List of current monarchies

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  Absolute monarchy
  Semi-constitutional monarchy
  Constitutional monarchy
  Commonwealth realms (constitutional monarchies in personal union)
  Subnational monarchies (traditional)
Further information: List of current monarchs of sovereign states, List of current constituent monarchs, and List of current monarchies by continent

This is a list of current monarchies. As of 2021, there are 44 sovereign states in the world with a monarch as Head of state. There are 13 in Asia, 12 in Europe, 10 in North America, 6 in Oceania and 3 in Africa.

Types of monarchy[]

These are the approximate categories which present monarchies fall into:

  • Commonwealth realms. Queen Elizabeth II is the monarch of sixteen Commonwealth realms (Antigua and Barbuda; the Commonwealth of Australia; the Commonwealth of the Bahamas; Barbados; Belize; Canada; Grenada; Jamaica; New Zealand; the Independent State of Papua New Guinea; the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis; Saint Lucia; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; Solomon Islands; Tuvalu; and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland). They evolved out of the British Empire into fully independent states within the Commonwealth of Nations that retain the Queen as head of state, unlike other Commonwealth countries that are either dependencies, republics or have a different royal house. All sixteen realms are constitutional monarchies and full democracies, where the Queen has limited powers or a largely ceremonial role.
  • Other European constitutional monarchies.
    • The Principality of Andorra; the Kingdom of Belgium; the Kingdom of Denmark; the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg; the Kingdom of the Netherlands; the Kingdom of Norway; the Kingdom of Spain; and the Kingdom of Sweden are fully democratic states in which the monarch has a limited or largely ceremonial role.
    • Andorra is unique among all existing monarchies, as it is a diarchy, with the Co-Princeship being shared by the President of France and the Bishop of Urgell. This arrangement creates a unique situation among monarchies, as a) neither Co-Prince is of Andorran descent, b) one is elected by common citizens of a foreign country (France), but not by Andorrans as they cannot vote in the French Presidential Elections, c) the other, the bishop of Urgell, is appointed by a foreign head of state, the Pope.
  • European mixed monarchies. Liechtenstein and Monaco are constitutional monarchies in which the Prince retains many powers of an absolute monarch. For example, the 2003 Constitution referendum gives the Prince of Liechtenstein the power to veto any law that the Landtag (parliament) proposes and vice versa. The Prince can hire or dismiss any elective member or government employee from his or her post. However, unlike an absolute monarch, the people can call for a referendum to end the Prince's reign. The Prince of Monaco has simpler powers: he cannot hire or dismiss any elective member or government employee from his or her post, but he can select the minister of state, government council and judges.
  • Muslim monarchies. These Muslim monarchs of the Kingdom of Bahrain; the Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace; Malaysia; the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan; the State of Kuwait; the Kingdom of Morocco; the Sultanate of Oman; the State of Qatar; the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates generally retain far more powers than their European or Commonwealth counterparts.

Absolute monarchs remain in the Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace; the Sultanate of Oman; the State of Qatar; and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Kingdom of Bahrain, and the State of Kuwait are classified as mixed, meaning there are representative bodies of some kind, but the monarch retains most of his powers. The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Malaysia, the Kingdom of Morocco, and the United Arab Emirates are constitutional monarchies, but their monarchs still retain more substantial powers than in European equivalents.

