Louis XIV, king of France and Navarre (Painting by Hyacinthe Rigaud, 1701). Early years Birth and ancestry Louis XIV was born in the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye on September 5 1638 and bore the Heir apparent This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Hyacinthe Rigaud ( Hiacint Riagau) ( July 20, 1659 – December 27, 1743) was a French painter of Catalan origin

A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy, a form of government in which the country or entity usually ruled or controlled by an individual who usually rules for life or until abdication. A monarchy is a Form of government in which supreme power is actually or nominally lodged in an individual who is the Head of state, often for life or A system of government is a term that refers to the set of political Institutions by which a Government of a State is organized in order to exert its powers A life tenure or lifetime tenure is a term of office that lasts for the office holder's lifetime unless the office holder is removed from office under extraordinary circumstances Abdication (from the Latin abdicatio, disowning renouncing from ab, away from and dicare, to declare to proclaim as not belonging to one Monarchs may be autocrats (absolute monarchy) or may be ceremonial heads of state who exercise little or no power or only reserve power, with actually authority vested in a parliament or other body (constitutional monarchy). An autocracy is a Form of government in which the Political power is held by a single self-appointed ruler Absolute monarchy is a monarchical Form of government where the king and queen have absolute power over everything A ceremony is an activity infused with Ritual significance performed on a special occasion Head of state is the generic term for the individual or collective office that serves as the chief public representative of a Monarchic or Republican Nation-state In a parliamentary or semi-presidential system of Government, a reserve power is a power that may be exercised by the Head of state without the In Politics, authority ( Latin Auctoritas, used in Roman law as opposed to Potestas and Imperium TalkParliament#Screen-size. -->A  parliament is a Legislature, especially in those A constitutional monarchy, or a limited monarchy, is a form of Constitutional Government, wherein either an elected or hereditary Monarch is Most states only have a single monarch at any given time, although a regent may rule when the monarch is a minor, not present or debilitated. A regent, from the Latin regens "who reigns" is a person selected to act as Head of state (ruling or not because the ruler is a minor In law the term minor (also infant or infancy) is used to refer to a person who is under the age in which one legally assumes Adulthood and is legally Two monarchs have ruled simultaneously in some countries, as in the ancient Greek city-state of Sparta or the joint sovereignty of spouses or relatives (eg. A polis ( πόλις, pronunciation, in English-- plural poleis ( πόλεις, pronunciation, in English --is a City, a The city of Sparta ( Doric Σπάρτα Attic Σπάρτη William and Mary of Kingdom of England and Scotland, Peter and Ivan of Russia, Charles and Joanna of Castile, etc). William III or William of Orange (14 November 1650 &ndash 8 March 1702 He is informally known in Northern Ireland and Scotland as "King Billy" Mary II (30 April 1662 &ndash 28 December 1694 reigned as Queen of England, Ireland and Scotland from 1689 until her death The Kingdom of England was a State (927-1707 located in Western Europe dating from the ninth or tenth century to the early eighteenth century when it was legally The Kingdom of Scotland ( Gaelic: Rìoghachd na h-Alba, Scots: Kinrick o Scotland) was a State in northwest Europe Ivan V Alekseyevich Romanov ( Russian: Иван V Алексеевич, —) was a joint Tsar of Russia (with his younger half-brother The Tsardom of Rus' (Царство Русское was the official name for the Russian state between Ivan IV 's assumption of the title of Tsar (Emperor in 1547 Charles V (24 February 1500 &ndash 21 September 1558 was The Crown of Castile, as a historic entity is usually considered to have begun in 1230 with the third and definitive union of the two kingdoms of León and Castile

Monarchs have various title - king or queen, prince or princess (eg. A king is a male Monarch, or a Head of state, who may or may not depending on the style of government of a nation exercise monarchal powers over a territory usually Prince, from the Latin root Princeps, is a general term for a Monarch, for a member of a monarch's or former monarch's family and is a Princess is the feminine form of Prince (from Latin Princeps, meaning principal citizen Sovereign Prince of Monaco), emperor or empress (eg. The Reigning Prince or Princess of Monaco is the sovereign Monarch and Head of state of the Principality of Monaco. An emperor (from the Latin " Imperator " is a (male Monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an Empire or another type of An emperor (from the Latin " Imperator " is a (male Monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an Empire or another type of Emperor of Japan, Emperor of India), or even duke or grand duke (eg. The of Japan is the country's Monarch. He is the head of the Japanese Imperial Family. Emperor/Empress of India ( Badishah -e-Hind in Hindustani) was used as a Title by the last Mughal emperor Bahadur A duke is a member of the Nobility, historically of highest rank below the Sovereign, and historically controlled a Duchy or a Dukedom The Title grand duke (in Latin, magnus dux; in Spanish, gran duque; in Russian, Великий Герцог Grand Duke of Luxembourg). The Grand Duke of Luxembourg is the Sovereign Monarch and Head of state of Luxembourg. Many monarchs are distinguished by titles and styles. A title is a prefix or suffix added to a person's name to signify either veneration an official position or a professional or academic qualification A style of office, or honorific, is a term which by Tradition or Law precedes a reference to a person who holds a post or Title, or to the They often take part in certain ceremonies, such as a coronation. A coronation is a ceremony marking the investiture of a Monarch with regal power specifically involving the placement of a crown upon his or her head and the

Monarchy are associated with political or sociocultural in nature hereditary rule; most monarchs, both historically and in the modern day, have been born and brought up within a royal family (over a period of time called a dynasty) and trained for future duties. A hereditary monarchy is the most common style of Monarchy and is the form that is used by almost all of the world's existing monarchies A royal family is the extended family of a monarch. Generally the head of a royal family is a king or queen regnant A dynasty is a succession of rulers who belong to the same family for generations Different systems of succession have been used, such as proximity of blood, primogeniture, and agnatic seniority (Salic law). 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 Proximity of blood, or closeness in degree of Kinship, is one of the ways to determine hereditary Succession based on Genealogy. Primogeniture is the Common law right of the Firstborn son to inherit the entire estate, to the exclusion of younger siblings Agnatic (or patrilineal descent is established by tracing descent exclusively through males from a founding male ancestor Salic law ( Lat Lex Salica) was an important body of traditional Law codified for governing the Salian Franks in the Early Middle Ages While traditionally most monarch have been male, female monarchs have also ruled in history; the term queen regnant refers to a ruling monarch, while a queen consort refers to the wife of a reigning king. List of current queens regnant A queen regnant (plural "queens regnant" is qualifying reference to a female Monarch possessing and exercising all of the monarchal A queen consort is the title given to the wife of a reigning king.

