years. Born in Rio de Janeiro, he was the seventh child of Emperor Dom Pedro I of Brazil and Empress Dona Maria Leopoldina and thus a member of the Brazilian branch of... (1831–1889). |
Hereditary Line of succession to the Brazilian throne The Brazilian monarchy came to an end on November 15, 1889, following a military coup which overthrew Emperor Dom Pedro II. The current Brazilian Imperial Family is split into two branches: the Petrópolis and the Vassouras... |
1889 | |||
| Pedro Carlos Prince Pedro Carlos of Orléans-Braganza Prince Pedro Carlos of Orléans-Braganza is one of two claimants to the defunct Brazilian throne, and head of the Petrópolis branch of the Brazilian Imperial House.-Life:... |
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 MexicoMexican Empire The Mexican Empire or rarely Gran Mexico was the name of modern Mexico on two brief occasions in the 19th century when it was ruled by an emperor. With the Declaration of Independence of the Mexican Empire from Spain in 1821, Mexico became an independent monarchy, but was soon replaced with the... |
Maximilian von Götzen-Itúrbide Maximilian von Götzen-Iturbide Maximiliano Gustav Richard Albrecht Agustin von Götzen-Iturbide Maximiliano Gustav Richard Albrecht Agustin von Götzen-Iturbide Maximiliano Gustav Richard Albrecht Agustin von Götzen-Iturbide (born March 2, 1944 in Bistriţa, Romania (then Hungary), is the current head of the former Imperial House... |
Habsburg-Iturbide House of Habsburg-Iturbide The House of Habsburg-Itúrbide is the second royal house after the House of Itúrbide In 1822 when the newly independent Mexican congress confirmed the title of Agustín I, Constitutional Emperor of Mexico on Agustín de Itúrbide, a Mexican general. After the demise of the First Mexican Empire less... |
Descendant of Emperor Emperor of Mexico The Emperor of Mexico was the head of state and ruler of Mexico on two non-consecutive occasions in the 19th century.... Agustín I (1822–1823). |
Hereditary | 1867 | ||
| Miskito | Norton Cuthbert Clarence | Descendant of Chief Robert Henry Clarence Robert Henry Clarence Robert Henry Clarence was Hereditary Chief of the Mosquito Nation. He was born at the Public General Hospital in Kingston, Jamaica. He was the last Hereditary Chief of Mosquito in 1890-1894 and briefly during July to August 1894.... (1890–1894). |
Hereditary and Elective | 1894 |
Another throne with a living pretender is that of the Kingdom of Araucanía and Patagonia
Kingdom of Araucania and Patagonia
The Kingdom of Araucanía and Patagonia was the name of a state and kingdom created in the 19th century by a French lawyer and adventurer named Orélie-Antoine de Tounens. Orélie-Antoine de Tounens claimed the regions of Araucanía and eastern Patagonia hence the name of kingdom...
, a short-lived monarchy established during the 19th Century. It encompassed the far southern stretches of South America, where the native Mapuche
Mapuche
The Mapuche are a group of indigenous inhabitants of south-central Chile and southwestern Argentina. They constitute a wide-ranging ethnicity composed of various groups who shared a common social, religious and economic structure, as well as a common linguistic heritage. Their influence extended...
were fighting to maintain their sovereignty against the advancing Argentine and Chilean forces. In 1860, the Frenchman Orélie-Antoine de Tounens convinced the Mapuche chiefs that they would be better served in negotiations with the surrounding powers by a European leader, and was elected "king" over a loosely-governed confederation of tribes. His efforts to gain international recognition prompted an invasion by Chile, resulting in de Tounens' capture and deportation. The current pretender is Felipé Boiry
Philippe Boiry
Philippe Paul Alexander Henry Boiry is the current pretender to the throne of the unrecognized Kingdom of Araucanía and Patagonia. Phillippe became the current pretender after Antoine III abdicated in favor of him in 1951.-Life:...
(since 26 October 1952), who has renounced any claim to the throne. However, the Mapuche nation continues to recognise the Araucanían monarchy, with Felipé as its king.
Asian
| State | Pretender | Since | House | Claim | Succession | Abolition | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 AfghanistanIslamic Emirate of Afghanistan The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan was founded in 1996 when the Taliban began their rule of Afghanistan and ended with their fall from power in 2001... (Emirate) |
Mohammed Omar Mohammed Omar Mullah Mohammed Omar , often simply called Mullah Omar, is the leader of the Taliban movement that operates in Afghanistan. He was Afghanistan's de facto head of state from 1996 to late 2001, under the official title "Head of the Supreme Council"... |
13 November 2001 | N/A | Last reigning Emir (1996–2001). | Elective | 2001 War in Afghanistan (2001–present) The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, as the armed forces of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Afghan United Front launched Operation Enduring Freedom... |
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 AfghanistanKingdom of Afghanistan The Kingdom of Afghanistan was an Islamic monarchy in south Central Asia established in 1926 as a successor state to the Emirate of Afghanistan, following the ascension to the throne by Amanullah Khan and his proclaming Afghanistan a kingdom in 1926, after 7 years on the throne... (Kingdom) |
Ahmad Shah Ahmad Shah Khan Ahmad Shah, Crown Prince of Afghanistan the second son of Mohammed Zahir Shah, the former King of Afghanistan, and current pretender to the throne of Afghanistan.-Biography:... |
23 July 2007 | Barakzai Barakzai dynasty The Barakzai dynasty ruled Afghanistan from 1826 until 1929 or 1973 when the monarchy rule finally ended under Mohammad Zahir Shah. The Barakzai dynasty was established by Dost Mohammad Khan after the Durrani dynasty of Ahmad Shah Durrani was removed from power... |
Heir apparent of King Zahir Shah Mohammed Zahir Shah Mohammed Zahir Shah was the last King of Afghanistan, reigning for four decades, from 1933 until he was ousted by a coup in 1973... (1933–1973). |
Hereditary | 1973 | |
| Burma | Taw Phaya Taw Phaya H.R.H. Prince Edward Taw Phaya is the Pretender to the Throne of Burma . He was born the second son of Princess Myat Phaya, his older brother being assassinated by Communist insurgents in 1947. Upon the death of his mother in 1962, he became the Head of the Royal House of Konbaung.-Family:Edward... |
12 April 1948 | Konbaung Konbaung dynasty The Konbaung Dynasty was the last dynasty that ruled Burma from 1752 to 1885. The dynasty created the second largest empire in Burmese history, and continued the administrative reforms begun by the Toungoo dynasty, laying the foundations of modern state of Burma... |
Descendant of King Thibaw Min Thibaw Min Thibaw Min was the last king of the Konbaung dynasty of Burma . His reign ended when Burma was defeated by the forces of the British Empire in the Third Anglo-Burmese War, on 29 November 1885, prior to its official annexation on 1 January 1886.... (1878–1885). |
Hereditary | 1885 British rule in Burma British rule in Burma lasted from 1824 to 1948, from the Anglo-Burmese Wars through the creation of Burma as a province of British India to the establishment of an independently administered colony, and finally independence... |
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| Champasak Kingdom of Champasak The Kingdom of Champasak , in southern Laos, broke away from the Lan Xang kingdom in 1713. The Kingdom of Champasak prospered at the beginning the 18th century, but it was reduced to a vassal state of Siam before the century had passed. Under French rule the kingdom became an administrative block... |
Champhonesak | 17 March 1980 | Champasakti | Son of Prince Boun Oum Boun Oum Prince Boun Oum was the son of King Ratsadanay, and was the hereditary prince of Champassack and also Prime Minister of Laos.-Early life:... (1945–1946), the last reigning prince. |
Hereditary | 1946 History of Laos since 1945 For Laotian history before 1945, see History of Laos to 1945.Note: this article follows the system for transliterating Lao names used in Martin Stuart-Fox's History of Laos... |
|
 Qing Dynasty |
Puren Jin Youzhi Jīn Yǒuzhī , born Pǔrèn , is the fourth and youngest son of Zaifeng, 2nd Prince Chun, and is, at age , the only surviving brother of Puyi, the last Emperor of China and of Manchukuo.... |
28 February 1994 | Qīng Qing Dynasty The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China.... |
Descendant of Emperor Dàoguāng Daoguang Emperor The Daoguang Emperor was the eighth emperor of the Manchurian Qing dynasty and the sixth Qing emperor to rule over China, from 1820 to 1850.-Early years:... (1820–1850). |
Hereditary Line of succession to the Chinese throne In 1912, the Qing dynasty was ousted and a Republic of China declared. Puyi, the last Qing emperor, was emperor of Manchukuo in 1931-1945. He died without issue in 1967. His brother Prince Pujie was first in line under Manchukuo's succession law, which is the most recently published agreed upon... |
1912 Xinhai Revolution The Xinhai Revolution or Hsinhai Revolution, also known as Revolution of 1911 or the Chinese Revolution, was a revolution that overthrew China's last imperial dynasty, the Qing , and established the Republic of China... |
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 Georgia |
David Bagration David Bagration of Mukhrani David Bagrationi of Moukhrani, David Bagration de Moukhrani y de Zornoza, or Davit' Bagration-Mukhraneli is a claimant to the headship of the Royal House of Georgia and to the historical thrones of Georgia, succeeding on the death of his father Jorge de Bagration on January 16, 2008.-Early... |
16 January 2008 | Mukhrani House of Mukhrani The house of Mukhrani is a Georgian princely family, a collateral branch of the former royal dynasty of Bagrationi of which it sprung early in the 16th century, and received in appanage the domain of Mukhrani located in Kartli, central Georgia... |
Descendant of King Konstantine II Constantine II of Georgia Constantine II , of the Bagrationi dynasty, was a king of Georgia since 1478. Early in the 1490s, he had to recognise the independence of his rival rulers of Imereti and Kakheti, and to confine his power to Kartli.... (1478–1505) |
Hereditary Line of succession to the Georgian throne The Georgian royal family of the Bagrations practiced masculine primogeniture, legitimate sons and their descendants taking precedence over daughters and natural sons, and their descendants... |
1801 | |
| Nugzar Bagration Nugzar Bagration-Gruzinsky Prince Nugzar Bagration-Gruzinsky is the head of the deposed House of Gruzinsky and represents its claim to the former crown of Georgia.-Biography:... |
13 August 1984 | Gruzinsky Gruzinsky Gruzinsky was a title and later the surname of two different princely lines of the Bagrationi dynasty of Georgia, both of which received it as the subjects of the Russian Empire. The name "Gruzinsky" derives from Russian, originally and literally meaning "of Georgia"... |
Descendant of King Giorgi XII George XII of Georgia George XII , sometimes known as George XIII , of the House of Bagrationi, was the last king of Georgia from 1798 until his death in 1800... (1798–1800) |
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 HsipawHsipaw Hsipaw , is a town in Shan State, Myanmar on the riverbank of Myitnge River. It is 200 km northeast of Mandalay.-Shan Saopha:Hsipaw is perhaps one of the most well known and powerful saopha states of Shan State... |
Sao Oo Kya | Shan | Relative of Saopha Sao Kya Seng (1947–1962). | Hereditary | 1962 | ||
 Iran(Pahlavi) |
Rezā Pahlavi II Reza Pahlavi Reza Pahlavi may refer to:*Reza Shah , aka Reza Shah Pahlavi, Shah of Persia from 1925 until 1935 and Shah of Iran from 1935 until 1941* Mohammad Reza Pahlavi , Shah of Iran from 1941 to 1979, son of Reza Shah... |
27 July 1980 | Pahlavi Pahlavi dynasty The Pahlavi dynasty consisted of two Iranian/Persian monarchs, father and son Reza Shah Pahlavi and Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi The Pahlavi dynasty consisted of two Iranian/Persian monarchs, father and son Reza Shah Pahlavi (reg. 1925–1941) and Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi The Pahlavi dynasty ... |
Heir apparent of Shah Mohammad Rezā Mohammad Reza Pahlavi Mohammad Rezā Shāh Pahlavi, Shah of Iran, Shah of Persia , ruled Iran from 16 September 1941 until his overthrow by the Iranian Revolution on 11 February 1979... (1941–1979). |
Hereditary Line of succession to the Iranian throne The Iranian Monarchy was overthrown following the Islamic Revolution in 1979 with the Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi going into exile.-Line of succession to the Pahlavi claim:... |
1979 Iranian Revolution The Iranian Revolution refers to events involving the overthrow of Iran's monarchy under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and its replacement with an Islamic republic under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the... |
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| Iran (Qajar) |
Mohammad Hassan Mirza II Mohammad Hassan Mirza II Prince Mohammad Hasan Mirza II Qajar is the son of Hamid Mirza and a grandson of Mohammad Hassan Mirza the last Crown Prince of Iran from the rule of the Qajar dynasty. As heir apparent, he is considered the Qajar pretender to the Peacock Throne. He currently lives in Dallas, Texas, in the United... |
5 May 1988 | Qajar Qajar dynasty The Qajar dynasty was an Iranian royal family of Turkic descent who ruled Persia from 1785 to 1925.... |
Descendant of Shah Mohammad Ali Mohammad Ali Shah Qajar Mohammad Ali Shah Qajar was the Shah of Persia from 8 January 1907 to 16 July 1909.-Biography:He was against the constitution that was ratified during the reign of his father, Mozzafar-al-Din Shah... (1907–1909). |
Hereditary Line of succession to the Iranian throne The Iranian Monarchy was overthrown following the Islamic Revolution in 1979 with the Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi going into exile.-Line of succession to the Pahlavi claim:... |
1925 Pahlavi dynasty The Pahlavi dynasty consisted of two Iranian/Persian monarchs, father and son Reza Shah Pahlavi and Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi The Pahlavi dynasty consisted of two Iranian/Persian monarchs, father and son Reza Shah Pahlavi (reg. 1925–1941) and Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi The Pahlavi dynasty ... |
