A monarch is the head of a monarchy, a form of government in which a state is ruled by an individual who normally rules for life or until abdication, and typically inherits the throne by birth. Monarchs may be autocrats (as in all absolute monarchies) or may be ceremonial figureheads, exercising only limited or no reserve powers at all, with actual authority vested in a legislature and/or executive cabinet (as in many constitutional monarchies). In many cases, a monarch will also be linked with a state religion. 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 otherwise incapable of ruling. Cases in which two monarchs rule simultaneously over a single state, as is the current situation in Andorra, are known as coregencies.
| Title | Monarch | Foundation of monarchy |
Since | Length | Ref | Flag | Age of monarchy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Co-Prince | Joan Enric Vives i Sicília | 1278 | 2003 | 19 years, 268 days | 814-815 Years | ||
| Emmanuel Macron | 2017 | 5 years, 266 days | |||||
| King | Charles III | 1707 | 2022 | 149 days |
and more |
315 Years | |
| King | Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa | 1783 | 1999 | 23 years, 335 days | 319 Years | ||
| King | Philippe | 1831 | 2013 | 9 years, 198 days | 221 Years | ||
| Druk Gyalpo | Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck | 1907 | 2006 | 16 years, 51 days | 115 Years | ||
| Sultan | Hassanal Bolkiah | 1363 | 1967 | 55 years, 122 days | 719 Years | ||
| King | Norodom Sihamoni | 68 CE | 2004 | 18 years, 113 days | 1955 Years | ||
| Queen | Margrethe II | 710 | 1972 | 51 years, 21 days | 1313 Years | ||
| King | Mswati III | 1750s | 1986 | 36 years, 285 days | 222-223 Years | ||
| Emperor | Naruhito | 11 February 660 BC (mythical), 2681 years ago. historical origin is disputed. was Emperor Jimmu | 2019 | 3 years, 279 days | [source?]. | 2681 Years (Disputed) | |
| King | Abdullah II | 1946 | 1999 | 23 years, 362 days | 76 Years | ||
| Emir | Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah | 1752 | 2020 | 2 years, 128 days | |||
| King | Letsie III | 1822 | 1996 | 26 years, 362 days | |||
| Prince | Hans-Adam II | 1608 | 1989 | 33 years, 83 days | |||
| Grand Duke | Henri | 1815 | 2000 | 22 years, 120 days | |||
| Yang di-Pertuan Agong | Abdullah | 1957 | 2019 | 4 years, 4 days | |||
| Prince | Albert II | 1604 | 2005 | 17 years, 304 days | |||
| King | Mohammed VI | 788 or 1666 | 1999 | 23 years, 198 days | |||
| Willem-Alexander | 1815 | 2013 | 9 years, 282 days | ||||
| Harald V | 872 | 1991 | 32 years, 20 days | ||||
| Sultan | Haitham bin Tariq | 751 | 2020 | 3 years, 26 days | 1272 Years | ||
| Emir | Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani | 1851 | 2013 | 9 years, 226 days | |||
| King | Salman | 1832 | 2015 | 8 years, 14 days | |||
| Felipe VI | 1474 or 1475 Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon | 2014 | 8 years, 232 days | ||||
| Carl XVI Gustaf | 970 | 1973 | 49 years, 144 days | 1053 Years | |||
| Vajiralongkorn | 1238 | 2016 | 6 years, 116 days | ||||
| Tupou VI | 1845 | 2012 | 10 years, 325 days | 177 Years | |||
| President | Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan | 1971 | 2022 | 268 days | 51 Years | ||
| Pope | Pope Leo XIV | 33 AD | 2025 | 80 days | 1993 Years |
| Name | Formation | First monarch | Abolition | Flag | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| France | 500s | Charles the Bald France Clovis I Francia | 1870 | ||
| Saxony | 500s | Hadugato Rudolph I Electorate of Saxony | 1918 | ||
| Germany | 843 | Louis II the German | |||
| Mecklenburg | ? or 1167 | ? and Pribislaus I | |||
| England | 800s | Alfred the Great | 1707 now UK | ||
| Georgia | 302 BC | Pharnavaz I | 1801 |
| No. | Title | Image | Monarch | Foundation of monarchy |
Length | Ref | Flag |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | King | Louis XIV | 500s | 72 years, 110 days | |||
| 2 | Queen | Elizabeth II | 1707 | 70 years, 214 days | |||
| 3 | King | Rama IX | 1238 | 70 years, 126 days | |||
| 4 | Prince | Johann II | 1608 | 70 years, 91 days | |||
| 5 | ? | Kʼinich Janaabʼ Pakal I | ? | 68 years, 33 days | Palenque (Mexico) | ||
| 6 | Austrian Empire and Austria-Hungary | Franz Joseph I | 1000 or 1270s | 67 years, 355 days | |||
| 7 | ? | Chan Imix Kʼawiil | ? | 67 years, 130 days | Copán (Honduras) | ||
| 8 | King | Ferdinand III | 1800s | 65 years, 90 days |