Some monarchies are non-hereditary. In an elective monarchy, the monarch is elected but otherwise serves as any other monarch. An elective monarchy is a Monarchy ruled by someone generally from a Royal house, who is elected by a group An election is a Decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold formal office Historical examples of elective monarchy include the Holy Roman Emperors (chosen by prince-electors but often coming from the same dynasty) and the free election of kings of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. The Holy Roman Emperor (Römischer Kaiser or Römisch-Deutscher Kaiser Romanorum Imperator was the elected monarch ruling over the many varying numbers of states The Prince-Electors (or simply Electors) of the Holy Roman Empire ( German: Kurfürst ( pl Free election (Polish wolna elekcja) was the Election of individual kings rather than of Dynasties, to the Polish throne between The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, officially the Commonwealth of the Crown of the Polish Kingdom and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania also known as the Most Serene Republic Modern examples include the Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia and the pope of the Roman Catholic Church, who serves as Sovereign of the Vatican City State and is elected to a life term by the College of Cardinals. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong is the highest ranking office created by the constitution of the federation of Malaysia For the biogeographical region see Malesia Malaysia (məˈleɪʒə or /məˈleɪziə/ is a country that consists of thirteen states and History See also History of the Papacy Catholics recognize the Pope as a successor to Saint Peter, who Jesus named as the "shepherd" and A Gold Sovereign is a Gold coin first issued in 1489 for Henry VII of England and still in production as of 2008 Vatican City, officially the State of the Vatican City (Stato della Città del Vaticano is a Landlocked sovereign City-state whose territory The College of Cardinals (verbose Sacred College of the Holy Roman Church, Sancta Romana Ecclesia, S

Monarchies have existed throughout the world, although in recent centuries many states have abolished the monarchy and becomes republics. A republic is a State or Country that is not led by a hereditary Monarch, but in which the people (or at least a part of its people have impact on its Advocacy of republics is called republicanism, while advocacy of monarchies is called monarchism. Republicanism is the Ideology of governing a nation as a Republic, with an emphasis on Liberty, Rule of law, Popular sovereignty Monarchism is the advocacy of the establishment preservation or restoration of a Monarchy as a Form of government in a nation The principal advantage of hereditary monarchy is the immediate continuity of leadership, with a usually short interregnum (as seen in the classic phrase "The King is dead. Long live the King!"). An interregnum (plural interregna or interregnums) is a period of discontinuity of a government organization or social order The King is dead Long live the King! (French Le Roi est mort vive le Roi ! is a traditional proclamation made following the Accession of a new Monarch in various

Form of governments may be hereditary without being considered monarchies, such as that of family dictatorships or political families are present in many democracies. A family dictatorship, in political science terms a personalistic regime, is a form of Dictatorship that operates much like an Absolute monarchy, yet occurs A political family is a Family in which several members are involved in Politics, particularly electoral politics. Democracy is a form of government in which the supreme power is held completely by the people under a free electoral system

Etymology

The word monarch (Latin: monarcha) comes from the Greek μόναρχος (from μόνος, "one"/"singular," and ἀρχός, "leader"/"guide"/"chief") which referred to a single, at least nominally absolute ruler. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly With time, the word has been succeeded in this meaning by others, such as autocrat or dictator. A dictator is an Authoritarian ruler (eg Absolutist or autocratic) who assumes sole and absolute power without hereditary ascension such as an Absolute In modern usage the word monarch is generally used when referring to a traditional system of hereditary rulership, with elective monarchies often considered as exceptions.

Classification

A particular case is the French co-prince of Andorra, a position held by the elected President of France. This is a list of Co-Princes of Andorra. The Principality of Andorra, in the Pyrenees Mountains on the French – Spanish border Andorra, officially the Principality of Andorra ( Catalan: Principat d'Andorra) is a small Landlocked country in western The President of the French Republic (Président de la République française colloquially referred to in English as the President of France, is France 's elected Nonetheless, he is still generally considered a monarch because of the traditional use of a monarchical title (even though Andorra is, strictly speaking, a diarchy. Diarchy (or dyarchy) from the Greek "δύο" and αρχειν "to rule" is a form of government in which two diarchs are the heads of state ) Similarly, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia is considered a monarch despite only holding the office for five years at a time. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong is the highest ranking office created by the constitution of the federation of Malaysia For the biogeographical region see Malesia Malaysia (məˈleɪʒə or /məˈleɪziə/ is a country that consists of thirteen states and On the other hand, several life-time dictators around the world have not been formally classified as monarchs, but that may be more to do with international political sensitivities than with semantics. President for Life is a Title assumed by some Dictators to remove their Term limit, in the hope that their Authority, legitimacy, and

Succession

Hereditary succession within one family has been most common. The usual hereditary succession is based on some cognatic principles and on seniority, though sometimes merit has played a part. Thus, the most common hereditary system in feudal Europe was based on cognatic primogeniture, where a lord was succeeded by his eldest son, and failing sons, by either daughters or by sons of daughters. The system of tanistry was semi-elective and gave weight also to merits and capability. Tanistry was a system for passing on titles and lands In this system the Tanist ( Irish Tánaiste; Scottish Gaelic Tànaiste The Quasi-Salic succession provided firstly for male members of the family to succeed, and secondarily males descended from female lines. In most feudal fiefs, females (such as daughters and sisters) were allowed to succeed, should the male line fail, but usually the husband of the heiress became the real lord and most often also received the title, jure uxoris. Jure uxoris is a Latin term that means "by right of the wife Great Britain and Spain today continue this model of succession law, in the form of cognatic primogeniture. Primogeniture is the Common law right of the Firstborn son to inherit the entire estate, to the exclusion of younger siblings In more complex medieval cases, the sometimes conflicting principles of proximity and primogeniture battled, and outcomes were often idiosyncratic. Proximity of blood, or closeness in degree of Kinship, is one of the ways to determine hereditary Succession based on Genealogy. Primogeniture is the Common law right of the Firstborn son to inherit the entire estate, to the exclusion of younger siblings

As the average life span among the nobility increased (thanks to lords limiting their personal participation in dangerous battles, and generally improved sustenance and living conditions among the wealthy), an eldest son was more likely to reach majority age before the death of his father, and primogeniture became increasingly favoured over proximity, tanistry, seniority and election.

Later, when lands were strictly divided among noble families and tended to remain fixed, agnatic primogeniture (practically the same as Salic Law) became more usual: the succession would go to the eldest son of the monarch, or, if the monarch had no sons, the throne would pass to the nearest male relative through the male line, to the total exclusion of females. Salic law ( Lat Lex Salica) was an important body of traditional Law codified for governing the Salian Franks in the Early Middle Ages

In some countries however, inheritance through the female line was never wholly abandoned, so that if the monarch had no sons, the throne would pass to the eldest daughter and to her posterity. (This, cognatic primogeniture, was the rule that let Elizabeth II become Queen. For the ship see RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Context States headed by Elizabeth II )

In 1980, Sweden became the first monarchy to declare equal primogeniture or full cognatic primogeniture, meaning that the eldest child of the monarch, whether female or male, ascends to the throne. "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. ^[1] Other kingdoms (the Netherlands in 1983, Norway in 1990, and Belgium in 1991) have since followed suit. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those

In some monarchies, such as Saudi Arabia, succession to the throne usually first passes to the monarch's next eldest brother, and only after that to the monarch's children (agnatic seniority). The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, KSA ( المملكة العربية السعودية, al-Mamlaka al-ʻArabiyya as-Suʻūdiyya) or Suudi In some other monarchies (e. g. Jordan), the monarch chooses who will be his successor, who need not necessarily be his eldest son. Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (الأردنّ al-Urdunn) is an Arab country in Southwest Asia spanning the southern

History

Further information: Monarchy

Tigranes the Great, monarch of Armenia from 95 BC to 55 BC

Monarchs in Africa

Further information: Monarchies in Africa

Further information: History of Africa

A series of Pharaohs ruled Ancient Egypt over the course of three millennia (circa 3150 BC to 31 BC) until it was conquered by the Roman Empire. A monarchy is a Form of government in which supreme power is actually or nominally lodged in an individual who is the Head of state, often for life or This article is about a king of Armenia in the 1st century BCE. Armenia (Հայաստան transliterated: Hayastan,) officially the Republic of Armenia (Հայաստանի Հանրապետություն Hayastani Several African countries have had monarchies in the context of the modern Nation-state. The history of Africa begins with the first emergence of Homo sapiens in East Africa, continuing into its modern present as a patchwork of Pharaoh is the title given in modern parlance to the ancient Egyptian kings of all periods Ancient Egypt was an Ancient Civilization in eastern North Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial In the same time period, several kingdoms flourished in the nearby Nubia region. This article is about the region in Africa for other uses see Nubia (disambiguation.