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 Kingdom of Iraq |
Ra'ad bin Zeid Ra'ad bin Zeid Prince Ra'ad bin Zeid is the son of Prince Zeid of the Hashemite House and Princess Fahrelnissa Zeid , a Turkish noblewoman. Upon the death of his father on October 18, 1970, he inherited the position as head of the Royal Houses of Iraq and Syria... |
18 October 1970 | Hāshim Hashemite Hashemite is the Latinate version of the , transliteration: Hāšimī, and traditionally refers to those belonging to the Banu Hashim, or "clan of Hashim", a clan within the larger Quraish tribe... |
Relative of King Faisal II Faisal II of Iraq Faisal II was the last King of Iraq. He reigned from 4 April 1939 until July 1958, when he was killed during the "14 July Revolution" together with several members of his family... (1939–1958). |
Hereditary | 1958 14 July Revolution The 14 July Revolution was a coup which took place on 14 July 1958 in Iraq, marking the overthrow of the Hashemite monarchy established by King Faisal I in 1932 under the auspices of the British. In 1958, the coup overthrew King Faisal II, the regent and Crown Prince 'Abd al-Ilah, and Prime... |
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| Jaffna Jaffna Kingdom The Jaffna kingdom , also known as Kingdom of Aryacakravarti, of modern northern Sri Lanka was a historic monarchy that came into existence around the town of Jaffna on the Jaffna peninsula after the invasion of Magha, who is said to have been from Kalinga, in India... |
Remigius Kanagarajah | Aryacakravarti | Descendant of King Cekaracacekaran IX Cankili II Cankili II was the self-proclaimed last king of the Jaffna kingdom and was a usurper who came to throne with a palace massacre of the royal princess and the regent Arasakesari in 1617. His regency was rejected by the Portuguese colonials in Colombo, Sri Lanka... (1617–1619). |
Hereditary | 1619 | ||
| Kandy Kingdom of Kandy Kingdom of Kandy was an important independent monarchy of Sri Lanka, located in the central and eastern portion of the island. It was founded in late 15th century and endured until the early 19th century... |
Mokanbabu Rajah | 19 March 2004 | Nayak Nayaks of Kandy The Nayaks of Kandy were the rulers of Sri Lanka with Kandy as their capital from 1739 to 1815. They were also the last dynasty to rule Sri Lanka. They were related to the Madurai Nayak dynasty and to the Tanjore Nayak dynasty... |
Descendant of King Rajadhi Rajasinha Sri Rajadhi Rajasinha of Sri Lanka Sri Rajadhi Rajasinha was a member of the Madurai royal family and succeeded his brother, Kirti Sri Rajasinha as King of Kandy in 1782.-Sources:*... (1782–1798). |
Hereditary | 1815 Kandyan Convention The Kandyan Convention was an agreement in 1815 between the British and the Chiefs of the Kandyan Kingdom, in Sri Lanka for the deposition of rule King Sri Vikrama Rajasinha. The king who was of Telugu ancestry faced powerful opposition from the Sinhalese chieftains who sought to reduce his power... |
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| Kengtung |
Sao Leng | 14 September 1997 | Mangrāi | Relative of Saopha Sao Kya Seng (1947–1962). | Hereditary | 1962 | |
| Yi Seok Yi Seok Yi Seok is a prince of the House of Yi, the Korean royal family. He was described as the "last pretender" to the Korean throne by The New York Times, although this status is not recognized by the Yi family association. Yi gained fame as the "singing prince" with the wedding favorite "Pigeon... |
16 July 2005 | Yi | Descendant of Emperor Gojong (1863–1907). | Hereditary | 1910 Korea under Japanese rule Korea was under Japanese rule as part of Japan's 35-year imperialist expansion . Japanese rule ended in 1945 shortly after the Japanese defeat in World War II.... |
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| Yi Won | |||||||
 LaosKingdom of Laos The Kingdom of Laos was a sovereign state from 1953 until December 1975, when Pathet Lao overthrew the government and created the Lao People's Democratic Republic. Given self-rule in 1949 as part of a federation with the rest of French Indochina, the 1953 Franco-Lao Treaty finally established a... |
Soulivong Savang Soulivong Savang Crown Prince Soulivong Savang , grandson of the last King of Laos Savang Vatthana, is the pretender to the Lao throne. Laos was a monarchy until 1975, when the communist Pathet Lao seized control of the nation, causing Savang Vatthana to abdicate his throne... |
19 September 1997 | Khun Lo | Descendant of King Savang Vatthana Savang Vatthana Savang or Sisavang Vatthana was the last king of the Kingdom of Laos. He ruled from 1959 after his father's death, until his forced abdication in 1975... (1959–1975). |
Hereditary | 1975 | |
 Manchukuo |
Jin Youzhi Jin Youzhi Jīn Yǒuzhī , born Pǔrèn , is the fourth and youngest son of Zaifeng, 2nd Prince Chun, and is, at age , the only surviving brother of Puyi, the last Emperor of China and of Manchukuo.... |
28 February 1994 | Qīng Qing Dynasty The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China.... |
Brother of Emperor Puyi Puyi Puyi , of the Manchu Aisin Gioro clan, was the last Emperor of China, and the twelfth and final ruler of the Qing Dynasty. He ruled as the Xuantong Emperor from 1908 until his abdication on 12 February 1912. From 1 to 12 July 1917 he was briefly restored to the throne as a nominal emperor by the... (1934–1945). |
Hereditary | 1945 | |
| Maldives | Muhammad Nooraddeen | 27 May 1969 | Huraa Huraa dynasty The Huraa Dynasty was the sixth royal dynasty to rule over the Maldives. It was founded in 1757 by Sultan al-Ghazi Hasan 'Izz ud-din.-Rulers:List of Huraa Sultans:* Sultan al-Ghazi Hasan 'Izz ud-din... |
Son of Sultan Hassan Nooraddeen II (1935–1943). | Hereditary | 1968 | |
| Mongolia Outer Mongolia, 1911-1919 On December 29, 1911 the Khalkhas of Outer Mongolia declared their independence from the Qing Dynasty, and installed a theocratic leader, the 8th Jebtsundamba Khutuktu, as Bogd Khaan or "Holy Ruler". This ushered in the period of the Bogd Khaanate or Theocratic Mongolia.Three historical currents... |
Jebtsundamba Khutuktu IX | July 1999 | N/A | Reincarnation of Jebtsundamba Khutuktu VIII Bogd Khan The Bogd Khan was enthroned as the Great Khaan of Mongolia on 29 December 1911, when Outer Mongolia declared independence from the Qing Dynasty after the Xinhai Revolution. He was born in the Kham region of eastern Tibet, today's Sichuan province of the People's Republic of China... , the last reigning Khan (1911–1924). |
Theocratic | 1924 Outer Mongolian Revolution of 1921 The Outer Mongolian revolution of 1921 was both a military and political event. With the assistance of the Soviet Red Army, Mongolian revolutionaries expelled Russian White Guards from the country, and created a new state, named the Mongolian People's Republic in 1924. Although nominally... |
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| Mongpawng Mongpawng Mongpawng, or Mong Pawn, was one of the thirty-four Shan states recognised by the British protectorate in colonial Burma. It formed part of the Federated Shan States created in 1922.... |
Hso Hom | 2 March 1962 | Shan | Last reigning Saopha (1947–1962). | Hereditary | 1962 | |
 Ottoman Empire |
Bayezid III Bayezid Osman Osman Bayezid Osmanoğlu is the 44th Head of the Imperial House of Osman, which ruled the Ottoman Empire from 1281 to 1922. The monarchy was abolished in 1922, with the modern Republic of Turkey replacing it. He is the second son of Sultan Abdülmecid I's grandson Ibrahim Tevfik by his fourth wife... |
24 September 2009 | Osman Ottoman Dynasty The Ottoman Dynasty ruled the Ottoman Empire from 1299 to 1922, beginning with Osman I , though the dynasty was not proclaimed until Orhan Bey declared himself sultan... |
Direct descendant of Sultan Abdülmecid I Abdülmecid I Sultan Abdülmecid I, Abdul Mejid I, Abd-ul-Mejid I or Abd Al-Majid I Ghazi was the 31st Sultan of the Ottoman Empire and succeeded his father Mahmud II on July 2, 1839. His reign was notable for the rise of nationalist movements within the empire's territories... (1839–1861). |
Hereditary Line of succession to the Ottoman throne The Ottoman Dynasty, which completely excluded females from the throne, had unusual succession practices compared to other monarchies. Those succession practices changed over time, and ultimately the sultanate was abolished in 1922.-Succession practices:... |
1922 Dissolution of the Ottoman Empire The Dissolution of the Ottoman Empire included the watershed events of the Young Turk Revolution and the establishment of the Second Constitutional Era, and ended with the Partitioning of the Ottoman Empire by the victorious sides of World War I.- Establishment of the Second Constitutional Era, 24... |
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| Ryūkyū Ryukyu Islands The , also known as the , is a chain of islands in the western Pacific, on the eastern limit of the East China Sea and to the southwest of the island of Kyushu in Japan. From about 1829 until the mid 20th century, they were alternately called Luchu, Loochoo, or Lewchew, akin to the Mandarin... |
Mamoru | 30 August 1996 | Shō Genealogy of the Shō Dynasties The First Shō Dynasty and Second Shō Dynasty ruled the Ryukyu Kingdom in 1406-1469 and 1470-1879, respectively. In spite of the names, they were unrelated. Abbreviated genealogies of the two dynasties follow here.- First Shō Dynasty :*Samekawa Unushi... |
Descendant of King Shō Tai Sho Tai was the last king of the Ryūkyū Kingdom . His reign saw greatly increased interactions with travelers from abroad, particularly from Europe and the United States, as well as the eventual end of the kingdom and its annexation by Japan as Okinawa Prefecture.In 1879, the deposed king was forced to... (1848–1879). |
Hereditary | 1879 | |
 Kingdom of Sarawak |
James Bertram Lionel Brooke | 2 March 2011 | Brooke White Rajahs White Rajahs refers to a dynasty that founded and ruled the Kingdom of Sarawak from 1841 to 1946, namely the Brookes, who came originally from England. A Rajah is a monarch in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia.-Rulers:... |
Great nephew of Rajah White Rajahs White Rajahs refers to a dynasty that founded and ruled the Kingdom of Sarawak from 1841 to 1946, namely the Brookes, who came originally from England. A Rajah is a monarch in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia.-Rulers:... Vyner Charles Vyner Brooke Vyner, Rajah of Sarawak, GCMG was the third and final White Rajah of Sarawak.-Early life:... (1917–1946). |
Hereditary | 1946 | |
| Sulu | Yahcub Alimuddin V | 3 January 1967 | Alimuddin | Descendant of Sultan Alimuddin III (1876–1877) | Hereditary | N/A | |
| Rodinood Julaspi Kiram | 21 February 1997 | Kiram | Descendant of Sultan Jamalul Kiram II (1883–1917) | ||||
 Tibet |
Tenzin Gyatso 14th Dalai Lama The 14th Dalai Lama is the 14th and current Dalai Lama. Dalai Lamas are the most influential figures in the Gelugpa lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, although the 14th has consolidated control over the other lineages in recent years... |
17 March 1959 | N/A | Last reigning and current recognised Dalai Lama Dalai Lama The Dalai Lama is a high lama in the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The name is a combination of the Mongolian word далай meaning "Ocean" and the Tibetan word bla-ma meaning "teacher"... . |
Theocratic | 1964 Tibet Autonomous Region The Tibet Autonomous Region , Tibet or Xizang for short, also called the Xizang Autonomous Region is a province-level autonomous region of the People's Republic of China , created in 1965.... |
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 Vietnam |
Bảo Thắng | 28 July 2007 | Nguyễn | Son of Emperor Bảo Đại Bảo Đài Bảo Đài is a commune and village in Lục Nam District, Bac Giang Province, in northeastern Vietnam.-References:... (1926–1945). |
Hereditary | 1949 State of Vietnam The State of Vietnam was a state that claimed authority over all of Vietnam during the First Indochina War, and replaced the Provisional Central Government of Vietnam . The provisional government was a brief transitional administration between colonial Cochinchina and an independent state... |
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| Yawnghwe |
Hso Khan Pha Hso Khan Pha His Royal Highness Prince Hso Khan Pha of Yawnghwe, FIASR is a consulting geologist who lives in exile in Canada. He is son of Sao Shwe Thaik, the Saopha of Yawnghwe and Sao-nang Hearn Hkam, the Mahadevi... |
26 May 1999 | Shan | Son of Saopha Sao Shwe Thaik Sao Shwe Thaik Sao Shwe Thaik was the first president of the Union of Burma and the last Saopha of Yawnghwe. His full royal style was Kambawsarahta Thiri Pawaramahawuntha Thudamaraza. He was a well-respected Shan political figure in Burma... (1927–1962). |
Hereditary | 1962 |
India and Pakistan
Following the Partition of IndiaPartition of India
The Partition of India was the partition of British India on the basis of religious demographics that led to the creation of the sovereign states of the Dominion of Pakistan and the Union of India on 14 and 15...
in 1947, the majority of princely state
Princely state
A Princely State was a nominally sovereign entitity of British rule in India that was not directly governed by the British, but rather by an Indian ruler under a form of indirect rule such as suzerainty or paramountcy.-British relationship with the Princely States:India under the British Raj ...
s in the subcontinent asceded to either the Dominion of Pakistan
Dominion of Pakistan
The Dominion of Pakistan was an independent federal Commonwealth realm in South Asia that was established in 1947 on the partition of British India into two sovereign dominions . The Dominion of Pakistan, which included modern-day Pakistan and Bangladesh, was intended to be a homeland for the...
or the Union of India. Official recognition of hereditary royal entitlements and accompanying privy purses
Privy Purse in India
In India, the Privy Purse was a payment made to the royal families of erstwhile princely states as part of their agreements to first integrate with India in 1947, and later to merge their states in 1949 whereby they lost all ruling rights...
was abolished in the Republic of India through a constitutional amendment on 28 December 1971. The same was done in Pakistan on 1 January 1972. In many cases, members of the former ruling families of princely states retain a considerable degree of social prestige and even political influence within their communities. Many leaders continue to be referred to by their claimed titles, including most notably within the Supreme Court.
