List of monarchs who abdicated
This is a list of monarchs who have abdicated. Some monarchs have been forced to abdicate. The list is chronological.
List[]
Ruler | Country | Position | Abdication date | Successor/Fate |
---|---|---|---|---|
Kuai of Yan | China (State of Yan) | King of Yan | 316 BC | Zi Zhi |
Wuling of Zhao | China (State of Zhao) | King of Zhao | 299 BC | Huiwen of Zhao |
Liu Ying | China (Han dynasty) | Emperor of China | AD 9 | Wang Mang |
Xian of Han | China (Han dynasty) | Emperor of China | 11 December 220 | Wen of Cao Wei |
Yuan of Cao Wei | China (Cao Wei dynasty) | Emperor of China | 266 | Wu of Jin |
Diocletian | Roman Empire | Roman emperor | 305 | Maximian |
Yiwu of Later Liang | China (Later Liang dynasty) | Heavenly Prince of China | 339 | Yin of Later Liang |
An of Jin | China (Jin dynasty) | Emperor of China | 403 | Wudao of Huan Chu |
Gong of Jin | China (Jin dynasty) | Emperor of China | 420 | Wu of Liu Song |
Xianwen of Northern Wei | China (Northern Wei dynasty) | Emperor of China | 471 | Xiaowen of Northern Wei |
Romulus Augustulus | Roman Empire | Emperor of the Western Roman Empire | 476 | Empire collapsed |
Shun of Liu Song | China (Liu Song dynasty) | Emperor of China | 479 | Gao of Southern Qi |
He of Southern Qi | China (Southern Qi dynasty | Emperor of China | 502 | Wu of Liang |
Xiaojing of Eastern Wei | China (Eastern Wei dynasty) | Emperor of China | 550 | Wenxuan of Northern Qi |
Xiao Dong | China (Liang dynasty) | Emperor of China | 551 | Hou Jing |
Jing of Liang | China (Liang dynasty) | Emperor of China | 557 | Wu of Chen |
Gong of Western Wei | China (Western Wei dynasty) | Emperor of China | 557 | Xiaomin of Northern Zhou |
Wucheng of Northern Qi | China (Northern Qi dynasty) | Emperor of China | 565 | Houzhu of Northern Qi |
Xuan of Northern Zhou | China (Northern Zhou dynasty) | Emperor of China | 579 | Jing of Northern Zhou |
Jing of Northern Zhou | China (Northern Zhou dynasty) | Emperor of China | 581 | Wen of Sui |
Yang of Sui | China (Sui dynasty) | Emperor of China | 617 | Gong of Sui |
Gong of Sui | China (Sui dynasty) | Emperor of China | 618 | Gaozu of Tang |
Yang Tong | China (Sui dynasty) | Emperor of China | 619 | Wang Shichong |
Gaozu of Tang | China (Tang dynasty) | Emperor of China | 4 September 626 | Taizong of Tang |
Kōgyoku | Japan | Empress of Japan | 12 July 645 | Kōtoku |
Jitō | Japan | Empress of Japan | 22 August 697 | Monmu |
Wu Zhao | China (Wu Zhou dynasty) | Emperor of China | 705 | Zhongzong of Tang |
Ruizong of Tang | China (Tang dynasty) | Emperor of China | 712 | Xuanzong of Tang |
Genmei | Japan | Empress of Japan | 3 October 715 | Genshō |
Genshō | Japan | Empress of Japan | 3 March 724 | Shōmu |
Ceolwulf | Northumbria | King of Northumbria | 737 | Eadberht |
Shōmu | Japan | Emperor of Japan | 19 August 749 | Kōken |
Xuanzong of Tang | China (Tang dynasty) | Emperor of China | 756 | Suzong of Tang |
Eadberht | Northumbria | King of Northumbria | 758 | Oswulf |
Kōken | Japan | Empress of Japan | 7 September 758 | Junnin |
Junnin | Japan | Emperor of Japan | 6 November 764 | Shōtoku |
Kōnin | Japan | Emperor of Japan | 30 April 781 | Kanmu |