Central Africa hosted the Kanem Empire (700 - 1376). Central Africa is a core Region of the African Continent often considered to include Burundi, the Central African Republic, Chad

In East Africa, the Aksumite Empire and later the Ethiopian Empire (1270-1974) were ruled by a series of monarchs. East Africa is the Easternmost Region of the African Continent. The Aksumite Empire or Axumite Empire (sometimes called the Kingdom of Aksum or Axum ( Ge'ez: አክሱም was an important trading The Ethiopian Empire, also known as Abyssinia, was in what is now Ethiopia and Eritrea. Haile Selassie, the last Emperor of Ethiopia, was deposed in a communist coup. Haile Selassie I ( Ge'ez: am ኃይለ፡ ሥላሴ "Power of the Trinity " 23 July 1892 &ndash 27 August 1975 born Tafari Makonnen, was Communism is a Socioeconomic structure that promotes the establishment of an egalitarian, classless, stateless Society based

Southern Africa was isolated from other cultures until the modern era, but did later feature kingdoms like the Kingdom of Kongo (1400 – 1914). Southern Africa is the Southernmost Region of the African Continent, variably defined by Geography or Geopolitics. The Kingdom of Kongo (1400 – 1914 ( Kongo: Kongo dya Ntotila or Wene wa Kongo) was an African kingdom located in west central Africa in what

As part of the Scramble for Africa, Europeans conquered, bought, or established African kingdoms and styled themselves as a monarch. The Scramble for Africa, also known as the Race for Africa, was the proliferation of conflicting European claims to African territory during the New

Monarchs in Europe

Further information: European Monarchs

Stanisław August, by the grace of God and the will of the people King of Poland, Grand Duke of Lithuania and Duke of Ruthenia, Prussia, Masovia, Samogitia, Kiev, Volhynia, Podolia, Podlachia, Livonia, Smolensk, Severia and Chernihiv

Further information: Monarchies in Europe

Prince was a common title within the Holy Roman Empire, along with a number of higher titles listed below. This is a list of currently reigning monarchs. Therefore monarchs who were deposed or who ruled an Abolished monarchy do not appear There are twelve monarchies in Europe today ten of these are states whose Head of state (a Monarch) Inherits his or her office and usually keeps it The Holy Roman Empire ( HRE; German Heiliges Römisches Reich (HRR, Latin Sacrum Romanum Imperium (SRI was a union of territories in Such titles were granted by the Emperor, while the titulation of rulers of sovereign states was generally left to their own discretion, most often choosing King or Queen. Such titulations could cause diplomatic problems, and especially the elevation to Emperor or Empress was seen as an offensive action. Diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting Negotiations between representatives of groups or states An emperor (from the Latin " Imperator " is a (male Monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an Empire or another type of An emperor (from the Latin " Imperator " is a (male Monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an Empire or another type of During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries most small monarchies in Europe disappeared, merging to form larger entities, and so King the most common title for male rulers and Queen has become the most common title today for female rulers.

Today in Europe, there are seven kingdoms, one grand duchy, one duchy ^[2], one papacy, and three principalities (Liechtenstein, Wales and Monaco), excluding the peculiar case of Andorra and one "Lord of Mann" — the title for the monarch of Isle of Man. A monarchy is a Form of government in which supreme power is actually or nominally lodged in an individual who is the Head of state, often for life or A grand duchy is a territory whose Head of state is a Grand Duke or Grand Duchess. A duchy is a territory fief, or domain ruled by a Duke or Duchess. History See also History of the Papacy Catholics recognize the Pope as a successor to Saint Peter, who Jesus named as the "shepherd" and A principality (or princedom) is a monarchical feudatory or Sovereign state, ruled or reigned over by a monarch with the title of Prince The Principality of Liechtenstein (Fürstentum Liechtenstein) is a tiny doubly landlocked Alpine country in Western Europe, bordered by Switzerland For other uses see Monaco (disambiguation Monaco, officially the Principality of Monaco ( French: Principauté de Monaco; Monégasque Andorra, officially the Principality of Andorra ( Catalan: Principat d'Andorra) is a small Landlocked country in western The title Lord of Mann (Chiarn Vanninagh is used on the Isle of Man to refer to Queen Elizabeth II, who is the Island's Lord Proprietor and Head The Isle of Man (Ellan Vannin ˈɛlʲən ˈvanɪn or Mann (Mannin) is a self-governing Crown dependency, located in the Irish Sea at the geographical

Monarchs in Asia

In China, "king" is the usual translation for the term wang 王, the sovereign before the Qin dynasty and during the Ten Kingdoms period. Not to be confused with the Qing Dynasty, the last dynasty of China Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms ( 907-960 was an era of political upheaval in China, beginning in the Tang Dynasty and ending in the Song Dynasty. During the early Han dynasty, China had a number of small kingdoms, each about the size of a county and subordinate to the Empress or Emperor of China. The Han Dynasty ( 206 BC–220 AD followed the Qin Dynasty and preceded the Three Kingdoms in China. A county is a Land area of Regional Government within a larger State.

The Japanese monarchy is now the only monarchy to still use the title of Emperor. The of Japan is the country's Monarch. He is the head of the Japanese Imperial Family.

Monarchs in the Americas

The concept of monarchy existed in the Americas long before the arrival of European colonialists. ^[3][4] When the Europeans arrived they referred to these tracts of land within territories of different aboriginal groups to be kingdoms, and the leaders of these groups were often referred to by the Europeans as Kings, particularly hereditary leaders. ^[5] Many of the leaders were queens, but this was not understood by the Europeans, who had no knowledge of the indigenous history or languages, much less an understanding of matrilineality

Pre-colonial titles that were used included:

• Cacique - Aboriginal Hispaniola and Borinquen
• Tlatoani - Nahuas
• Ajaw - Maya
• Qhapaq Inka - Tawuantin Suyu (Inca Empire)
• Morubixaba - Tupi tribes
• Sha-quan- King of the world used in some America Indian tribes