Nepal
Nepal's numerous petty kingdoms were collectively abolished by the federal government on 7 October 2008. At the time, the thrones of both SalyanSalyan District
Salyan District of 213,500. The district's administrative center is named Salyan or Salyan Khalanga.The district is known for its Hindu temples including Shiva temples in Chhayachhetra and Laxmipur, and the Devi temple at Khairabang in Hiwalcha VDC, one of nine in Nepal...
and Jajarkot
Jajarkot
Jajarkot is the capital city of Jajarkot District in Bheri Zone, Nepal. It is located at an altitude of 799 metres....
had been vacant since the deaths of rajas Gopendra Bahadur Shah and Prakash Bikram Shah respectively (both in 2003), and have remained vacant.
| State | Pretender | Since | House | Claim | Succession | Abolition | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Nepal |
Gyanendra Gyanendra of Nepal Gyanendra Shah was the last King of Nepal. During his life, he has held the title of the King twice: first between 1950 and 1951 as a child when his grandfather Tribhuvan was forced into exile in India with the rest of his family; and from 2001 to 2008, following the Nepalese royal massacre.King... |
28 May 2008 | Shah Shah dynasty The Shah dynasty was the ruling dynasty of the Kingdom of Nepal.-The Rajput Lineage :The former royal family of Nepal claims descent from the Parmar Rajput dynasty of the Narsinghgarh state in Malwa . The famous kings of the Malwa region were Raja Bhrathari, Samrat Vikramaditya, and Raja Bhoj.... |
Last reigning Maharajdhiraja (2001–2008). | Hereditary Line of succession to the Nepalese throne The line of succession to the Nepalese throne was determined by absolute primogeniture. This meant that the eldest child of the monarch, regardless of gender inherited the throne. In 2006 the Nepalese government proposed adopting absolute primogeniture. The House of Representatives subsequently... |
2008 | |
| Bajhang |
Binod Bikram | 7 October 2008 | Last reigning Raja Raja Raja is an Indian term for a monarch, or princely ruler of the Kshatriya varna... (1989–2008). |
Hereditary | |||
| Bhirkot Chaubisi rajya Chaubisi rajya -- literally "24 principalities" -- were sovereign and intermittently allied petty kingdoms in the Gandaki River Basin, a major Himalayan tributary of the Ganges.... |
Prakash | 7 October 2008 | Last reigning Raja Raja Raja is an Indian term for a monarch, or princely ruler of the Kshatriya varna... (2002–2008). |
Hereditary | |||
| Mustang | Jigme Palbar | 7 October 2008 | Bista | Last reigning Raja Raja Raja is an Indian term for a monarch, or princely ruler of the Kshatriya varna... (1964–2008). |
Hereditary |
Yemen
Former states of the British Aden ProtectorateAden Protectorate
The Aden Protectorate was a British protectorate in southern Arabia which evolved in the hinterland of Aden following the acquisition of that port by Britain in 1839 as an anti-piracy station, and it continued until the 1960s. For administrative purposes it was divided into the Western...
were united in the 1960s to form the People's Republic of South Yemen, which became independent on 30 November 1967. South Yemen later merged with its northern counterpart to form the modern state of Yemen in 1990.
| State | Pretender | Since | House | Claim | Succession | Abolition | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audhali Audhali Audhali , or the Audhali Sultanate , was a state in the British Aden Protectorate. It was a founding member of the Federation of Arab Emirates of the South in 1959 and its successor, the Federation of South Arabia, in 1963. Its capital was Zarah... |
Salih ibn al-Husayn | 17 September 1967 | Al Audhali | Last reigning Sultan Sultan Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who... (1928–1967). |
Hereditary | 1967 | |
| Lower Aulaqi | Nasir ibn Aidrus | 29 November 1967 | Al Awlaqi | Last reigning Sultan Sultan Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who... (1947–1967). |
Hereditary | ||
| Upper Aulaqi Upper Aulaqi Sultanate The Upper Aulaqi Sultanate was a state in the British Aden Protectorate and the Federation of South Arabia. Its capital was Nisab.-History:... |
Awad ibn Salih | 29 November 1967 | Al Awlaqi | Last reigning Sultan Sultan Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who... (1935–1967). |
Hereditary | ||
| Beihan Emirate of Beihan Beihan or Bayhan , officially the Emirate of Beihan , was a state in the British Aden Protectorate and the Federation of South Arabia... |
Talal bin Saleh | 15 February 2010 | Al Habieli | Heir apparent of Emir Emir Emir , meaning "commander", "general", or "prince"; also transliterated as Amir, Aamir or Ameer) is a title of high office, used throughout the Muslim world... Saleh bin al-Husayn (1935–1967). |
Hereditary | ||
| Dhala Emirate of Dhala Dhala , Amiri , or the Emirate of Dhala was a state in the British Aden Protectorate, the Federation of Arab Emirates of the South, and its successor, the Federation of South Arabia... |
Shafaul ibn Ali Shaif | 17 August 1967 | Al Amiri | Last reigning Emir Emir Emir , meaning "commander", "general", or "prince"; also transliterated as Amir, Aamir or Ameer) is a title of high office, used throughout the Muslim world... (1954–1967). |
Hereditary | ||
| Fadhli Fadhli Sultanate Fadhli , or the Fadhli Sultanate , was an independent sultanate on the southern coast of the Arabian Peninsula from at least the 15th century until 1967... |
Nasir bin Abdullah | 29 November 1967 | Al Fadhli | Last reigning Sultan Sultan Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who... (1964–1967). |
Hereditary | ||
| Haushabi | Faisal bin Surur | 29 November 1967 | Al Haushabi | Last reigning Sultan Sultan Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who... (1955–1967). |
Hereditary | ||
| Kathiri Kathiri Kathiri was a sultanate in the Hadhramaut region of the southern Arabian Peninsula, in what is now officially considered part of Yemen and the Dhofar region of Oman.... |
Husayn ibn Ali | 2 October 1967 | Al Kathiri | Last reigning Sultan Sultan Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who... (1949–1967). |
Hereditary | ||
| Lahej | Fadhl VI bin Ali | 17 August 1967 | Al Abdali | Last reigning Sultan Sultan Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who... (1958–1967). |
Hereditary | ||
| Mahra Mahra Sultanate The Mahra Sultanate of Qishn and Socotra or sometimes the Mahra Sultanate of Ghayda and Socotra was a sultanate that included both the historical region of Mahra and the Indian Ocean island of Socotra in what is now eastern Yemen... |
Abdullah ibn Ashur | 16 October 1967 | Al Mahri | Last reigning Sultan Sultan Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who... (1966–1967). |
Hereditary | ||
| Qu'aiti Qu'aiti Qu'aiti , officially the Qu'aiti State in Hadhramaut Qu'aiti , officially the Qu'aiti State in Hadhramaut Qu'aiti , officially the Qu'aiti State in Hadhramaut (Arabic: (الدولة القعيطية الحضرمية) or the Qu'aiti Sultanate of Shihr and Mukalla (Arabic:سلطنة الشحر والمكلاا ), was a sultanate in the... |
Ghalib II | 17 September 1967 | Al Qu'aiti | Last reigning Sultan Sultan Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who... (1966–1967). |
Hereditary | ||
| Wahidi Balhaf Wahidi Balhaf Wahidi Balhaf , or the Wahidi Sultanate of Balhaf , was one of several Wahidi states in the British Aden Protectorate. It was also part of the Federation of Arab Emirates of the South, and its successor, the Federation of South Arabia when it was known simply as Wahidi... |
Ali ibn Muhammad | 17 August 1967 | Al Wahidi | Last governing Hakim Regent A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu... (1967). |
Hereditary | ||
| Wahidi Bir Ali Wahidi Bir Ali Wahidi Bir Ali , or the Wahidi Wilayah of Bir Ali , was one of several Wahidi states in the British Aden Protectorate and the Protectorate of South Arabia. Its capital was Bir Ali on the Gulf of Aden coast... |
Alawi ibn Salih | 29 November 1967 | Last reigning Sultan Sultan Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who... (1955–1967). |
Hereditary | |||
| Wahidi Haban Wahidi Haban Wahidi Haban , or the Wahidi Sultanate of Haban , was one of several Wahidi states in the British Aden Protectorate. Its capital was Habban. The last sultan, Husayn ibn Abd Allah Al Wahidi, was deposed and the state was abolished in 1967 upon the founding of the People's Republic of South Yemen... |
Husayn ibn Abdullah | 29 November 1967 | Last reigning Sultan Sultan Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who... (until 1967). |
Hereditary | |||
| Lower Yafa Lower Yafa Lower Yafa, Lower Yafa'i , or the Sultanate of Lower Yafa , was a state in the British Aden Protectorate. Within its area were the sheikhdoms of Al Saadi, Yaher, Kalad, Thi Nakheb, and Yazidi. It was a founding member of the Federation of Arab Emirates of the South in 1959 and its successor, the... |
Mahmud ibn Aidrus | 28 August 1967 | Al Afifi | Last reigning Sultan Sultan Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who... (1954–1967). |
Hereditary | ||
| Upper Yafa Upper Yafa Upper Yafa, Upper Yafa'i , or the Sultanate of Upper Yafa , was a state in the British Aden Protectorate and the Protectorate of South Arabia. It was ruled by the Harharah dynasty and its capital was Mahjaba... |
Muhammad ibn Salih | 29 November 1967 | Harharah | Last reigning Sultan Sultan Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who... (1948–1967). |
Hereditary | ||
 Yemen, NorthMutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen The Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen , sometimes spelled Mutawakelite Kingdom of Yemen, also known as the Kingdom of Yemen or as North Yemen, was a country from 1918 to 1962 in the northern part of what is now Yemen... |
Ageel bin Muhammad Ageel bin Muhammad al-Badr Ageel bin Muhammad al-Badr Hamidaddin is the eldest son of the last ruling king of Yemen, Muhammad al-Badr, by his fourth wife. Yemen became a republic following the overthrow of the monarchy in 1962... |
6 August 1996 | Al Qasimi Al Qasimi Al Qasimi is a deeply-rooted Adnani Arabian tribe known for its rich history, bravery and conquests. The Al Qasimi dynasty are from the Ashraaf; they trace their ancesty from Imam Ali. Today, two branches of the Al Qasimi tribe rule the Emirates of Sharjah and Ras al-Khaimah in the United Arab... |
Eldest son of King Muhammad al-Badr Muhammad al-Badr H.M. Muhammad Al-Badr was the last king of the Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen and leader of the monarchist regions during the North Yemen Civil War... , the last ruling king. |
Hereditary | 1962 Yemen Arab Republic The Yemen Arab Republic , also known as North Yemen or Yemen , was a country from 1962 to 1990 in the western part of what is now Yemen... |
European
| State | Pretender | Since | House | Claim | Succession | Abolition | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 AlbaniaAlbanian Kingdom The Albanian Kingdom was the constitutional monarchal rule in Albania between 1928 and 1939. During this period Albania was a de facto protectorate of the Kingdom of Italy Albania was declared a monarchy by the Constituent Assembly, and Zog I was crowned king... |
Leka II Prince Leka of Albania Prince Leka of the Albanians is the only child of the late Leka, Crown Prince of Albania and the late Susan Cullen-Ward. Prince Leka is an official at the Albanian Ministry of Interior and in the past has served at the Albanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs... |
Zogu House of Zogu The House of Zogu is a European dynasty founded by Zogu Pasha who migrated to Mati, Albania in the late 15th century and was then appointed Governor of Mati by the Ottoman Sultan, with the position of Governor then becoming hereditary among the Zogu clan... |
Grandson of King Zog I Zog of Albania Zog I, Skanderbeg III of the Albanians , born Ahmet Muhtar Bey Zogolli, was King of the Albanians from 1928 to 1939. He was previously Prime Minister of Albania and President of Albania .-Background and early political career:... (1928–1939). |
Hereditary Line of succession to the Albanian Throne The Albanian monarchy was overthrown in 1939 when King Zog fled the country following an invasion by Mussolini's Italy. The pretender and head of the House of Zogu since the death of King Zog in 1961 is Zog's son Leka, Crown Prince of Albania, Leka has one son:... |
1944 | ||
| Karl II & V | Habsburg-Lorraine | Grandson of Emperor Emperor of Austria The Emperor of Austria was a hereditary imperial title and position proclaimed in 1804 by the Holy Roman Emperor Francis II, a member of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine, and continually held by him and his heirs until the last emperor relinquished power in 1918. The emperors retained the title of... and King Charles I & IV (1916–1918). |
Hereditary Line of succession to the Austro-Hungarian throne The dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary was abolished in 1918. The current Head of the House of Habsburg is Archduke Karl. The succession law used is Semi-Salic.-Equal marriages:... |
1918 | |||
 Kingdom of Bulgaria |
Simeon II | Saxe-Coburg and Gotha House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha The House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha is a German dynasty, the senior line of the Saxon House of Wettin that ruled the Ernestine duchies, including the duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.... |
Last reigning Tsar (1943–1946). | Hereditary Line of succession to the Bulgarian Throne The Bulgarian monarchy was abolished in 1946. The last reigning monarch was HM Tsar Simeon II of Bulgaria, who is now the currect head of the Bulgarian Royal Family. The law of succession of the family is agnatic primogeniture... |
1946 | ||
 Duchy of Courland and Semigallia |
Ernst-Johann | Biron | Descendant of Duke Ernst Johann von Biron Ernst Johann von Biron Ernst Johann von Biron was a Duke of Courland and Semigallia and regent of the Russian Empire .-Biography:Born as Ernst Johann Biren in Kalnciems, Courland, he was the grandson of a groom in the service of Jacob Kettler, Duke of Courland, who bestowed upon him a small estate, which Biron's... (1737–1740 and 1763–1769). |
Hereditary Hereditary monarchy A hereditary monarchy is the most common type of monarchy and is the form that is used by almost all of the world's existing monarchies.Under a hereditary monarchy, all the monarchs come from the same family, and the crown is passed down from one member to another member of the family... |
1795 Courland Governorate Courland Governorate, also known as the Province of Courland, Governorate of Kurland , and Government of Courland , was one of the Baltic governorates of the Russian Empire, that is now part of the Republic of Latvia.... |
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 Kingdom of England(Jacobite Jacobitism Jacobitism was the political movement in Britain dedicated to the restoration of the Stuart kings to the thrones of England, Scotland, later the Kingdom of Great Britain, and the Kingdom of Ireland... ) |
Francis II Franz, Duke of Bavaria Franz Bonaventura Adalbert Maria Herzog von Bayern , styled as His Royal Highness The Duke of Bavaria, is head of the Wittelsbach family, the former ruling family of the Kingdom of Bavaria... |
Wittelsbach | Descendant of King Charles I Charles I of England Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles... (1625–1649). |
Hereditary Jacobite succession The Jacobite succession is the line through which the crown in pretence of England and Scotland has descended since the flight of James II & VII from London at the time of the Glorious Revolution... |
1707 Acts of Union 1707 The Acts of Union were two Parliamentary Acts - the Union with Scotland Act passed in 1706 by the Parliament of England, and the Union with England Act passed in 1707 by the Parliament of Scotland - which put into effect the terms of the Treaty of Union that had been agreed on 22 July 1706,... |
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| France Bourbon Restoration The Bourbon Restoration is the name given to the period following the successive events of the French Revolution , the end of the First Republic , and then the forcible end of the First French Empire under Napoleon – when a coalition of European powers restored by arms the monarchy to the... (Legitimist Legitimists Legitimists are royalists in France who adhere to the rights of dynastic succession of the descendants of the elder branch of the Bourbon dynasty, which was overthrown in the 1830 July Revolution. They reject the claim of the July Monarchy of 1830–1848, whose kings were members of the junior... ) |
Louis XX | Bourbon House of Bourbon The House of Bourbon is a European royal house, a branch of the Capetian dynasty . Bourbon kings first ruled Navarre and France in the 16th century. By the 18th century, members of the Bourbon dynasty also held thrones in Spain, Naples, Sicily, and Parma... |
Descendant of King Louis XIV Louis XIV of France Louis XIV , known as Louis the Great or the Sun King , was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre. His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days... (1643–1715). |
Hereditary | 1830 July Revolution The French Revolution of 1830, also known as the July Revolution or in French, saw the overthrow of King Charles X of France, the French Bourbon monarch, and the ascent of his cousin Louis-Philippe, Duke of Orléans, who himself, after 18 precarious years on the throne, would in turn be overthrown... |