Shunzong of Tang | China (Tang dynasty) | Emperor of China | 805 | Xianzong of Tang |
Heizei | Japan | Emperor of Japan | 18 May 809 | Saga |
Saga | Japan | Emperor of Japan | 29 May 823 | Junna |
Junna | Japan | Emperor of Japan | 22 March 833 | Ninmyō |
Ninmyō | Japan | Emperor of Japan | 4 May 850 | Montoku |
Seiwa | Japan | Emperor of Japan | 18 December 876 | Yōzei |
Yōzei | Japan | Emperor of Japan | 4 March 844 | Kōkō |
Uda | Japan | Emperor of Japan | 4 August 897 | Daigo |
Ai of Tang | China (Tang dynasty) | Emperor of China | 907 | Taizu of Later Liang |
Daigo | Japan | Emperor of Japan | 16 October 930 | Suzaku |
Rui of Yang Wu | China (Yang Wu dynasty) | Emperor of China | 937 | Liezu of Southern Tang |
Suzaku | Japan | Emperor of Japan | 16 May 946 | Murakami |
Yin of Later Han | China (Later Han dynasty) | Emperor of China | 951 | Taizu of Later Zhou |
Gong of Later Zhou | China (Later Zhou dynasty) | Emperor of China | 960 | Taizu of Song |
Reizei | Japan | Emperor of Japan | 27 September 969 | En'yū |
En'yū | Japan | Emperor of Japan | 24 September 984 | Kazan |
Kazan | Japan | Emperor of Japan | 1 August 986 | Ichijō |
John XVIII | Papal States | Pope | 1009 | Sergius IV |
Ichijō | Japan | Emperor of Japan | 16 July 1011 | Sanjō |
Sanjō | Japan | Emperor of Japan | 10 March 1016 | Go-Ichijō |
Go-Suzaku | Japan | Emperor of Japan | 5 February 1045 | Go-Reizei |
Benedict IX | Papal States | Pope | 1045 | Gregory VI |
Isaac I Comnenus | Byzantine Empire | Emperor of the Byzantine Empire | 1059 | Constantine X Doukas |
Go-Sanjō | Japan | Emperor of Japan | 18 January 1073 | Shirakawa |
Shirakawa | Japan | Emperor of Japan | 3 January 1087 | Horikawa |
Henry IV | Holy Roman Empire | Holy Roman Emperor | 1105 | Henry V |
Toba | Japan | Emperor of Japan | 25 February 1123 | Sutoku |
Huizong of Song | China (Song dynasty) | Emperor of China | 18 January 1126 | Qinzong of Song |
Sutoku | Japan | Emperor of Japan | 5 January 1142 | Konoe |
Go-Shirakawa | Japan | Emperor of Japan | 5 September 1158 | Nijō |
Gaozong of Song | China (Song dynasty) | Emperor of China | 24 July 1162 | Xiaozong of Song |
Nijō | Japan | Emperor of Japan | 3 August 1165 | Rokujō |
Rokujō | Japan | Emperor of Japan | 9 April 1168 | Takakura |
Dermot McMurrough | Leinster | King of Leinster | 1169 | Domhnall Caomhánach |
Takakura | Japan | Emperor of Japan | 18 March 1180 | Antoku |
Xiaozong of Song | China (Song dynasty) | Emperor of China | 1189 | Guangzong of Song |
Guangzong of Song | China (Song dynasty) | Emperor of China | 1194 | Ningzong of Song |
Go-Toba | Japan | Emperor of Japan | 18 February 1198 | Tsuchimikado |
Władysław III Spindleshanks | Kingdom of Poland | High Duke of Poland | 1206 | Konrad I |
Tsuchimikado | Japan | Emperor of Japan | 12 December 1210 | Juntoku |
Juntoku | Japan | Emperor of Japan | 13 May 1221 | Chūkyō |
Chūkyō | Japan | Emperor of Japan | 29 July 1221 | Go-Horikawa |
Shenzong of Western Xia | China (Western Xia dynasty) | Emperor of China | 1224 | Xianzong of Western Xia |
Go-Horikawa | Japan | Emperor of Japan | 17 November 1232 | Shijō |
Go-Saga | Japan | Emperor of Japan | 16 February 1246 | Go-Fukakusa |
