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This is a list of currently reigning sovereign monarchs, listed beside their respective dominions. These monarchs reign as head of state in their respective sovereign states. For monarchs reigning over a constituent division, cultural or traditional polity, see constituent monarchs. The list below is organised alphabetically by region and state.

A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy, a form of government in which a state or polity 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 many absolute monarchies) or may be ceremonial figureheads who exercise only reserve power, with actual authority vested in a parliament or other governing body (as in a constitutional monarchy).

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 dyarchies.

Monarchs are distinguished by their titles and styles, which in most cases are defined by tradition, and guaranteed under the state's constitution. A variety of titles are applied in English; for example, king and queen, prince and princess, emperor and empress, etcetera. Although they will be addressed differently in their local languages, the names and titles in the list below have been styled using the common English equivalent. In the same way, while the European practice of using distinguishing Roman numerals for rulers has been applied below where typical, in most cases these are not actually used according to local custom.

In political and sociocultural studies, monarchies are normally associated with hereditary rule; most monarchs, in both historical and contemporary contexts, have been born and raised within a royal family. Succession has been defined using a variety of distinct formulae, such as proximity of blood, primogeniture, and agnatic seniority. Some monarchies, however, are not hereditary, and the ruler is instead determined through an elective process. Modern examples include the throne of Malaysia, and the throne of the Vatican City. These systems defy the model concept of a monarchy, but are commonly considered as such because they retain certain associative characteristics. Many systems use a combination of hereditary and elective elements, where the election or nomination of a successor is restricted to members of a royal bloodline.

In recent centuries, a large number of monarchies have been deposed or abolished, with the states transitioning into republics. For current claimants to abolished thrones, see pretenders.

African monarchs

State	Monarch	Since	House	Type	Succession	Standard	Refs
Lesotho	King Letsie III	7 February 1996	Moshesh	Constitutional	Hereditary and Elective
Morocco	King Mohammed VI	23 July 1999	Alawi	Constitutional	Hereditary
Swaziland	King Mswati III	25 April 1986	Dlamini	Absolute	Hereditary and Elective	File:Royal Flag of Swaziland.png

American monarchs

State	Monarch		Since	House	Type	Succession	Standard	Refs
Antigua and Barbuda	Queen	Elizabeth II	1 November 1981	Windsor	Constitutional	Hereditary
Bahamas	Queen		10 July 1973
Barbados	Queen		30 November 1966
Belize	Queen		21 September 1981
Canada	Queen		6 February 1952
Grenada	Queen		7 February 1974
Jamaica	Queen		6 August 1962
Saint Kitts and Nevis	Queen		19 September 1983
Saint Lucia	Queen		22 February 1979
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	Queen		27 October 1979

Asian monarchs

State	Monarch	Since	House	Type	Succession	Standard	Refs
Bahrain	King Hamad ibn Isa	6 March 1999	Al Khalifah	Mixed	Hereditary
Bhutan	King Jigme Khesar Namgyel	14 December 2006	Wangchuck	Constitutional	Hereditary
Brunei	Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah	4 October 1967	Bolkiah	Absolute	Hereditary
Cambodia	King Norodom Sihamoni	14 October 2004	Norodom	Constitutional	Hereditary and Elective
Japan	Emperor Akihito	7 January 1989	Yamato	Constitutional	Hereditary
Jordan	King Abdullah II	7 February 1999	Hāshim	Constitutional	Hereditary
Kuwait	Emir Sabah al-Ahmad	29 January 2006	Al Sabah	Mixed	Hereditary and Elective
Malaysia	King Mizan Zainal Abidin	13 December 2006	Terengganu	Constitutional	Elective and Hereditary
Oman	Sultan Qaboos bin Said	23 July 1970	Al Bu Sa‘id	Absolute	Hereditary
Qatar	Emir Hamad bin Khalifa	27 June 1995	Al Thani	Absolute	Hereditary
Saudi Arabia	King Abdullah bin Abdul‘aziz	1 August 2005	Al Saud	Absolute	Hereditary and Elective
Thailand	King Bhumibol Adulyadej	9 June 1946	Chakri	Constitutional	Hereditary
United Arab Emirates	President Khalifa bin Zayed	3 November 2004	Al Nahyan	Constitutional	Elective and Hereditary

