List of shortest-reigning monarchs
A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy, usually reigning for life, or until abdication or deposition. The reign of some monarchs has been notably short. Many of these monarchs acceded to the throne as a result of being first in an order of succession, while other monarchs claimed the throne as a result of some conflict.
The authenticity of some monarchs has been disputed, especially those who reigned during conflict. One factor in such debates is whether the monarch held the throne in a symbolic or nominal capacity. Two examples are
- King Louis XIX of France, who succeeded upon the abdication of Charles X only to abdicate in favour of Henry V instead of assuming the throne, and
- Emperor Michael II of Russia, who succeeded on the abdication of Nicholas II only to abdicate himself in favor of nobody.
Obscure monarchs thought to have reigned less than a year
Note: Some of the following have been disputed as genuine monarchs
Name | Country or people |
Royal house/dynasty | Reign began | Reign ended | Length | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Shah Xerxes II | King of Persia | Achaemenid Empire | 424 BC | 424 BC | 45 days (1 month 15 days) |
Removed from the throne by Sogdianus |
Queen Cleopatra IV of Egypt | Queen of Egypt | Ptolemaic | 116 BC | 115 BC | Pushed out of joint reign by her mother, Cleopatra III | |
King Yang | Nanyue | Zhao (Triệu) | 111 BC | 111 BC | Captured and executed by the Han after his army was destroyed leading to 150 years of Chinese mastery. | |
Emperor Shao (Marquess of Beixiang) | China | Han Dynasty | 125 | 125 | Enthroned as a child, and died of illness later in the year. | |
Emperor Shao (Liu Bian) | China | Han Dynasty | 189 (15 May) |
189 (28 Sept) |
4 months, 13 days | Enthroned as a child, but deposed by Dong Zhuo later that year and murdered the next year. |
King Ildibad | Ostrogoths | 540 | 541 | Assassinated by a Gepid | ||
King Eraric | Ostrogoths | 541 | 541 | Assassinated by a member of his own royal guard. | ||
High King Fogartach mac Néill | Ireland | Uí Néill | 724 | 724 | Claimed by some to be the High King of Ireland for several months during a period of high conflict. | |
Duke Bezprym | Duke of Poland | Piast | 1031 | 1032 | The reason for his downfall was his extreme cruelty. According to the Chronicles of Hildesheim, he was murdered by his own men no later than spring of 1032. Probably the instigators of his death were his half-brothers, although the main conspirator was Otto, who remained free in Germany. | |
Kings Eric and Eric | Sweden | 1066 | 1067 | After the death of king Stenkil of Sweden in 1066, these two fought for power with each other. They both died in battle the following year. | ||
King Ragnvald Knaphövde | Sweden | 1125 | 1126 | After the death of Inge the Younger in 1125, Ragnvald claimed the Swedish throne, but was killed by upset peasants in the following year. | ||
King Magnus II | Sweden | 1160 | 1161 | After the Danish prince Magnus had killed king Eric IX of Sweden in 1160, he proclaimed himself king, but was killed by his rival Charles Sverkersson the following year. | ||
Jaya Harivarman II | Champa | 1167 | 1167 | |||
Jaya Indravarman V | Champa | 1191 | 1191 | |||
Emperor Constantine Laskaris | Nicaea | Laskaris | 1204 | 1205 | Constantine Laskaris was declared nominal Byzantine emperor after Alexios V Doukas was deposed as the Byzantine emperor by the Fourth Crusade. | |
Emperor Mạc Toàn | Vietnam | Mạc | 1592 | 1592 | Mạc Toàn succeeded Mạc Mậu Hợp for a short period after the latter was killed by the forces of Trịnh Tùng. |
Less than a year
Note: Some of the following have been disputed as genuine monarchs.
