List of shortest-reigning monarchs
A monarch is the leader of a monarchy, a position usually intended to last 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 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.
Monarchs who reigned for less than a week
Monarch | Title | Dynasty | Reign began | Reign ended | Reign length | Reason for accession | Reason for reign's end |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Louis XIX | King of France | Bourbon | 2 August 1830 | 15–20 minutes (disputed) |
Abdication of his father, Charles X of France, because of the July Revolution. | Abdicated on his nephew Henry, Duke of Bourdeaux. The accession is presumed, as Louis never claimed the throne vocally, which puts the existence of his reign in question. | |
Daughter of Emperor Xiaoming | Emperor of Northern Wei | Yuan (ex-Tuoba) | 1 April 528 | <5 hours | Proclaimed Emperor as an infant by her grandmother, Empress Dowager Hu, who passed her off as male. | Hu admitted she was actually female and proclaimed Yuan Zhao as emperor. Official historical records never listed her as a legitimate sovereign. | |
Hudun (Emperor Mo) | Emperor of Jin | Jin | 9 February 1234 | 12 hours | The Emperor Aizong abdicated on Hudun, his general, while they were besieged by the Mongols at Caizhou. Then committed suicide by hanging. | Killed while leading a charge in the streets of Caizhou. He was given the posthumous name Mo, meaning "Last." | |
Michael II | Emperor of All Russia | Romanov | 15 March 1917 | 16 hours (disputed) |
Abdication of his brother, Nicholas II of Russia. | Conditioned his accession to decision of the Russian Provisional Government, contrary to the wishes of Nicholas II who abdicated without informing either. Numerous questions surround the existence of any "reign", starting with the legality, or lack thereof, of Nicholas II's abdication on his brother while bypassing his son, Tsarevich Alexei. | |
Min Shin Saw | King of Burma | Pagan | 1167 | <18 hours | Death of his father Sithu I, who was smothered by his younger son and Min Shin Saw's brother, Narathu. | Assassinated in the night on Narathu's order. | |
Vira Bahu I | King of Polonnaruwa | Kalinga | 1196 | <1 day | Death of his father, Nissanka Malla. | Assassinated by the commander-in-chief Tavuru Senevirat. | |
Constantine XI Laskaris | Eastern Roman Emperor | Laskaris | 12 April 1204 | 13 April 1204 | 1 day (disputed) |
Elected by the Byzantine Army at the Hagia Sophia, following the Latin breach of the Walls of Constantinople and Alexios V's flight. | Fled Constantinople and put himself at the service of his brother, Theodore I in Nicaea. His reign is disputed because he reportedly rejected the election, but he also commanded the armies and Varangian Guards in battle before he fled. Thus the name Constantine XI may be reserved for the last emperor, Constantine XI Palaiologos, who is known as Constantine XII when Laskaris is included. |
Michael I (first reign) |
Emperor of Trebizond | Komnenos | 30 July 1341 | 30 or 31 July 1341 | Around 1 day | Crowned after arriving with the intention to marry Irene Palaiologina of Trebizond, who had been overthrown by Anna of Trebizond while the voyage was underway. | Deposed and imprisoned. He recovered the throne in 1344 and reigned for five years. |
Napoleon II (first reign) |
Emperor of the French | Bonaparte | 4 April 1815 | 6 April 1815 | 2 days | Abdication of his father, Napoleon I. | Napoleon I reversed his abdication with another where he renounced all personal rights to the throne and also of his descendants. The French Empire was subsequently abolished and replaced by the Kingdom of France. |
Philippe VII | King of the French | Orleans | 24 February 1848 | 26 February 1848 | 2 days (disputed) |
Abdication of his father, Louis Philippe I. | French Second Republic declared. |
Khalid bin Barghash | Sultan of Zanzibar | Al Said | 25 August 1896 | 27 August 1896 | 2 days | Death of his cousin, Hamad bin Thuwaini of Zanzibar, likely poisoned by Khalid. | Fled during the Anglo-Zanzibar War. |
John I | Prince of Moldavia | 4-12 September 1552 | 2-3 days | Assassination of Stephen VI by his boyars after a failed invasion of Transylvania. | Unknown, succeeded by Alexander IV. | ||
Xiaowen | King of Qin | Qin | 251 BC | 3 days | Death of his father, King Zhaoxiang of Qin. | Died, likely of age-related causes. | |
Dục Đức | Emperor of Vietnam | Nguyễn | 20 July 1883 | 23 July 1883 | 3 days | Death of his adoptive father, Tự Đức. | Deposed and imprisoned, possibly executed. |
Inayatullah Khan | King of Afghanistan | Barakzai | 14 January 1929 | 17 January 1929 | 3 days | Abdication and flight of his brother, Amanullah Khan, during Habibullah Kalakani's uprising. | Abdicated on Kalakani after he captured Kabul. |
Dipendra | King of Nepal | Shah | 1 June 2001 | 4 June 2001 | <56 hours (3 days) |
His assassination of his father, Birendra of Nepal, and most of his family in the Nepalese royal massacre. | Dipendra shot himself and died after living his whole reign in a comatose state. |
Stephen II | Pope | 23 March 752 | 26 March 752 | 3 days | Elected after the death of Pope Zachary. | Died of a stroke. His Pontificate is ambiguous because he died before his episcopal consecration, which was traditionally considered the start; because of this he was taken out of the official list of Popes in 1961, and his numeral given to the until then Pope Stephen III. In 1975 the Holy See ruled that the Pontificate begins with the Pope's acceptance prior to the consecration, yet it did not restore Stephen and considers him only Pope-elect. | |
Lê Trung Tông | Emperor of Vietnam | Lê | October 1005 | 3 days | Death of his father, Lê Đại Hành. | Assassinated on orders of Lê Long Đĩnh, who succeeded him. | |
Lê Quang Trị | Emperor of Vietnam | Lê | May 1516 | 3 days | Assassination of Lê Tương Dực. | Assassinated. | |
Crateuas | King of Macedon | Argead | 399 BC | 4 days (disputed) |
Assassination of Archelaus I of Macedon under the guise of a hunting accident. | Unknown. Some historians believe that Crateuas was just one of several conspirators in Archelaus' death and that the claim that Crateuas held the throne after him is an embellishment.[1] | |
Conrad I | King of Jerusalem | Aleramici | 24 April 1192 | 28 April 1192 | 4 days | Elected after the death of his sister-in-law, Sibylla I. | Assassinated. |
Mahinda VI | King of Polonnaruwa | Vijayabahu | 1187 | 5 days | Assassinated Vijayabahu II. | Assassinated by Vijayabahu II's sub-king, Nissanka Malla. | |