European monarchs

State	Monarch		Since	House	Type	Succession	Standard	Refs
Andorra	Co-Prince	Joan Enric Vives Sicília	12 May 2003	N/A	Constitutional	Ex officio	N/A
		Nicolas Sarkozy	16 May 2007
Belgium	King Albert II		9 August 1993	Saxe-Coburg and Gotha	Constitutional	Hereditary
Denmark	Queen Margrethe II		14 January 1972	Glücksburg	Constitutional	Hereditary
Liechtenstein	Prince Hans-Adam II		13 November 1989	Liechtenstein	Constitutional	Hereditary
Luxembourg	Grand Duke Henri		7 October 2000	Nassau-Weilburg	Constitutional	Hereditary
Monaco	Prince Albert II		6 April 2005	Grimaldi	Constitutional	Hereditary
Netherlands	Queen Beatrix		30 April 1980	Orange-Nassau	Constitutional	Hereditary
Norway	King Harald V		17 January 1991	Glücksburg	Constitutional	Hereditary
Spain	King Juan Carlos I		22 November 1975	Bourbon	Constitutional	Hereditary
Sweden	King Carl XVI Gustaf		15 September 1973	Bernadotte	Constitutional	Hereditary
United Kingdom	Queen Elizabeth II		6 February 1952	Windsor	Constitutional	Hereditary
Vatican City	Pope Benedict XVI		19 April 2005	N/A	Absolute	Ex officio

Oceanian monarchs

State	Monarch		Since	House	Type	Succession	Standard	Refs
Australia	Queen	Elizabeth II	6 February 1952	Windsor	Constitutional	Hereditary
New Zealand	Queen		6 February 1952				File:Royal Standard of New Zealand.svg
Papua New Guinea	Queen		16 September 1975
Solomon Islands	Queen		7 July 1978
Tonga	King Siaosi Tupou V		11 September 2006	Tupou	Constitutional	Hereditary
Tuvalu	Queen Elizabeth II		1 October 1978	Windsor	Constitutional	Hereditary

Constituent monarchs

See also

• List of current heads of state and government
• List of current pretenders
• List of longest reigning current monarchs
• List of current constituent monarchs
• List of monarchies
• List of royal houses
• Lists of monarchs
• Monarchy
• Royal and noble ranks