  • East and Southeast Asian constitutional monarchies. The Kingdom of Bhutan; the Kingdom of Cambodia; Japan; and the Kingdom of Thailand have constitutional monarchies where the monarch has a limited or ceremonial role. Thailand changed from traditional absolute monarchy into a constitutional one in 1932, while the Kingdom of Bhutan changed in 2008. The Kingdom of Cambodia had its own monarchy after independence from the French Colonial Empire, which was deposed after the Khmer Rouge came into power. The monarchy was subsequently restored in the peace agreement of 1993.
  • Other monarchies. Five monarchies do not fit into one of the above groups by virtue of geography or class of monarchy: the Kingdom of Tonga in Polynesia; the Kingdom of Eswatini and the Kingdom of Lesotho in Southern Africa; and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (S.M.O.M.), and the Vatican City State in Europe. Of these, the Kingdom of Lesotho and the Kingdom of Tonga are constitutional monarchies, while the Kingdom of Eswatini and the Vatican City State are absolute monarchies. The Kingdom of Eswatini is increasingly being considered a diarchy. The King, or Ngwenyama, rules alongside his mother, the Ndlovukati, as dual heads of state originally designed to be checks on political power. The Ngwenyama, however, is considered the administrative head of state, while the Ndlovukati is considered the spiritual and national head of state, a position which has become largely symbolic in recent years. S.M.O.M. is governed by an elected Prince and Grand Master. The Pope is the absolute monarch of the Vatican by virtue of his position as head of the Roman Catholic Church and Bishop of Rome; he is an elected rather than hereditary ruler. The Pope need not be a citizen of the territory prior to his election by the cardinals.

Lines of succession[]

Some of the extant sovereign monarchies have lines of succession that go back to the medieval period or antiquity:

  • The kings of Cambodia claim descent from Queen Soma (1st century), although the historiographical record is interrupted in the "Post-Angkor Period" (15th/16th centuries). A real unified kingdom of Cambodia first came to existence in 802. The monarchy in Cambodia was abolished between 1970 and 1993.
  • There exist several suggestions on a possible line of succession in the Danish monarchy from the late 7th century and until Gorm the Old, but none of these suggestions have so far won universal acceptance. Most monarchs in Denmark since the 940s have been descendants of Gorm the Old's father Harthacnut and all monarchs in Denmark since 1047 have been descendants of titular Queen Estrid Svendsdatter. A formal law of succession was not adopted in Denmark until 1665.
  • Japan, considered a constitutional monarchy under the Imperial House of Japan, is traditionally said to have originated with the mythical Emperor Jimmu. The first verifiable historiographical evidence begins with Emperor Kinmei in the 6th century.
  • The monarchs of the kingdom of Norway by virtue of descent from Harald I Fairhair, who united the realm in 872. Harald as a member of the House of Yngling is given a partly legendary line of succession from earlier petty kings in historiographical tradition. Far from all monarchs of Norway since the 930s have been descendants of Harald Fairhair: at least seven or eight Norwegian kings from the period c. 970 – 1859 were not descendants of Harald Fairhair.
  • The kings of Spain by descent from the Catholic Monarchs (via the House of Habsburg), ultimately combining the lines of succession of Castile and León and Aragon, realms established in the 10th to 11th centuries in the course of the Reconquista, via the Kingdom of Asturias claiming descent from the Visigothic Kingdom (which, originally ruled by the Thervingi kings, had become elective in the 6th century). The monarchy of Spain was abolished twice in the 19th and 20th centuries (1873–1874 and 1931–1947) and replaced by republics.
  • The monarchs of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth realms inherit the throne by virtue of descent from Sophia of Hanover, according to the Act of Settlement 1701. Sophia was the granddaughter of James VI and I who inherited and held in union the kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland (Union of the Crowns) in 1603. Succession to the English throne originates with the House of Wessex, established in the 6th century; the Scottish throne with descent from Pictish kings who likewise enter the historical record around the 6th century.