John I | King of France and Navarre | Capet | 15 November 1316 | 20 November 1316 | 5 days | His birth; he was the posthumous child of Louis X of France. | Died aged 5 days. |
Phaungkaza Maung Maung | King of Burma | Konbaung | 5 February 1782 | 11 February 1782 | 6 days | Seized the throne while his cousin Singu Min was campaigning in Manipur. | Deposed and executed by his uncle Bodawpaya, who also murdered Singu Min to become king. |
Monarchs who reigned for less than a month
Monarch | Title | Dynasty | Reign began | Reign ended | Reign length | Reason for accession | Reason for reign's end |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Zimri | King of Israel | Zimri | 885 BC or 876 BC | 7 days | Assassinated King Elah. | Committed suicide while under siege by Omri, who disputed the crown. His name became a byword for traitor. | |
Sigeric | King of the Visigoths | Amali | 16 August 415 | 22 August 415 | 7 days | Assassination of Ataulf by a former retainer of Sigeric's slain brother, Sarus the Goth. | Assassinated and replaced by Ataulf's relative Wallia. Some lists of kings exclude him for considering him a usurper. |
Zein Pun | King of Martaban | April–May 1330 | 7 days | Assassinated King Saw Zein. | Assassinated by Sanda Min Hla, widow of Saw Zein. | ||
Thong Lan | King of Ayutthaya | Suphannaphum | 1388-1389 | 7 days | Death of his father, Borommarachathirat I. | Deposed and executed by Ramesuan. | |
Henry V | King of France | Bourbon | 2 August 1830 | 9 August 1830 | 7 days (disputed) |
Abdications of Charles X and Louis XIX, his grandfather and uncle, during the July Revolution. | Proclamation hijacked by regent Louis Philippe of Orleans who chose not to announce it as expected. The National Assembly then proclaimed Louis Philippe the King of the French, and Henry marched into exile. |
Muhammad al-Badr | King of Yemen | Qasimid | 19 September 1962 | 26 September 1962 | 8 days | Death of his father, Ahmad bin Yahya. | Monarchy abolished. |
Saad I | Emir of Kuwait | Al-Sabah | 15 January 2006 | 24 January 2006 | 9 days | Death of Jaber III. | Deposed by the National Assembly on the grounds of poor health. |
Jane | Queen of England and Ireland | Tudor | 10 July 1553 | 19 July 1553 | 9 days | Proclaimed at the Tower of London, per the will of her cousin Edward VI. | Deposed and executed by Edward's sister, Mary I. |
Puyi (second reign) |
Emperor of China | Qing | 1 July 1917 | 12 July 1917 | 12 days | Restored by monarchist general Zhang Xun; he had last been emperor in 1912. | Restoration failed due to lack of support. Later became Emperor of Manchukuo. |
Louis II | King of Holland | Bonaparte | 1 July 1810 | 13 July 1810 | 13 days | Abdication and flight of Louis I after being pressured by Napoleon. | Kingdom annexed by Napoleon. |
Urban VII | Pope | Castagna | 15 September 1590 | 27 September 1590 | 13 days | Elected after the death of Sixtus V. | Died of malaria. Shortest-reigning Pope recognized by the Holy See. |
Eleanor I | Queen of Navarre | Trastamara | 28 January 1479 | 12 February 1479 | 14 days | Proclaimed following the death of her father, John II. | Died. |
Boniface VI | Pope | April 896 | 15 days | Elected after the death of Formosus. | Unclear; he died of gout or was deposed according to different sources. His election was declared null and void in 898. | ||
Ali Ahmad Khan | Emir of Afghanistan | Barakzai | 17 January 1929 | 1 February 1929 | 15 days | Proclaimed Emir in Jalalabad in protest for Inayatullah Khan's abdication on Habibullah Kalakani. | Captured and ransomed to Kalakani, who had him executed. |
Celestine IV | Pope | Castiglione | 25 October 1241 | 10 November 1241 | 16 days | Elected after the death of Gregory IX. | Died of natural causes. |
Napoleon II (second reign) |
Emperor of the French | Bonaparte | 22 June 1815 | 7 July 1815 | 16 days | Abdication of his father, Napoleon I. | Empire abolished, replaced by the Kingdom of France. |
Shang | Emperor of China | Tang | 8 July 710 | 25 July 710 | 17 days | Assassination of his father, Emperor Zhongzhong, by Empress Wei and her daughter Li Guo'er who wanted to use the infant Shang as their puppet. | Deposed; Wei and Li Guo'er were murdered. Most traditional historians did not consider him legitimate and do not include him in the list of emperors of the Tang dynasty, but modern historians usually do. |
Anikanga | King of Polonnaruwa | 1209 | 17 days | Assassinated his son, King Dharmasoka, who was an infant. | Assassinated by General Vikkantacamunakka, who then surrendered control to former queen consort Lilavati. | ||
Quintillus | Roman Emperor | 270 | 17-177 days | Death of his brother, Claudius Gothicus. | Assassinated or committed suicide. | ||
Sisinnius | Pope | 15 January 708 | 4 February 708 | 20 days | Elected after the death of John VII. | Died, possibly of gout. | |
Theodore II | Pope | December 897 | 20 days | Elected after the deposition of Romanus. | Died. | ||
Gordian II | Roman Emperor | Gordian | 22 March 238 | 12 April 238 | 21 days | Father and son co-emperors proclaimed in rebellion against Maximinus Thrax, who had himself assassinated his predecessor Alexander Severus, in the so-called Year of the Six Emperors. | Killed at the Battle of Carthage. |
Gordian I | Committed suicide upon learning of his son's death. | ||||||
Marcellus II | Pope | Cervini | 9 April 1555 | 1 May 1555 | 22 days | Elected afer the death of Julius III. | Died of a stroke. |
Damasus II | Pope | Curagnoni | 17 July 1048 | 9 August 1048 | 24 days | Installed by Henry III of Germany after deposing Benedict IX. | Died of malaria or poison. |
Rǫgnvaldr Óláfsson | King of Mann and the Isles | Crovan | 6 May 1249 | 30 May 1249 | 24 days | Death of his brother Haraldr Óláfsson in a shipwreck. | Assassinated by his cousin and successor, Haraldr Guðrøðarson. |
Constantine I | Emperor of All Russia | Romanov | 1 December 1825 | 25 December 1825 | 24 days | Proclaimed after the death of his brother, Alexander I. | Refused to assume the throne because he had secretly renounced all rights in 1823 in order to marry Joanna Grudzińska. His younger brother became Nicholas I. |
Milan Obrenović II | Prince of Serbia | Obrenović | 25 June 1839 | 8 July 1839 | 26 days | Abdication of his father, Miloš Obrenović I. | Died of tuberculosis. |
Pius III | Pope | Piccolomini | 22 September 1503 | 18 October 1503 | 27 days | Elected after the death of Alexander VI. | Died of sepsis in a leg wound. |