Notes

1. Coronation took place 31 October 1997. Has previously reigned as king from 12 November 1990 until 25 January 1995.
2. A clan of the Basotho. The name is styled after Moshoeshoe I (often spelled "Moshweshwe"), a descendant of the Bakwêna tribe.
3. Coronation took place 30 July 1999.
4. Succession is subject to customary law, and does not follow primogeniture. A council of elders selects who among the reigning king's wives will be mother of the next king. This woman will succeed as Ndlovukati upon her son's ascension to throne, and will rule alongside him for the duration of his reign. The king's first two wives are considered ineligible.
5. ^ Elizabeth II is currently queen regnant of sixteen separate Commonwealth realms, and has previously reigned as queen of sixteen other countries, which are now republics (see separate entries).
6. ^ Elizabeth II previously reigned over this country as Queen of the United Kingdom, from 6 February 1952 until the nation's independence and the creation of a separate crown.
7. ^ The House of Windsor is a line of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, which itself is a branch of the House of Wettin. "Windsor" is the official name adopted by the royal family of the United Kingdom since 1917.
8. Hamad ibn Isa reigned as Amir of the State of Bahrain until 14 February 2002, when he assumed the new title of King of Bahrain under a new Constitution.
9. ^ A clan of the Utbah tribe.
10. Coronation took place 6 November 2008.
11. Coronation took place 1 August 1968.
12. Coronation took place 29 October 2004.
13. A branch of the Varman dynasty.
14. The king is selected for life by the Royal Council of the Throne from amongst the male descendants of kings Ang Duong, Norodom, and Sisowath.
15. "Akihito" is the current emperor's given name, but it is not his regnal name, and he is never referred to as this in Japanese. The era of Akihito's reign bears the name "Heisei", and according to custom he will be renamed "Emperor Heisei" following his death.
16. Coronation took place 12 November 1990.
17. Formally enthroned on 9 June 1999.
18. A clan of the Quraysh tribe.
19. Succession is not based upon primogeniture. The reigning king selects who will be his successor.
20. The heir is appointed by the reigning emir, and the nomination must also be approved by a majority of members in the National Assembly. The throne is also traditionally alternated between the two main branches of the Al Sabah family: the Al Salem and Al Jaber. The current emir is of the Al Jaber branch.
21. Official title: Yang di-Pertuan Agong. It is commonly rendered in English as "King".
22. Coronation took place 26 April 2007. Mizan has previously served as regent from 8 October to 21 November 2001, thereafter reigning as acting Yang di-Pertuan Agong until 13 December 2001.
23. The present Yang di-Pertuan Agong is the Sultan of Terengganu (see constituent monarchs), whose ruling line is the Bendahara dynasty.
24. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong (Supreme Head of State) is elected to a five-year term by and from amongst the nine hereditary rulers of the Malay states, who form the Council of Rulers. The position has to date been, by informal agreement, systematically rotated between the nine; the order was originally based on seniority.
25. ^ Monarchy is constitutional by law, but remains absolute in practice.
26. A clan of the Tamim tribe.
27. Coronation took place 2 August 2005. Abdullah previously served as prince regent from 1 January 1996 until 21 February 1996.
28. A clan descended from the Hanifa tribe.
29. Succession is determined by consensus within the House of Saud as to who will be Crown Prince. This consensus may change depending on the Crown Prince's actions.
30. Name is also written as Phumiphon Adunyadet. He is also styled Rama IX, and is publicly acclaimed "the Great". Thais refer to him as "Nai Luang" or "Phra Chao Yu Hua".
31. Coronation took place 5 May 1950.
32. The Al Nahyan are a branch of the Al Falahi, a clan of the Yas tribe.
33. The Prime Minister is the head of the government. However, the position—whilst elective—can only be held by one of the reigning monarchs of the seven constituent emirates (see constituent monarchs).
34. According to the Constitution, the President of the United Arab Emirates is elected by the Federal Supreme Council from among the individual rulers of the seven emirates. However, by informal agreement the Presidency is always passed to the head of the Al Nahyan clan, the Emir of Abu Dhabi, which makes it a de facto hereditary position. In addition, the elected Prime Minister has always been the head of the Al Maktoum clan and Emir of Dubai.
35. A branch of the House of Wettin.
36. ^ Officially the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, which is a branch of the House of Oldenburg.
37. Formally enthroned on 15 August 1990. Prior to his accession, Hans-Adam had served as prince regent since 26 August 1984.
38. Prior to formal enthronement, Henri had served as prince regent since 3 March 1998.
39. The royal family of Luxembourg is descended from the House of Nassau and the Parma branch of the House of Bourbon.
40. Albert II was formally enthroned as prince in a two-part ceremony, in accordance with tradition, on 12 July and 19 November 2005.
41. The Dutch royal family is descended from the Houses of Nassau and Lippe.
42. Formally enthroned on 21 January 1991, and consecrated on 23 June 1991. Prior to his accession, Harald had served as prince regent since 1 June 1990.
43. Formally enthroned on 27 November 1975.
44. Formally enthroned on 19 September 1973.
45. Coronation took place 2 June 1953.
46. As Sovereign of the Vatican City. The Pope's primary office is that of Bishop of Rome and, as such, spiritual leader of the Roman Catholic Church in the Christian religion.
47. Inauguration took place 24 April 2005.
48. Elizabeth II previously reigned over Papua New Guinea as Queen of Australia, from 6 February 1952 until the nation's independence and the creation of a separate crown.
49. Coronation took place 31 July 2008.
50. A line of the Tuʻi Kanokupolu dynasty.