Kameyama | Japan | Emperor of Japan | 6 March 1274 | Go-Uda |
Waldemar | Kingdom of Sweden | King of Sweden | 1277 (deposed 1275) | Magnus III |
Go-Uda | Japan | Emperor of Japan | 27 November 1287 | Fushimi |
Celestine V | Papal States | Pope | 13 December 1294 | Boniface VIII |
John Balliol | Kingdom of Scotland | King of Scots | 10 July 1296 | Robert I |
Fushimi | Japan | Emperor of Japan | 30 August 1298 | Go-Fushimi |
Go-Fushimi | Japan | Emperor of Japan | 2 March 1301 | Go-Nijō |
Hanazono | Japan | Emperor of Japan | 29 March 1318 | Go-Daigo |
Edward II | Kingdom of England | King of England | 20 January 1327 | Edward III |
Kōgon | Northern Court of Japan | Emperor of Japan | 7 July 1333 | Kōmyō |
Go-Daigo | Southern Court of Japan | Emperor of Japan | 18 September 1339 | Go-Murakami |
Kōmyō | Northern Court of Japan | Emperor of Japan | 18 November 1348 | Sukō |
Tribhuwana Wijayatunggadewi | Majapahit Empire | Queen of Majapahit | 1350 | Hayam Wuruk |
Sukō | Northern Court of Japan | Emperor of Japan | 26 November 1351 | Go-Kōgon |
John Cantacuzene | Byzantine Empire | Byzantine Emperor | 1355 | John V Palaiologos |
Go-kōgon | Northern Court of Japan | Emperor of Japan | 9 April 1371 | Go-En'yū |
Go-En'yū | Northern Court of Japan | Emperor of Japan | 24 May 1382 | Go-Komatsu |
Chōkei | Southern Court of Japan | Emperor of Japan | 1383 | Go-Kameyama |
Go-Kameyama | Japan | Emperor of Japan | 19 November 1392 | Go-Komatsu |
Richard II | Kingdom of England | King of England | 29 September 1399 | Henry IV |
Albert | Kingdom of Sweden | King of Sweden | 1405 (deposed 1389) | Margaret |
Go-Komatsu | Japan | Emperor of Japan | 5 October 1412 | Shōkō |
Gregory XII | Papal States | Pope | 4 July 1415 | Martin V |
Amadeus VIII | Duchy of Savoy | Duke of Savoy | 1440 | Louis I |
Murad II | Ottoman Empire | Ottoman Sultan | 1444 | Mehmed II |
Go-Hanazono | Japan | Emperor of Japan | 21 August 1464 | Go-Tsuchimikado |
Bayezid II | Ottoman Empire | Ottoman Sultan | 25 April 1512 | Selim I |
Charles V[a] | Holy Roman Empire | Holy Roman Emperor | 1555/1556 | Ferdinand I |
Mary I | Kingdom of Scotland | Queen of Scots | 24 July 1567 | James VI |
Ōgimachi | Japan | Emperor of Japan | 17 December 1586 | Go-Yōzei |
Go-Yōzei | Japan | Emperor of Japan | 9 May 1611 | Go-Mizunoo |
Go-Mizunoo | Japan | Emperor of Japan | 22 December 1629 | Meishō |
Meishō | Japan | Empress of Japan | 14 November 1643 | Go-Kōmyō |
Christina | Kingdom of Sweden | Queen of Sweden | 6 June 1654 | Charles X Gustav |
Go-Sai | Japan | Emperor of Japan | 5 March 1663 | Reigen |
John II | Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth | King of Poland | 1668 | Michał Korybut Wiśniowiecki |
Reigen | Japan | Emperor of Japan | 2 May 1687 | Higashiyama |
James II, VII | Kingdom of England Kingdom of Scotland |
King of England and Scotland | 11 December 1688 | William III, II and Mary II |
Augustus II | Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth | King of Poland | 24 September 1706 | Stanisław Leszczyński |
Higashiyama | Japan | Emperor of Japan | 27 July 1709 | Nakamikado |
Ulrica Eleanor | Kingdom of Sweden | Queen of Sweden | 29 February 1720 | Frederick |