Leo XI | Pope | Medici | 1 April 1605 | 27 April 1605 | 27 days | Elected after the death of Clement VIII. | Died. |
Liu He | Emperor of China | Han | 74 BC | 27 days | Installed by Regent Huo Guang. | Deposed by Huo Guang. | |
Taichang | Emperor of China | Ming | 28 August 1620 | 26 September 1620 | 29 days | Death of his father, the Wanli Emperor. | Died of disease. |
Martinus | Eastern Roman Emperor | Heraclian | September-October 641 | <1 month | Made co-emperors of their brother Heraclius II by their mother, empress Martina. | Deposed by Constans II. | |
Tiberius | September-October 641 |
Monarchs who reigned for less than three months
Monarch | Title | Dynasty | Reign began | Reign ended | Reign length | Reason for accession | Reason for reign's end |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Shallum | King of Israel | 752-745 BC | 1 month | Assassinated Zechariah of Israel. | Assassinated and replaced by Menahem. | ||
Napoleon I | King of Spain | Bonaparte | 6 May 1808 | 6 June 1808 | 31 days (1 month) |
Forced abdications of Charles IV and Ferdinand VII in Bayonne, and their subsequent imprisonment in France. | Designated his brother, Joseph Bonaparte as King of Spain. Usually not counted as a King of Spain unlike his brother. |
Reccared II | King of the Visigoths | February 612 | March 612 | ≈1 month | Death of his father, Sisebut. | Died. | |
Charles II (second reign) |
Duke of Parma | Bourbon-Parma | April 1849 | 17 May 1849 | ≈1 month | Restored by Austrian troops after fleeing during the Revolutions of 1848. | Abdicated on his son, Charles III. |
Benedict V | Pope | 22 May 964 | 23 June 964 | 1 month, 1 day | Elected after the death of John XII. | Deposed by Emperor Otto I. | |
John Paul I | Pope | Luciani | 26 August 1978 | 28 September 1978 | 1 month, 2 days | Elected after the death of Paul VI. | Died of a heart attack. |
Li Zicheng | Emperor of China | Shun | 25 April 1644 | 4 June 1644 | 42 days (1 month, 8 days) |
Proclaimed himself Emperor after his capture of Beijing and the suicide of the Chongzhen Emperor. | Abandoned Beijing after his defeat by the Manchus at the Battle of Shanhai Pass. He was killed under unclear circumstances around 1645, likely in battle. |
Umberto II | King of Italy | Savoy | 9 May 1946 | 12 June 1946 | 1 month, 3 days | Abdication of his father, Victor Emmanuel III of Italy. | Monarchy abolished after republican victory in the 1946 Italian institutional referendum. |
Sweyn I | King of the English | Denmark | 25 December 1013 | 3 February 1014 | 1 month, 9 days | Declared king after conquering London. | Died. |
Tirigan | King of Sumer | Gutian | c. 2050 BC | 40 days | Succeeded Si'um. | Sumer annexed by Utu-hengal of Uruk. | |
Umor | Khan of Bulgaria | Vokil | 766 | 40 days | Likely elected after the deposition and flight of Sabin. | Unknown. Could have died or been deposed by Toktu. | |
Xerxes II | Shah of Persia and Pharaoh of Egypt | Achaemenid | 424 BC | 45 days (1 month, 15 days) |
Death of his father, Artaxerxes I. | Assassinated by Sogdianus, his illegitimate half-brother and successor. | |
Ziying | King of Qin | Qin | October 207 BC | December 207 BC | 46 days | Enthroned by Zhao Gao after the assassination of Qin Er Shi. | Assassinated by Xiang Yu. |
Abd al-Rahman V | Caliph of Cordoba | Umayyad | 2 December 1023 | 17 January 1024 | 46 days (1 month, 15 days) |
Overthrew Al-Qasim al-Ma'mun. | Assassinated by Muhammad III of Cordoba. |
Ferdinand VII (first reign) |
King of Spain | Bourbon | 19 March 1808 | 6 May 1808 | 48 days (1 month, 14 days) |
Abdication of his father, Charles IV, as a result of the Mutiny of Aranjuez. | Forced to abdicate on his father by Napoleon I, who unbeknownst to Ferdinand, had been forced to abdicate his rights on Napoleon himself on the same day. The abdications were declared null by the Council of Castile on 11 August, recognizing Ferdinand VII as King despite being imprisoned by the French at Château de Valençay. Napoleon recognized Ferdinand VII on 11 December 1813, by the Treaty of Valençay, and he remained on the throne until his death in 1833. |
Sylvester III | Pope | Crescentii | 20 January 1045 | 10 March 1045 | 49 days (1 month, 19 days) |
Elected after a revolt expelled Benedict IX from Rome. | Deposed by Benedict IX. |
Saw E | King of Martaban | Hanthawaddy | April 1330 | June 1330 | 49 days | Assassination of Zein Pun by former queen consort Sanda Min Hla. | Assassinated by Sanda Min Hla. |
Benedict IX (second reign) |
Pope | Theophylacti | 10 March 1045 | 1 May 1045 | 52 days (1 month, 17 days) |
Recaptured Rome and expelled Sylvester III. | Abdicated on his godfather, Gregory VI, in order to marry his cousin. |
Rinchinbal Khan | Great Khan and Emperor of China | Great Yuan | 23 October 1332 | 14 December 1332 | 52 days (1 month, 19 days) |
Elected after the death of his uncle Jayaatu Khan Tugh Temür. | Died. |
Peter IV | King of Portugal | Braganza | 10 March 1826 | 2 May 1826 | 53 days (1 month, 18 days) |
Death of his father, John VI. | Abdicated on his daughter, Mary II, and returned to Brazil where he reigned as Peter I until 1831. |
Charles II | King of Hungary and Croatia | Capetian Anjou | 31 December 1385 | 24 February 1386 | 55 days (1 month, 24 days) |
Deposed Mary of Hungary. | Assassinated by Mary's mother, Elizabeth of Bosnia. |
Edgar II | King of England | Wessex | 15 October 1066 | 10 December 1066 | 56 days (1 month, 23 days) |
Elected by the Witenagemot after Harold Godwinson's death. | Submitted to William the Conqueror. |
Feodor II | Tsar of Russia | Godunov | 23 April 1605 | 20 June 1605 | 58 days (1 month, 26 days) |
Death of his father, Boris I. | Assassinated by boyars supporting False Dmitry I. |
Al-Mansur Abu Bakr | Sultan of Egypt and Syria | Qalawun | 7 June 1341 | 5 August 1341 | 59 days (1 month, 27 days) |
Death of his father, An-Nasir Muhammad. | Deposed and executed. |
Joachim Ernest | Duke of Anhalt | Ascania | 13 September 1918 | 12 November 1918 | 60 days (1 month, 28 days) |
Death of his father, Edward. | Monarchy abolished. |
Diadumenian | Roman Emperor | May 218 | June 218 | 1-2 months | Made co-emperor by his father, Macrinus. | Assassinated after the deposition of Macrinus; he was also declared Enemy of Rome and subjected to Damnatio Memoriae. | |
Herennius Etruscus | Roman Emperor | May 251 | June 251 | 1-2 months | Made co-emperor by his father, Decius. | Killed at the Battle of Abritus. | |