Name | Country | Royal house/dynasty | Reign began | Reign ended | Length | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
King Jeonggang | Silla (Korea) | Kim | July 886 | 5 July 887 | ≈1 year | After his death, his sister Man succeeded to the throne because he had no sons. She was named Queen Jinseong and was the last queen in Korean history. |
King Chang of Goryeo | Goryeo (Korea) | Wang | 1388 | 1389 | ≈1 year | When was in his reign, the general Yi Seong-gye took the throne as regent because he was only 7 years old when took the throne. He died on his first year of reign by being assassinated together with his father King U of Goryeo |
Empress Lý Chiêu Hoàng | Vietnam | Lý | October 1224 | 21 October 1225 | ≈1 year | Succeeded to the throne through the suicide of her father Lý Huệ Tông. Renounced her claim on the throne in favour of her husband Trần Thái Tông, founder of the Trần Dynasty. |
Emperor Hồ Quý Ly | Vietnam | Hồ | February 1400 | c. 1400–1401 | ≈1 year | Hồ Quý Ly succeeded to the throne after persuading emperor Trần Thuận Tông to relinquish power to a three-year-old prince named An. Trần Thuận Tông was then executed and the throne was seized from An. Hồ Quý Ly renounced the throne in favor of his son Hồ Hán Thương. |
Tsar False Dmitry I | All Russia | 10 June 1606 | 17 May 1607 | 11 months, 7 days | Claimed to be the youngest son of Ivan the Terrible, tsarevich Dmitry Ivanovich. He was killed by the boyars. | |
Emperor Hàm Nghi | Vietnam | Nguyễn | 1 August 1884 | 4 July 1885 | 11 months, 3 days | Captured during the Mandarins' Revolt and the French replaced him with Đồng Khánh. |
King Fuad II of Egypt | Egypt and The Sudan | Muhammad Ali | 26 July 1952 | 18 June 1953 | 10 months, 23 days | Succeeded with the abdication of his father, Farouk, following the Egyptian revolution of 1952. Never exercised real power over his country, as he was an infant and had been exiled with his father. His reign formally ended when Egypt was declared a republic. |
King Edward VIII | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and British dominions | Windsor | 20 January 1936 | 11 December 1936 | 10 months, 22 days | Abdicated in favour of his brother, George VI, to avoid a constitutional crisis. |
Louise Hippolyte, Sovereign Princess of Monaco | Principality of Monaco | Grimaldi | 20 February 1731 | 29 December 1731 | 10 months, 9 days | Died of smallpox. |
Emperor Agustín I | Mexican Empire | Iturbide | 19 May 1822 | 19 March 1823 | 10 months | Agustín I was proclaimed emperor by the Parliament of the newly independent Mexican Empire, but later deposed by Republican forces, leading to the foundation of the First Mexican Republic. His grandsons were later adopted by Mexico's second Emperor Maximilian I of the House of Habsburg in the 1860s. |
King Injong | Joseon (Korea) | Yi | November 1544 | July 1545 | ≈9 months | Some historians believe that Injong was poisoned by the Smaller Yun faction, led by Yun Won-Hyung, to enable Injong's half-brother to ascend the throne. |
King Lokissara | Polonnaruwa | 1211 | 1211 | ≈9 months | Leader of a Tamil army and usurper of the Sinhala throne. | |
Emperor Leo II | Byzantine Empire | Leonid Dynasty | 18 January 474 | 17 November 474 | 9 months, 30 days | Appointed co-emperor by his grandfather Leo I on 18 November 473, before ascending the throne upon Leo I's death. As he was still a child, his father Zeno was made co-emperor on 9 February 474. Died soon after and was succeeded by Zeno. |
Tsar Dmitriy I | Russia | Rurik (impostor) | 21 July 1605 | 17 May 1606 | 9 months, 27 days | An impostor, Dmitriy took the throne of Russia upon the death of Boris Godunov. He was killed during an assault on the Kremlin. |
King Christian II | Sweden | Oldenburg | 1 November 1520 | 23 August 1521 | 9 months, 22 days | After conquering Sweden in the spring and summer of 1520, King Christian II of Denmark and Norway entered the defeated Swedish capital of Stockholm on 7 September 1520. On 1 November he was elected and on 4 November he was crowned king of Sweden. On 23 August 1521, he was officially deposed, when Gustav Vasa was elected regent of Sweden at a meeting in Vadstena. |
King Harold II | Kingdom of England | Wessex | 5 January 1066 | 14 October 1066 | 9 months, 9 days | Killed at the Battle of Hastings by Norman forces. |
Maharajah Manava | Gauda, Bengal | Shashanka | 625 | 626 | ≈8 months | After the death of Shashanka and his brief reign, Gauda was conquered by an alliance of Harshavardhana and Bhaskaravarman. |
Emir Habibullah Ghazi | Afghanistan | 17 January 1929 | 13 October 1929 | 8 months, 26 days | Habibullah Ghazi succeeded Inayatullah Khan Seraj, who had abdicated in his favour after just three days. Habibullah Ghazi's reign soon ended when he was deposed and executed by Mohammed Nadir Shah. | |
Emperor Le Nghi Dan | Vietnam | Lê | 28 October 1459 | 24 June 1460 | 8 months, 25 days | Succeeded to the throne by leading a revolt against and killing his younger brother Lê Nhân Tông. Nghi Dan's reign ended in another revolution in which he was killed and replaced by his younger brother Lê Thánh Tông. |