Current monarchies[]

Monarchy Official local name(s) Title of Head of State Monarch Title of Head of Government Type of monarchy Succession
Current
constitution
Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan

(De Facto)

Emir Hibatullah Akhundzada Prime Minister Absolute
 Principality of Andorra [1] In Catalan: Principat d'Andorra Co-Princes
Prime Minister Constitutional Ex officio 1993
 Antigua and Barbuda[2] In English: Antigua and Barbuda Queen Elizabeth II Hereditary 1981
 Commonwealth of Australia[3] In English: Commonwealth of Australia Queen Elizabeth II 1901
 Commonwealth of the Bahamas[4] In English: Commonwealth of the Bahamas Queen Elizabeth II 1973
 Kingdom of Bahrain[5] In Arabic: Mamlakat al- Baḥrayn King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa Mixed 2002
 Barbados [6][7] In English: Barbados Queen Elizabeth II Constitutional 1966
 Kingdom of Belgium[8] In Dutch: Koninkrijk België
In French: Royaume de Belgique
In German: Königreich Belgien 		King 1 Philippe Hereditary 1 1831
 Belize[9] In English: Belize Queen Elizabeth II Hereditary 1981
 Kingdom of Bhutan[10] In Dzongkha: Druk Gyal Khap King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck 2007
 Brunei Darussalam[11] In Malay: Negara Brunei Darussalam Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Sultan Absolute 1959
 Kingdom of Cambodia In Khmer: Preăh Réachéanachâk Kâmpŭchéa King Norodom Sihamoni Prime Minister Constitutional Hereditary and elective 1993
 Canada In English and French: Canada Queen Elizabeth II Hereditary 1867
Denmark Kingdom of Denmark[12] In Danish: Kongeriget Danmark
In Faroese: Kongsríki Danmark
In Greenlandic: Kunngeqarfik Danmarki 		Queen Margrethe II 1953
 Kingdom of Eswatini[13] In Swazi: Umbuso weSwatini
In English: Kingdom of Eswatini 		King Mswati III Absolute Hereditary and elective 1968
 Grenada[14] In English: Grenada Queen Elizabeth II Constitutional Hereditary 1974
 Jamaica[15] In English: Jamaica Queen Elizabeth II 1962
 Japan[16] In Japanese: 日本国 (Nippon-koku/Nihon-koku) Emperor Naruhito 1947
 State of Kuwait[17] In Arabic: Dawlat al-Kuwait Emir Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah Mixed Hereditary and elective 1962
 Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan[18] In Arabic: al-Mamlakah al-Urdunīyah al-Hāshimīyah King Abdullah II 1952
 Kingdom of Lesotho[19] In Sotho: Muso oa Lesotho
In English: Kingdom of Lesotho 		King Letsie III Constitutional 1993
 Principality of Liechtenstein[20] In German: Fürstentum Liechtenstein Sovereign Prince Hans-Adam II Mixed Hereditary 1862
 Grand Duchy of Luxembourg[21] In French: Grand-Duché de Luxembourg
In German: Großherzogtum Luxemburg
In Luxembourgish: Groussherzogtum Lëtzebuerg 		Grand Duke Henri Constitutional 1868
 Malaysia[22] In Malay: Malaysia Yang di-Pertuan Agong Abdullah Constitutional & Federal Elective 1957