Yuan Zhao | Emperor of Northern Wei | Yuan (ex-Tuoba) | 2 April 528 | May 528 | <2 months | Proclaimed by Empress Dowager Hu. | Deposed and executed along with Hu. Traditional historians treat him ambiguously, and subsequent Northern Wei emperors never explicitly declared whether he was an emperor or not. He was not given an imperial posthumous name or temple name, but neither was his imperial status declared null. |
Ibrahim ibn al-Walid | Caliph of Islam | Umayyad | 4 October 744 | 4 December 744 | 61 days (2 months) |
Death of his brother, Yazid III. | Abdicated on Marwan II, who murdered him in 750. |
Ciubăr Vodă | Prince of Moldavia | Monoszló | c. December 1448 - January 1449 | 2 months (disputed) |
A Croatian-Hungarian aristocrat sent by John Hunyadi to depose Roman II in favor of Peter III, but said to have reigned himself as Prince after Peter III fled. | Unknown. Alexander II became Prince in February 1449. Some historians believe he merely occupied the country on Hunyadi's behalf and did not actually claim the throne. | |
Mamia I (third reign) |
King of Imereti | Gurieli | November 1713 | 5 January 1714 | 2 months | Recovered the throne after defeating George VII at the Battle of Kutaisi. | Died. |
Trịnh Cán | Lord of Tonkin | Trịnh | September 1782 | October 1782 | ≈2 months | Death of his father, Trịnh Sâm. | Forced to abdicate on Trịnh Khải. |
Didius Julianus | Roman Emperor | Didian | 28 March 193 | 1 June 193 | 66 days (2 months, 5 days) |
Bought the throne in auction after the assassination of Pertinax. | Deposed and executed. Also subjected to Damnatio Memoriae. |
Frederick Charles | King of Finland and Karelia | Hesse-Kassel | 9 October 1918 | 14 December 1918 | 66 days (2 months, 5 days) |
Elected by the Parliament of Finland. | Renounced the throne without entering the country, which later became a republic. |
Alexios V | Eastern Roman Emperor | Doukas | 5 February 1204 | 12 April 1204 | 67 days (2 months, 7 days) |
Deposed co-emperors Isaac II and Alexios IV. | Fled Constantinople during the Latin Sack of 1204. Later captured by Crusaders and executed. |
Muhammad II (second reign) |
Caliph of Cordoba | Umayyad | 10 May 1010 | 23 July 1010 | 74 days (2 months, 13 days) |
Deposed Sulayman ibn al-Hakam. | Assassinated and replaced by Hisham II. |
Petronius Maximus | Western Roman Emperor | Anician | 17 March 455 | 31 May 455 | 75 days (2 months, 14 days) |
Elected by the Roman Senate after assassinating Valentinian III. | Murdered by a mob while trying to flee Rome from the impending Vandal attack. |
Chūkyō | Emperor of Japan | Yamato | 13 May 1221 | 29 July 1221 | 77 days (2 months, 16 days) |
Death of his father, Emperor Juntoku. | Deposed and replaced by Go-Horiwa. Not officially recognized as Emperor until 1870 because of doubts raised by his short reign. |
Edward V | King of England | York | 9 April 1483 | 25 June 1483 | 77 days (2 months, 16 days) |
Death of his father, Edward IV. | Deposed and imprisoned by Richard III, who claimed he was illegitimate. He is presumed murdered in captivity. |
Stephen II | Despot of Serbia | Kotromanić | 1 April 1459 | 20 June 1459 | 80 days (2 months, 19 days) |
Married a daughter of the late Despot Lazar Branković. | Serbia annexed by the Ottoman Empire. Later became King of Bosnia for two years. |
Cuitlahuac | Great Speaker of the Triple Alliance | Acamapichtli | c. 29 June 1520 | September 1520 | 80 days (2 months, 19 days) |
Elected soon before or after leading a revolt against the Spanish who were holding his brother Moctezuma II hostage in Tenochtitlan. | Died of smallpox. |
Yuan Shikai | Emperor of China | Yuan | 1 January 1916 | 22 March 1916 | 81 days (2 months, 21 days) |
Offered the Crown after unanimous vote by the Representative Assembly. | Empire abolished after the monarchical restoration proved unexpectedly unpopular. Continued as President of the Republic of China until his death on 6 June. |
Pertinax | Roman Emperor | 1 January 193 | 28 March 193 | 86 days (2 months, 27 days) |
Proclaimed after the assassination of Commodus. | Assassinated by his Praetorian Guards, who then auctioned off the throne to the highest bidder. | |
Berengaria | Queen of Castile | Burgundy | 6 June 1217 | 31 August 1217 | 86 days (2 months, 25 days) |
Death of her brother, Henry I. | Abdicated on her son, Ferdinand III. |
Christian Frederick | King of Norway | Oldenburg | 17 May 1814 | 14 August 1814 | 89 days (2 months, 25 days) |
Elected by the Norwegian Constituent Assembly. | Abdicated by the Convention of Moss and returned to Denmark, where he became king (as Christian VIII) in 1839. The Crown of Norway was assumed by his rival, Charles XIII of Sweden. |
Philip I | King of Castile | Habsburg | 27 June 1506 | 25 September 1506 | 90 days (2 months, 27 days) |
Treaty of Villafáfila recognizing him as regnant King with equal authority to his wife, Joanna I. | Died of typhoid or poison. |
Florianus | Roman Emperor | July 276 | September 276 | <3 months | Proclaimed after the death of his half-brother, Marcus Claudius Tacitus. | Assassinated by his own troops while campaigning against the rebel Probus. | |
Sinmu | King of Silla | Kim | 839 | <3 months[2] | Assassinated Minae of Silla. | Died from disease. | |
Tupac Huallpa | Sapa Inca | Hanan | c. 26 July 1533 | 12–27 October 1533 | <3 months | Installed as puppet Inca by the Spanish after the assassination of Atahualpa. | Died of disease or poison.[3] |
Alexander III | Prince of Moldavia | Bogdan-Mușat | December 1540 | February 1541 | <3 months | Assassination of Stephen V. | Deposed and later assassinated by Peter IV. |
Alexander II (third reign) |
Prince of Moldavia | Bogdan-Mușat | February 1455 | March or May 1455 | 2-4 months | Deposed Peter Aaron. | Deposed by Peter Aaron and forced into exile, where he died on 25 May 1455. |
Monarchs who reigned for less than six months
Monarch | Title | Dynasty | Reign began | Reign ended | Reign length | Reason for accession | Reason for reign's end |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jehoahaz | King of Judah | Davidic | 609 BC | 3 months | Josiah killed at the Battle of Megiddo. | Deposed and imprisoned by Necho II. | |
Vikramabahu II | King of Polonnaruwa | Kalinga | 1196 | 3 months | Assassination of his nephew Vira Bahu I. | Assassinated by his nephew Chodaganga I. | |
George VIII | King of Imereti | Gurieli | 1716 | 3 months | Deposed George VII with Ottoman support. | Fled back to Guria. | |
Otho | Roman Emperor | Salvian | 15 January 69 | 16 April 69 | 91 days (3 months, 1 day) |
Proclaimed after the assassination of Galba. | Committed suicide after the Battle of Bedriacum. |