Emperor Vitellius | Roman Empire | Year of the Four Emperors | 16 April 69 | 22 December 69 | 8 months, 6 days | Attempted to abdicate in favour of Vespasian, but was prevented from doing so by his own troops. When Vespasian reached the capital, his troops killed Vitellius on the Gemonian stairs and cast into the Tiber |
King Phelles | Tyre | Dynasty of four brothers | 879 BC | 879 BC | 8 months | Legendary king of Tyre, known only through Josephes and, by proxy, through Menander of Ephesus. |
Claudine, Lady of Monaco | Monaco | Grimaldi | July 1457 | 16 March 1458 | 8 months | Abdicated in favour of her cousin, Lamberto, whom she married in 1465. |
Emperor Kiến Phúc | Vietnam | Nguyễn | 2 December 1883 | 31 July 1884 | 7 months, 29 days | Succeeded the throne after the murder of emperor Hiệp Hoà. Kiến Phúc was also murdered and succeeded by Hàm Nghi (who also reigned less than a year). |
King Louis I | Spain | Bourbon | 14 January 1724 | 31 August 1724 | 7 months, 17 days | Succeeded with the abdication of his father, Philip V. Philip regained the throne following Louis' death from smallpox. |
Matilda, Lady of the English | England | Plantagenet / Salian / Normandy | Spring 1141 | Autumn 1141 | c. 5–9 months | Forces loyal to Matilda, the daughter of Henry I, captured King Stephen at the Battle of Lincoln on 2 February 1141. Matilda was never crowned, and following her defeat at the Rout of Winchester on 14 September 1141, Stephen was released in November. Matilda's son succeeded Stephen in 1154 as Henry II. |
Emperor Galba | Roman Empire | Year of the Four Emperors | 8 June 68 | 15 January 69 | 7 months, 7 days | Assassinated after adopting Lucius Calpurnius Piso Licinianus as his heir instead of Otho, who succeeded him. His head and trunk were buried by the Via Aurelia. |
King Edmund II | England | Wessex | 23 April 1016 | 30 November 1016 | 7 months, 7 days | Edmund's kingdom was ceded to Canute I after his death, the cause of which is uncertain. |
King Lulach | King of Scots | Moray | 15 August 1057 | 17 March 1058 | 7 months, 2 days | Succeeded his stepfather, Macbeth, who was killed in battle against Malcolm Canmore. Lulach was himself killed by Malcolm, who succeeded him. |
Emperor Heraklonas | Byzantine Empire | Heraclian | 11 February 641 | September 641 | ≈7 months | Heraklonas became joint co-emperor with his brother Constantine III at the time of his father's death and then sole emperor on the death of his brother Constantine III in May 641. Heroklonas was then forced to accept Constantine III's son as joint emperor Constans II. Heroklonas was then mutilated and banished after a revolt, leaving Constans II as sole emperor. |
Bardiya | Persian Empire | Achaemenid | early 522 BCE | September 522 BCE | ≈7 months | Bardiya was either a son of Cyrus the Great or an impostor, he seized power from Cambyses II and was assassinated by Darius the Great. |
King Hildeprand | King of the Lombards | January 744 | <August 744 | <7 months | Deposed and dead by August 744. | |
Pharaoh Nedjemibre | Pharaoh of Egypt | Thirteenth Dynasty | c. 1780 BC | c. 1780 BC | 7 months[1] | One of many contemporary pharaohs of the Second Intermediate period |
Shah Sogdianus | Shah of Persia | Achaemenid Empire | 424 BC | 424 BC | 6 months, 15 days | Reigned briefly during a power struggle, was succeeded by Darius II |
Emperor Amha Selassie | Ethiopia | Solomon | 12 September 1974 | 12 March 1975 | 6 months | Proclaimed Emperor by the Derg while receiving medical treatment in Switzerland, following the deposition of his father, Haile Selassie. He did not accept this proclamation as legitimate, and did not return to Ethiopia. The monarchy was abolished in March 1975. |
Emperor Dương Nhật Lễ | Vietnam | Trần | 1369 | 20 May 1370 | >6 months | Dethroned and killed. Replaced by Trần Phủ. |
Mbret William | Albania | Wied | 7 March 1914 | 3 September 1914 | 6 months, 27 days | William accepted a request from Albania to be its sovereign and soon, due to the outbreak of the First World War and civil war within Albania, fled into exile. Albania officially declared itself a republic on 31 January 1925. |
King Charles I | King of Norway | Bonde | 25 October 1449 | 13 May 1450 | 6 months, 18 days | Charles was elected king in Trondheim after the death of Christopher of Bavaria, but Christian I had more supporters in southern Norway and was able to force Charles' abdication. |
King Christian Frederik | Norway | Oldenburg | 16 February 1814 | 28 August 1814 | 6 months, 12 days | Christian Frederick was made King of Norway upon its independence from Denmark after defeat in the Napoleonic Wars and the Treaty of Kiel. Later in 1814 after an invasion by Sweden Christian Frederick renounced the throne after the Convention of Moss. Christian Frederick would later become King Christian VIII of Denmark. |
Prince Dafydd ap Gruffudd | Wales | Gwynedd | 11 December 1282 | 22 June 1283 | 6 months, 11 days | Succeeded to the princeship of Wales on the death of his brother Llywelyn ap Gruffudd. For most of his reign his rule was confined solely to Gwynedd due to the invasion of Wales by Edward I of England. He was captured in June 1283 and subsequently executed. |
Sultan Jamshid bin Abdullah | Zanzibar | Al Sa'id | 1 July 1963 | 12 January 1964 | 6 months, 11 days | Jamshid bin Abdullah's short reign was brought to an end by the Zanzibar revolution and the abolition of the sultanate. |