Philip V | Kingdom of Spain | King of Spain | 14 January 1724 | Louis I |
Victor Amadeus | Kingdom of Sardinia | King of Sardinia | 3 September 1730 | Charles Emmanuel III |
Ahmed III | Ottoman Empire | Ottoman Sultan | 1 October 1730 | Mahmut I |
Nakamikado | Japan | Emperor of Japan | 13 April 1735 | Sakuramachi |
Sakuramachi | Japan | Emperor of Japan | 9 June 1747 | Momozono |
Charles III | Kingdom of Sicily and Kingdom of Naples | King of Naples and Sicily | 6 October 1759 | Ferdinand I |
Go-Sakuramachi | Japan | Empress of Japan | 23 May 1770 | Go-Momozono |
Stanislaus II Augustus | Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth | King of Poland | 7 January 1795 | Third Partition of Poland |
Qianlong | China (Qing dynasty) | Emperor of China | 9 February 1796 | Jiaqing |
Rana Bahadur Shah | Kingdom of Nepal | King of Nepal | 8 March 1799 | Girvan Yuddha Bikram Shah |
Charles Emanuel IV | Kingdom of Sardinia | King of Sardinia | 4 June 1802 | Charles Felix |
Francis II | Holy Roman Empire | Holy Roman Emperor | 6 August 1806 | Empire collapsed |
Charles IV | Kingdom of Spain | King of Spain | 19 March 1808 | Ferdinand VII |
Ferdinand VII | Kingdom of Spain | King of Spain | 6 May 1808 | Joseph I |
Gustav IV Adolf | Kingdom of Sweden | King of Sweden | 29 March 1809 | Charles XIII |
Louis Bonaparte | Kingdom of Holland | King of Holland | 2 July 1810 | Napoléon Louis Bonaparte |
Joseph I | Kingdom of Spain | King of Spain | 11 December 1813 | Ferdinand VII |
Napoleon I | First French Empire | Emperor of the French | 11 April 1814 | Bourbon Restoration |
Kōkaku | Japan | Emperor of Japan | 7 May 1817 | Ninkō |
Victor Emmanuel I | Kingdom of Sardinia | King of Sardinia | 13 March 1821 | Charles Felix |
Charles X | Kingdom of France | King of France | 2 August 1830 | Louis Philippe I |
Louis XIX[b] | Kingdom of France | King of France | 2 August 1830 | Louis Philippe I |
Pedro IV | Kingdom of Portugal | King of Portugal[c] | 28 May 1826 | Maria II |
Pedro I | Empire of Brazil | Emperor of Brazil[c] | 7 April 1831 | Pedro II |
Miguel | Kingdom of Portugal | King of Portugal | 26 May 1834 | Maria II |
William I | Kingdom of the Netherlands | King of the Netherlands | 7 October 1840 | William II |
Rajendra Bikram Shah | Kingdom of Nepal | King of Nepal | 12 May 1847 | Surendra Bikram Shah |
Louis Philippe | Kingdom of France | King of the French | 24 February 1848 | Monarchy abolished |
Ludwig I | Kingdom of Bavaria | King of Bavaria | 21 March 1848 | Maximilian II |
Ferdinand I | Austrian Empire | Emperor of Austria | 2 December 1848 | Franz Joseph I |
Charles II | Duchy of Parma | Duke of Parma | 14 March 1849 | Charles III |
Charles Albert | Kingdom of Sardinia | King of Sardinia | 23 March 1849 | Victor Emmanuel II |
Leopold II | Grand Duchy of Tuscany | Grand Duke of Tuscany | 21 July 1859 | Ferdinand IV |
Bernhard II | Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen | Duke of Saxe-Meiningen | 20 September 1866 | Georg II |
Isabella II | Kingdom of Spain | Queen of Spain | 25 June 1870 | Amadeo I |
Shō Tai | Ryūkyū Kingdom | King of Ryukyu | 16 October 1872 | Annexed by Japan |
Amadeo I | Kingdom of Spain | King of Spain | 11 February 1873 | Monarchy abolished |