Murad V | Sultan of the Ottoman Empire and Caliph of Islam | Ottoman | 30 May 1876 | 31 August 1876 | 93 days (3 months, 1 day) |
Deposition of his uncle, Abdulaziz. | Deposed during the Great Eastern Crisis. |
Napoleon I (second reign) |
Emperor of the French | Bonaparte | 20 March 1815 | 22 June 1815 | 94 days (3 months, 2 days) |
Returned to Paris. | Abdicated on Napoleon II. |
Jeconiah | King of Judah | Davidic | 9 December 598 BC | 15–16 March 597 BC | 97 days (3 months, 7 days) |
Death of his father Jehoiakim at the Siege of Jerusalem. | Deposed and exiled to Babylon. |
Pupienus | Roman Emperor | Pupienan | 22 April 238 | 29 July 238 | 98 days (3 months, 7 days) |
Co-emperors proclaimed by the Roman Senate in rebellion against Maximinus Thrax after the deaths of Gordian I and Gordian II, in the Year of the Six Emperors. | Assassinated by the Praetorian Guard. They were succeeded by Gordian III, grandson of Gordian II. |
Balbinus | Balbinan | ||||||
Frederick III | German Emperor and King of Prussia | Hohenzollern | 9 March 1888 | 15 June 1888 | 99 days (3 months, 6 days) |
Death of his father, Wilhelm I. | Died of laryngeal cancer. |
Charles II (first reign) |
Duke of Parma | Bourbon-Parma | 31 December 1847 | 19 April 1848 | 110 days (3 months, 16 days) |
Proclaimed after the death of Marie Louise of Parma. | Fled the country and abdicated on his son, Charles III. |
Ibrahim Pasha | Wali of Egypt | Muhammad Ali | 20 July 1848 | 10 November 1848 | 113 days (3 months, 18 days) |
Succeeded his father Muhammad Ali after he was deemed incapable due to senility. | Died of exhaustion after travelling to Constantinople to be confirmed in office. |
Mindaugas II | King of Lithuania | Württemberg | 11 July 1918 | 2 November 1918 | 114 days (3 months, 19 days) |
Accepted the throne after election by the Council of Lithuania. | Monarchy "suspended" by the council. Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic declared a month later. |
Hiệp Hòa | Emperor of Vietnam | Nguyen | 30 July 1883 | 29 November 1883 | 122 days (3 months, 27 days) |
Deposition of his nephew, Dục Đức. | Deposed and forced to commit suicide. |
Aemilianus | Roman Emperor | June 253 | September 253 | 3-4 months | Proclaimed in rebellion against Trebonianus Gallus and Volusianus. | Assassinated by his own troops. | |
Ansprand | King of the Lombards | March 712 | June 712 | 3–4 months | Deposed Aripert II. | Died. | |
Min Hla | King of Ava | Pinya | August 1425 or April 1426 | November 1425 or August 1426 | 3–4 months | Assassination of his father, Thihathu of Ava. | Assassinated by his step-mother, Shin Bo-Me. |
Renseneb | Pharaoh of Egypt | Thirteenth | 1777 BC | 4 months | Succeeded Khaankhre Sobekhotep. | Unknown. Could have been deposed by Hor. | |
Michael V | Eastern Roman Emperor | Macedonian | 10 December 1041 | 20 April 1042 | 131 days (4 months, 10 days) |
Death of his adoptive father, Michael IV. | Deposed by Zoë and Theodora III. |
Charles IV | King of Naples | Valois | 22 February 1495 | 7 July 1495 | 135 days (4 months, 14 days) |
Crowned after conquering the city of Naples. | Left Italy after defeat in the First Italian War. |
Liu Bian | Emperor of China | Han | 15 May 189 | 28 September 189 | 136 days (4 months, 13 days) |
Death of his father, Emperor Ling. | Deposed and replaced by his younger half-brother, Emperor Xian. |
Alexander Hangerli | Prince of Moldavia | Phanariot | 7 March 1807 | 24 July 1807 | 139 days (4 months, 17 days) |
Appointed by Selim III. | Deposed and replaced by Scarlat Callimachi. |
Hisamuddin of Selangor | Supreme King of Malaysia | Daeng Chelak | 14 April 1960 | 1 September 1960 | 140 days (4 months, 16 days) |
Elected after the death of Abdul Rahman of Negeri Sembilan. | Died of illness. |
Ntare V | King of Burundi | Ntwero | 8 July 1966 | 28 November 1966 | 143 days (4 months, 20 days) |
Deposed his father, Mwambutsa IV. | Deposed by his Prime Minister Michel Micombero, who became the dictatorial first President of the Republic of Burundi. |
Edward | Duke of Anhalt | Ascania | 21 April 1918 | 13 September 1918 | 145 days (4 months, 21 days) |
Death of his brother, Frederick II. | Died. |
John V | Eastern Roman Emperor (third reign) |
Palaiologos | 17 September 1390 | 16 February 1391 | 152 days (4 months, 28 days) |
Recovered the throne from his grandson, John VII, who had deposed him months before. | Died. |
Hostilian | Roman Emperor | July 251 | November 251 | <5 months | Made co-emperor by Trebonianus Gallus after the death of Hostilian's father and brother at the Battle of Abritus. | Died from plague or poison. | |
Peter Aaron (first reign) |
Prince of Moldavia | Bogdan-Mușat | October 1451 | February 1452 | <5 months | Assassinated Bogdan II. | Deposed by Alexander II. |
Eraric | King of the Ostrogoths | Rugian | 541 | 5 months | Elected after the murder of Ildibad. | Assassinated by Totila's followers. | |
Abd al-Rahman IV | Caliph of Cordoba | Umayyad | 29 April 1018 | September 1018 | Around 5 months | Proclaimed Caliph after Ali ibn Hammud al-Nasir's assassination. | Assassinated. Title disputed with Al-Qasim al-Ma'mun. |
John VII | Eastern Roman Emperor | Palaiologos | 14 April 1390 | 17 September 1390 | 156 days (5 months, 3 days) |
Deposed his grandfather, John V. | Restoration of John V. |
Roman II | Prince of Moldavia | Bogdan-Mușat | 15 September 1447 | 23 February 1448 | 161 days (5 months, 8 days) |
Assassinated his uncle, Stephen II, who had previously deposed and blinded Roman's father, Iliaş. He was co-prince with his other uncle Peter III. | Fled to Poland where he died in July 1448. Thereafter Peter III ruled in solitary. |
Lê Túc Tông | Emperor of Vietnam | Lê | 17 July 1504 | 30 December 1504 | 166 days (5 months, 13 days) |
Death of his father, Lê Hiến Tông. | Died of illness. |
Charles I and VIII | King of Norway | Bonde | 20 November 1449 | 13 May 1450 | 174 days (5 months, 22 days) |
Elected in Trondheim by a portion of the Norwegian Council, in defiance of Christian I of Denmark who had been elected by the other part. | Renounced his claim to Norway and recognized Christian I. He continued ruling as King of Sweden until he was also replaced there in 1457 by Christian I, and took exile in Poland. |
King of Sweden (second reign) |
9 August 1464 | 30 January 1465 | 174 days (5 months, 21 days) |
Returned from exile during a rebellion against Christian I. | Exiled again after defeat by Christian I's regent in Sweden, Archbishop Jöns Bengtsson Oxenstierna. He recovered the throne for a third time in 1467 and reigned until his death in 1470. | ||