Tsar Peter III of Russia | Russia | Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov | 5 January 1762 | 9 July 1762 | 6 months, 4 days | Wildly unpopular and barely able to even speak the Russian language, he was dethroned (and possibly killed) by his own consort, who became Catherine II. |
Emperor Lê Túc Tông | Vietnam | Lê | 6 June 1504 | 7 December 1504 | 6 months, 1 day | Lê Túc Tông was possibly murdered by his older brother and successor Lê Uy Mục. |
King David V | Kingdom of Georgia | Bagrationi | c. 1154 | c. 1155 | ≈6 months | David V was murdered by his nobles and succeeded by his alienated brother, George III. |
King Donald III | King of Scots | Dunkeld | 13 November 1093 | May 1094 | ≈6 months | Succeeded his brother, Malcolm III, only to be overthrown by Malcolm's son Duncan II (below). Regained the throne upon Duncan's death and reigned until being overthrown again in 1097. |
King Duncan II | King of Scots | Dunkeld | May 1094 | 12 November 1094 | ≈6 months | Seized the throne from his uncle, Donald III (above). Killed in battle against Donald, or possibly murdered. |
King Zechariah of Israel | Israel | House of Omri | 754 BC[2] | 753 BC | 6 months[3] | Biblical King of Israel from the Second Book of Kings |
Emperor Alexios IV Angelos | Byzantine Empire | Angelos | 1 August 1203 | 27 January 1204 | 5 months, 26 days | Co-emperor with his father, Isaac II Angelos, who regained the throne from his brother Alexios III Angelos when the Fourth Crusade arrived in Constantinople. Alexios IV was the effective ruler, as Isaac had been blinded by Alexios III. He soon lost the support of the crusaders and the citizens of Constantinople, and was overthrown and imprisoned by Alexios V Doukas, who then had him strangled. Isaac died at around the same time, probably of natural causes. |
Emperor Wu Sangui | China | Great Zhou | March 1678 | August 1678 | ≈5 months | Wu Sangui proclaimed himself Emperor of a new Zhou Dynasty and was soon quashed by Kangxi. Wu Sangui had also been instrumental in the removal of Emperor Li Zicheng. |
King George VII | King of Imereti | Bagrationi | June 1712 | November 1713 | ≈5 months | Also reigned in other periods of time. |
Emperor Isaac II Angelos | Byzantine Empire | Angelos | 1 August 1203 | c. January 1204 | ≈5 months | Reigned from 1185 until 1195 when he was deposed, blinded and imprisoned by his brother Alexios III Angelos. When the Fourth Crusade arrived in Constantinople, Alexios III fled and Isaac was restored to the throne, with his son Alexios IV Angelos as co-emperor. Died, probably of natural causes, at around the same time Alexios IV was overthrown and imprisoned by Alexios V Doukas. |
King Charles VIII of Sweden | King of Sweden | Bonde | 9 August 1464 | 30 January 1465 | 5 months, 21 days | Charles, who had been removed from office 7 years prior, was recalled during a rebellion, but soon found his luck changed and was forced out of office a second time. He would return to claim the throne a third time in 1467. |
Duke Eduard | Anhalt | Ascania | 21 April 1918 | 13 September 1918 | 4 months, 23 days | Succeeded with the death of his brother, Friedrich II, only to himself die five months later. The throne then passed to his teenage son, Joachim Ernst (below). |
King Ntare V | Burundi | Ntwero | 8 July 1966 | 28 November 1966 | 4 months, 20 days | He deposed his father Mwambutsa IV, and four months later he himself was deposed in a military coup by Michel Micombero, who proclaimed the Republic. |
Prince Alexander Hangerli | Moldavia | Phanariotes | 7 March 1807 | 24 July 1807 | 4 months, 17 days | Sultan Selim III appointed him Prince of Moldavia in place of the deposed Alexander Mourousis, only to be replaced by Scarlat Callimachi less than half a year later. Sources diverge in respect to the reason for this measure. |
Yang di-Pertuan Agong Hisamuddin of Selangor | Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia | Selangor | 14 April 1960 | 1 September 1960 | 4 months, 17 days | Hisamuddin was elected after the death of Abdul Rahman of Negeri Sembilan and died himself within 5 months. That year Malaysia had three Yang di-Pertuan Agongs. |
Duke Charles II | Parma | Bourbon-Parma | 17 December 1847 | 19 April 1848 | 4 months, 2 days | Charles II abdicated in favour of his son Charles III after the revolution of 1848. Charles II had previously succeeded his father King Louis I of Etruria to become Louis I from 27 May 1803 to 1807 when it was annexed by France and succeeded his mother Maria Louisa to become Duke Charles I of Lucca from 13 March 1824 to 1847 when it was annexed by Tuscany. |
Pharaoh Renseneb | Egypt | Thirteenth Dynasty | c. 1775 BC | c. 1775 BC | 4 months | Pharaoh of the Second Intermediate period. Attested 4 months in the Turin Papyrus |
Emperor Hiệp Hoà | Vietnam | Nguyễn | 30 July 1883 | 29 November 1883 | 3 months, 29 days | Succeeded the throne after the death of emperor Dục Đức after a reign of 3 days. Hiệp Hoà was murdered and succeeded by Kiến Phúc (who also reigned less than a year). |
