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List of current monarchs of sovereign states facts for kids

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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.

A variety of titles are applied in English; for example, "king" and "queen", "prince" and "princess", "grand duke" and "grand duchess", "emperor" and "empress". 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. Roman numerals, used to distinguish related rulers with the same name, have been applied where typical.

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; a modern example is the throne of Malaysia. 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.

Entries below are listed beside their respective dominions, which are organised alphabetically. These monarchs reign as head of state in their respective sovereign states. Monarchs reigning over a constituent division, cultural or traditional polity are listed under constituent monarchs. For a list of former ruling families or abolished thrones, see: former ruling families.

Monarchs by country

Title Monarch Portrait Date of birth Sovereign state(s) Since
(Length)
House Type Heir to the throne
Co-Prince Joan Enric Vives i Sicília Mons. Vives (30612833490).jpg (1949-07-24) 24 July 1949 (age 75)  Andorra 12 May 2003
(21 years, 193 days)
N/A Ceremonial Ex officio
Emmanuel Macron Emmanuel Macron in 2019.jpg (1977-12-21) 21 December 1977 (age 46) 14 May 2017
(7 years, 191 days)
N/A
King Charles III King Charles III (July 2023).jpg (1948-11-14) 14 November 1948 (age 76)  Antigua and Barbuda
 Australia
 The Bahamas
 Belize
 Canada
 Grenada
 Jamaica
 New Zealand
 Papua New Guinea
 Saint Kitts and Nevis
 Saint Lucia
 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
 Solomon Islands
 Tuvalu
 United Kingdom
8 September 2022
(2 years, 74 days)
Windsor Ceremonial William, Prince of Wales
King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa Donald Trump meets with King Hamed bin Issa of Bahrain, May 2017 (cropped).jpg (1950-01-28) 28 January 1950 (age 74)  Bahrain 6 March 1999
(25 years, 260 days)
Al Khalifa Executive Salman, Crown Prince of Bahrain
King Philippe Sergio Mattarella and Belgian King Philippe at Quirinale in 2021 (6) (cropped).jpg (1960-04-15) 15 April 1960 (age 64)  Belgium 21 July 2013
(11 years, 123 days)
Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Ceremonial Princess Elisabeth, Duchess of Brabant
Druk Gyalpo Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck at the Enthronement of Naruhito.jpg (1980-02-21) 21 February 1980 (age 44)  Bhutan 9 December 2006
(17 years, 348 days)
Wangchuck Executive Jigme Namgyel
Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah His Majesty Bolkiah 20231216.jpg (1946-07-15) 15 July 1946 (age 78)  Brunei 5 October 1967