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 FranceJuly Monarchy The July Monarchy , officially the Kingdom of France , was a period of liberal constitutional monarchy in France under King Louis-Philippe starting with the July Revolution of 1830 and ending with the Revolution of 1848... (Orléanist Orléanist The Orléanists were a French right-wing/center-right party which arose out of the French Revolution. It governed France 1830-1848 in the "July Monarchy" of king Louis Philippe. It is generally seen as a transitional period dominated by the bourgeoisie and the conservative Orleanist doctrine in... and Unionist Legitimists Legitimists are royalists in France who adhere to the rights of dynastic succession of the descendants of the elder branch of the Bourbon dynasty, which was overthrown in the 1830 July Revolution. They reject the claim of the July Monarchy of 1830–1848, whose kings were members of the junior... ) |
Henry VII | Orléans House of Orleans Orléans is the name used by several branches of the Royal House of France, all descended in the legitimate male line from the dynasty's founder, Hugh Capet. It became a tradition during France's ancien régime for the duchy of Orléans to be granted as an appanage to a younger son of the king... |
Descendant of Louis-Philippe Louis-Philippe of France Louis Philippe I was King of the French from 1830 to 1848 in what was known as the July Monarchy. His father was a duke who supported the French Revolution but was nevertheless guillotined. Louis Philippe fled France as a young man and spent 21 years in exile, including considerable time in the... , King of the French (1830–1848), and of Charles X Charles X of France Charles X was known for most of his life as the Comte d'Artois before he reigned as King of France and of Navarre from 16 September 1824 until 2 August 1830. A younger brother to Kings Louis XVI and Louis XVIII, he supported the latter in exile and eventually succeeded him... , King of France (1824–1830). |
Hereditary Line of succession to the French throne (Orléanist) The Orléanist claimant to the throne of France is Prince Henri, Count of Paris, Duke of France. He is the uncontested heir to the Orléanist position of "King of the French" held by Louis-Philippe, and is also King Charles X's heir as "King of France" if the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht is... |
1848 French Revolution of 1848 The 1848 Revolution in France was one of a wave of revolutions in 1848 in Europe. In France, the February revolution ended the Orleans monarchy and led to the creation of the French Second Republic. The February Revolution was really the belated second phase of the Revolution of 1830... |
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| France First French Empire The First French Empire , also known as the Greater French Empire or Napoleonic Empire, was the empire of Napoleon I of France... (Bonapartist Bonapartist In French political history, Bonapartism has two meanings. In a strict sense, this term refers to people who aimed to restore the French Empire under the House of Bonaparte, the Corsican family of Napoleon Bonaparte and his nephew Louis... ) |
Charles Napoléon | Bonaparte | Relative of Napoleon III Napoleon III of France Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte was the President of the French Second Republic and as Napoleon III, the ruler of the Second French Empire. He was the nephew and heir of Napoleon I, christened as Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte... , Emperor of the French Emperor of the French The Emperor of the French was the title used by the Bonaparte Dynasty starting when Napoleon Bonaparte was given the title Emperor on 18 May 1804 by the French Senate and was crowned emperor of the French on 02 December 1804 at the cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris, in Paris with the Crown of... (1852–1870). |
Hereditary Line of succession to the French throne (Bonapartist) The line of succession to the throne of the French Empire was a matter of discussion, among the descendants of Napoleon Bonaparte and his sympathisers until 1924... |
1870 French Third Republic The French Third Republic was the republican government of France from 1870, when the Second French Empire collapsed due to the French defeat in the Franco-Prussian War, to 1940, when France was overrun by Nazi Germany during World War II, resulting in the German and Italian occupations of France... |
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| Jean Christophe | |||||||
 Kingdom of Greece |
Constantine II Constantine II of Greece |align=right|Constantine II was King of Greece from 1964 until the abolition of the monarchy in 1973, the sixth and last monarch of the Greek Royal Family.... |
Glücksburg | Last reigning King (1964–1973). | Hereditary Line of succession to the Greek Throne The Greek monarchy was abolished by the then-ruling military regime on 1 June 1973, an act that was confirmed by plebiscite on 8 December 1974 after the regime's fall. The title of king is used by the last reigning monarch, Constantine II... |
1973 | ||
| Gwynedd Kingdom of Gwynedd Gwynedd was one petty kingdom of several Welsh successor states which emerged in 5th-century post-Roman Britain in the Early Middle Ages, and later evolved into a principality during the High Middle Ages. It was based on the former Brythonic tribal lands of the Ordovices, Gangani, and the... |
Evan Vaughan | Anwyl Anwyl of Tywyn Family Anwyl of Tywyn are a Welsh family who trace their descent to Owain Gwynedd. They claim direct patrilinear descent from Owain, who was King of Gwynedd from 1137 - 1170 and a scion of the royal House of Aberffraw... |
Descendant of King Owain I Owain Gwynedd Owain Gwynedd ap Gruffydd , in English also known as Owen the Great, was King of Gwynedd from 1137 until his death in 1170. He is occasionally referred to as "Owain I of Gwynedd"; and as "Owain I of Wales" on account of his claim to be King of Wales. He is considered to be the most successful of... (1137–1170). |
Hereditary Hereditary monarchy A hereditary monarchy is the most common type of monarchy and is the form that is used by almost all of the world's existing monarchies.Under a hereditary monarchy, all the monarchs come from the same family, and the crown is passed down from one member to another member of the family... |
1284 Statute of Rhuddlan The Statute of Rhuddlan , also known as the Statutes of Wales or as the Statute of Wales provided the constitutional basis for the government of the Principality of North Wales from 1284 until 1536... |
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| Ireland Kingdom of Ireland The Kingdom of Ireland refers to the country of Ireland in the period between the proclamation of Henry VIII as King of Ireland by the Crown of Ireland Act 1542 and the Act of Union in 1800. It replaced the Lordship of Ireland, which had been created in 1171... (Jacobite Jacobitism Jacobitism was the political movement in Britain dedicated to the restoration of the Stuart kings to the thrones of England, Scotland, later the Kingdom of Great Britain, and the Kingdom of Ireland... ) |
Francis II Franz, Duke of Bavaria Franz Bonaventura Adalbert Maria Herzog von Bayern , styled as His Royal Highness The Duke of Bavaria, is head of the Wittelsbach family, the former ruling family of the Kingdom of Bavaria... |
Wittelsbach | Descendant of King Charles I Charles I of England Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles... (1625–1649). |
Hereditary Jacobite succession The Jacobite succession is the line through which the crown in pretence of England and Scotland has descended since the flight of James II & VII from London at the time of the Glorious Revolution... |
1800 | ||
 Kingdom of Montenegro |
Nikola II | Petrović-Njegoš House of Petrovic-Njegoš The House of Petrović-Njegoš was the Royal House of Montenegro from 1696 to 1918. Montenegro had enjoyed de facto independence from the Ottoman Empire from 1711 but only received formal international recognition as an independent principality in 1878.Montenegro was ruled from inception by... |
Descendant of King Nikola I Nicholas I of Montenegro Nikola I Mirkov Petrović-Njegoš was the only king of Montenegro, reigning as king from 1910 to 1918 and as prince from 1860 to 1910. He was also a poet, notably penning "Onamo, 'namo!", a popular song from Montenegro.-Early life:Nikola was born in the village of Njeguši, the ancient home of the... (1910–1918). |
Hereditary Line of succession to the Montenegrin Throne The monarchy in Montenegro came to an end in 1918 when the illegal Podgorica Assembly voted to unite Montenegro with the Kingdom of Serbia under the Serbian dynasty. The current pretender and head of the Royal house is Prince Nicholas of Montenegro, who is the great grandson of the last King,... |
1918 | ||
| Navarre Kingdom of Navarre The Kingdom of Navarre , originally the Kingdom of Pamplona, was a European kingdom which occupied lands on either side of the Pyrenees alongside the Atlantic Ocean.... |
Alicia | Bourbon-Parma House of Bourbon-Parma The House of Bourbon-Parma is an Italian cadet branch of the House of Bourbon. It is thus descended from the Capetian dynasty in male line. The name of Bourbon-Parma comes from the main name and the other from the title of Duke of Parma.... |
Descendant of King Louis II Louis XIII of France Louis XIII was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1610 to 1643.Louis was only eight years old when he succeeded his father. His mother, Marie de Medici, acted as regent during Louis' minority... (1610–1620). |
Hereditary Hereditary monarchy A hereditary monarchy is the most common type of monarchy and is the form that is used by almost all of the world's existing monarchies.Under a hereditary monarchy, all the monarchs come from the same family, and the crown is passed down from one member to another member of the family... |
1620 Early Modern France Kingdom of France is the early modern period of French history from the end of the 15th century to the end of the 18th century... |
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 PortugalKingdom of Portugal The Kingdom of Portugal was Portugal's general designation under the monarchy. The kingdom was located in the west of the Iberian Peninsula, Europe and existed from 1139 to 1910... |
Duarte Pio Duarte Pio, Duke of Braganza Dom Duarte Pio, Duke of Braganza , is the 24th Duke of Braganza and a pretender to the throne of Portugal.-Birth and education:... |
Braganza House of Braganza The Most Serene House of Braganza , an important Portuguese noble family, ruled the Kingdom of Portugal and its colonial Empire, from 1640 to 1910... |
Descendant of King Miguel I (1828–1834). | Hereditary Line of succession to the Portuguese throne The Portuguese monarchy was abolished on the 5 October 1910 when King Manuel II was deposed following a republican revolution. The present head of the House of Braganza the former ruling house is, Duarte Pio, Duke of Braganza a position he has held since the death of his father Duarte Nuno in 1976... |
1910 5 October 1910 revolution The revolution of 1910 was a republican coup d'état that occurred in Portugal on 5 October 1910, which deposed King Manuel II and established the Portuguese First Republic.... |
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 Kingdom of Romania |
Michael I Michael I of Romania Michael was the last King of Romania. He reigned from 20 July 1927 to 8 June 1930, and again from 6 September 1940 until 30 December 1947 when he was forced, by the Communist Party of Romania , to abdicate to the Soviet armies of occupation... |
Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen -Noble jurisdictions:Prince Karl Eitel of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, and descendants of his nephew Ferdinand ruled over the Kingdom of Romania, as Karl Eitel did not have children... |
Last reigning King (1927–1930 and 1940–1947). | Hereditary Line of succession to the Romanian throne The succession order to the throne of Romania depends on the interpretation of the applicable laws, either the Romanian kingdom's last democratic constitution, that of 1923, or the new Statute of the Royal House of Romania, named Fundamental Rules of the Romanian Royal House, privately enacted by... |
1947 Communist Romania Communist Romania was the period in Romanian history when that country was a Soviet-aligned communist state in the Eastern Bloc, with the dominant role of Romanian Communist Party enshrined in its successive constitutions... |
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 Russian Empire |
Maria Vladimirovna | Romanov | Descendant of Emperor Alexander II Alexander II of Russia Alexander II , also known as Alexander the Liberator was the Emperor of the Russian Empire from 3 March 1855 until his assassination in 1881... (1855–1881). |
Hereditary Line of succession to the Russian Throne The Monarchy of Russia was abolished in 1917 following the February Revolution, which forced Emperor Nicholas II to abdicate. The issue of who is the current Pretender is open to debate.-Line of succession in March 1917:... |
1917 February Revolution The February Revolution of 1917 was the first of two revolutions in Russia in 1917. Centered around the then capital Petrograd in March . Its immediate result was the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II, the end of the Romanov dynasty, and the end of the Russian Empire... |
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| Nicholas Romanov | Descendant of Emperor Nicholas I Nicholas I of Russia Nicholas I , was the Emperor of Russia from 1825 until 1855, known as one of the most reactionary of the Russian monarchs. On the eve of his death, the Russian Empire reached its historical zenith spanning over 20 million square kilometers... (1825–1855). |
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 Kingdom of Scotland(Jacobite Jacobitism Jacobitism was the political movement in Britain dedicated to the restoration of the Stuart kings to the thrones of England, Scotland, later the Kingdom of Great Britain, and the Kingdom of Ireland... ) |
Francis II Franz, Duke of Bavaria Franz Bonaventura Adalbert Maria Herzog von Bayern , styled as His Royal Highness The Duke of Bavaria, is head of the Wittelsbach family, the former ruling family of the Kingdom of Bavaria... |
Wittelsbach | Descendant of King Charles I Charles I of England Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles... (1625–1649). |
Hereditary Jacobite succession The Jacobite succession is the line through which the crown in pretence of England and Scotland has descended since the flight of James II & VII from London at the time of the Glorious Revolution... |
1707 Acts of Union 1707 The Acts of Union were two Parliamentary Acts - the Union with Scotland Act passed in 1706 by the Parliament of England, and the Union with England Act passed in 1707 by the Parliament of Scotland - which put into effect the terms of the Treaty of Union that had been agreed on 22 July 1706,... |
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 Kingdom of Serbia |
Alexander II Alexander, Crown Prince of Yugoslavia Alexander II Karadjordjevic, Crown Prince of Yugoslavia , is the former crown prince of the former Kingdom of Yugoslavia and the head of the House of Karadjordjevic. Alexander is the only child of former King Peter II of Yugoslavia and Princess Alexandra of Greece and Denmark... |
Karađorđević | Descendant of King Peter I (1903–1918), of the Karađorđević line of kings. | Hereditary | 1918 | ||
| Nikola | Petrović-Njegoš House of Petrovic-Njegoš The House of Petrović-Njegoš was the Royal House of Montenegro from 1696 to 1918. Montenegro had enjoyed de facto independence from the Ottoman Empire from 1711 but only received formal international recognition as an independent principality in 1878.Montenegro was ruled from inception by... |
Grandson of Prince Mirko Prince Mirko of Montenegro Prince Mirko Dimitri Petrović-Njegoš of Montenegro, Grand Voivode of Grahovo and Zetà was born at Cetinje, the second son of King Nicholas I of Montenegro and Milena Vukotic... , the heir designate of King Alexander I (1889–1903), of the Obrenović House of Obrenovic The House of Obrenović was a Serbian dynasty that ruled Serbia from 1815 to 1842, and again from 1858 to 1903. They came to power through the leadership of their progenitor Miloš Obrenović in the Second Serbian uprising against the Ottoman Empire, which led to the formation of the Principality of... line of kings. |
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 Kingdom of Yugoslavia |
Alexander II Alexander, Crown Prince of Yugoslavia Alexander II Karadjordjevic, Crown Prince of Yugoslavia , is the former crown prince of the former Kingdom of Yugoslavia and the head of the House of Karadjordjevic. Alexander is the only child of former King Peter II of Yugoslavia and Princess Alexandra of Greece and Denmark... |
Karađorđević | Heir apparent of King Peter II Peter II of Yugoslavia Peter II, also known as Peter II Karađorđević , was the third and last King of Yugoslavia... (1934–1945). |
Hereditary Line of succession to the Yugoslavian throne The Monarchy of Yugoslavia was abolished in 1945. The current pretender to the thrones of Serbia and Yugoslavia is Alexander, Crown Prince of Yugoslavia.... |
1945 |
Germany
The German EmpireGerman Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
was a federation of myriad smaller monarchies, all of which are now abolished under modern republican Germany. As a result, there are a large number of claimants to various German thrones. Since the dissolution of the empire, however, a number of former royal households have become extinct in the male line, and are therefore not represented in the list below. Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Mecklenburg-Schwerin was a duchy in northern Germany created in 1348, when Albert II of Mecklenburg and his younger brother John were raised to Dukes of Mecklenburg by King Charles IV...