King Mindaugas II | Lithuania | Württemberg | 11 July 1918 | 2 November 1918 | 3 months, 21 days | Mindaugas II was elected King by the Council of Lithuania soon after independence from the Russian Empire and the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. The council soon changed its decision and declared Lithuania a republic. |
King Jehoiachin of Judah | Judah | House of David | 9 December 599 BC[4] | 16 March 599 BC | 3 months, 10 days[5] | Biblical King from the Second Book of Kings. |
Kaiser/King Frederick III | German Empire and Prussia | Hohenzollern | 9 March 1888 | 15 June 1888 | 3 months, 6 days | Succeeded his father, Wilhelm I. At this point, he had terminal laryngeal cancer and was unable to speak during his brief reign. He was succeeded by his son Wilhelm II. |
Sultan Murad V | Ottoman Empire | Osman | 30 May 1876 | 31 August 1876 | 3 months, 1 day | Succeeded with the deposition of his uncle, Abdülaziz, who died several days later. Murad was himself deposed in favour of his brother, Abdul Hamid II, on the grounds that he was mentally ill. |
Emperor Otho | Roman Empire | Year of the Four Emperors | 15 January 69 | 16 April 69 | 3 months, 1 day | Committed suicide after his forces were defeated in the First Battle of Bedriacum by the forces of his successor, Vitellius. |
King Ansprand | King of the Lombards | Mars 712 | June 712 | 3 months | ||
King Teia | King of the Ostrogoths | 1 July 552 | October 552 | ≈3 months | Probably killed at the Battle of Mons Lactarius. | |
King George VIII | King of Imereti | Gurieli | 15 March 1720 | June 1720 | ≈3 months | 1726 |
Emperor Constantine III | Byzantine Empire | Heraclian | 11 February 641 | May 641 | ≈3 months | Constantine III was junior co-emperor with his father Heraclius from 22 January 613 until his death 11 February 641. Constantine III then became joint co-emperor with his brother Heraklonas who was sole emperor after Constantine III's death. |
King Sinmu | Silla (Korea) | Kim | April 839 | July 839 | ≈3 months | He killed King Minae and succeeded the throne, but died by furuncle on his back after three months. |
King Sunjong | Goryeo (Korea) | Wang | July 1083 | October 1083 | ≈3 months | King Sunjong is the shortest reigning monarch in Korean history. |
King Jehoahaz of Judah | Judah | House of David | July 610 BC[6] | October 610 BC | 3 months[7] | Biblical King from the Second Book of Kings. |
Emperor Pertinax | Roman Empire | Year of the Five Emperors | 1 January 193 | 28 March 193 | 2 months, 28 days | Assassinated by his Praetorian Guards, who then auctioned off the throne to the highest bidder. |
Queen Berengaria | Castile(Spain) | Anscarids | 6 June 1217 | 31 August 1217 | 2 months, 25 days | Abdicated her throne to her son, in order to unify Castile and León and avoid a civil war. |
Emperor Yuan Shikai | China | Yuan | 1 January 1916 | 22 March 1916 | 2 months, 22 days | President Yuan Shikai declared himself emperor of his newly created Chinese Empire on 1 January 1916. Due to the unpopularity of the new Empire he reverted to being the president of the Republic of China until his death on 5 June 1916. |
Despot Stephen Tomašević | Serbia | 1 April 1459 | 20 June 1459 | 2 months, 20 days | Became despot of Serbia to unite forces with Bosnia, but shortly after taking power, he agrees to leave Serbia to the Ottomans. | |
King Pedro IV | Portugal | Braganza | 10 March 1826 | 28 May 1826 | 2 months, 18 days | Became the first Emperor of Brazil in 1822 after declaring that country's independence from Portugal. Succeeded the Portuguese throne with the death of his father, João VI, but abdicated in favour of his daughter, Maria II, in the awareness that a reunion of Brazil and Portugal would be unacceptable to the people of both nations. He abdicated the Brazilian throne in 1831, in favour of his son Pedro II. |
King Edward V | England | York | 9 April 1483 | 25 June 1483 | 2 months, 16 days | Succeeded with the death of his father, Edward IV. Deposed after he and his brother Richard, Duke of York, were declared illegitimate; their uncle then ascended the throne as Richard III. The young princes disappeared from the Tower of London later in 1483. |
King Philip I | Castile (Spain) | Habsburg | 12 July 1506 | 25 September 1506 | 2 months, 13 days | Declared his wife, the sovereign Queen Joanna I, insane in order to rule in her place. He then died, apparently of typhoid fever, although rumors claimed he was poisoned by King Ferdinand of Aragon. |
Seventh Dynasty of Egypt (usually considered spurious) | Ancient Egypt | Seventh Dynasty of Egypt | c. 2180 BC | c. 2180 BC | 70 days | According to Africanus (c. AD 160-240), Manetho (3rd century BC) claims that 70 kings reigned for a total of 70 days. |
Ibrahim ibn al-Walid | Umayyad Caliphate | Umayyad, Marwanid branch | 744 | 744 | 70 days | |
Emperor Alexios V Doukas | Byzantine Empire | Doukas | 5 February 1204 | 12 April 1204 | 2 months, 7 days | Seized the throne after overthrowing and imprisoning Alexios IV Angelos, whose father and co-emperor, Isaac II Angelos, died at around the same time. His decision to have Alexios IV killed angered the army of the Fourth Crusade, who ultimately sacked Constantinople. Alexios V fled to Mosynopolis, where he was blinded on the orders of his father-in-law, the previously deposed Alexios III Angelos, before being brought back to Constantinople and executed for treason. |