The first local monarch to emerge in North America after colonization was Augustin I, who declared himself Emperor of Mexico in 1822. Matrilineality is a system in which lineage is traced through the mother and maternal ancestors Cacique or Cazique (female form Cacica) from the Taíno word for the Pre-Columbian tribal chiefs or leaders, of the Taino Hispaniola (from Spanish, La Española) is the second-largest and most populous Island of the Antilles, lying between the islands of Puerto Rico (ˌpwertoˈriko officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ("Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico" {{lang-en|"Associated Free State of Puerto Rico"}} Tlatoani (tlàtoāni tɬaʔtoˈaːni plural nci tlàtòquê,) is the Nahuatl term for the ruler of an Altepetl, a Pre-Hispanic Ajaw (also ahau or ahaw in the older orthography is a political rulership title attested from the epigraphic inscriptions of the Pre-Columbian The Maya civilization is a Mesoamerican Civilization, noted for the only known fully developed written language of the Pre-Columbian Americas The God Emperor of the Inca Empire ( Quechua: Inka Qhapaq) of the Andes (the area including modern Peru, Ecuador, and The Inca Empire (or Inka Empire) was the largest empire in Pre-Columbian America. Agustín Cosme Damián de Iturbide y Arámburu ( September 27, 1783 &ndash July 19, 1824) was Emperor of Mexico as Augustin The Mexican Empire was the name of Mexico on two non-consecutive occasions in the 19th century when it was ruled by an Emperor. Mexico again had an emperor, Maximilian I from 1863 to 1867. Maximilian I Emperor of Mexico (Emperador Maximiliano I de México (6 July 1832 – 19 June 1867 (born Ferdinand Maximilian Joseph was a member of Austria In South America, Brazil had a European royal house ruling as emperor between 1822 and 1889, under Emperors Pedro I and Pedro II. Pedro I (ˈpedɾuin Brazilian Portuguese and in European Portuguese; English: Peter of Alcantara Francis Anthony John Charles Xavier of Paula Pedro II, (ˈpedɾu seˈgũdu December 2, 1825 December 5, 1891) was the second and last Emperor of Brazil.

These American emperors were deposed due to complex issues, including pressure from the highly republican United States, which had declared itself independent of the British monarch in 1776. A republic is a State or Country that is not led by a hereditary Monarch, but in which the people (or at least a part of its people have impact on its The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The British, worried about U. S. colonial expansion, invasion following the American Civil War, and the fact that the U. Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South S. had aided the Mexican republican rebels in overthrowing Maximilian I, pushed for the union of the Canadian provinces into a country in 1867. With Confederation, Canada became a self-governing nation which was considered a kingdom in its own right,^[6] though it remained subordinate to the United Kingdom; thus, Victoria was monarch of Canada, but not sovereign of it. Canadian Confederation was the process by which the federal Dominion of Canada was formed beginning 1 July 1867 from the The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901 was from 20 June 1837 the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland It was not until the passing of the Statute of Westminster that Canada was considered to be under a distinct Canadian Crown, separate to that the British, and not until 1953 that the Canadian monarch, at the time Elizabeth II, was titled by Canadian law as Queen of Canada. The Statute of Westminster 1931 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (22 & 23 Geo For the ship see RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Context States headed by Elizabeth II

Between 1931 and 1983 nine other previous British colonies attained independence as kingdoms, all, including Canada, in a personal union relationship under a shared monarch. A personal union is the combination by which two different States are governed by the same Monarch, while their boundaries their laws and their interests remain distinct Therefore, though today there are legally ten American monarchs, one person occupies each distinct position.

Titles

The normal monarch title in Europe — i. e. , the one used if the monarch has no higher title — is prince or princess, by convention. Prince, from the Latin root Princeps, is a general term for a Monarch, for a member of a monarch's or former monarch's family and is a Princess is the feminine form of Prince (from Latin Princeps, meaning principal citizen As an absolute ruler, a monarch can choose a title. However, titles are usually defined by tradition and diplomatic considerations.

Note that some of these titles have several meanings and do not necessarily designate a monarch. A Prince may be a person of royal blood (some languages uphold this distinction, see Fürst). Prince, from the Latin root Princeps, is a general term for a Monarch, for a member of a monarch's or former monarch's family and is a (plural Fürsten) is a German title of nobility, usually translated into English as Prince. A Duke may be a British peer. A duke is a member of the Nobility, historically of highest rank below the Sovereign, and historically controlled a Duchy or a Dukedom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The Peerage is a system of Titles of Nobility in the United Kingdom, part of the British honours system. In Imperial Russia, a Grand Duke was a son or grandson of the Tsar or Tsarina. The Russian Empire ( Pre-reform Russian: Pоссійская Имперія Modern Russian: Российская Империя translit: Rossiyskaya The Title grand duke (in Latin, magnus dux; in Spanish, gran duque; in Russian, Великий Герцог Tsar csar and tzar redirect here For other uses see Tsar (disambiguation. Holders of titles in these alternative meanings did not enjoy the same status as the monarchs of the same title.

Within the Holy Roman Empire, there were even more titles that were used occasionally for monarchs although they were normally noble; Margrave, Count Palatine, and Landgrave. The Holy Roman Empire ( HRE; German Heiliges Römisches Reich (HRR, Latin Sacrum Romanum Imperium (SRI was a union of territories in Margrave (marchio is the English and French form (recorded since 1551 of the German Title Markgraf (from Mark " This article gives details on the history of the Count Palatine in Mediaeval European Palatinate regions and social structure Landgrave ( Dutch landgraaf, German Landgraf; French landgrave; Latin comes magnus, comes patriae A monarch with such a low title still was regarded as more important than a noble Duke.

The pope is the Bishop of Rome (a celibate office always forbidden to women), in English however, reports of female popes such as (Pope Joan) refer to them as pope and Popess is used, among other things, for the second trump in the Tarot deck; some European languages also have a feminine form of the word pope, such as the Italian papessa, the French papesse, and the German Päpstin

Titles by region

When a difference exists below, male titles are placed to the left and female titles are placed to the right of the slash. A count is a Nobleman in European countries The word count comes from French comte, itself from Latin A count is a Nobleman in European countries The word count comes from French comte, itself from Latin A county is a Land area of Regional Government within a larger State. The Holy Roman Empire ( HRE; German Heiliges Römisches Reich (HRR, Latin Sacrum Romanum Imperium (SRI was a union of territories in Graf is a historical German noble title equal in rank to a Count (derived from the Latin Comes, with a history of its own or a British The Count of Barcelona was the major ruler in Catalonia from the 9th until the 17th century This article lists the Margraves and Electors of Brandenburg during the period of time that Brandenburg was a constituent state of the Holy Roman Empire Baden is a historical state in the southwest of Germany, on the right bank of the Rhine. Baron is a specific Title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin (liber A barony is an Administrative division of a country usually of lower rank and importance than a County. History See also History of the Papacy Catholics recognize the Pope as a successor to Saint Peter, who Jesus named as the "shepherd" and The Papal States, State(s of the Church or Pontifical States (in Italian Stato Ecclesiastico, Stato della Chiesa, Stati della Chiesa Vatican City, officially the State of the Vatican City (Stato della Città del Vaticano is a Landlocked sovereign City-state whose territory Pope Joan is the name of a Female Pope (also La Papessa) who supposedly reigned for less than three years in the 850s between the papacies of

