List of living former sovereign monarchs

This is a list of former monarchs of sovereign states who are living to date. While most monarchs retain their position for their lifetime, some choose to abdicate in favour of a younger heir, while other monarchs are deposed when their monarchies are abolished or when another ruler seizes power by force. By international courtesy, these individuals are usually still addressed by their monarchical titles.

Name Title Reign Born Note
Albert II King of the Belgians 1993–2013 6 June 1934 Abdicated
Jigme Singye Wangchuk King of Bhutan 1972–2006 11 November 1955 Abdicated
Simeon II Tsar of the Bulgarians 1943–1946[1] 16 June 1937 Monarchy Abolished
Fuad II King of Egypt and the Sudan 1952–1953 16 January 1952 Monarchy Abolished
Constantine II King of the Hellenes 1964–1973 2 June 1940 Monarchy Abolished
Jean Grand Duke of Luxembourg 1964–2000 5 January 1921 Abdicated
Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev King of Nepal 1950–1951 and 2001–2008 7 July 1947 Monarchy Abolished
Beatrix Queen of the Netherlands 1980–2013 31 January 1938 Abdicated
Juan Carlos I King of Spain 1975–2014 5 January 1938 Abdicated
Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani Emir of Qatar 1972–1995 17 September 1932 Deposed
Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani Emir of Qatar 1995–2013 1 January 1952 Abdicated
Michael I King of the Romanians 1927–1930 and 1940–1947 25 October 1921 Monarchy Abolished
Benedict XVI Sovereign of the Vatican City State 2005–2013 16 April 1927 Resigned
Jamshid bin Abdullah Sultan of Zanzibar 1963–1964 16 September 1929 Monarchy Abolished

Besides these, there are three living former holders of the title Yang di-Pertuan Agong in Malaysia (who are not listed because they remain leaders of one of the nine subnational Malay states), as well as three living former Presidents of France (Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, Jacques Chirac and Nicolas Sarkozy) who served as Co-Princes of Andorra.

Other Territorial Ex-Monarchs:

Name Title Reign Born Note
Ismail Petra Sultan of Kelantan 1980–2010 11 November 1949 Deposed
Kigeli V King of Rwanda 1959–1961 29 June 1936 Monarchy Abolished[2]
Ghalib II al-Qu'aiti Sultan of Qu'aiti 1966–1967 7 January 1948 Monarchy Abolished

Queen Elizabeth II

Further information: States headed by Elizabeth II

Elizabeth II was Sovereign of the following former Commonwealth realms until they later became republics in their own right. Years shown are from her accession in 1952 or independence chronologically up to the abolition of the monarchy.

Notes

  1. ↑ Simeon returned to Bulgaria in 1996 after a half-century in exile and was elected Prime Minister under the name Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (Simeon Sakskoburggotski) in 2001, serving until 2005.
  2. ↑ Kigeli reigned under the Belgian trust territory of Ruanda-Urundi prior to independence in 1962.
  3. ↑ Elizabeth was recognized as Paramount Chief of Fiji by the former Great Council of Chiefs after 1987.

See also

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