 Principality of Monaco[23] In French: Principauté de Monaco
In Monégasque: Principatu de Múnegu 		Sovereign Prince Albert II Minister of State Mixed Hereditary 1911
 Kingdom of Morocco[24] In Arabic: al-Mamlaka al-Maghribiyya
In Berber: Tageldit n Lmaɣrib 		King Mohammed VI Prime Minister 1631
 Kingdom of the Netherlands[25] In Dutch: Koninkrijk der Nederlanden
In West Frisian: Keninkryk fan de Nederlannen 		King Willem-Alexander Constitutional 1815
 New Zealand [26] In English: New Zealand
In Māori: Aotearoa 		Queen Elizabeth II 1907
 Kingdom of Norway[27] In Bokmål: Kongeriket Norge
In Nynorsk: Kongeriket Noreg 		King Harald V 1814
 Sultanate of Oman[28] In Arabic: Salṭanat ‘Umān Sultan Haitham bin Tarik Sultan Absolute 1996
 Independent State of Papua New Guinea[29] In English: Independent State of Papua New Guinea
In Tok Pisin: Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini
In Hiri Motu: Papua Niu Gini 		Queen Elizabeth II Prime Minister Constitutional 1975
 State of Qatar[30] In Arabic: Dawlat Qaṭar Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani Absolute 2004
 Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis[31] In English: Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis Queen Elizabeth II Constitutional 1983
 Saint Lucia[32] In English: Saint Lucia Queen Elizabeth II 1979
 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines[33] In English: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Queen Elizabeth II 1979
 Kingdom of Saudi Arabia[34] In Arabic: Al-Mamlakah al-Arabiyah as-Sa'ūdiyah King Salman Prime Minister Absolute Hereditary and elective 19922
 Solomon Islands In English: Solomon Islands Queen Elizabeth II Prime Minister Constitutional Hereditary 1978
 Kingdom of Spain In Spanish: Reino de España King Felipe VI President of the Government 1978
 Kingdom of Sweden[35] In Swedish: Konungariket Sverige King Carl XVI Gustaf Prime Minister 1974
 Kingdom of Thailand[36] In Thai: Ratcha Anachak Thai King Rama X 2017
 Kingdom of Tonga[37] In Tonga: Puleʻanga Fakatuʻi ʻo Tonga
In English: Kingdom of Tonga 		King Tupou VI 1970
 Tuvalu[38] In English: Tuvalu Queen Elizabeth II 1986
 United Arab Emirates[39] In Arabic: Dawlat al-ʾImārāt al-ʿArabiyyah al-Muttaḥidah President Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Federal Hereditary and elective 1971
 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland[40] In English: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
In Welsh: Teyrnas Unedig Prydain Fawr a Gogledd Iwerddon
In Irish: Ríocht Aontaithe na Breataine Móire agus Thuaisceart Éireann
In Scots Gaelic: Rìoghachd Aonaichte Bhreatainn agus Èirinn a Tuath 		Queen Elizabeth II Constitutional Hereditary No codified constitution
  Vatican City State[41] In Latin: Status Civitatis Vaticanae
In Italian: Stato della Città del Vaticano 		Pope Pope Francis President of the Pontifical Commission Absolute Elective 2001