Emperor Didius Julianus | Roman Empire | Year of the Five Emperors | 28 March 193 | 1 June 193 | 2 months, 5 days | Purchased the throne after the Praetorian Guards auctioned it off. Faced revolt by General Septimius Severus who captured and executed him. |
King Frederick Charles | Finland | Hesse-Kassel | 9 October 1918 | 14 December 1918 | 2 months, 5 days | Prince Frederick Charles of Hesse was elected king by the newly independent Kingdom of Finland and due to German defeat in the First World War renounced his title without travelling to his own kingdom. |
King Mamia III Gurieli | King of Imereti | Gurieli | November 1713 | 5 January 1714 | ≈2 months | reigned for around a year (1701–1702), eight months (October 1711 – June 1712), three months (November 1713-5 January 1714) |
Chúa Trịnh Cán | Vietnam | Trịnh | 1782 | 1782 | ≈2 months | Trịnh Cán succeeded his father Trịnh Sâm to the throne aged 6 years and his half brother Trịnh Khải soon killed him and usurped his throne. |
Duke Joachim Ernst | Anhalt | Ascania | 13 September 1918 | 12 November 1918 | 1 month, 30 days | Succeeded with the death of his father, Eduard (above). Abdicated during the German Revolution at the end of the First World War, with the Duchy then becoming the Free State of Anhalt. Died in Buchenwald concentration camp in 1947, as a prisoner of the Soviet Union. |
King Bolesław I Chrobry | Poland | Piast | 18 April 1025 | 17 June 1025 | 1 month, 30 days | Duke of Poland from 992; crowned himself King in 1025. Died not long after his coronation, most likely due to an illness. |
King Edgar II | Kingdom of England | Wessex | 15 October 1066 | 10 December 1066 | 1 month, 25 days | Grandson of Edmund II (above). Elected king by the Witenagemot following the death of Harold II at the Battle of Hastings but never crowned; subsequently submitted to William the Conqueror. |
King Charles II | Hungary | Capetian House of Anjou | 31 December 1385 | 24 February 1386 | 1 month, 24 days | After the death of Louis I, he had claimed the Hungarian throne as the senior Angevin male, and ousted Louis' daughter Mary in December 1385. He was murdered in February 1386. |
Tsar Feodor II | All Russia | Godunov | 23 April 1605 | 20 June 1605 | 1 month, 22 days | Tsar Feodor II succeeded to the throne after the death of his father Boris Godunov and was soon after killed during the Time of Troubles. |
Emperor Ziying | China | mid-October 207 BC | December 207 BC | 1 month, 16 days | Ziying was the last ruler of the Qin Dynasty of China | |
Sultan Al-Mansur Abu Bakr | Mamluk Egypt | 17 June 1341 | 5 August 1341 | 49 days | He was deposed and arrested by his father's senior emir, Qawsun. After being sent to prison, he was executed on Qawsun's orders two months later. | |
Emperor Ningzong | China | c. 1332 | c. 1332 | 1 month, 13 days | Ningzong was briefly installed as Emperor of the Yuan Dynasty, a ruling dynasty of China. | |
Tirigan | Sumer | Dynasty of Guti | c. 2050 BC | c. 2050 BC | 40 days | Last king of Guti, according to the Sumerian King List. |
Khan Umor | First Bulgarian Empire | Dynasty of Uokil | 766 | 766 | 40 days | |
King Sweyn I | England | 25 December 1013 | 3 February 1014 | 1 month, 9 days | King of Denmark from c. 985; also ruled most of Norway. Seized the English throne from Æthelred II following a successful invasion of the country; Æthelred regained the throne following Sweyn's death. Sweyn's son, Canute, ruled England from 1016 to 1035. | |
King Umberto II | Italy | Savoy | 9 May 1946 | 12 June 1946 | 1 month, 3 days | Ascended the throne when his father, Victor Emmanuel III, abdicated in an attempt to strengthen support for the monarchy against a referendum to abolish it. After the referendum passed and a republic was declared, Umberto left Italy and never returned. |
Emperor Li Zicheng | China | Li | 25 April 1644 | 27 May 1644 | 1 month, 2 days | Li Zicheng declared himself Emperor of China after Chongzhen committed suicide and was then forced from power after the Battle of Shanhai Pass. |
Pope John Paul I | Holy See | 26 August 1978 | 28 September 1978 | 1 month, 2 days | ||
Pope Benedict V | Holy See | 22 May 964 | 23 June 964 | 1 month, 1 day | ||
King Reccared II | King of Hispania, Septimania and Galicia | Visigoths | 612 | 612 | ≈1 month | |
King Shallum of Israel | Israel | 773 BC[8] | c. 772 BC | 1 month[9] | Biblical King from the Second Book of Kings. Because he became King in the 38th year but died in the 39th year, then his reign probably spans the Jewish New year. |
Less than a month
Note: Some of the following have been disputed as genuine monarchs
Name | Country | Royal house/dynasty | Reign began | Reign ended | Length | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Taichang Emperor | China | Ming | 28 August 1620 | 26 September 1620 | 29 days | Died after a bout of diarrhea which could have been caused by poisoning. |
Emperor Liu He | China | Han | 74 BC | 74 BC | 27 days | Installed and deposed by Regent Huo Guang. |
Pope Leo XI | Holy See | 1 April 1605 | 27 April 1605 | 27 days | ||
Pope Pius III | Holy See | 22 September 1503 | 18 October 1503 | 27 days | ||