• Africa
  • Chieftain - Leader of a people
  • Negus - Ethiopia
  • Tutsi Mwami - Kings of Rwanda and Burundi
  • Oba - Yoruba people of Nigeria
  • Eze - Igbo people of Nigeria
  • Kabaka - Baganda people of Buganda in Uganda
  • Almamy - Fulani people of west Africa
  • Omukama - Bunyoro, title of some kings in Uganda
  • Asantehene - Ashanti, title of the King of the Ashanti People in Ghana

• Asia
  • Arasan/Arasi - Tamil Nadu(India), Sri Lanka
  • Veyndhan, ko/Arasi - Tamil Nadu(India)
  • Druk Gyalpo — hereditary title given to the king of Bhutan
  • Chakrawarti Raja - India Sri Lanka
  • Chogyal — "Divine Ruler" — ruled Sikkim until 1975
  • Engku or Ungku - Malaysia, to denote particular family lineage akin to royalty
  • Qaghan - Central Asian Tribes
  • Hwangje - States that unified Korea
  • Wang - States of Korea that do not have control over all of Korea
  • Huángdì - Imperial China (Emperor)
  • Susuhanan - the Indonesian princely state of Surakarta until its abolition
  • Sultan - Aceh, Brunei Darussalam, Java, Oman, Malaysia, Sultan is the title of seven (Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Pahang, Perak, Selangor, and Terengganu) of the nine rulers of the Malay states
  • Maha Raja - India Sri Lanka
  • Meurah - Aceh before Islam
  • Yang di-Pertuan Agong - Monarch of Malaysia, elected each five years among the reigning Sultan of each Malaysian state
  • Sumeramikoto, Okimi - Japan, king
  • Tennō or Mikado - Japan
  • Shogun - Japanese military dictator, always a Samurai
  • Saopha - Shan, king of Shan, today as a part of Myanmar
  • Shahinshah or Padshah or Badshah or simply Shah - Emperor of Iran or Hindustan(India)
  • Syed or Shariffah - Malaysia, descendants of the Islamic prophet Muhammad; Syed/Sharifah in Perlis if suffixed by the royal clan name, is roughly equivalent to Prince or Princess
  • Wang (King) - pre-Imperial China
    • In China, "king" is the usual translation for the term wang 王. A traditional tribal chief is the leader of a Tribe, or the head of a tribal form of self-government For other uses see Negus (disambiguation Negus ( Ge'ez gez ንጉሥ, Amharic; cf NOTE This intro is the result of careful NPOV work Please do not make potentially controversial edits to it without first discussing on the talk page The Tutsi are one of three native Peoples of the nations of Rwanda and Burundi in central Africa, the other two being the Twa Mwami (IPAmwɑmi/mŋɑmi is the chiefly title in Kirundi and Kinyarwanda, the Congolese Nande and Bashi languages Luhya in Kenya The Republic of Rwanda (ruːˈændə or /rəˈwɑːndə/ in English ɾwanda or in Kinyarwanda is a small Landlocked country in the Burundi (buˈɾundi officially the Republic of Burundi, is a small country in the Great Lakes region of Eastern Africa bordered by Rwanda Oba, (pronounced Or-ba means King or ruler in the Yoruba language The Yoruba (Yo•row•ba ( Yorùbá in Yoruba Orthography) are one of the largest ethno-linguistic or Ethnic groups in West Africa Nigeria, officially named the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal Constitutional republic comprising thirty-six states and one Federal The Igbo [iɡɓo] ( Igbo: Igbo, sometimes Nd'Igbo) sometimes referred to (usually formerly as the Ibo, Eboe, Ebo The Igbo [iɡɓo] ( Igbo: Igbo, sometimes Nd'Igbo) sometimes referred to (usually formerly as the Ibo, Eboe, Ebo Nigeria, officially named the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal Constitutional republic comprising thirty-six states and one Federal Buganda is the kingdom of the Baganda people the largest of the traditional kingdoms in present-day Uganda. Almami (Also Almamy, Almani, Almany) is a title of West African Muslim rulers used especially in the conquest states of the 19th century The Fula or Fulbe or Fulani (the latter being an Anglicisation of the word in their language Fulɓe) are an ethnic group of Omukama: often translated as "king" (OMukama means in Bantu (Batoro- Banyoro- and other languages something like "superior Milkman /milkbringer" Bunyoro is a region of Uganda, and from the sixteenth to the nineteenth century one of the most powerful kingdoms of East Africa. Rulers of the Akan state of Asanteman (Empire of Ashanti Territory comprised part of present-day southern Ghana and portions of present-day eastern Ashanti, or Asante, are a major Ethnic group of Ashanti Region in Ghana. Ashanti, or Asante, are a major Ethnic group of Ashanti Region in Ghana. The Republic of Ghana is a country in West Africa. It borders Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast to the west Burkina Faso to the north Togo to the The Tamil tele-serial " Arasi " (spelt "Arase" on the title card is the sequel to " Selvi " the previous offering from Radaan Mediaworks in the 9 Tamil Nadu ( Tamil:, Country of the Tamils, t̪ɐmɨɻ n̪aːɽɯ is one of the 28 states of India. Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka ( Sinhalese:, இலங்கை known as Ceylon before 1972 is an Island The Tamil tele-serial " Arasi " (spelt "Arase" on the title card is the sequel to " Selvi " the previous offering from Radaan Mediaworks in the 9 Tamil Nadu ( Tamil:, Country of the Tamils, t̪ɐmɨɻ n̪aːɽɯ is one of the 28 states of India. Bhutan was founded and unified as a country by Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal in the mid-1600s The Kingdom of Bhutan (buːˈtɑːn is a Landlocked nation in South Asia. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka ( Sinhalese:, இலங்கை known as Ceylon before 1972 is an Island The Chogyal ( were the monarchs of the former kingdom of Sikkim. For the biogeographical region see Malesia Malaysia (məˈleɪʒə or /məˈleɪziə/ is a country that consists of thirteen states and For other titles related to and uses of Khan, see that article Origin The title The Korean Dynasties are listed in the order of their fall This list includes the monarchs' romanized posthumous or Temple names and reign dates The Korean Dynasties are listed in the order of their fall This list includes the monarchs' romanized posthumous or Temple names and reign dates The Emperor of China ( refers to any sovereign of Imperial China reigning since the founding of the Qin Dynasty in 221 BC until the fall of Sultan (سلطان is an Islamic title with several historical meanings See also Sultanate of Aceh Aceh (ʔaˈtɕɛh generally anglicized as ˈɑːtʃeɪ is a special territory ( daerah istimewa) of Indonesia Brunei Darussalam, (bruːˈnaɪ in English officially the State of Brunei Abode of Peace (Negara Brunei Darussalam Jawi: برني دارالسلام Java (Jawa is an Island of Indonesia and the site of its Capital city Jakarta. Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman ( Arabic: سلطنة عُمان) is an Arab Country in Southwest Asia on the southeast For the biogeographical region see Malesia Malaysia (məˈleɪʒə or /məˈleɪziə/ is a country that consists of thirteen states and India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka ( Sinhalese:, இலங்கை known as Ceylon before 1972 is an Island The Yang di-Pertuan Agong is the highest ranking office created by the constitution of the federation of Malaysia The of Japan is the country's Monarch. He is the head of the Japanese Imperial Family. The of Japan is the country's Monarch. He is the head of the Japanese Imperial Family. is a military rank and historical title in Japan. The Japanese word for "general" it is made up of two Kanji words sho, meaning "commander" A military dictatorship is a Form of government wherein the political power resides with the Military; it is similar but not identical to a Stratocracy, is the term for the military nobility of Pre-industrial Japan. "Sawbwa" redirects here For the Fish Genus, see Sawbwa (fish. The Shan (ရှမ်းလူမျိုး ʃán lùmjóʊ) are a Tai Ethnic group of The Shan (ရှမ်းလူမျိုး ʃán lùmjóʊ) are a Tai Ethnic group of Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. Padishah, Padshah, Padeshah, Badishah or Badshah ( Persian پادشاه Pādeshāh) is a very prestigious Padishah, Padshah, Padeshah, Badishah or Badshah ( Persian پادشاه Pādeshāh) is a very prestigious Shah is an Iranian term for a Monarch (leader that has been adopted in many other languages For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. Hindustan (हिन्दुस्तान, ہندوستان,) is one of the popular Names of India. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country For the biogeographical region see Malesia Malaysia (məˈleɪʒə or /məˈleɪziə/ is a country that consists of thirteen states and Wang (King and Huangdi (Emperor The King or Wang (Chinese 王 or 國王 wáng was the title of the Chinese Head of state until the Qin dynasty China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National
  • Emperor of China
  • Patabenda - Sub- king Sri lanka
  • Preah Karuna Preah Bat Sâmdech Preah Bâromneath - King of Cambodia Khmer , the title literally means "The feet of the Greatest Lord who is on the heads (of his subjects)" (This royal title doesn't refer directly to the king himself but to his feet, according to traditions. The Emperor of China ( refers to any sovereign of Imperial China reigning since the founding of the Qin Dynasty in 221 BC until the fall of Patabändigé (also Patangatim Pattangatti Pattankatti in historical sources is one of the most prevalent gé names among the Karava race of Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka ( Sinhalese:, இலங்கை known as Ceylon before 1972 is an Island Norodom Sihamoni (នរោត្តម សីហមុនី born 14 May 1953 is the King of Cambodia. The current title of the Head of State of Cambodia is King.This is a complete list of all Heads of States of Cambodia, both Presidents, )
  • Phrabat Somdej Phrachaoyuhua - King of Thailand (Siam), the title literally means "The feet of the Greatest Lord who is on the heads (of his subjects)" (This royal title doesn't refer directly to the king himself but to his feet, according to traditions. Bhumibol Adulyadej (ภูมิพลอดุลยเดช pʰuːmipʰon adunjadeːt Royal Institute: Phumiphon Adunyadet;) (born Monday 5 December 1927 The Chakri dynasty has ruled Thailand since the founding of the Ratthanakosin era in 1782 following the end of Taksin of Thonburi 's reign when the )
  • Racha - Thailand same meaning as Raja
  • Datu - pre-colonial Philippines
  • Raja - pre-colonial Philippines
  • Raja - Malaysia, Raja denotes royalty in Perak and certain Selangor royal family lineages, is roughly equivalent to Prince or Princess
  • Tengku - Malaysia, Tengku (also spelled Tunku in Johor, Negeri Sembilan and Kedah is roughly equivalent to Prince or Princess
  • Raja - Nepal King
  • Rani - Nepali Queen
  • Hari - Filipino title for king