Isaac II (second reign) |
Eastern Roman Emperor | Angelos | 1 August 1203 | 27-28 January 1204 | 179 days (5 months, 26-27 days) |
Restored to the throne after the flight of his brother Alexios III, who had imprisoned and blinded him in 1195. | Deposed by Alexios V. Isaac II died soon afterwards under unclear, but possibly natural circumstances. Alexios IV was strangled on February 8. |
Alexios IV | Proclaimed co-emperor with his father because of his deteriorated mental and physical state; he ruled alone in practice. | ||||||
Heraclius II | Eastern Roman Emperor | Heraclian | May 641 | September-October 641 | <6 months | Death of his father, Heraclius I. | Deposed, mutilated, and exiled to Rhodes by Constans II. |
Monarchs who reigned for a year or less
Currently reigning
Monarch | Title | Dynasty | Reign began | Reign ended | Reign length | Reason for accession | Reason for reign's end |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Zechariah | King of Israel | Jehoshaphat | 753 or 746 BC | 752 or 745 BC | 6 months | Death of his father, Jeroboam II. | Assassinated by his captain Shallum, who succeeded him. |
Wu Sangui | Emperor of China | Great Zhou | March 1678 | August 1678 | 6 months | Rebelled against the Qing and proclaimed himself Emperor in Hengyang. | Died. |
Amha Selassie | Emperor of Ethiopia | Solomonic | 12 September 1974 | 12 March 1975 | 181 days (6 months) |
Proclaimed by the Derg while he was 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. | Monarchy abolished. |
Peter III | Emperor of All Russia | Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov | 5 January 1762 | 9 July 1762 | 185 days (6 months, 4 days) |
Death of his aunt, Elizabeth I. | Deposed and possibly assassinated by his wife, Catherine II. |
Kale Kye-Taung Nyo | King of Ava | Pinya | 9 November 1425 | 16 May 1426 | 188 days (6 months, 7 days) |
Deposed his nephew, Min Hla. | Deposed by Mohnyin Thado. |
Dafydd ap Gruffudd | Prince of Gwynedd and Wales | Aberffraw | 11 December 1282 | 22 June 1283 | 193 days (6 months, 11 days) |
Death of his brother, Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, at the Battle of Orewin Bridge. | Captured in battle by Edward I of England, who had him hanged, drawn, and quartered on 3 October. |
William I | Prince of Albania | Wied-Neuwied | 21 February 1914 | 3 September 1914 | 194 days (6 months, 11 days) |
Formally offered the throne by Albanian notables after being chosen for the position by the European Great Powers. | Fled to Italy amidst unrest related to the outbreak of World War I. |
Jamshid bin Abdullah | Sultan of Zanzibar | Al Said | 1 July 1963 | 12 January 1964 | 195 days (6 months, 11 days) |
Death of his father, Abdullah bin Khalifa. | Monarchy abolished. |
Sogdianus | Shah of Persia and Pharaoh of Egypt | Achaemenid | 424 BC | 423 BC | 6 months, 15 days | Proclaimed himself after the death of his father Artaxerxes I, in defiance of the legitimate heir, his half-brother Xerxes II whom he had later assassinated. | Assassinated by his other half-brother, Darius II. |
Constantius III | Western Roman Emperor | 8 February 421 | 2 September 421 | 206 days (6 months, 23 days) |
Made co-emperor by Honorius. | Died. | |
Al-Qasim al-Ma'mun (second reign) |
Caliph of Cordoba | Hammudid | 12 February 1023 | 9 September 1023 | 209 days (6 months, 26 days) |
Flight of Yahya al-Mu'tali from Cordoba. | Deposed and imprisoned. |
Duncan II | King of Scots | Dunkeld | May? 1094 | 12 November 1094 | <7 months | Crowned at Scone as a puppet of William the Conqueror, in rebellion against Donald III who retained control of the Scottish Highlands. | Killed in battle or assassinated after defeat. |
Alexander II (first reign) |
Prince of Moldavia | Bogdan-Mușat | February 1449 | 12 October 1449 | <7 months | Deposed Peter III. | Deposed by Bogdan II. Recovered the throne in 1452. |
Peter Aaron (second reign) |
Prince of Moldavia | Bogdan-Mușat | August 1454 | February 1455 | <7 months | Deposed Alexander II. | Deposed by Alexander II. |
Bardiya | Shah of Persia and Pharaoh of Egypt | Achaemenid | early 522 BC | September 522 BC | 7 months | Rebelled in the Zagros Mountains against Cambyses II, then in Egypt, some time before Cambyses' death. | Assassinated by nobles led by Darius I, who claimed he was not the real Bardiya (brother of Cambyses) but a royal impostor. |
Lilavati (third reign) |
Queen of Polonnaruwa | Vijayabahu | 1211 | 1212 | 7 months | Restored after deposition of Lokissara. | Deposed by Parakrama Pandyan II. |
Tarabya | King of Ava | Pinya | April 1400 | before 25 November 1400 | 7 months | Death of his father Swa Saw Ke. | Assassinated by his former tutor Thihapate of Tagaung after he became insane. |
Nedjemibre | Pharaoh of Egypt | Thirteenth | c. 1780 BC or 1736 BC | >7 months | Succeeded Sewadjkare I. | Possibly deposed by Khaankhre Sobekhotep. | |
Lulach | King of Scots and Mormaer of Moray | Moray | 15 August 1057 | 17 March 1058 | 214 days (7 months, 2 days) |
Death of his stepfather Macbeth at the Battle of Lumphanan. | Assassinated by Malcolm III. |
Haitham bin Tariq Al Said | Sultan of Oman | Al Said | 11 January 2020 | Incumbent | 7 months and 5 days | Death of his cousin, Qaboos bin Said. | |
Galba | Roman Emperor | Sulpician | 8 June 68 | 15 January 69 | 221 days (7 months, 7 days) |
Proclaimed in rebellion against Nero, who committed suicide. | Assassinated by Otho in vengeance for adopting Lucius Calpurnius Piso Licinianus as his heir instead of him. |
Edmund II | King of the English | Wessex | 23 April 1016 | 30 November 1016 | 221 days (7 months, 7 days) |
Elected in London by part of the Witenagemot after the death of his father, Æthelred the Unready; another part elected king Cnut the Great of Denmark in Southampton. | Died, possibly assasinated, after agreeing to divide the kingdom with Cnut. Thereafter Cnut reigned over the whole of England. |
Yahya al-Mu'tali (second reign) |
Caliph of Cordoba | Hammudid | 9 November 1025 | 19 June 1026 | 222 days (7 months, 10 days) |
Reconquered Cordoba from Muhammad III. | Deposed in absentia by Hisham III. Became King of Malaga where he reigned until 1035. |
Guttorm | King of Norway | Sverre | 2 January 1204 | 11 August 1204 | 222 days (7 months, 9 days) |
Death of his father, Haakon III. | Died of illness. |
Louis I | King of Spain | Bourbon | 15 January 1724 | 31 August 1724 | 229 days (7 months, 16 days) |