went extinct in 2001, Saxe-Altenburg
Saxe-Altenburg
Saxe-Altenburg was one of the Saxon duchies held by the Ernestine branch of the Wettin dynasty in present-day Thuringia.-History:The duchy originated from the medieval Burgraviate of Altenburg in the Imperial Pleissnerland , a possession of the Wettin Margraves of Meissen since 1243...
in 1991, and Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt
Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt
Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt was a small historic state in present-day Thuringia, Germany with its capital at Rudolstadt.-History:Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt was established in 1599 in the course of a resettlement of Schwarzburg dynasty lands...
and Schwarzburg-Sondershausen
Schwarzburg-Sondershausen
Schwarzburg-Sondershausen was a small principality in Germany, in the present day state of Thuringia, with capital at Sondershausen.-History:...
in 1971.
| State | Pretender | Since | House | Claim | Succession | Abolition | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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 German Empire |
Georg Friedrich | Hohenzollern House of Hohenzollern The House of Hohenzollern is a noble family and royal dynasty of electors, kings and emperors of Prussia, Germany and Romania. It originated in the area around the town of Hechingen in Swabia during the 11th century. They took their name from their ancestral home, the Burg Hohenzollern castle near... |
Descendant of Kaiser German Emperor This article is about the emperors of the German Empire. For full list of German monarchs before 1871, see List of German monarchs.The German Emperor was the official title of the Head of State and ruler of the German Empire, beginning with the proclamation of Wilhelm I as emperor during the... Wilhelm II (1888–1918). |
Hereditary Line of succession to the German throne The German Empire and Kingdom of Prussia were abolished in 1918. The current head - and first in line of succession - of the former ruling House of Hohenzollern is Georg Friedrich, Prince of Prussia... |
1918 | ||
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 Kingdom of Bavaria |
Franz I Franz, Duke of Bavaria Franz Bonaventura Adalbert Maria Herzog von Bayern , styled as His Royal Highness The Duke of Bavaria, is head of the Wittelsbach family, the former ruling family of the Kingdom of Bavaria... |
Wittelsbach | Descendant of King Ludwig III Ludwig III of Bavaria Ludwig III , was the last King of Bavaria, reigning from 1913 to 1918.-Early life:... (1913–1918). |
Hereditary Line of succession to the Bavarian Throne The Monarchy of Bavaria was abolished in 1918. The current Head of the formerly ruling House of Wittelsbach is Franz, Duke of Bavaria.The succession is determined by Article 2 of Title 2 of the 1818 Constitution of the Kingdom of Bavaria, which states "The crown is hereditary among the male... |
1918 | ||
 Kingdom of Hanover |
Ernst August V Ernst August V, Prince of Hanover Ernst August, Prince of Hanover , is the third husband of Princess Caroline of Monaco, heiress presumptive to the throne of Monaco... |
Hanover House of Hanover The House of Hanover is a deposed German royal dynasty which has ruled the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg , the Kingdom of Hanover, the Kingdom of Great Britain, the Kingdom of Ireland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland... |
Descendant of King Georg V George V of Hanover George V was King of Hanover, the only child of Ernest Augustus I, and a grandchild of King George III of the United Kingdom. In the peerage of Great Britain, he was 2nd Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale, 2nd Earl of Armagh... (1851–1866). |
Hereditary Line of succession to the Hanoverian Throne The Kingdom of Hanover was abolished in 1866 and the Duchy of Brunswick in 1918. The Hanoverian royal family was also deprived of the Dukedom of Cumberland in 1919. The current senior male-line descendant of George III of the United Kingdom and head of the House of Hanover is Ernst August V, Prince... |
1866 Province of Hanover The Province of Hanover was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Free State of Prussia from 1868 to 1946.During the Austro-Prussian War, the Kingdom of Hanover had attempted to maintain a neutral position, along with some other member states of the German Confederation... |
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 Kingdom of Prussia |
Georg Friedrich | Hohenzollern House of Hohenzollern The House of Hohenzollern is a noble family and royal dynasty of electors, kings and emperors of Prussia, Germany and Romania. It originated in the area around the town of Hechingen in Swabia during the 11th century. They took their name from their ancestral home, the Burg Hohenzollern castle near... |
Descendant of King Wilhelm II (1888–1918). | Hereditary | 1918 | ||
 Kingdom of Saxony |
Maria Emanuel Maria Emanuel, Margrave of Meissen Maria Emanuel, Margrave of Meissen is the head of the Royal House of Saxony.Born in Schloss Prüfening, Regensburg, Bavaria, Germany as son of Hereditary Prince Frederick Christian of Saxony, Margrave of Meissen and Princess Elisabeth Helene of Thurn and Taxis.He and Princess Anastasia of Anhalt ... |
Wettin | Grandson of King Friedrich August III Frederick Augustus III of Saxony This article is about King Frederick Augustus III of Saxony. For the elector Frederick Augustus III, see Frederick Augustus I of Saxony.Frederick Augustus III was the last King of Saxony and a member of the House of Wettin.Born in Dresden, Frederick Augustus was the son of King George of Saxony... (1904–1918). |
Hereditary Line of succession to the Saxon throne -Royal House of Saxony:The Kingdom of Saxony was abolished in 1918 when King Frederick Augustus III of Saxony abdicated. The current head of the royal house is Maria Emanuel, Margrave of Meissen; he is dynastically married but has no children. The succession law until the abolition of the monarchy... |
1918 | ||
 Kingdom of Westphalia |
Charles Napoléon | Bonaparte | Descendant of King Jérôme Bonaparte Jérôme Bonaparte Jérôme-Napoléon Bonaparte, French Prince, King of Westphalia, 1st Prince of Montfort was the youngest brother of Napoleon, who made him king of Westphalia... (1807–1813). |
Hereditary Hereditary monarchy A hereditary monarchy is the most common type of monarchy and is the form that is used by almost all of the world's existing monarchies.Under a hereditary monarchy, all the monarchs come from the same family, and the crown is passed down from one member to another member of the family... |
1813 Battle of Leipzig The Battle of Leipzig or Battle of the Nations, on 16–19 October 1813, was fought by the coalition armies of Russia, Prussia, Austria and Sweden against the French army of Napoleon. Napoleon's army also contained Polish and Italian troops as well as Germans from the Confederation of the Rhine... |
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 Kingdom of Württemberg |
Charles II Carl, Duke of Württemberg Carl, Duke of Württemberg is the current Head of the House of Württemberg.-Heir to House of Württemberg:... |
Württemberg | Grandnephew of King House of Württemberg The Württemberg family is a European royal family and a German dynasty from Württemberg. The House has its origins, according to recent research, probably in the vicinity of the Salian dynasty.-History:... Wilhelm II William II of Württemberg William II was the fourth King of Württemberg, from 6 October 1891 until the abolition of the kingdom on 30 November 1918... (1891–1918). |
Hereditary | 1918 Free People's State of Württemberg The Free People's State of Württemberg was a state of Germany during the Weimar Republic in Württemberg.-1918 revolution:As Germany underwent violent revolution near the end of World War I, the Kingdom of Württemberg was transformed from a monarchy to a democratic republic without bloodshed; its... |
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 Grand Duchy of Baden |
Maximilian Maximilian, Margrave of Baden Maximilian, Margrave of Baden , is the son of Berthold, Margrave of Baden and Princess Theodora of Greece and Denmark... |
Zähringen | Descendant of Grand Duke Leopold I Leopold, Grand Duke of Baden Leopold I, Grand Duke of Baden succeeded in 1830 as the fourth Grand Duke of Baden.... (1830–1852). |
Hereditary Line of succession to the throne of Baden The monarchy in Baden came to an end in 1918 along with the rest of the monarchies that made up the German Empire. The last sovereign was Grand Duke Frederick II who abdicated at Karlsruhe, 14-22 November 1918... |
1918 Republic of Baden The Republic of Baden was a state of Germany during the time of the Weimar Republic, formed after the abolition of the Grand Duchy of Baden in 1918... |
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| Hesse and by Rhine Grand Duchy of Hesse The Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine , or, between 1806 and 1816, Grand Duchy of Hesse —as it was also known after 1816—was a member state of the German Confederation from 1806, when the Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt was elevated to a Grand Duchy, until 1918, when all the German... |
Moritz | Hesse House of Hesse The House of Hesse is a European royal dynasty from the region of Hesse, originally and still formally the House of Brabant.-History:The origins of the House of Hesse begin with the marriage of Sophie of Thuringia, daughter of Louis IV, Landgrave of Thuringia and Elizabeth of Hungary with Henry... |
Adoptive grandson of Grand Duke Ernst Ludwig Ernest Louis, Grand Duke of Hesse Ernest Louis Charles Albert William , was the last Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine from 1892 until 1918... (1892–1918). |
Hereditary Line of succession to the Hessian throne The Electorate of Hesse was abolished in 1866 when it was annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia, while the Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine came to an end in 1918... |
1918 | ||
| Mecklenburg-Strelitz Mecklenburg-Strelitz Mecklenburg-Strelitz was a duchy and later grand duchy in northern Germany, consisting of the eastern fifth of the historic Mecklenburg region, roughly corresponding with the present-day Mecklenburg-Strelitz district , and the western exclave of the former Bishopric of Ratzeburg in modern... |
Georg Borwin | Mecklenburg House of Mecklenburg The House of Mecklenburg is a North German dynasty of West Slavic origin that ruled until 1918.- Origins :Niklot was a lord of the Wendish tribe of Obotrites. When the Holy Roman Empire expanded eastwards, notably to the coast of Baltic in 13th century, a portion of Obotrite lords allied with... |
Descendant of Grand Duke Georg (1816–1860). | Hereditary Line of succession to the Mecklenburg thrones The line of succession to the Mecklenburg thrones was an ordered list of people eligible to succeed to the grand ducal thrones of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Mecklenburg-Strelitz. The monarchies in both these states were abolished in 1918 following the outbreak of the November Revolution in the German... |
1918 Free State of Mecklenburg-Strelitz The Free State of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was a state of the Weimar Republic established in 1918 following the German Revolution which had overthrown the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz... |
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| Oldenburg Oldenburg (state) Oldenburg — named after its capital, the town of Oldenburg — was a state in the north of present-day Germany. Oldenburg survived from 1180 until 1918 as a county, duchy and grand duchy, and from 1918 until 1946 as a free state. It was located near the mouth of the River Weser... |
Anton-Günther Anton-Günther, Duke of Oldenburg Anton-Günther, Duke of Oldenburg is the head of the Grand Ducal Family of Oldenburg.... |
Holstein-Gottorp House of Holstein-Gottorp The House of Holstein-Gottorp, a cadet branch of the Oldenburg dynasty, ruled Sweden from 1751 until 1818, and Norway from 1814 to 1818.In 1743 Adolf Frederick of Holstein-Gottorp was elected crown prince of Sweden as a Swedish concession to Russia, a strategy for achieving an acceptable peace... |
Grandson of Grand Duke Friedrich August II Frederick Augustus II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg Frederick Augustus II was the last ruling grand duke of Oldenburg. He married Princess Elisabeth Anna of Prussia, daughter of Princess Maria Anna of Anhalt-Dessau and Prince Frederick Charles of Prussia... (1900–1918). |
Hereditary Line of succession to the Oldenburgian throne The grand-ducal family of Oldenburg is the junior most branch of the House of Holstein-Gottorp, the junior most branch of the House of Oldenburg. The law of succession of the family is agnatic primogeniture, allowing only males born out of an approved marriage and of a male line to succeed... |
1918 Free State of Oldenburg The Free State of Oldenburg was a state of the Weimar Republic. It was established in 1918 following the abdication of the Grand Duke Frederick Augustus II following the German Revolution.... |
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| Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach The Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach was created in 1809 by the merger of the Ernestine duchies of Saxe-Weimar and Saxe-Eisenach. It was raised to a Grand duchy in 1815 by resolution of the Vienna Congress. In 1877, it officially changed its name to the Grand Duchy of Saxony , but this name was... |
Michael Michael, Prince of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach Michael, Prince of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach is a German prince and the current head of the Grand Ducal House of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, as well as senior agnate of the entire House of Wettin.... |
Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach | Grandson of Grand Duke Wilhelm Ernst William Ernest, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach Wilhelm Ernst Karl Alexander Friedrich Heinrich Bernhard Albert Georg Hermann was the last Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach.-Biography:... (1901–1918). |
Hereditary Line of succession to the Saxon throne -Royal House of Saxony:The Kingdom of Saxony was abolished in 1918 when King Frederick Augustus III of Saxony abdicated. The current head of the royal house is Maria Emanuel, Margrave of Meissen; he is dynastically married but has no children. The succession law until the abolition of the monarchy... |
1918 Thuringia The Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states.... |
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| Anhalt Anhalt Anhalt was a sovereign county in Germany, located between the Harz Mountains and the river Elbe in Middle Germany. It now forms part of the state of Saxony-Anhalt.- Dukes of Anhalt :... |
Julius Eduard Eduard, Prince of Anhalt Prince Julius Eduard of Anhalt is the head of the House of Ascania, the family which ruled the Duchy of Anhalt until 1918. He uses the style His Highness.-Early life and family:... |
Ascania | Son of Duke Joachim Ernst Joachim Ernst, Duke of Anhalt Joachim Ernst, Duke of Anhalt was the last ruler of the Duchy of Anhalt.-Biography:He was born in Dessau the son of Duke Eduard of Anhalt and Princess Luise of Saxe-Altenburg , the daughter of Prince Moritz of Saxe-Altenburg.He succeeded his father as Duke of Anhalt on September 13, 1918, however... (1918). |
Hereditary Hereditary monarchy A hereditary monarchy is the most common type of monarchy and is the form that is used by almost all of the world's existing monarchies.Under a hereditary monarchy, all the monarchs come from the same family, and the crown is passed down from one member to another member of the family... |
1918 Free State of Anhalt The Free State of Anhalt was formed after Joachim Ernst, Duke of Anhalt abdicated on 12 November 1918, ending the Duchy of Anhalt. It was a state of Germany during the time of the Weimar Republic... |
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 Duchy of Brunswick |
Ernst August V Ernst August V, Prince of Hanover Ernst August, Prince of Hanover , is the third husband of Princess Caroline of Monaco, heiress presumptive to the throne of Monaco... |