(57 years, 47 days)
Bolkiah Absolute Al-Muhtadee Billah
King Norodom Sihamoni King Norodom Sihamoni (2019).jpg (1953-05-14) 14 May 1953 (age 71)  Cambodia 14 October 2004
(20 years, 38 days)
Norodom Ceremonial Hereditary and elective
King Frederik X Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark in 2018.jpg (1968-05-26) 26 May 1968 (age 56)  Denmark 14 January 2024
(312 days)
Glücksburg (official)
Monpezat (agnatic)
Ceremonial Christian, Crown Prince of Denmark
King Mswati III King Mswati III 2014.jpg (1968-04-19) 19 April 1968 (age 56)  Eswatini 25 April 1986
(38 years, 210 days)
Dlamini Absolute Hereditary and elective
Emperor Naruhito Naruhito and Masako visit Bogor Palace 48 (cropped).jpg (1960-02-23) 23 February 1960 (age 64)  Japan 1 May 2019
(5 years, 204 days)
Yamato Ceremonial Fumihito, Prince Akishino (Heir presumptive)
King Abdullah II King Abdullah II (cropped).jpg (1962-01-30) 30 January 1962 (age 62)  Jordan 7 February 1999
(25 years, 288 days)
Al Hāshim Executive Hereditary and elective (presumably Hussein bin Abdullah)
Emir Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah GCC.jpg (1940-09-27) 27 September 1940 (age 84)  Kuwait 16 December 2023
(341 days)
Al Sabah Executive Hereditary and elective (presumably Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah)
King Letsie III King Letsie III at the Enthronement of Naruhito (1).jpg (1963-07-17) 17 July 1963 (age 61)  Lesotho 7 February 1996
(28 years, 288 days)
Moshesh Ceremonial Lerotholi Seeiso
Prince Hans-Adam II Ιωάννης Αδάμ Β΄ του Λίχτενσταϊν.jpg (1945-02-14) 14 February 1945 (age 79)  Liechtenstein 13 November 1989
(35 years, 8 days)
Liechtenstein Executive The Hereditary Prince Alois (currently Prince Regent)
Grand Duke Henri Saeimas priekšsēdētājs Edvards Smiltēns tiekas ar Luksemburgas lielhercogu - 52744479271 (cropped).jpg (1955-04-16) 16 April 1955 (age 69)  Luxembourg 7 October 2000
(24 years, 45 days)
Luxembourg-Nassau Ceremonial Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg (currently Lieutenant-Representative)
Yang di-Pertuan Agong Ibrahim Iskandar Sultan Ibrahim, 2024 official portrait.jpg (1958-11-22) 22 November 1958 (age 65)  Malaysia 31 January 2024
(295 days)
Temenggong Ceremonial & Federal Elective (presumably Nazrin Shah)
Prince Albert II Prince Albert II of Monaco at the Enthronement of Naruhito (1).jpg (1958-03-14) 14 March 1958 (age 66)  Monaco 6 April 2005
(19 years, 229 days)
Grimaldi Executive Jacques, Hereditary Prince of Monaco
King Mohammed VI King Mohammed VI of Morocco, Africa Forum Summit 2015 (cropped).jpg (1963-08-21) 21 August 1963 (age 61)  Morocco 23 July 1999
(25 years, 121 days)
Alawi Executive Moulay Hassan, Crown Prince of Morocco
King Willem-Alexander Zijne Majesteit Koning Willem-Alexander met koningsmantel april 2013 (cropped).jpeg (1967-04-27) 27 April 1967 (age 57)  Netherlands 30 April 2013
(11 years, 205 days)
Orange-Nassau Ceremonial Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Orange
King Harald V King Harald V of Norway (29227859394) (cropped).jpg (1937-02-21) 21 February 1937 (age 87)  Norway 17 January 1991
(33 years, 309 days)
Glücksburg Ceremonial Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway
Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Haitham bin Tariq Al Said.jpg (1955-10-11) 11 October 1955 (age 69)  Oman 11 January 2020
(4 years, 315 days)
Al Said Absolute Theyazin bin Haitham
Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani تميم بن حمد بن خليفة آل ثاني (49759678641) (cropped).jpg (1980-06-03) 3 June 1980 (age 44)  Qatar 25 June 2013
(11 years, 149 days)
Al Thani Executive Abdullah bin Hamad
King Salman Salman of Saudi Arabia - 2020 (49563590728) (cropped).jpg (1935-12-31) 31 December 1935 (age 88)  Saudi Arabia 23 January 2015
(9 years, 303 days)
Al Saud Absolute Mohammed bin Salman
King Felipe VI Felipe VI in 2023.jpg (1968-01-30) 30 January 1968 (age 56)  Spain 19 June 2014
(10 years, 155 days)
Borbón-Anjou Ceremonial Leonor, Princess of Asturias (Heir presumptive)
King Carl XVI Gustaf Crafoord Prize D81 9141 (42282165922) (cropped).jpg (1946-04-30) 30 April 1946 (age 78)  Sweden 15 September 1973
(51 years, 67 days)
Bernadotte Ceremonial Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden
King Vajiralongkorn Portrait of King Rama X (cropped).jpg (1952-07-28) 28 July 1952 (age 72)  Thailand 13 October 2016
(8 years, 39 days)
Chakri Ceremonial Dipangkorn Rasmijoti (Heir presumptive)
King Tupou VI Dinner for His Majesty King Tupou VI of the Kingdom of Tonga and Her Majesty Queen Nanasipau’u 04.jpg (1959-07-12) 12 July 1959 (age 65)  Tonga 18 March 2012
(12 years, 248 days)
Tupou Executive Tupoutoʻa ʻUlukalala
President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, at Hyderabad House, in New Delhi on February 11, 2016.jpg (1961-03-11) 11 March 1961 (age 63)  United Arab Emirates 14 May 2022
(2 years, 191 days)
Al Nahyan Executive & Federal Hereditary and elective (presumably Khaled bin Mohamed Al Nahyan)
Pope Francis Portrait of Pope Francis (2021) FXD.jpg (1936-12-17) 17 December 1936 (age 87)  Vatican City (Holy See) 13 March 2013
(11 years, 253 days)
N/A Absolute Elective

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Anexo:Monarcas actuales de estados soberanos para niños

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List of current monarchs of sovereign states Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.