• Europe
  • Giray - Crimean King
  • Arqa/Thagavor - Armenian King
  • Germanic king
  • Basileus - Greek King
  • Despot - Serbia (originating from Byzantium)
  • Vezér - Ancient Hungarian
  • Fejedelem - Ancient/Medieval Hungarian
  • Imperator Tsar / Czar Autocrat - The Ruler of Imperial Russia
  • Vojvoda (Serbian)/Vajda (Hungarian) - Serbian/Hungarian/Romany Title
  • Domn (in Romanian) /Gospodar (in Old Slavonian) - Medieval Romania (Moldova, Wallachia)
  • Rí, Rúirí, Rí Rúireach and Ard Rí - King, local overking, regional King, and High King in pre-Norman Ireland
  • Kniaz'/Knyaginya/Knez/Knjeginja (generally translated as "prince") - Kievan Rus'/Serbia
  • Kralj- Croatia, Serbia
  • Kaiser - Imperial Germany
  • Tsar/Tsaritsa - Bulgaria, pre-imperial Russia, Serbia
  • Kunigaikshtis (Kunigaikštis) - Lithuanian, duke as in Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Racha (also Ratcha, Georgian: რაჭა Račʼa) is a historic province in Georgia, in the mountainous northwestern part of the country Datu or datto is the title for ancient tribal chieftains and monarchs in pre-Hispanic Philippines. For other uses see Raja (disambiguation and Rajah (disambiguation. For other uses see Raja (disambiguation and Rajah (disambiguation. For the biogeographical region see Malesia Malaysia (məˈleɪʒə or /məˈleɪziə/ is a country that consists of thirteen states and The Malay language has a complex system of Titles and Honorifics which is still extensively used in Malaysia and Brunei. For the biogeographical region see Malesia Malaysia (məˈleɪʒə or /məˈleɪziə/ is a country that consists of thirteen states and For other uses see Raja (disambiguation and Rajah (disambiguation. Giray (sing Geray pl Geraylar alternative spellings Guirey, Ghirai, Ghiray, Geray, is the Genghisid dynasty which reigned in Crimea (kraɪˈmiːə or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea (Крим Автономна Республіка Крим Avtonomna Respublika Krym; Крым A king is a male Monarch, or a Head of state, who may or may not depending on the style of government of a nation exercise monarchal powers over a territory usually Germanic monarchy, also called barbarian monarchy, was a monarchical systemof government which was predominant among the Germanic tribes of Late Antiquity "Basilissa" redirects here For the saint of this name see Julian and Basilissa. This article is about the city See also Byzantine Empire. Byzantium ( Greek: Βυζάντιον Latin: la BYZANTIVM Fejedelem was the title born by Rulers of Hungary before Stephen I adopted the title of King. The Latin word Imperator was a title originally roughly equivalent to commander during the period of the Roman Republic. An autocracy is a Form of government in which the Political power is held by a single self-appointed ruler A voivode or waywode is a Slavic title that originally denoted the principal commander of a military force A voivode or waywode is a Slavic title that originally denoted the principal commander of a military force Domnitor (pl domnitori) was the official title of the ruler of the United Principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia between 1859 and Moldova, officially the Republic of Moldova ( Republica Moldova) is a Landlocked country in Eastern Europe, located between Romania This article is about the region in what is now Southern Romania A High King of Ireland ( Ard Rí na hÉireann) is a historical or legendary figure who claimed lordship over the whole of Ireland. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world Kniaz’ or knyaz is a word found in some Slavic languages, denoting a Nobility rank Kaiser is the German title meaning " Emperor " with Kaiserin being the female equivalent " Empress " Tsar csar and tzar redirect here For other uses see Tsar (disambiguation. Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublika is a Country in Eastern often referred to as Northern Europe or in the A duke is a member of the Nobility, historically of highest rank below the Sovereign, and historically controlled a Duchy or a Dukedom The Grand Duchy of Lithuania (Lietuvos Didžioji Kunigaikštystė old literary Lithuanian Didi Kunigiste Letuvos, Ruthenian: Wialikaje Kniastwa Litowskaje
  • Župan sometimes Veliki Župan (Grand Župan) - Serbia, Croatia
  • Autocrator Greek term for the Byzantine Emperor
  • Mbret - Albanian King

