List of current monarchs of sovereign states facts for kids
- Examples of absolute monarchs (top row):
- Examples of executive monarchs (middle row):
- Examples of ceremonial monarchs (bottom row):
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 | .jpg) |
24 July 1949 |  Andorra |
12 May 2003 (21 years, 177 days) |
N/A | Ceremonial | Ex officio | |
| Emmanuel Macron |  |
21 December 1977 | 14 May 2017 (7 years, 175 days) |
N/A | |||||
| King | Charles III | .jpg) |
14 November 1948 |  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, 58 days) |
Windsor | Ceremonial | William, Prince of Wales | |
| King | Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa | .jpg) |
28 January 1950 |  Bahrain |
6 March 1999 (25 years, 244 days) |
Al Khalifa | Executive | Salman, Crown Prince of Bahrain | |
| King | Philippe | _(cropped).jpg) |
15 April 1960 |  Belgium |
21 July 2013 (11 years, 107 days) |
Saxe-Coburg and Gotha | Ceremonial | Princess Elisabeth, Duchess of Brabant | |
| Druk Gyalpo | Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck |  |
21 February 1980 |  Bhutan |
9 December 2006 (17 years, 332 days) |
Wangchuck | Executive | Jigme Namgyel | |
| Sultan | Hassanal Bolkiah |  |
15 July 1946 |  Brunei |
5 October 1967 (57 years, 31 days) |
Bolkiah | Absolute | Al-Muhtadee Billah | |
| King | Norodom Sihamoni | .jpg) |
14 May 1953 |  Cambodia |
14 October 2004 (20 years, 22 days) |
Norodom | Ceremonial | Hereditary and elective | |
| King | Frederik X |  |
26 May 1968 |  Denmark |
14 January 2024 (296 days) |
Glücksburg (official) Monpezat (agnatic) |
Ceremonial | Christian, Crown Prince of Denmark | |
| King | Mswati III |  |
19 April 1968 |  Eswatini |
25 April 1986 (38 years, 194 days) |
Dlamini | Absolute | Hereditary and elective | |
| Emperor | Naruhito | .jpg) |
23 February 1960 |  Japan |
1 May 2019 (5 years, 188 days) |
Yamato | Ceremonial | Fumihito, Prince Akishino (Heir presumptive) | |
| King | Abdullah II | .jpg) |
30 January 1962 |  Jordan |
7 February 1999 (25 years, 272 days) |
Al Hāshim | Executive | Hereditary and elective (presumably Hussein bin Abdullah) | |
| Emir | Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah |  |
27 September 1940 |  Kuwait |
16 December 2023 (325 days) |
Al Sabah | Executive | Hereditary and elective (presumably Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah) | |
| King | Letsie III | .jpg) |
17 July 1963 |  Lesotho |
7 February 1996 (28 years, 272 days) |
Moshesh | Ceremonial | Lerotholi Seeiso | |
| Prince | Hans-Adam II |  |
14 February 1945 |  Liechtenstein |
13 November 1989 (34 years, 358 days) |
Liechtenstein | Executive | The Hereditary Prince Alois (currently Prince Regent) | |
| Grand Duke | Henri | .jpg) |
16 April 1955 |  Luxembourg |
7 October 2000 (24 years, 29 days) |
Luxembourg-Nassau | Ceremonial | Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg (currently Lieutenant-Representative) | |
| Yang di-Pertuan Agong | Ibrahim Iskandar |  |
22 November 1958 |  Malaysia |
31 January 2024 (279 days) |
Temenggong | Ceremonial & Federal | Elective (presumably Nazrin Shah) | |
| Prince | Albert II | .jpg) |
14 March 1958 |  Monaco |
6 April 2005 (19 years, 213 days) |
Grimaldi | Executive | Jacques, Hereditary Prince of Monaco | |
| King | Mohammed VI | .jpg) |
21 August 1963 |  Morocco |
23 July 1999 (25 years, 105 days) |
Alawi | Executive | Moulay Hassan, Crown Prince of Morocco | |
| King | Willem-Alexander | .jpeg) |
27 April 1967 |  Netherlands |
30 April 2013 (11 years, 189 days) |
Orange-Nassau | Ceremonial | Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Orange | |
| King | Harald V | _(cropped).jpg) |
21 February 1937 |  Norway |
17 January 1991 (33 years, 293 days) |
Glücksburg | Ceremonial | Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway | |
| Sultan | Haitham bin Tariq |  |
11 October 1955 |  Oman |
11 January 2020 (4 years, 299 days) |
Al Said | Absolute | Theyazin bin Haitham | |
| Emir | Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani | _(cropped).jpg) |
3 June 1980 |  Qatar |
25 June 2013 (11 years, 133 days) |
Al Thani | Executive | Abdullah bin Hamad | |
| King | Salman | _(cropped).jpg) |
31 December 1935 |  Saudi Arabia |
23 January 2015 (9 years, 287 days) |
Al Saud | Absolute | Mohammed bin Salman | |
| King | Felipe VI |  |
30 January 1968 |  Spain |
19 June 2014 (10 years, 139 days) |
Borbón-Anjou | Ceremonial | Leonor, Princess of Asturias (Heir presumptive) | |
| King | Carl XVI Gustaf | _(cropped).jpg) |
30 April 1946 |  Sweden |
15 September 1973 (51 years, 51 days) |
Bernadotte | Ceremonial | Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden | |
| King | Vajiralongkorn | .jpg) |
28 July 1952 |  Thailand |
13 October 2016 (8 years, 23 days) |
Chakri | Ceremonial | Dipangkorn Rasmijoti (Heir presumptive) | |
| King | Tupou VI |  |
12 July 1959 |  Tonga |
18 March 2012 (12 years, 232 days) |
Tupou | Executive | Tupoutoʻa ʻUlukalala | |
| President | Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan |  |
11 March 1961 |  United Arab Emirates |
14 May 2022 (2 years, 175 days) |
Al Nahyan | Executive & Federal | Hereditary and elective (presumably Khaled bin Mohamed Al Nahyan) | |
| Pope | Francis | _FXD.jpg) |
17 December 1936 |  Vatican City (Holy See) |
13 March 2013 (11 years, 237 days) |
N/A | Absolute | Elective |
See also
In Spanish: Anexo:Monarcas actuales de estados soberanos para niños
- List of current reigning monarchs by length of reign
- List of current non-sovereign monarchs
- List of current heads of state and government
- Heads of former ruling families
- List of monarchies
- List of living former sovereign monarchs
- List of current heirs apparent
- List of current consorts of sovereigns
- Records of heads of state