Hanover House of Hanover The House of Hanover is a deposed German royal dynasty which has ruled the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg , the Kingdom of Hanover, the Kingdom of Great Britain, the Kingdom of Ireland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland... |
Grandson of Duke Ernst August III (1913–1918). | Hereditary Hereditary monarchy A hereditary monarchy is the most common type of monarchy and is the form that is used by almost all of the world's existing monarchies.Under a hereditary monarchy, all the monarchs come from the same family, and the crown is passed down from one member to another member of the family... |
1918 Free State of Brunswick The Free State of Brunswick was the republic formed after the abolition of the Duchy of Brunswick in the course of the German Revolution of 1918–19. It was a state of the German Reich in the time of the Weimar Republic and Nazi Germany.-History:... |
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| Nassau Nassau (state) Nassau was a German state within the Holy Roman Empire and later in the German Confederation. Its ruling dynasty, now extinct in male line, was the House of Nassau.-Origins:... |
Henri Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg OIH is the head of state of Luxembourg. He is the eldest son of Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg and Princess Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium. His maternal grandparents were King Leopold III of Belgium and Astrid of Sweden... |
Nassau-Weilburg | Descendant of Duke Adolf I Adolphe, Grand Duke of Luxembourg Adolphe I, Grand Duke of Luxembourg was the last Duke of Nassau, and the fourth Grand Duke of Luxembourg.-Biography:... (1839–1866). |
Hereditary Hereditary monarchy A hereditary monarchy is the most common type of monarchy and is the form that is used by almost all of the world's existing monarchies.Under a hereditary monarchy, all the monarchs come from the same family, and the crown is passed down from one member to another member of the family... |
1866 | ||
| Saxe-Coburg-Gotha Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Saxe-Coburg and Gotha or Saxe-Coburg-Gotha served as the collective name of two duchies, Saxe-Coburg and Saxe-Gotha, in Germany. They were located in what today are the states of Bavaria and Thuringia, respectively, and the two were in personal union between 1826 and 1918... |
Andreas | Saxe-Coburg and Gotha House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha The House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha is a German dynasty, the senior line of the Saxon House of Wettin that ruled the Ernestine duchies, including the duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.... |
Grandson of Duke Carl Eduard Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was the fourth and last reigning Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, two duchies in Germany , and the head of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha from 1900 until his death in 1954... (1900–1918). |
Hereditary Line of succession to the Saxon throne -Royal House of Saxony:The Kingdom of Saxony was abolished in 1918 when King Frederick Augustus III of Saxony abdicated. The current head of the royal house is Maria Emanuel, Margrave of Meissen; he is dynastically married but has no children. The succession law until the abolition of the monarchy... |
1918 Thuringia The Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states.... |
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| Saxe-Meiningen Saxe-Meiningen The Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen was one of the Saxon duchies held by the Ernestine line of the Wettin dynasty, located in the southwest of the present-day German state of Thuringia.... |
Konrad Konrad, Prince of Saxe-Meiningen Konrad, Prince of Saxe-Meiningen, Duke of Saxony is a German businessman and the current head of the Ducal House of Saxe-Meiningen.-Prince of Saxe-Meiningen:... |
Saxe-Meiningen | Descendant of Duke Georg II Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen , was the penultimate Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, reigning from 1866 to 1914.-Family and early life:... (1866–1914). |
Hereditary Line of succession to the Saxon throne -Royal House of Saxony:The Kingdom of Saxony was abolished in 1918 when King Frederick Augustus III of Saxony abdicated. The current head of the royal house is Maria Emanuel, Margrave of Meissen; he is dynastically married but has no children. The succession law until the abolition of the monarchy... |
1918 Thuringia The Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states.... |
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| Schleswig-Holstein Holstein-Glückstadt The Duchy of Holstein in Glückstadt was the northernmost state of the Holy Roman Empire. It consisted of the part of Holstein that was ruled by the king of Denmark; its capital was Glückstadt on the River Elbe.-History:... |
Christoph Christoph, Prince of Schleswig-Holstein Christoph, Prince of Schleswig-Holstein has been the head of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg and the entire House of Oldenburg since 1980... |
Glücksburg | Relative of Duke Frederik VII Frederick VII of Denmark Frederick VII was a King of Denmark. He reigned from 1848 until his death. He was the last Danish monarch of the older Royal branch of the House of Oldenburg and also the last king of Denmark to rule as an absolute monarch... (1808–1863). |
Hereditary House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg line of succession The House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg is the senior extant line of the House of Oldenburg. Junior lines of this house include the current royal houses of Denmark, Greece, Norway, and the United Kingdom upon the ascension of Charles, Prince of Wales to the throne. The Law of... |
1866 Province of Schleswig-Holstein The Province of Schleswig-Holstein was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Free State of Prussia from 1868 to 1946. It was created from the Duchies of Schleswig and Holstein, which had been conquered by Prussia and the Austrian Empire from Denmark in the Second War of Schleswig in 1864... |
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| Hohenzollern Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen -Noble jurisdictions:Prince Karl Eitel of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, and descendants of his nephew Ferdinand ruled over the Kingdom of Romania, as Karl Eitel did not have children... |
Karl Friedrich | Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen | Descendant of Prince Karl Anton (1848–1849). | Hereditary Hereditary monarchy A hereditary monarchy is the most common type of monarchy and is the form that is used by almost all of the world's existing monarchies.Under a hereditary monarchy, all the monarchs come from the same family, and the crown is passed down from one member to another member of the family... |
1850 Province of Hohenzollern Hohenzollern was a de facto province of the Kingdom of Prussia. It was created in 1850 by joining the principalities of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen and Hohenzollern-Hechingen after both formerly independently ruling Catholic princely lines of the House of Hohenzollern had handed over their... |
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| Lippe Principality of Lippe Lippe was a historical state in Germany. It was located between the Weser River and the southeast part of the Teutoburg forest.-History:... |
Armin Armin, Prince of Lippe Armin, Prince of Lippe is the son of Leopold IV, Prince of Lippe and his second wife Princess Anna of Ysenburg and Büdingen.-Head of the House of Lippe:... |
Lippe House of Lippe The House of Lippe is a German Royal House. The House of Lippe descends from Count Jobst Hermann of Lippe whose son Bernhard I was the founder of the state of Lippe in 1123.... |
Son of Prince Leopold IV Leopold IV, Prince of Lippe Leopold IV, Prince of Lippe was the final sovereign of the Principality of Lippe... (1905–1918). |
Hereditary Hereditary monarchy A hereditary monarchy is the most common type of monarchy and is the form that is used by almost all of the world's existing monarchies.Under a hereditary monarchy, all the monarchs come from the same family, and the crown is passed down from one member to another member of the family... |
1918 Free State of Lippe The Free State of Lippe was a German state formed after the Principality of Lippe was abolished following the German Revolution of 1918.After the end of World War II, Lippe was restored from Nazi rule. This autonomy ended in January 1947 when British forces incorporated Lippe into the new German... |
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| Friedrich Wilhelm Prince Friedrich Wilhelm of Lippe Prince Friedrich Wilhelm of Lippe is the claimant to the headship of the House of Lippe.-Early life:Prince Ernst August was born at Neuwied, West Germany, the first child of Prince Ernst August of Lippe , and his wife, Christa von Arnim Prince Friedrich Wilhelm of Lippe is the claimant to the... |
Grandnephew of Prince Leopold IV Leopold IV, Prince of Lippe Leopold IV, Prince of Lippe was the final sovereign of the Principality of Lippe... (1905–1918). |
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| Reuss | Heinrich IV | Reuss | Relative of Prince Heinrich XXVII (1913–1918). | Hereditary Hereditary monarchy A hereditary monarchy is the most common type of monarchy and is the form that is used by almost all of the world's existing monarchies.Under a hereditary monarchy, all the monarchs come from the same family, and the crown is passed down from one member to another member of the family... |
1918 Republic of Reuss The Republic of Reuss was a short-lived country in what is now Thuringia. This republic was formed after the reigning princes of the two Reuss prinipalities abdicated and elections were held in both states. The new republic was born on 4 April 1919... |
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| Schaumburg-Lippe Schaumburg-Lippe Schaumburg-Lippe was until 1946 a small state in Germany, located in the present day state of Lower Saxony, with its capital at Bückeburg.- History :... |
Alexander Alexander, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe Alexander, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe is the head of the Princely House of Schaumburg-Lippe. As such, he carries the title Fürst zu Schaumburg-Lippe.-Biography:... |
Lippe House of Lippe The House of Lippe is a German Royal House. The House of Lippe descends from Count Jobst Hermann of Lippe whose son Bernhard I was the founder of the state of Lippe in 1123.... |
Grandnephew of Prince Adolf II Adolf II, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe Adolf II, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe was the last ruler of the small Principality of Schaumburg-Lippe.-Biography:... (1911–1918). |
Hereditary Hereditary monarchy A hereditary monarchy is the most common type of monarchy and is the form that is used by almost all of the world's existing monarchies.Under a hereditary monarchy, all the monarchs come from the same family, and the crown is passed down from one member to another member of the family... |
1918 Free State of Schaumburg-Lippe The Free State of Schaumburg-Lippe was created following the abdication of Prince Adolf II of Schaumburg-Lippe on 15 November 1918. It was a state in Germany during the Weimar Republic, headed by a Minister President. The democratic government was suppressed during Nazi rule... |
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| Waldeck and Pyrmont Waldeck (state) Waldeck was a sovereign principality in the German Empire and German Confederation and, until 1929, a constituent state of the Weimar Republic. It comprised territories in present-day Hesse and Lower Saxony, .... |
Wittekind Wittekind, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont Wittekind, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont has been since 1967 the head of the House of Waldeck and Pyrmont.-Early life:He was born in Arolsen the son of Hereditary Prince Josias of Waldeck and Pyrmont and his wife Duchess Altburg of Oldenburg . Heinrich Himmler was his godfather... |
Waldeck | Grandson of Prince Friedrich (1893–1918). | Hereditary Hereditary monarchy A hereditary monarchy is the most common type of monarchy and is the form that is used by almost all of the world's existing monarchies.Under a hereditary monarchy, all the monarchs come from the same family, and the crown is passed down from one member to another member of the family... |
1918 Free State of Waldeck-Pyrmont The Free State of Waldeck-Pyrmont and later the Free State of Waldeck was a constituent state of the Weimar Republic. It was created following the German Revolution which forced Prince Friedrich of Waldeck and Pyrmont along with the other German monarchs to abdicate.On 30 November 1921, following a... |
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| Hesse-Kassel Hesse-Kassel The Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel or Hesse-Cassel was a state in the Holy Roman Empire under Imperial immediacy that came into existence when the Landgraviate of Hesse was divided in 1567 upon the death of Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse. His eldest son William IV inherited the northern half and the... |
Moritz | Hesse House of Hesse The House of Hesse is a European royal dynasty from the region of Hesse, originally and still formally the House of Brabant.-History:The origins of the House of Hesse begin with the marriage of Sophie of Thuringia, daughter of Louis IV, Landgrave of Thuringia and Elizabeth of Hungary with Henry... |
Descendant of Landgrave Friedrich II (1760–1785). | Hereditary Line of succession to the Hessian throne The Electorate of Hesse was abolished in 1866 when it was annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia, while the Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine came to an end in 1918... |
1866 Austro-Prussian War The Austro-Prussian War was a war fought in 1866 between the German Confederation under the leadership of the Austrian Empire and its German allies on one side and the Kingdom of Prussia with its German allies and Italy on the... |
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| Schwarzenberg House of Schwarzenberg -History:The family was first mentioned in 1172. A branch of the Seinsheim family was created when Erkinger I of Seinsheim acquired the Franconian barony of Schwarzenberg, the castle Schwarzenberg and the title Baron of Schwarzenberg, in 1405–21. At this time, they also possessed some fiefdoms in... |
Karl VII Karel Schwarzenberg Karel Schwarzenberg or Karel, Prince of Schwarzenberg , 7... |
Schwarzenberg House of Schwarzenberg -History:The family was first mentioned in 1172. A branch of the Seinsheim family was created when Erkinger I of Seinsheim acquired the Franconian barony of Schwarzenberg, the castle Schwarzenberg and the title Baron of Schwarzenberg, in 1405–21. At this time, they also possessed some fiefdoms in... |
Descendant of Prince Johann I (1782–1789). | Hereditary Hereditary monarchy A hereditary monarchy is the most common type of monarchy and is the form that is used by almost all of the world's existing monarchies.Under a hereditary monarchy, all the monarchs come from the same family, and the crown is passed down from one member to another member of the family... |
1789 German Mediatisation The German Mediatisation was the series of mediatisations and secularisations that occurred in Germany between 1795 and 1814, during the latter part of the era of the French Revolution and then the Napoleonic Era.... |
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Italy
Up until the 19th century, the Italian peninsula was composed of various states, some of which were monarchies. During the Italian unificationItalian unification
Italian unification was the political and social movement that agglomerated different states of the Italian peninsula into the single state of Italy in the 19th century...
, the monarchs of such agglomerated states lost their sovereignty and their titles became purely ceremonial. The resultant throne of the Kingdom of Italy was held by the former king of Sardinia
Kingdom of Sardinia
The Kingdom of Sardinia consisted of the island of Sardinia first as a part of the Crown of Aragon and subsequently the Spanish Empire , and second as a part of the composite state of the House of Savoy . Its capital was originally Cagliari, in the south of the island, and later Turin, on the...