Prince Milan Obrenović II | Serbia | Obrenović | 25 June 1839 | 8 July 1839 | 26 days | Succeeded with the abdication of his father, Miloš Obrenović I, although, due to ill health, he may never have been aware of his own rule, dying after 26 days. |
Rǫgnvaldr Óláfsson | Kingdom of Mann and the Isles | Crovan dynasty | 6 May 1249 | 30 May 1249 | 24 days | Slain by an apparent accomplice of his first cousin once removed, Haraldr Guðrøðarson, a man who certainly succeeded Rǫgnvaldr. |
Pope Damasus II | Holy See | 17 July 1048 | 9 August 1048 | 24 days | ||
Emperor Constantine | Russian Empire | Romanov | 1 December 1825 | 25 December 1825 | 24 days | Proclaimed Emperor of Russia after the death of his elder brother Alexander I despite his renunciation of the crown until the accession of Nicholas I. |
Pope Marcellus II | Holy See | 9 April 1555 | 1 May 1555 | 22 days | ||
Emperor Gordian I | Roman Empire | Gordian | 22 March 238 | 12 April 238 | 21 days | Proclaimed joint Augustus with his son Gordian II (below) after leading a revolt against Maximinus I. Gordian I hanged himself upon learning of his son's death in the Battle of Carthage. |
Emperor Gordian II | Roman Empire | Gordian | 22 March 238 | 12 April 238 | 21 days | Proclaimed joint Augustus with his father Gordian I (above) after leading a revolt against Maximinus I. Gordian II was killed at the Battle of Carthage. |
Pope Sisinnius | Holy See | 15 January 708 | 4 February 708 | 21 days | ||
Pope Theodore II | Holy See | December 897 | December 897 | 20 days | ||
Emperor Shang | China | Tang | 8 July 710 | 25 July 710 | 18 days | Installed by Empress Wei to succeed Emperor Zhongzong, but was deposed 18 days later in a coup. |
King Anikanga Mahadipada | Polonnaruwa | 1209 | 1209 | 17 days | Governor of Maya Rata, who put to death the 3 months old Infant King Dharmasoka Deva and became king. | |
Pope Celestine IV | Holy See | 25 October 1241 | 10 November 1241 | 17 days | Died before Consecration | |
Pope Boniface VI | Holy See | April 896 | April 896 | 16 days | ||
Emperor Napoleon II | Emperor of the French | Bonaparte | 22 June 1815 | 7 July 1815 | 16 days | Succeeded with the abdication of his father, Napoleon I, but never actually ruled France. Louis XVIII was restored as King on 8 July 1815. |
Eleanor of Navarre | Kingdom of Navarre | 28 January 1479 | 12 February 1479 | 14 days | Official reign lasted longer. | |
Pope Urban VII | Holy See | 15 September 1590 | 27 September 1590 | 13 days | Shortest reigning Pope of all time. (See full list) | |
King Lodewijk II | Holland | Bonaparte | 1 July 1810 | 13 July 1810 | 12 days | Succeeded with the abdication of his father Lodewijk Napoleon only to have his kingdom annexed by Napoleon I of the French. |
Emperor Puyi | China | Qing | 1 July 1917 | 12 July 1917 | 12 days | Restored by Zhang Xun in a coup, but the republic was restored by Duan Qirui 12 days later. |
Queen Jane | England and Ireland | Tudor | 10 July 1553 | 19 July 1553 | 9 days | Proclaimed Queen four days after the death of Edward VI only to be removed and later executed by Mary I. |
Emir Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah | Kuwait | Al-Sabah | 15 January 2006 | 24 January 2006 | 9 days | Succeeded with the death of Jaber III Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and voted out of office by parliament due to ill health before being able to issue his abdication in favour of Sabah IV Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. |
King Henry V | King of France | Bourbon | 2 August 1830 | 9 August 1830 | 7 days | Succeeded with the abdications of his grandfather, Charles X, and then his uncle, Louis XIX (below), twenty minutes later. Never officially proclaimed as King, he was rejected by the National Assembly in favour of Louis Philippe of Orléans. Afterwards, he was the Legitimist claimant to the throne from 1844 until his death in 1883. |
King Thong Lan | Ayutthaya Kingdom | Suphannaphum | 1370 | 1370 | 7 days | Succeeded with the death of Borommarachathirat I and then Ramesuan's forces quickly took the palace and executed King Thong Lan. King Ramesuan then held the throne. |
King Sigeric | Spain | Visigothic Kingdom | 415 | 415 | 7 days | Usurped the throne after the assassination of king Ataulf, but his cruelty raised high opposition, leading to his murder. |
King Zimri | Israel | c. 885 BC or c. 876 BC | c. 885 BC or c. 876 BC | 7 days | A biblical king from the Books of Kings. |
Less than a week
Note: Some of the following have been disputed as genuine monarchs
Name | Country | Royal house/dynasty | Reign began | Reign ended | Length | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
King John I | France and Navarre | Capet | 15 November 1316 | 20 November 1316 | 5 days | Posthumous son of Louis X, died aged 5 days. |
King Crateuas | Macedon | Argead Dynasty | 399 BC | 399 BC | 4 days | Assassinated Archelaus I during a hunt. Succeeded by Archelaus's son Orestes. |
Pope-elect Stephen | Holy See | 23 March 752 | 26 March 752 | 3 days | Not normally recognized as a genuine Pope, Stephen died of apoplexy 3 days after his election, missing his consecration. The numbering of Stephens from Stephen I (254–257 AD) to Stephen II (752–757 AD) skips him over, and he was removed from the 1961 List of Popes. | |