Abdication of his father, Philip V. | Died of smallpox. Philip V regained the throne and reigned until his own death in 1746. |
Jovian | Roman Emperor | 27 June 363 | 17 February 364 | 235 days (7 months, 19 days) |
Elected after the death of Julian in the Battle of Samarra. | Died in his sleep, possibly suffocated by a defective brazier. | |
Sulayman ibn al-Hakam (first reign) |
Caliph of Cordoba | Umayyad | 8 November 1009 | 2 June 1009 | 237 days (7 months, 22 days) |
Declared Caliph after taking Cordoba from Muhammad II and freeing, but declining to reinstall former Caliph Hisham II. | Deposed by Muhammad II. Recovered the throne in 1013 and reigned for three years. |
Stephen IX | Pope | Ardenne-Verdun | 3 August 1057 | 29 March 1058 | 238 days (7 months, 26 days) |
Elected after the death of Victor II. | Died. |
Kiến Phúc | Emperor of Vietnam | Nguyễn | 1 December 1883 | 31 July 1884 | 243 days (7 months, 30 days) |
Deposition of his adoptive great uncle, Hiệp Hòa. | Died of illness or poison. |
Phelles | King of Tyre | Four Brothers | 879 BC | 8 months | Assassinated his brother Astarymus. | Assassinated by Ithobaal I. | |
Ulpia Severina | Roman Empress | Ulpian | 270 | 8 months | Assassination of her husband, Aurelian. Only woman to have ruled the Roman Empire in her own right. | Election of Marcus Claudius Tacitus. | |
George I | Prince of Moldavia | Bogdan-Mușat | November 1399 | June 1400 | 8 months | Succeeded his brother, Stephen I, while he was ill but still alive. | Deposed and imprisoned after invasion by Mircea I of Wallachia, who installed George's exiled stepbrother, Alexander I. |
Vitellius | Roman Emperor | Vitellian | 16 April 69 | 22 December 69 | 250 days (8 months, 6 days) |
Proclaimed in rebellion against Galba. | Assassinated. |
Injong | King of Joseon | Yi | 29 November 1544 | 8 August 1545 | 252 days (8 months, 8 days) |
Death of his father, Jungjong. | Possibly poisoned by his step-mother Queen Munjeong so his half-brother Myeongjong would become king. |
Muhammad II (first reign) |
Caliph of Cordoba | Umayyad | 15 February 1009 | 1 November 1009 | 259 days (8 months, 15 days) |
Overthrew Hisham II and his prime minister Abd al-Rahman Sanchuelo, who tried to make Hisham name him his heir. | Deposed by Sulayman ibn al-Hakam. |
Sancho II | King of Leon | Jimenez | 12 January 1072 | 6 October 1072 | 268 days (8 months, 23 days) |
Deposed and imprisoned his brother, Alfonso VI. | Killed at the Siege of Zamora. |
Matilda | Lady of the English | Normandy | 2 February 1141 | c. 1 November 1141 | c. 272 days (8 months, 28 days) (disputed) |
Captured her cousin, Stephen I, at the Battle of Lincoln. | Stephen exchanged (behind her back and against her will) for her half-brother Robert, 1st Earl of Gloucester, who was captured at the Rout of Winchester. She was called Lady of the English and not Queen because she was never crowned despite planning to this end. |
Claudine | Lady of Monaco | Grimaldi | July 1457 | 16 March 1458 | <9 months | Death of her father, Catalan Grimaldi. As she was only six years old, her grandmother Pomellina Fregoso was named regent in her father's will. | Pomellina was deposed after trying to murder Lamberto Grimaldi, Claudine's cousin and bethrothed. Lamberto then assumed the position of Lord of Monaco in detriment of his future wife. |
Mamia I (second reign) |
King of Imereti | Gurieli | October 1711 | June 1712 | <9 months | Deposed George VII, who fled to Kartli. | Fled to Kartli himself after being defeated by George VII at the Battle of Chkhari. |
Benedict IX (third reign) |
Pope | Theophylacti | November 1047 | July 1048 | 9 months | Returned to Rome after the death of Clement II. | Expelled by the troops of Henry III of Germany, who imposed Damasus II. |
Chodaganga | King of Polonnaruwa | Kalinga | 1196 | 1197 | 9 months | Assassinated Vikramabahu II. | Deposed and blinded by General Tavuru Senevirat who handed power to Queen Lilavati, widow of Parakramabahu I. |
Lokissara | King of Polonnaruwa | 1210 | 1211 | 9 months | Invaded Sri Lanka with a Tamil army from the continent, deposing Lilavati. | Deposed by General Parakrama, who restored Lilavati. | |
Clement II | Pope | Morsleben | 25 December 1046 | 9 October 1047 | 288 days (9 months, 12 days) |
Elected at the request of Henry III of Germany, following the depositions of competing popes Benedict IX, Sylvester III, and Gregory VI. | Poisoned with lead sugar, either accidentally or intentionally. |
Leo II | Eastern Roman Emperor | Leonid | 18 January 474 | 10 November 474 | 296 days (9 months, 21 days) |
Made augustus (co-emperor) by his grandfather, Leo I. | Died. |
Vetranio | Roman Emperor | 1 March 350 | 25 December 350 | 299 days (9 months, 24 days) |
Made co-emperor of Constantius II after the assassination of Constans. | Deposed by Constantius II, who became single emperor. | |
Habibullah Kalakani | Emir of Afghanistan | Saqqawist | 14 December 1928 | 13 October 1929 | 303 days (9 months, 27 days) |
Abdication of Inayatullah Khan. | Deposed and executed by Mohammed Nadir Shah. |
Muhammad XII (first reign) |
Emir of Granada | Nasrid | June 1482 | 20 April 1483 | Around 10 months | Rebelled against his father, Muley Hacén, seizing Granada and Almería. His father successfully defended and retained Málaga. | Captured at the Battle of Lucena during an incursion in Castilian territory. Liberated by the Christians in order to fuel inter-Muslim conflict, he titled himself Emir again in 1487 and reigned until 1492. |
Ismail II | Emir of Granada | Nasrid | 23 August 1359 | 24 June or 13 July 1360 | 306–325 days (10 months, 1–19 days) |
Deposed and exiled his brother, Muhammad V, to North Africa. | Deposed and assassinated by his brother-in-law, Muhammad VI. |
Romulus Augustus | Western Roman Emperor | 31 October 475 | 4 September 476 | 309 days (10 months, 1 day) |
Installed in Ravenna by his father, General Orestes, after rebelling against Julius Nepos. The latter fled to Dalmatia and continued ruling there as Western Roman Emperor until 480. | Deposed by Odoacer, who sent the imperial insignia to Constantinople and titled himself King of Italy. | |
Jovan Nenad | Tsar of Bačka | 29 August 1526 | 26 July 1527 | 331 days (10 months, 26 days) |
Carved a Serbian kingdom in southern Hungary after the death of Louis II in the Battle of Mohacs, refusing to recognize John Zapolya as King of Hungary and collaborating with the Habsburgs. | Assassinated after failing to link with the Habsburgs. | |