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| State | Pretender | Since | House | Claim | Succession | Abolition | Ref(s) |
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 Kingdom of Italy (Napoleonic) |
Amedeo Amedeo, 5th Duke of Aosta Prince Amedeo of Savoy-Aosta, Duke of Aosta, is a claimant to the headship of the House of Savoy, the family which ruled Italy from 1861 to 1946, as well as the heir to the short-lived Kingdom of Croatia during World War II... |
Savoy House of Savoy The House of Savoy was formed in the early 11th century in the historical Savoy region. Through gradual expansion, it grew from ruling a small county in that region to eventually rule the Kingdom of Italy from 1861 until the end of World War II, king of Croatia and King of Armenia... |
Descendant of King King of Italy King of Italy is a title adopted by many rulers of the Italian peninsula after the fall of the Roman Empire... Vittorio Emmanuele II Victor Emmanuel II of Italy Victor Emanuel II was king of Sardinia from 1849 and, on 17 March 1861, he assumed the title King of Italy to become the first king of a united Italy since the 6th century, a title he held until his death in 1878... (1861–1878). |
Hereditary Line of succession to the Italian Throne The Italian monarchy was abolished in June 1946 following a referendum which established a republic.The present pretender is in dispute between Vittorio Emanuele, Prince of Naples and Amedeo, 5th Duke of Aosta.-Clashes:... |
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| Vittorio Emanuele IV Vittorio Emanuele, Prince of Naples Vittorio Emanuele, Prince of Naples, formerly Crown Prince of Italy is the only son of the Umberto II, the last King of Italy. He is commonly known in Italy as Vittorio Emanuele di Savoia... |
Heir apparent of King King of Italy King of Italy is a title adopted by many rulers of the Italian peninsula after the fall of the Roman Empire... Umberto II Umberto II of Italy Umberto II, occasionally anglicized as Humbert II was the last King of Italy for slightly over a month, from 9 May 1946 to 12 June 1946. He was nicknamed the King of May -Biography:... (1946). |
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| Etruria Kingdom of Etruria The Kingdom of Etruria was a kingdom comprising the larger part of Tuscany which existed between 1801 and 1807. It took its name from Etruria, the old Roman name for the land of the Etruscans.It was created by the Treaty of Aranjuez, signed on 21 March 1801... |
Carlos V | Bourbon-Parma House of Bourbon-Parma The House of Bourbon-Parma is an Italian cadet branch of the House of Bourbon. It is thus descended from the Capetian dynasty in male line. The name of Bourbon-Parma comes from the main name and the other from the title of Duke of Parma.... |
Descendant of King Ludovico II Charles II, Duke of Parma Charles Louis of Bourbon-Parma was King of Etruria , Duke of Lucca , and Duke of Parma .-Early life and marriage:... (1803–1807). |
Hereditary Hereditary monarchy A hereditary monarchy is the most common type of monarchy and is the form that is used by almost all of the world's existing monarchies.Under a hereditary monarchy, all the monarchs come from the same family, and the crown is passed down from one member to another member of the family... |
1807 First French Empire The First French Empire , also known as the Greater French Empire or Napoleonic Empire, was the empire of Napoleon I of France... |
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| Mantua Duchy of Mantua The Duchy of Mantua was a duchy in Lombardy, Northern Italy, subject to the Holy Roman Empire.-History:After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, Mantua was invaded by Byzantines, Longobards and Franks. In the 11th century it became a possession of Boniface of Canossa, marquis of Toscana... |
Maurizio | Gonzaga House of Gonzaga The Gonzaga family ruled Mantua in Northern Italy from 1328 to 1708.-History:In 1433, Gianfrancesco I assumed the title of Marquis of Mantua, and in 1530 Federico II received the title of Duke of Mantua. In 1531, the family acquired the Duchy of Monferrato through marriage... |
Descendant of Marquess Federico I Federico I Gonzaga Federico I Gonzaga was marquess of Mantua from 1478 to 1484, as well as a condottiero.-Biography:Federico was born in Mantua in 1441, son of Ludovico II and Barbara of Brandenburg... (1478–1484). |
Hereditary Hereditary monarchy A hereditary monarchy is the most common type of monarchy and is the form that is used by almost all of the world's existing monarchies.Under a hereditary monarchy, all the monarchs come from the same family, and the crown is passed down from one member to another member of the family... |
1708 Austrian Empire The Austrian Empire was a modern era successor empire, which was centered on what is today's Austria and which officially lasted from 1804 to 1867. It was followed by the Empire of Austria-Hungary, whose proclamation was a diplomatic move that elevated Hungary's status within the Austrian Empire... |
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| Modena Duchy of Modena and Reggio The Duchy of Modena and Reggio |Italian]] state that existed from 1452 to 1859, with a break between 1796 and 1814. It was ruled by the noble House of Este, from 1814 Austria-Este.-House of Este:... |
Lorenzo | Habsburg-Lorraine | Relative of Franz Ferdinand Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria Franz Ferdinand was an Archduke of Austria-Este, Austro-Hungarian and Royal Prince of Hungary and of Bohemia, and from 1889 until his death, heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian throne. His assassination in Sarajevo precipitated Austria-Hungary's declaration of war against Serbia... , adopted heir of Duke Francesco V Francis V, Duke of Modena Francesco Ferdinando Geminiano von Habsburg-Lothringen, known as Francis V of Modena , Archduke of Austria-Este, Royal Prince of Hungary and Bohemia, was Duke of Modena, Reggio, and Mirandola, Duke of Guastalla , Duke of Massa and Prince of Carrara from 1846 to 1859... (1846–1859). |
Hereditary Hereditary monarchy A hereditary monarchy is the most common type of monarchy and is the form that is used by almost all of the world's existing monarchies.Under a hereditary monarchy, all the monarchs come from the same family, and the crown is passed down from one member to another member of the family... |
1859 United Provinces of Central Italy The United Provinces of Central Italy, also known as Union of Central Italy, Confederation of Central Italy or Government General of Central Italy, was a short-lived client state of the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia... |
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| Naples Kingdom of Naples The Kingdom of Naples, comprising the southern part of the Italian peninsula, was the remainder of the old Kingdom of Sicily after secession of the island of Sicily as a result of the Sicilian Vespers rebellion of 1282. Known to contemporaries as the Kingdom of Sicily, it is dubbed Kingdom of... |
Joachim Joachim, 8th Prince Murat Joachim Louis Napoléon Murat, 8th Prince Murat Joachim Louis Napoléon Murat, 8th Prince Murat Joachim Louis Napoléon Murat, 8th Prince Murat (Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine, France, 26 November 1944 is a member of the Bonaparte-Murat family.- Biography:... |
Murat Prince Murat Prince Murat is a title created by Emperor Napoleon I for his brother-in-law Joachim Murat who would serve as King of Naples. On the 5 December 1812 Joachim's second son Lucien was also created sovereign Prince of Pontecorvo , in succession to Jean-Baptiste Jules Bernadotte by an Imperial Decree... |
Descendant of King Gioacchino I Joachim Murat Joachim-Napoléon Murat , Marshal of France and Grand Admiral or Admiral of France, 1st Prince Murat, was Grand Duke of Berg from 1806 to 1808 and then King of Naples from 1808 to 1815... (1808–1815). |
Hereditary Hereditary monarchy A hereditary monarchy is the most common type of monarchy and is the form that is used by almost all of the world's existing monarchies.Under a hereditary monarchy, all the monarchs come from the same family, and the crown is passed down from one member to another member of the family... |
1816 Kingdom of the Two Sicilies The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, commonly known as the Two Sicilies even before formally coming into being, was the largest and wealthiest of the Italian states before Italian unification... |
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 Duchy of Parma |
Carlos V | Bourbon-Parma House of Bourbon-Parma The House of Bourbon-Parma is an Italian cadet branch of the House of Bourbon. It is thus descended from the Capetian dynasty in male line. The name of Bourbon-Parma comes from the main name and the other from the title of Duke of Parma.... |
Great-grandson of Duke Roberto I Robert I, Duke of Parma Robert I was the last sovereign Duke of Parma and Piacenza from 1854 to 1859, when the duchy was annexed to Sardinia-Piedmont during the unification of Italy... (1854–1859). |
Hereditary Hereditary monarchy A hereditary monarchy is the most common type of monarchy and is the form that is used by almost all of the world's existing monarchies.Under a hereditary monarchy, all the monarchs come from the same family, and the crown is passed down from one member to another member of the family... |
1859 United Provinces of Central Italy The United Provinces of Central Italy, also known as Union of Central Italy, Confederation of Central Italy or Government General of Central Italy, was a short-lived client state of the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia... |
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| Piombino Principality of Piombino The Principality of Piombino was a state of Italy, which existed from 1399 to 1805, when Napoleon absorbed it into the Principality of Lucca and Piombino... |
Niccolò III | Boncompagni-Ludovisi | Descendant of Prince Antonio I (1778–1805). | Hereditary Hereditary monarchy A hereditary monarchy is the most common type of monarchy and is the form that is used by almost all of the world's existing monarchies.Under a hereditary monarchy, all the monarchs come from the same family, and the crown is passed down from one member to another member of the family... |
1805 Principality of Lucca and Piombino The Principality of Lucca and Piombino was created in 1805 by Napoleon for his beloved sister Elisa Bonaparte and her husband Felice Pasquale Baciocchi. The State was the result of the annexation of ancient Principality of Piombino by the Republic of Lucca which was turned into a monarchy... |
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| Tuscany Grand Duchy of Tuscany The Grand Duchy of Tuscany was a central Italian monarchy that existed, with interruptions, from 1569 to 1859, replacing the Duchy of Florence. The grand duchy's capital was Florence... |
Sigismondo Archduke Sigismund, Grand Duke of Tuscany Archduke Sigismund of Austria, Grand Duke of Tuscany is the titular Grand Duke of Tuscany and current head of the Tuscan branch of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine.-Biography:Sigismund was born in Lausanne the son of Archduke Leopold Franz and his first wife Princess... |
Habsburg-Lorraine | Descendant of Grand Duke Ferdinando IV Ferdinand IV, Grand Duke of Tuscany Ferdinand IV, Grand Duke of Tuscany was the last Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1859 to 1860. The House of Habsburg-Lorraine continued to hold the title as pretenders until the end of World War I.-Biography:... (1859). |
Hereditary Line of succession to the Tuscan throne The present head of the Grand Ducal House of Tuscany is Archduke Sigismund, Grand Duke of Tuscany.#Archduke Amadeo, Grand Prince of Tuscany #Archduke Maximilian, Prince of Tuscany #Archduke Guntram, Prince of Tuscany... |
1859 United Provinces of Central Italy The United Provinces of Central Italy, also known as Union of Central Italy, Confederation of Central Italy or Government General of Central Italy, was a short-lived client state of the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia... |
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 Kingdom of the Two Sicilies |
Carlos of Calabria Infante Carlos, Duke of Calabria Infante Carlos of Spain, Prince of the Two Sicilies, Duke of Calabria, KOGF, KGCHS is the son of Don Alfonso of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duke of Calabria and Princess Alicia of Bourbon-Parma .-Biography:Infante Carlos is one of two claimants of the dignity of... |
Bourbon House of Bourbon The House of Bourbon is a European royal house, a branch of the Capetian dynasty . Bourbon kings first ruled Navarre and France in the 16th century. By the 18th century, members of the Bourbon dynasty also held thrones in Spain, Naples, Sicily, and Parma... |
Descendant of King Ferdinando II Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies Ferdinand II was King of the Two Sicilies from 1830 until his death.-Family:Ferdinand was born in Palermo, the son of King Francis I of the Two Sicilies and his wife and first cousin Maria Isabella of Spain.His paternal grandparents were King Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies and Queen Marie... (1830–1859). |
Hereditary Line of succession to the throne of the Two Sicilies The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies was unified with the Kingdom of Italy in 1860. The headship of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies has been disputed since the death of claimant Prince Ferdinand Pius, Duke of Calabria on 7 January 1960 between Infante Alfonso, Duke of Calabria and his descendants and... |
1861 Italian unification Italian unification was the political and social movement that agglomerated different states of the Italian peninsula into the single state of Italy in the 19th century... |
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| Carlo of Castro Prince Carlo, Duke of Castro Prince Carlo of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duke of Castro is one of two claimants to the headship of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies.-Early life and education:... |
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| Tavolara Kingdom of Tavolara The Kingdom of Tavolara was a small independent state existing in the 19th and 20th centuries in Tavolara Island, off the northeast coast of Sardinia. Ruled by the Bertoleoni family, it was one of the smallest kingdoms in the world... |
Tonino | Bertoleoni Bertoleoni Bertoleoni is the self-proclaimed ruling family of the self-styled "Kingdom of Tavolara" , which claimed to be "the smallest kingdom of the world"... |
Son of King Bertoleoni Bertoleoni is the self-proclaimed ruling family of the self-styled "Kingdom of Tavolara" , which claimed to be "the smallest kingdom of the world"... Paolo II (1929–1934). |
Hereditary Hereditary monarchy A hereditary monarchy is the most common type of monarchy and is the form that is used by almost all of the world's existing monarchies.Under a hereditary monarchy, all the monarchs come from the same family, and the crown is passed down from one member to another member of the family... |
1934 Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946) The Kingdom of Italy was a state forged in 1861 by the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom of Sardinia, which was its legal predecessor state... |
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Others
CroatiaUpon independence in 1941, a puppet monarchy of Italy
Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)
The Kingdom of Italy was a state forged in 1861 by the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom of Sardinia, which was its legal predecessor state...
was instituted in Croatia
Independent State of Croatia
The Independent State of Croatia was a World War II puppet state of Nazi Germany, established on a part of Axis-occupied Yugoslavia. The NDH was founded on 10 April 1941, after the invasion of Yugoslavia by the Axis powers. All of Bosnia and Herzegovina was annexed to NDH, together with some parts...
, with Prince Aimone of the House of Savoy
House of Savoy
The House of Savoy was formed in the early 11th century in the historical Savoy region. Through gradual expansion, it grew from ruling a small county in that region to eventually rule the Kingdom of Italy from 1861 until the end of World War II, king of Croatia and King of Armenia...
appointed king. Aimone accepted the nomination in May 1941, adopting the regnal name "Tomislav II". In July 1943, however, he was forced to abdicate his throne on the orders of the Italian king Vittorio Emanuele III, before ever having been crowned. Aimone formally renounced all claims in October 1943. Since his death on 29 January 1948, his eldest son Amedeo may be argued to be the heir to that throne, although he does not advance the claim. If reigning, he would be known as "Zvonimir II". However, the Habsburg
Habsburg Monarchy
The Habsburg Monarchy covered the territories ruled by the junior Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg , and then by the successor House of Habsburg-Lorraine , between 1526 and 1867/1918. The Imperial capital was Vienna, except from 1583 to 1611, when it was moved to Prague...
claim is normally considered the primary one in regard to Croatia (see under "Austria-Hungary", above).