Alexander | Principality of Bulgaria | Prince of Bulgaria | 7 September 1886 | Ferdinand I |
Milan II | Kingdom of Serbia | King of Serbia | 6 March 1889 | Alexander I |
Liliuokalani | Kingdom of Hawaii | Queen of Hawaii | 24 January 1895 (relinquished power on 17 January 1893) |
Monarchy abolished |
Oscar II | Kingdom of Norway | King of Norway | 26 October 1905 | Haakon VII |
Sunjong | Korean Empire | Emperor of Korea | 29 August 1910 | Annexed by Japan |
Manuel II | Kingdom of Portugal | King of Portugal | 5 October 1910 | Monarchy abolished |
Xuantong | China (Qing dynasty) | Emperor of China | 12 February 1912 | Monarchy abolished |
Rama Varma XV | Kingdom of Cochin | Maharaja of Cochin | December 1914 | Rama Varma XVI |
Hongxian | Empire of China | Emperor of China | 22 March 1916 | Monarchy abolished |
Nicholas II | Russian Empire | Emperor of Russia | 15 March 1917 | Monarchy abolished |
Ferdinand I | Kingdom of Bulgaria | Tsar of the Bulgarians | 3 October 1918 | Boris III |
William II | German Empire | German Emperor | 9 November 1918 | Monarchy abolished |
Marie-Adélaïde | Grand Duchy of Luxembourg | Grand Duchess of Luxembourg | 14 January 1919 | Charlotte |
Constantine I | Kingdom of Greece | King of the Hellenes | 27 September 1922 | George II |
Taimur bin Feisal | Sultanate of Oman | Sultan of Oman | 10 February 1932 | Said bin Taimur |
Prajadhipok | Kingdom of Thailand | King of Siam | 2 March 1935 | Ananda Mahidol |
Edward VIII | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | King of the United Kingdom | 11 December 1936 | George VI |
Carol II | Kingdom of Romania | King of Romania | 6 September 1940 | Michael I |
Rezā Shāh | Iran | Shah of Iran | 16 September 1941 | Mohammad Reza Pahlavi |
Bảo Đại | Vietnam | Emperor of Vietnam | 25 August 1945 | Monarchy abolished |
Peter II | Kingdom of Yugoslavia | King of Yugoslavia | 29 November 1945 | Monarchy abolished |
Victor Emmanuel III | Kingdom of Italy | King of Italy | 9 May 1946 | Umberto II |
Charles Vyner Brooke | Kingdom of Sarawak | Rajah of Sarawak | 1 July 1946 | Monarchy abolished |
Michael I | Kingdom of Romania | King of Romania | 30 December 1947 | Monarchy abolished |
Wilhelmina | Kingdom of the Netherlands | Queen of the Netherlands | 4 September 1948 | Juliana |
Leopold III | Kingdom of Belgium | King of the Belgians | 16 July 1951 | Baudouin |
Farouk I | Kingdom of Egypt | King of Egypt | 26 July 1952 | Fuad II |
Talal | Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan | King of Jordan | 11 August 1952 | Hussein |
Norodom Sihanouk | Kingdom of Cambodia | King of Cambodia | 3 March 1955 | Norodom Suramarit |
Ali bin Abdullah Al Thani | State of Qatar | Emir of Qatar | 24 October 1960 | Ahmad bin Ali Al Thani |
Saud | Kingdom of Saudi Arabia | King of Saudi Arabia | 2 November 1964 | Faisal |
Charlotte | Grand Duchy of Luxembourg | Grand Duchess of Luxembourg | 12 November 1964 | Jean |
Omar Ali Saifuddin | Brunei Darussalam | Sultan of Brunei | 4 October 1967 | Hassanal Bolkiah |
Mohammed Zahir Shah | Afghanistan | King of Afghanistan | 24 August 1973 | Monarchy abolished |
Sisavang Vatthana | Laos | King of Laos | 2 December 1975 | Monarchy abolished |