Lê Trung Tông | Vietnam | Lê | October 1005 | October 1005 | 3 days | Assassinated by order of his successor Lê Ngoạ Triều. |
Lê Quang Trị | Vietnam | Lê | 1516 | 1516 | 3 days | |
King Karposh | Kumanovo | October 1689 | October 1689 | 3 days | Leader of an uprising against the Ottoman Empire. | |
Emperor Dục Đức | Vietnam | Nguyễn | 20 July 1883 | 23 July 1883 | 3 days | Executed for failing to observe Confucian mourning etiquette, and for having intimate relations with his predecessor's concubines. |
King Inayatullah Khan Seraj | Afghanistan | Barakzai | 14 January 1929 | 17 January 1929 | 3 days | Inayatullah Khan Seraj replaced his brother King Amanullah Khan who had abdicated. Inayatullah Khan Seraj then abdicated himself three days later in favour of Habibullah Ghazi who was deposed 8 months later. |
King Dipendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev | Nepal | Shah | 1 June 2001 | 4 June 2001 | <56 hours | Succeeded to the throne after murdering his father Birendra during the Nepalese royal massacre, in which Dipendra allegedly inflicted mortal wounds upon himself. He was comatose for the duration of his reign. |
King Xiaowen of Qin | China | Qin | 13 September 250 BC | 15 September 250 BC | 2 days | |
Sultan Sayyid Khalid bin Barghash | Zanzibar | Al Bu Sa'id | 25 August 1896 | 27 August 1896 | 2 days | Seized power after the death of Sayyid Hamad bin Thuwaini Al-Busaid resulting in the 38 minute Anglo-Zanzibar War. Replaced by Sayyid Hamoud bin Mohammed Al-Said after surrender. |
Less than a day
Due to the ephemeral nature of their reigns, the following have been disputed as genuine monarchs:
Name | Country | Royal house/dynasty | Reign began | Reign ended | Length | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Emperor Michael I Megas Komnenos | Empire of Trebizond | Komnenos | 30 July 1341 | 31 July 1341 | Less than 24 hours | First reign : as the legitimate male descendant of the ruling family, Michael received the support of much of the populace and was acclaimed emperor. Some of the nobility, led by the Metropolitan Akakios received him as their lord and escorted him into the palace. As soon as night fell, however, the nobles imprisoned Michael, not wishing to be ruled by a mature and forceful monarch. |
Tsar Michael II | Russian Empire | Romanov | 15 March 1917 | 16 March 1917 | 16 hours | Deferred acceptance. Later killed. |
Emperor Mo | China | Jin | 9 February 1234 | 9 February 1234 | 12 hours | Crowned while under assault by Mongolians at the Siege of Caizhou and killed after the coronation. |
Victoria Kamāmalu | Hawaii | Kamehameha | 30 November 1864 | 30 November 1864 | 5 hours and 45 minutes | As Kuhina Nui, she effectively became head of state upon her brother Kamehameha IV's death at 9:15 a.m. until her other brother Kamehameha V's declaration as the actual successor at 3 p.m. the same day.[10] |
Daughter of Emperor Xiaoming of Northern Wei | China | Northern Wei | 1 April 528 | 1 April 528 | Less than 5 hours | Soon after her birth, her grandmother, the Empress Dowager Hu, falsely declared she was a boy and ordered a general pardon. Emperor Xiaoming died soon afterwards. On 1 April 528, Empress Dowager Hu installed the infant on the throne for a matter of hours before replacing her with Yuan Zhao the next day.[11] |
Less than an hour
Due to the ephemeral nature of his reign, the following has been disputed as a genuine monarch:
Name | Country | Royal house/dynasty | Reign began | Reign ended | Length | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Prince Louis Antoine, Duke of Angoulême, "King Louis XIX" | Kingdom of France | Bourbon | 2 August 1830 | 2 August 1830 | 20 minutes | Succeeded with the abdication of his father, Charles X, only to himself abdicate in favour of his nephew, Henry V (above). The question of whether Louis actually "reigned" is a philosophical one, as after his father signed the document of abdication, he contemplated his future for twenty minutes before himself signing. Many Legitimists did not recognise the abdications as valid, and recognised Charles X as king until his death in 1836, before recognising Louis as king until his own death in 1844. |
See also
References
- ↑ "The political situation in Egypt during the second intermediate period", by K. S. B. Ryholt, page 192
- ↑ Edwin Thiele, The Mysterious Numbers of the Hebrew Kings, (1st ed.; New York: Macmillan, 1951; 2d ed.; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1965; 3rd ed.; Grand Rapids: Zondervan/Kregel, 1983). ISBN 0-8254-3825-X, 9780825438257
- ↑ 2 Kings 15:8
- ↑ "Annals of the World" by James Ussher, section 797
- ↑ 2 Chronicles 36:9
- ↑ "Annals of the World" by James Ussher, sections 760–761
- ↑ 2 Chronicles 36:2
- ↑ Annals of the World by James Ussher, section 569
- ↑ 2 Kings 15:13
- ↑ Dutton, Meiric Keeler; Harris, Charles Coffin (1957). The Succession of King Kamehameha V to Hawaii's Throne: Including a Recently-Discovered Private Memorandum Written by Attorney-General C. C. Harris. Honolulu: Loomis House Press. p. 11.
- ↑ 历史上短命的皇帝有哪些 [Short-lived emperors in history]. Shangdu.com (in Chinese). Henan Culture Web (河南文化网). 2013-07-16. Archived from the original on 2 December 2013. Retrieved 2013-11-17.