Finland
In 1918, following Finland's independence from Russia, the national parliament
Parliament of Finland
The Eduskunta , is the parliament of Finland. The unicameral parliament has 200 members and meets in the Parliament House in Helsinki. The latest election to the parliament took place on April 17, 2011.- Constitution :...
made an attempt to establish a monarchy
Kingdom of Finland (1918)
The Kingdom of Finland was an abortive attempt to establish a monarchy in Finland, following Finland's independence from Russia. Had the German Empire endured, Prince Frederick Charles of Hesse would have been installed as King of Finland.-History:...
under the reign of a German
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
king. Prince Friedrich Karl
Prince Frederick Charles of Hesse
Frederick Charles Louis Constantine, Prince and Landgrave of Hesse , Friedrich Karl Ludwig Konstantin Prinz und Landgraf von Hessen-Kassel in German, was the brother-in-law of the German Emperor William II and the elected King of Finland from 9 October to 14 December 1918.-Early life:Frederick was...
, of the House of Hesse
House of Hesse
The House of Hesse is a European royal dynasty from the region of Hesse, originally and still formally the House of Brabant.-History:The origins of the House of Hesse begin with the marriage of Sophie of Thuringia, daughter of Louis IV, Landgrave of Thuringia and Elizabeth of Hungary with Henry...
, was elected as King of Finland in October 1918. He renounced this throne two months later, without ever having taken up the position, and Finland subsequently adopted a republican constitution. For this reason, there is a dispute as to whether the House of Hesse may lay claim to this title, as many maintain that since the king-elect was never installed, the title was never officially bestowed, and thus no claim has any legal basis. The order of succession to the throne was never established, but following the desire to the keep the throne separate from the senior line of the family, the current heir (since 18 November 1999) would be Phillipp
Prince Philipp of Hesse (b. 1970)
Prince Philipp of Hesse is grandson of Prince Philipp of Hesse and is the youngest child and second son of Moritz, Landgrave of Hesse and his former wife, Princess Tatjana of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg.As the nephew of Prince Wolfgang of Hesse, he is in the direct line of descent from the...
, the great grandson of Friedrich Karl.
Ireland
The Chiefs of the Name are the hereditary chieftains of the Irish clans
Irish clans
Irish clans are traditional kinship groups sharing a common surname and heritage and existing in a lineage based society prior to the 17th century.-History:...
, who are directly descended from the Gaelic
Gaelic Ireland
Gaelic Ireland is the name given to the period when a Gaelic political order existed in Ireland. The order continued to exist after the arrival of the Anglo-Normans until about 1607 AD...
royal families
Irish Royal Families
The Irish Royal Families were dynasties who ruled large overkingdoms and smaller petty kingdoms on the island of Ireland over the last two millennia.-Locality:...
which ruled in parts of Ireland before the Norman conquest
Norman Invasion of Ireland
The Norman invasion of Ireland was a two-stage process, which began on 1 May 1169 when a force of loosely associated Norman knights landed near Bannow, County Wexford...
. Most prominent among these are: Desmond Roderic O'Conor (since 10 July 2000) of the Ó Conchobair
O'Conor Don
The Ó Conchubhair Donn is the hereditary Prince and Chief of the Name of the Royal Family of Connacht, the Clan Ó Conchubhair.-Overview:...
, descended from the kings of Connacht. William Butler Kavanagh (since 29 May 1962) of the Mac Murrough clan, descended from the kings of Leinster. Conor Myles John O'Brien
Conor Myles John O'Brien, 18th Baron Inchiquin
Conor Myles John O'Brien, 18th Baron Inchiquin, is the holder of a hereditary peerage in the Peerage of Ireland, as well as Chief of the Name of O'Brien and Prince of Thomond in the Gaelic Irish nobility....
(since 20 May 1982) of the Ó Brien clan, descended from the kings of Munster. Hugo Ricciardi O'Neill
Hugo Ricciardi O'Neill
Hugo Ricciardi O'Neill is the current head of the O'Neill dynasty of Clanaboy, whose family has been in Portugal since the 18th century.-Recognition:...
of the Ó Neill
O'Neill dynasty
The O'Neill dynasty is a group of families that have held prominent positions and titles throughout European history. The O'Neills take their name from Niall Glúndub, an early 10th century High King of Ireland from the Cenél nEógain...
clan, descended from the kings of Ulster.
Lithuania
Following the country's independence from Russia in 1918, the Council of Lithuania
Council of Lithuania
The Council of Lithuania , after July 11, 1918 The State Council of Lithuania , was convened at the Vilnius Conference that took place between September 18 and 23, 1917. The council was granted the executive authority of the Lithuanian people and was entrusted to establish an independent...
voted to establish a monarchy
Kingdom of Lithuania (1918)
The Kingdom of Lithuania was a short-lived constitutional monarchy created towards the end of World War I when Lithuania was under occupation by the German Empire. The Council of Lithuania declared Lithuania's independence on February 16, 1918, but the Council was unable to form a government,...
, and invited Prince Wilhelm
Mindaugas II of Lithuania
Prince Wilhelm of Urach, Count of Württemberg, 2nd Duke of Urach was a German prince who was elected King of Lithuania with the regnal name Mindaugas II on 11 July 1918...
, the Duke of Urach
Duke of Urach
The title Duke of Urach was created in the Kingdom of Württemberg for Friedrich Wilhelm Alexander Ferdinand, Count of Württemberg on 28 March 1867, with the style of HSH."Urach" is pronounced Oo-raakh -Family:...
, to take the throne as king. Wilhelm accepted the nomination in July 1918, and adopted the regnal name "Mindaugas II". During the subsequent German Revolution, however, the Council withdrew its decision in November 1918, and Wilhelm was never crowned. His grandson, Wilhelm Albert
Wilhelm Albert, Duke of Urach
Prince Wilhelm Albert Raphael Maria of Urach, Count of Württemberg, 5th Duke of Urach is the head of the morganatic Urach branch of the House of Württemberg.-Duke of Urach:...
is the current head of the family since 9 February 1991. In 2009, the Duke of Urach's brother Prince Ingio of Urach visited Lithuania and announced that if offered the throne he would be ready to assume it.
Oceanian
| State | Pretender | Since | House | Claim | Succession | Abolition | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abemama Abemama Abemama is an atoll in the central part of the Kiribati Group located 152 kilometres southeast of Tarawa and just north of the Equator.- Geography :... |
Tem Tokataake | Descendant of Tem Binoka Tembinok' Tembinok’, or Tem Binoka, was the ruler of Abemama, Aranuka and Kuria, in the Gilbert Islands, during the late 19th century. Tembinok’'s grandfather, Teñkoruti , was the ruler of a village on Abemama, which was then experiencing devastating feuds... (1878–1891). |
Hereditary | 1911 Gilbert and Ellice Islands The Gilbert and Ellice Islands were a British protectorate from 1892 and colony from 1916 until 1 January 1976, when the islands were divided into two different colonies which became independent nations shortly after... |
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 Cocos IslandsCocos (Keeling) Islands The Territory of the Cocos Islands, also called Cocos Islands and Keeling Islands, is a territory of Australia, located in the Indian Ocean, southwest of Christmas Island and approximately midway between Australia and Sri Lanka.... |
Ross V | Clunies-Ross | Last reigning King (1944–1978). | Hereditary | 1978 | ||
 FijiDominion of Fiji The Dominion of Fiji, also known simply as Fiji, was a predecessor to modern-day Fiji and an independent state and that existed between October 1970 and 26 October 1987.... |
Elizabeth II | Windsor House of Windsor The House of Windsor is the royal house of the Commonwealth realms. It was founded by King George V by royal proclamation on the 17 July 1917, when he changed the name of his family from the German Saxe-Coburg and Gotha to the English Windsor, due to the anti-German sentiment in the United Kingdom... |
Last reigning Queen (1970–1987). | Hereditary Line of succession to the British Throne The line of succession to the British throne is the ordered sequence of those people eligible to succeed to the throne of the United Kingdom and the other 15 Commonwealth realms. By the terms of the Act of Settlement 1701, the succession is limited to the descendants of the Electress Sophia of... |
1987 | ||
 HawaiiKingdom of Hawaii The Kingdom of Hawaii was established during the years 1795 to 1810 with the subjugation of the smaller independent chiefdoms of Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lānai, Kauai and Niihau by the chiefdom of Hawaii into one unified government... |
Abigail Kawānanakoa Abigail Kinoiki Kekaulike Kawananakoa Princess Abigail Kinoiki Kekaulike III Kawānanakoa was the only child of Princess Liliuokalani Kawananakoa born during her marriage with William Jeremiah Ellerbrock. According to some she became the head of the House of Kawananakoa upon the death of her mother who succeeded her older brother... |
Kawānanakoa House of Kawananakoa The House of Kawānanakoa, or the Kawānanakoa Dynasty in Waiting, are presumptive heirs to the throne of the Kingdom of Hawaii.-Origins:... |
Descendant of David Kawānanakoa David Kawananakoa Prince David Laamea Kahalepouli Kinoiki Kawānanakoa Piikoi , was the patriarch of the House of Kawānanakoa. He was in the line of succession to the throne of the Kingdom of Hawaii around the time of the kingdom's overthrow.-Life:... , heir apparent of Queen Liliuokalani (1891–1895). |
Hereditary | 1895 | ||
| Quentin Kawānanakoa Quentin Kawananakoa Quentin Kūhiō Kawānanakoa , is the head of the House of Kawānanakoa. His claim to the throne of the lapsed Kingdom of Hawaii was supported by the native Hawaiian community, who refer to him as Prince Kawānanakoa. He is a politician of the State of Hawaii, serving as minority leader in the Hawaii... |
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| Noa Kalokuokamaile | Laanui | Descendant of Kalokuokamaile Kalokuokamaile Kalokuokamaile , was a Hawaiian chief and first-born son of Keoua Kalanikupuapaikalaninui and half-brother of Kamehameha the Great who unified the Hawaiian Islands in 1810. He was the progenitor of the House of Kalokuokamaile.- Biography :He was born on the island of Maui... , half-brother of King Kamehameha I Kamehameha I Kamehameha I , also known as Kamehameha the Great, conquered the Hawaiian Islands and formally established the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1810. By developing alliances with the major Pacific colonial powers, Kamehameha preserved Hawaii's independence under his rule... (1795–1819). |
Hereditary | ||||
| Tahiti Tahiti Tahiti is the largest island in the Windward group of French Polynesia, located in the archipelago of the Society Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. It is the economic, cultural and political centre of French Polynesia. The island was formed from volcanic activity and is high and mountainous... |
Léopold Pomare | Pomare | Descendant of Queen Pōmare IV Pomare IV Pōmare IV, Queen of Tahiti , more properly Aimata Pōmare IV Vahine-o-Punuateraitua , was the queen of Tahiti between 1827 and 1877... (1877–1880). |
Hereditary | 1880 French Polynesia French Polynesia is an overseas country of the French Republic . It is made up of several groups of Polynesian islands, the most famous island being Tahiti in the Society Islands group, which is also the most populous island and the seat of the capital of the territory... |
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| Joinville Pomare | |||||||
| Tauatomo Mairau |
Other abolished thrones
Elizabeth II previously reigned over a number of countries that have since become republics. She reigned over each of these as Queen of the United Kingdom until their respective acts of independence and the creation of a separate crown. CeylonDominion of Ceylon
The Dominion of Ceylon, known today as Sri Lanka, was a dominion, in the British Empire between 1948 and 1972. In 1948, British Ceylon was granted independence as the Dominion of Ceylon. In 1972, the Dominion of Ceylon became a republic within the Commonwealth, and its name was changed to Sri Lanka...
, as Queen of Ceylon from 6 February 1952 until 22 May 1972, as Queen of the Gambia, from 18 February 1965 until 24 April 1970
Gambian republic referendum, 1970
A referendum on becoming a republic was held in the Gambia in April 1970. The changes would result in the creation of the post of president to replace the Governor-General representing Elizabeth II as head of state. It was the second referendum on the issue, the first in 1965 failing because the...
, as Queen of Ghana, from 6 March 1957 until 1 July 1960
Ghanaian constitutional referendum, 1960
A constitutional referendum was held in Ghana on 27 April 1960. The main issue was a change in the country's status from a constitutional monarchy with Elizabeth II as head of state, to a republic with a presidential system of government....
, as Queen of Guyana, from 26 May 1966 until 23 February 1970, as Queen of Kenya, from 12 December 1963 until 12 December 1964, as Queen of Malawi, from 6 July 1964 until 6 July 1966, as Queen of Malta, from 21 September 1964 until 13 December 1974, as Queen of Mauritius, from 12 March 1968 until 12 March 1992, as Queen of Nigeria, from 1 October 1960 until 1 October 1963
Nigerian First Republic
The First Republic was the republican government of Nigeria between 1963 and 1966 governed by the first republican constitution.-Founding :...
Pakistan
Dominion of Pakistan
The Dominion of Pakistan was an independent federal Commonwealth realm in South Asia that was established in 1947 on the partition of British India into two sovereign dominions . The Dominion of Pakistan, which included modern-day Pakistan and Bangladesh, was intended to be a homeland for the...
, as Queen of Pakistan, from 6 February 1952 until 23 March 1956, as Queen of Sierra Leone, from 27 April 1961 until 19 April 1971, as Queen of South Africa, from 6 February 1952 until 31 May 1961, as Queen of Tanganyika, from 9 December 1961 until 9 December 1962, as Queen of Trinidad and Tobago, from 31 August 1962 until 1 August 1976, as Queen of Uganda, from 9 October 1962 until 9 October 1963
Early independent Uganda
The history of Uganda from 1962 through 1971 comprises the history of Uganda from Ugandan independence from the United Kingdom to the rise of the dictator Idi Amin....
See also
- Abolished monarchyAbolished monarchyThroughout history, monarchies have been abolished, either through revolutions, legislative reforms, coups d'état, or wars. The twentieth century saw a major acceleration of this process, with many monarchies violently overthrown by revolution or war, or else abolished as part of the process of...
- List of current sovereign monarchs
- List of current constituent monarchs
- List of living former sovereign monarchs
- List of royal houses
- List of usurpers
- MonarchismMonarchismMonarchism is the advocacy of the establishment, preservation, or restoration of a monarchy as a form of government in a nation. A monarchist is an individual who supports this form of government out of principle, independent from the person, the Monarch.In this system, the Monarch may be the...