• Africa and the Middle-East
  • Pharaoh - ancient Egypt
  • Shah - Persian/Iranian and Afghanistan King
  • Shahenshah - Persian/Iranian "King of Kings" or Emperor
  • Sheikh - Arabic leader, King or Prince (Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE)
  • Sultan/Sultana - Arabic King (Oman and Ottoman Empire)

• Oceania
  • Chieftain - Leader of a tribe or clan. Župa, zhupa, żupa ( Cyrillic: Жупа is a Slavic term notably among the Southern and Western branches of the Pharaoh is the title given in modern parlance to the ancient Egyptian kings of all periods Shah is an Iranian term for a Monarch (leader that has been adopted in many other languages The Persian Empire was a series of Iranian empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the original Persian homeland and beyond in Western Asia For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. Sheikh, also rendered as Sheik, Cheikh, Shaikh, and other variants ( Arabic:, shaykh The Kingdom of Bahrain (in مملكة البحرين,, literally Kingdom of the Two Seas) is an Island country in the Persian Gulf The State of Kuwait ( دولة الكويت IPA [dawlatt̪ alkuwajt̪]) is a sovereign Arab Emirate on the coast of the Persian Gulf, enclosed Qatar ( قطر; ˈqɑtˁɑr local pronunciation giṭar officially the State of Qatar (Arabic دولة قطر transliterated Sultan (سلطان is an Islamic title with several historical meanings The term Sultana ( Arabic: سلطانه) is used for a few Muslim women rulers in history Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman ( Arabic: سلطنة عُمان) is an Arab Country in Southwest Asia on the southeast The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish A traditional tribal chief is the leader of a Tribe, or the head of a tribal form of self-government
  • Tuʻi or tui - there were/are also kings in Oceania (i. e. Tonga, Wallis and Futuna, Nauru)
  • houʻeiki, matai, aliʻi, tūlafale, tavana, ariki - usually translated as "chief" in various Polynesian countries. The Kingdom of Tonga is an Archipelago in the south Pacific Ocean comprising 169 islands 36 of them inhabited stretching over a distance of about 800 kilometres (500 miles Wallis and Futuna, officially the Territory of Wallis and Futuna Islands ( French: Wallis et Futuna or Territoire des îles Wallis et Futuna, Nauru, officially the Republic of Nauru, is an Island nation in the Micronesian South Pacific. Alii is the hereditary chiefly or noble rank ( class, Caste) in traditional Hawaiian society
  • "Mo'i" normally translated as King is a title used by Hawaiian monarchs since unification in 1810. The last person to hold that title was Queen Lili'uokalani.

Current monarchs

See also: List of current monarchs

NOTE: The table comprises all sovereign monarchs of the world today, but is severely incomplete with regard to the non-sovereign monarchs. This is a list of currently reigning monarchs. Therefore monarchs who were deposed or who ruled an Abolished monarchy do not appear

Use of titles by non-sovereigns

It is not uncommon that people who are not generally seen as monarchs nevertheless use monarchical titles. Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, KCMG (حمد بن عيسى آل خليفة (born December 28, 1949 in Riffa, Bahrain) The position of King of Bahrain was created in February 2002 when the then Emir of Bahrain Hamad ibn Isa al-Khalifah gave himself The Kingdom of Bahrain (in مملكة البحرين,, literally Kingdom of the Two Seas) is an Island country in the Persian Gulf The Al Khalifa (آل خليفة dynasty is the ruling Sunni family of Bahrain. Succession to the Bahraini throne is determined by primogeniture amongst the male descendants of Hakim Isa ibn Ali Al Khalifa. Shaikh Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa Crown Prince of Bahrain (الشيخ سلمان بن حمد آل خليفة (born 21 October 1974) is the Crown Prince King Soane Patita Maituku (1947?- was the Tu'i Agaifo from 2002 to 2008 when he resigned Tu'i, also spelled more simplistically Tui, is a Polynesian traditional title for Tribal chiefs or princes Alo, also known unofficially as Tu`a, is one of the three official chiefdoms of the French territory of Wallis and Futuna, which encompasses the eastern Wallis and Futuna, officially the Territory of Wallis and Futuna Islands ( French: Wallis et Futuna or Territoire des îles Wallis et Futuna, Joan Enric Vives i Sicília (born July 24, 1949 in Barcelona, Spain) is the current Bishop of Urgell, a Roman Catholic This is a list of Co-Princes of Andorra. The Principality of Andorra, in the Pyrenees Mountains on the French – Spanish border Andorra, officially the Principality of Andorra ( Catalan: Principat d'Andorra) is a small Landlocked country in western Visesio Moeliku, born in 1922, has been Tu`i Sigave ( King of Sigave) in Wallis and Futuna, since March 10, 2004 Tu'i, also spelled more simplistically Tui, is a Polynesian traditional title for Tribal chiefs or princes Sigavé (also Singave) is one of the three official chiefdoms of the French territory of Wallis and Futuna, which is encompasses the western third (30 out Wallis and Futuna, officially the Territory of Wallis and Futuna Islands ( French: Wallis et Futuna or Territoire des îles Wallis et Futuna, Norodom Sihamoni (នរោត្តម សីហមុនី born 14 May 1953 is the King of Cambodia. The current title of the Head of State of Cambodia is King.This is a complete list of all Heads of States of Cambodia, both Presidents, The Kingdom of Cambodia ( formerly known as Kampuchea (, transliterated: Preăh Réachéanachâkr Kâmpŭchea) is a country in South East Succession to the Cambodian throne is determined by the Royal Council of the Throne as the King does not the power to appoint an heir to the throne Khalifa bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan (خليفة بن زايد بن سلطان النهيان referred to either as Sheikh Nahyan or Sheikh Khalifa is the current List of Rulers of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi Al Nahyan of Al Abu Falah Dynasty List of Rulers of the Emirate of Ajman Early life Born in the Prince's Palace of Monaco, Albert attended the Albert I High School graduating with distinction in 1976 The following is a Chronological list of rulers of Monaco. Most belong to the House of Grimaldi; exceptions which consist primarily of the principality's For other uses see Monaco (disambiguation Monaco, officially the Principality of Monaco ( French: Principauté de Monaco; Monégasque The line of Succession to the Monegasque Throne passes to the descendants of the reigning Prince of Monaco in accordance with male-preference Primogeniture Caroline Princess of Hanover Hereditary Princess of Monaco ( Caroline Louise Marguerite Prinzessin von Hannover Erbprinzessin von Monaco) formally styled Her Pope Benedict XVI ( Latin: Benedictus PP XVI; Italian: Benedetto XVI; German: Benedikt XVI; born Joseph Alois Ratzinger History See also History of the Papacy Catholics recognize the Pope as a successor to Saint Peter, who Jesus named as the "shepherd" and Vatican City, officially the State of the Vatican City (Stato della Città del Vaticano is a Landlocked sovereign City-state whose territory A papal conclave is a meeting of the College of Cardinals to elect the Pope (or Bishop of Rome) who is considered by Catholics to be the Successor A papal conclave is a meeting of the College of Cardinals to elect the Pope (or Bishop of Rome) who is considered by Catholics to be the Successor Khaled bin Abdullah Mutaib bin Abdullah Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah Faisal bin Abdullah The King of Saudi Arabia is Saudi Arabia 's Head of state and Absolute monarch. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, KSA ( المملكة العربية السعودية, al-Mamlaka al-ʻArabiyya as-Suʻūdiyya) or Suudi The House of Saud ( Arabic: آل سعود romanized Āl Suʿūd is the Royal family of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The order of succession to the throne of Saudi Arabia is determined by and within the House of Saud. Khalid Bandar Fahad Turki Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum ( Arabic محمد بن راشد المكتوم) also Sheikh Mohammed ( Honourific) (born July 22, Dubai (in دبيّ,) is one of the seven emirates and most populous city of the United Arab Emirates (UAE Sheikh Sabah IV Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah ( Arabic: صباح الأحمد الجابر الصباح Sabāh al-Ahmad al-Jābir as-Sabāh born June 6, This is an (incomplete list of Emirs of Kuwait: The Sabah dynasty came to power in 1752 before which date the Bani Khalid tribe ruled the region The State of Kuwait ( دولة الكويت IPA [dawlatt̪ alkuwajt̪]) is a sovereign Arab Emirate on the coast of the Persian Gulf, enclosed Succession to the throne of Kuwait is limited to the descendants of Mubarak Al-Sabah. Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah ( Arabic: نواف الأحمد الجابر الصباح Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Jābir as-Sabāh born 1937 is the half-brother King George Tupou V ( Tongan: Siaosi Tupou V, full name Siaosi Tāufaāhau Manumataongo Tukuaho Tupou V) (born 4 May 1948) is The Tupou dynasty of Tonga is the only remaining native constitutional monarchy of Polynesia. The Kingdom of Tonga is an Archipelago in the south Pacific Ocean comprising 169 islands 36 of them inhabited stretching over a distance of about 800 kilometres (500 miles The order of succession to the throne of Tonga is laid down in the 1875 constitution of the south Pacific island nation Prince Ahoeitu Unuakiotonga Tukuaho (born 12 July 1959 is the younger brother of King George Tupou V of Tonga and officially confirmed by the latter on 27 September Bhutan was founded and unified as a country by Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal in the mid-1600s The Kingdom of Bhutan (buːˈtɑːn is a Landlocked nation in South Asia. The line of succession to the throne of Bhutan is Male primogeniture amongst the descendants of King Ugyen Wangchuck. Prince Jigyel Ugyen Wangchuck (born 16 July 1984) is the Heir presumptive to the throne of Bhutan. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong is the highest ranking office created by the constitution of the federation of Malaysia The Yang di-Pertuan Agong is the highest ranking office created by the constitution of the federation of Malaysia For the biogeographical region see Malesia Malaysia (məˈleɪʒə or /məˈleɪziə/ is a country that consists of thirteen states and The Yang di-Pertuan Agong is the highest ranking office created by the constitution of the federation of Malaysia Sultan (سلطان is an Islamic title with several historical meanings Terengganu ( Jawi: ترڠڬانو, formerly spelled Trengganu or Tringganu) is a sultanate and constitutive state of federal Malaysia For the biogeographical region see Malesia Malaysia (məˈleɪʒə or /məˈleɪziə/ is a country that consists of thirteen states and There are four cases of this:

• Claiming an existing title, challenging the current holder. This has been very common historically. For centuries, the British monarch used, among his other titles, the title King of France, despite the fact that he had had no authority over French territory since the fifteenth century. TalkCommonewalth realm.--> The monarchy List of Queens and Empresses of France Wikipedia_talkFeatured_lists#Proposed_change_to_all_featured_lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below Such as any one of the numerous antipopes who have claimed the Holy See. An antipope ( Latin: antipapa) is a person who makes a widely accepted claim to be the lawful Pope, in opposition to the pope recognised by the Roman The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome, commonly known as the Pope, and is the preeminent Episcopal see of the Roman Catholic
• Retaining the title of an extinct monarchy. This can be coupled with a claim that the monarchy was in fact never, or should never have been, extinct. An example of the first case is the Prince of Seborga. History In 954 Seborga's territory was ceded by the counts of Ventimiglia to the monks of Lerino, when the Cistercian monastery was founded Examples of the second case are several deposed monarchs or otherwise pretenders to thrones of abolished monarchies, e. The following Monarchs either lost their thrones through deposition by a Coup d'état, by a Referendum which abolished their throne or chose to Abdicate A pretender is a claimant to an abolished throne or to a throne already occupied by somebody else g. , Leka, Crown Prince of Albania who is styled by some as the "King of The Albanians. Leka Crown Prince of Albania (Leka I Zogu, (born April 5, 1939, the Royal Palace Tirana) is the only son of King Zog I and Queen " Retaining the title of an extinct monarchy can, however, be totally free of claims of sovereignty, for example it was customary of numerous European Monarchies to include "King of Jerusalem" in their full titles. When it comes to deposed monarchs, it is customary to continue the usage of their monarchical title (e. g. , Constantine II, King of the Hellenes) as a courtesy title, not a constitutional office, for the duration of their lifetime. Early life Constantine was born at Psychiko, near Athens, the nephew of King George II and the second child and only son of the King's brother and A courtesy title is a form of address in systems of Nobility used by children former wives and other close relatives of a peer. However the title then dies with them and cannot be used by anyone else unless the crown is restored constitutionally. (Some republicans take offense at this custom, in spite of the fact that the same courtesy is often given to former republican heads of state too – a former U.S. president is usually styled "Mr President" for the rest of his life. The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by ) Monarchs who have freely abdicated lose their right to use their former title. Abdication (from the Latin abdicatio, disowning renouncing from ab, away from and dicare, to declare to proclaim as not belonging to one However where a monarch abdicated under duress (e. g. , Michael I of Romania), it is customary to see the abdication as invalid and to treat them as deposed monarchs entitled to use their monarchical style for their lifetime. Michael King of the Romanians, Prince of Hohenzollern (born October 25, 1921) reigned as King of the Romanians (Maiestatea
• Inventing a new title. This is common by founders of micronations, and also may or may not come with a claim of sovereignty. Micronations &mdash sometimes also referred to as model countries and new country projects &mdash are entities that resemble independent Nations or When it does, it is disregarded by state leaders. A notable example is Paddy Roy Bates, styling himself the "Prince of Sealand," but not recognized as such by any national government, thus failing at least the constitutive condition for statehood (see Sealand for a fuller discussion of his claims). Paddy Roy Bates (born 1922 is a former British Pirate radio broadcaster and founder of the Principality of Sealand, styling himself HRH Prince Roy of Sealand A state is a political association with effective Sovereignty over a geographic Area and representing a Population. The Principality of Sealand is a Micronation located on HM Fort Roughs, a former World War II Maunsell Sea Fort in the North Sea

See also

• List of monarchs by country
• List of living former sovereign monarchs
• Archontology

References

External links

• A Glossary of European Noble, Princely, Royal and Imperial Titles
• Regnal Chronologies King lists worldwide
• Archontology
• African Kingdoms Imperial Throne Leadership and Enthronements
• Imperial House Foundation - Africa/USA/Europe - interview