Juliana | Kingdom of the Netherlands | Queen of the Netherlands | 30 April 1980 | Beatrix |
Letsie III | Kingdom of Lesotho | King of Lesotho[1] | 25 January 1995 | Moshoeshoe II |
Jean | Grand Duchy of Luxembourg | Grand Duke of Luxembourg | 7 October 2000 | Henri |
Norodom Sihanouk | Kingdom of Cambodia | King of Cambodia | 7 October 2004 | Norodom Sihamoni |
Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah | State of Kuwait | Emir of Kuwait | 24 January 2006 | Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah |
Jigme Singye Wangchuck | Kingdom of Bhutan | King of Bhutan | 9 December 2006 | Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck |
Benedict XVI | Vatican City State | Pope | 28 February 2013 | Francis |
Beatrix | Kingdom of the Netherlands | Queen of the Netherlands | 30 April 2013 | Willem-Alexander |
Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani | State of Qatar | Emir of Qatar | 25 June 2013 | Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani |
Albert II | Kingdom of Belgium | King of the Belgians | 21 July 2013 | Philippe |
Juan Carlos I | Kingdom of Spain | King of Spain | 19 June 2014 | Felipe VI |
Muhammad V (Sultan of Kelantan) |
Malaysia | Yang di-Pertuan Agong (Supreme Ruler of Malaysia) | 6 January 2019 | Abdullah (Sultan of Pahang) |
Akihito | Japan | Emperor of Japan | 30 April 2019 | Naruhito |
Gallery[]
To move to Rome, Queen Christina of Sweden abdicated on her own initiative at Upsala Castle, 6 June 1654
King Gustav IV Adolph of Sweden was seized by rebels at Stockholm Palace on 13 March 1809, forcing him to abdicate two weeks later.
Napoleon's first abdication, signed at the Palace of Fontainebleau on 4 April 1814
Dom Pedro I, ruler of the Empire of Brazil, delivers his abdication letter on 7 April 1831
Instrument of abdication signed by King Edward VIII and his three brothers, Albert, Henry and George, 10 December 1936
Benedict XVI in the popemobile at his final Wednesday General Audience in St. Peter's Square on 27 February 2013
Juan Carlos signing his own abdication law in front of PM Rajoy, June 2014
See also[]
Notes[]
- ^ Charles V abdicated as Lord of the Netherlands on 25 October 1555 and King of Spain on 16 January 1556 in favor of his son Philip II of Spain. Also in 1556, he separately voluntarily abdicated his German possessions and the title of Holy Roman Emperor.
- ^ Louis was only "King" of France for the twenty minutes it took for him to decide to sign the instrument of abdication. This means his 'abdication' is debatable. However, abdication as an heir has no legal basis; therefore he had to become king in order to abdicate.
- ^ a b Pedro IV of Portugal and Pedro I of Brazil were the same person. He was already Emperor of Brazil when he succeeded to the throne of Portugal in 1826, but abdicated two months later in favour of his daughter Maria II of Portugal. Later, he abdicated the throne of Brazil in favour of his son Pedro II.
References[]
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 12 April 2013. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- Lists of monarchs who lost their thrones
- Monarchs who abdicated