In Wallis and Futuna, an overseas territory of France in the South Pacific, there are three kingdoms, Uvea, Alo and Sigave, whose monarchs are chosen by local noble families.[42]

Footnote[]

^1 Belgium is the only existing popular monarchy – a system in which the monarch's title is linked to the people rather than a state. The title of Belgian kings is not King of Belgium, but instead King of the Belgians. Another unique feature of the Belgian system is that the new monarch does not automatically assume the throne at the death or abdication of his predecessor; he only becomes monarch upon taking a constitutional oath.

^2 Basic Law of Saudi Arabia[43][44][45]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Europe :: Andorra". CIA The World Factbook. Retrieved 2016-07-11.
  2. ^ "Central America and Caribbean :: Antigua and Barbuda". CIA The World Factbook. Retrieved 2016-07-12.
  3. ^ "Australia-Oceania :: Australia". CIA The World Factbook. Retrieved 2016-07-12.
  4. ^ "Central America and Caribbean :: The Bahamas". CIA The World Factbook. Retrieved 2016-07-12.
  5. ^ "Central America and Caribbean :: Bahrain". CIA The World Factbook. Retrieved 2016-07-11.
  6. ^ "Central America and Caribbean :: Barbados". CIA The World Factbook. Retrieved 2016-07-12.
  7. ^ "Barbados to become a parliamentary republic by November 30". Loop News Barbados. 27 July 2021. Retrieved 30 July 2021. [...] we will make amendments to facilitate that transition to a new president to be sworn in on that day - November 30, 2021.
  8. ^ "Europe :: Belgium". CIA The World Factbook.
  9. ^ "Central America and Caribbean :: Belize". CIA The World Factbook.
  10. ^ "Asia ::Bhutan". CIA The World Factbook. Retrieved 2016-07-11.
  11. ^ "Asia ::Brunei Darussalam". CIA The World Factbook. Retrieved 2016-07-11.
  12. ^ "Europe::Denmark". CIA The World Factbook. Retrieved 2016-07-11.
  13. ^ "Africa:: Eswatini". CIA The World Factbook. Retrieved 2016-07-11.
  14. ^ "Central America and Caribbean :: Grenada". CIA The World Factbook. Retrieved 2016-07-12.
  15. ^ "Central America and Caribbean :: Jamaica". CIA The World Factbook. Retrieved 2016-07-12.
  16. ^ "Asia :: Japan". CIA The World Factbook. Retrieved 2016-07-11.
  17. ^ "Asia :: Kuwait". CIA The World Factbook. Retrieved 2016-07-11.
  18. ^ "Asia :: Jordan". CIA The World Factbook. Retrieved 2016-07-11.
  19. ^ "Africa :: Lesotho". CIA The World Factbook. Retrieved 2016-07-11.
  20. ^ "Europe:: Liechtenstein". CIA The World Factbook. Retrieved 2016-07-11.
  21. ^ "Europe:: Luxembourg". CIA The World Factbook. Retrieved 2016-07-11.
  22. ^ "Asia:: Malaysia". CIA The World Factbook. Retrieved 2016-07-11.
  23. ^ "Europe:: Monaco". CIA The World Factbook. Retrieved 2016-07-11.
  24. ^ "Africa:: Morocco". CIA The World Factbook. Retrieved 2016-07-11.
  25. ^ "Europe:: Netherlands". CIA The World Factbook. Retrieved 2016-07-11.
  26. ^ "Australia-Oceania :: New Zealand". CIA The World Factbook. Retrieved 2016-07-12.
  27. ^ "Europe :: Norway". CIA The World Factbook. Retrieved 2016-07-11.
  28. ^ "Asia:: Oman". CIA The World Factbook. Retrieved 2016-07-11.
  29. ^ "Asia :: Papua New Guinea". CIA The World Factbook. Retrieved 2016-07-12.
  30. ^ "Asia:: Qatar". CIA The World Factbook. Retrieved 2016-07-11.
  31. ^ "Central America and Caribbean :: Saint Kitts and Nevis". CIA The World Factbook. Retrieved 2016-07-12.
  32. ^ "Central America and Caribbean :: Saint Lucia". CIA The World Factbook. Retrieved 2016-07-12.
  33. ^ "Central America and Caribbean :: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines". CIA The World Factbook. Retrieved 2016-07-12.
  34. ^ "Asia :: Saudi Arabia". CIA The World Factbook. Retrieved 2016-07-11.
  35. ^ "Europe:: Sweden". CIA The World Factbook. Retrieved 2016-07-11.
  36. ^ "Europe:: Thailand". CIA The World Factbook. Retrieved 2016-07-11.
  37. ^ "Australia-Oceania :: Tonga". CIA The World Factbook. Retrieved 2016-07-11.
  38. ^ "Australia-Oceania :: Tuvalu". CIA The World Factbook. Retrieved 2016-07-12.
  39. ^ "Asia:: United Arab Emirates". CIA The World Factbook. Retrieved 2016-07-11.
  40. ^ "Europe:: United Kingdom". CIA The World Factbook. Retrieved 2016-07-11.
  41. ^ "Europe :: Holy See". CIA The World Factbook. Archived from the original on 2010-07-11. Retrieved 2016-07-11.
  42. ^ "Wallis and Futuna: Royal dispute sees palace occupied in French territory". BBC News. 14 April 2016.
  43. ^ Saudi Arabia - ConstitutionArchived 2007-02-06 at the Wayback Machine
  44. ^ "Empty Reforms: Saudi Arabia's New Basic Laws May 1992". Archived from the original on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2016-12-04.
  45. ^ http://saudinf.com/main/c541.htm Archived 2000-10-04 at the Wayback Machine The Basic Law - Saudi Arabia Information
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