References

1. American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. "Monarch". The Free Dictionary. Farlex, Inc. Retrieved 2010-09-10. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
2. American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. "Regent". The Free Dictionary. Farlex, Inc. Retrieved 2010-09-10. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
3. Hindley, Geoffrey (2000). The royal families of Europe. London: Constable & Robinson. p. 6. ISBN 9780786708284.
4. "His Majesty King Letsie III". The Lesotho Monarchy. Government of Lesotho. Retrieved 2010-04-28.
5. Buyers, Christopher. "Morocco". The Royal Ark. Retrieved 2010-04-28.
6. Soszynski, Henry. "Swaziland". Genealogical Gleanings. University of Queensland. Retrieved 2010-04-28.
7. ^ "Official website of the British Monarchy". Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 2010-04-12.
8. Buyers, Christopher. "Bahrain". The Royal Ark. Retrieved 2010-04-28.
9. Soszynski, Henry. "Bhutan". Genealogical Gleanings. University of Queensland. Retrieved 2010-04-28.
10. Buyers, Christopher. "Brunei". The Royal Ark. Retrieved 2010-04-28.
11. Buyers, Christopher. "Cambodia". The Royal Ark. Retrieved 2010-04-28.
12. "Imperial Household Agency". Government of Japan, Imperial Household Agency. Retrieved 2010-04-12.
13. "Abdullah II Official Website". Government of Jordan. Retrieved 2010-04-12.
14. Buyers, Christopher. "Kuwait". The Royal Ark. Retrieved 2010-04-28.
15. Buyers, Christopher. "Malaysia". The Royal Ark. Retrieved 2010-04-28.
16. Buyers, Christopher. "Oman". The Royal Ark. Retrieved 2010-04-28.
17. Buyers, Christopher. "Qatar". The Royal Ark. Retrieved 2010-04-28.
18. Frontline (August 2005). "The House of Saud". Public Broadcasting Service. Retrieved 2010-04-12.
19. "The Illustrious Chakri Family". Mahidol University. Retrieved 2010-04-28.
20. Soszynski, Henry. "United Arab Emirates". Genealogical Gleanings. University of Queensland. Retrieved 2010-04-12.
21. Template:Ca icon "Govern d'Andorra". Government of Andorra. Retrieved 2010-04-12.
22. "The Belgian Monarchy". Government of Belgium. Retrieved 2010-04-12.
23. "The Danish Monarchy". Government of Denmark. Retrieved 2010-04-12.
24. "Portal of the Principality of Liechtenstein". Government of Liechtenstein. Retrieved 2010-04-12.
25. Template:Lb icon "Grand Duke Henri". Government of Luxembourg, Press and Information Service. Retrieved 2010-07-11.
26. "The House of Grimaldi". Infinite Public Relations. Retrieved 2010-04-12.
27. "The Dutch Royal House". Government of the Netherlands. Retrieved 2010-04-12.
28. "Official website of the Royal House of Norway". Government of Norway. Retrieved 2010-04-12.
29. "The Royal Household of His Majesty the King". Government of Spain. Retrieved 2010-04-12.
30. Template:Sw icon "Sveriges Kungahus". Government of Sweden. Retrieved 2010-04-12.
31. "The Holy Father: Benedict XVI". Holy See. Retrieved 2010-04-12.
32. Buyers, Christopher. "The Tupou Dynasty". The Royal Ark. Retrieved 2010-04-28.

External links

• Buyers, Christopher. "The Royal Ark: Royal and Ruling Houses of Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas". Retrieved 2010-08-31.
• Soszynski, Henry. "Genealogical Gleanings: Royal and Noble Lineages". University of Queensland. Retrieved 2010-08-31.

• Lists of current office-holders
• Lists of monarchs
• Reigning monarchs