Baldwin I | Latin Emperor of Constantinople | Flanders | 16 May 1204 | 14 April 1205 | 333 days (10 months, 26 days) |
Elected by the Crusaders after the Sack of Constantinople. | Captured by Kaloyan of Bulgaria at the Battle of Adrianople. Later died in prison. |
Dmitry I | Tsar and Emperor of Russia | Pseudo-Rurik | 10 June 1605 | 17 May 1606 | 341 days (11 months, 7 days) |
Deposition of Feodor II. | Assassinated. |
Napoleon I | Emperor of Elba | Bonaparte | 11 April 1814 | 20 March 1815 | 343 days (11 months, 9 days) |
Title created by the Treaty of Fontainebleau. | Fled to France. |
Alfonso II | King of Naples | Trastamara | 25 January 1494 | 23 January 1495 | 363 days (11 months, 27 days) |
Death of his father, Ferdinand I. | Abdicated on his son, Ferdinand II. |
Marcus Claudius Tacitus | Roman Emperor | 25 September 275 | June 276 | <12 months | Elected by the Roman Senate after the assassination of Aurelian. | Died of fever while returning from a military campaign in Gaul. | |
Charles III (first reign) |
Duke of Parma | Bourbon-Parma | 19 April 1848 | April 1849 | Around 12 months | Abdication of his father, Charles II, after both fled during the Revolutions of 1848. | Father restored by Austrian troops. |
Michael VI | Eastern Roman Emperor | Bringas | 31 August 1056 | 31 August 1057 | 365 days (12 months) |
Succeeded Theodora III after being chosen by her as successor, shortly before her death. | Abdicated on Isaac I and became a monk. |
Frederick I | King of Bohemia | Wittelsbach | 4 November 1619 | 8 November 1620 | 370 days (12 months, 4 days) |
Crowned in Prague after being elected by the states of the Bohemian Confederacy, in rebellion against Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor. | Fled the country after the Protestant defeat at the Battle of White Mountain. |
Other monarchs that could have reigned for less than a year
The following monarchs may also have reigned for less than a year, but a more approximate length of reign is unknown.
Name | Title | Dynasty | Reign began | Reign ended | Reason for accession | Reason for reign's end |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
5-70 unnamed rulers | Pharaoh of Egypt | Seventh | c. 2181 BC (70–75 days total) |
End of the Sixth Dynasty. | Beginning of the Eighth Dynasty. The existence of the VII Dynasty is questioned due to poor and imprecise records. Some believe it fictional, a metaphor for a chaotic interregnum between the VI And VIII Dynasties; others, that the VII really existed but its pharaohs were included in the VIII by mistake. | |
Sewadjkare I | Pharaoh of Egypt | Thirteenth | c. 1781 BC or 1737 BC | Succeeded Sehetepibre. | Succeeded by Nedjemibre. Only known from the Turin King list, which originally included his reign duration but this is now illegible due to damage. | |
Cleopatra IV | Pharaoh of Egypt | Ptolemaic | 28 June 116 BC | 115 BC | Death of her father, Ptolemy VIII. Reigned alongside her brother and husband, Ptolemy IX. | Pushed out of joint rule by her mother, Cleopatra III. |
Zhao Jiande | King of Nanyue | Triệu | 112 BC | 111 BC | Assassination of Zhao Xing. | Assassinated, Nanyue annexed by the Han Dynasty. |
Liu Yi | Emperor of China | Eastern Han | 125 | Elected to succeed the late Emperor An. | Died of illness. | |
Carus | Roman Emperor | Numerian | 282 | 283 | Either assassinated Probus, or was proclaimed after such assassination. | Allegedly struck by lightning while campaigning against the Sassanids. |
Ellac | King of the Huns | 453 | 454 | Death of his father, Attila. | Killed at the Battle of Nedao. | |
Olybrius | Western Roman Emperor | Anician | March-July 472 | 22 October or 2 November 472 | Installed by Ricimer after the assassination of Anthemius. | Died of dropsy. |
Ildibad | King of the Ostrogoths | 540 | 541 | Elected after Witiges was taken prisoner to Constantinople by the Byzantines. | Murdered by his bodyguard.[4] | |
Teia | King of the Ostrogoths | July 552 | October 552 - early 553 | Elected after the death of Totila in the Battle of Taginae. | Killed at the Battle of Mons Lactarius. | |
Seaxburh | Queen of Wessex | Gewisse | 672 | 673 | Unusually succeeded her husband, Cenwalh of Wessex, after his death. Only woman included in the list of kings of Wessex. | Died. The throne was inherited by either Cenfus or his son Æscwine, who were distant relatives of her husband. |
Roderic | King of the Visigoths | 710-711 | 711-712 | Seized the throne by force, either assassinating Wittiza or in the aftermath of Wittiza's death by other causes. | Killed at the Battle of Guadalete. | |
Sabin | Khan of Bulgaria | Vokil | 765 | 766 | Assassination of Telets. | Deposed, fled to Constantinople. |
Toktu | Khan of Bulgaria | Ugain | 766 | 767 | Succeeded Umor, possibly after deposing him. | Assassinated while trying to flee from a revolt. |
Pagan | Khan of Bulgaria | 767 | 768 | Elected after the deposition or assassination of Toktu. | Deposed and assassinated. | |
Bezprym | Duke of Poland | Piast | 1031 | Spring? 1032 | Flight of his brother Mieszko II to Bohemia during a period of German and Kievan invasions. | Assassinated. Duchy divided between his brothers Mieszko and Otto, and cousin Dytryk. |
Eric and Eric | King of Sweden | 1066 | 1067 | Death of Stenkil. Each claimed the throne for himself and fought the other. | Killed in battle in quick succession. The throne went to Stenkil's son, Halsten. | |
Sunjong | King of Goryeo | Wang | 1082-1083 | 5 December 1083 | Death of his father, Munjong. | Died. |
Ragnvald Knaphövde | King of Sweden | late 1120s | Elected in Östergötland after the death of Inge. | Assassinated by the Geats, who had elected Magnus I. | ||
David V | King of Georgia | Bagrationi | c. 1154-1155 | Deposed his father, Demetrius I. | Unclear, but likely assassinated. His reign is given different lengths in different chronicles: from one to six months, to even two years. | |
Magnus II | King of Sweden | Estridsen | 1160 | 1161 | Assassinated Eric IX. | Killed in battle with Eric IX's son, Charles VII. |
Jaya Harivarman II | King of Champa | Vijaya | 1166 | 1167 | Succeeded Jaya Harivarman I. | Succeeded by Jaya Indravarman IV. |
Vijayabahu II | King of Polonnaruwa | Vijayabahu | 1186 | 1187 | Death of his uncle, Parakramabahu I. | Assassinated by Mahinda VI. |
Suryajayavarman | King of Champa | Vijaya | 1190 | 1191 | Installed by the Khmer after they invaded and deposed Jaya Indravarman IV. | Fled to Cambodia during the revolt of Vidyanandana, leaving the capital Vijaya to Jaya Indravarman V. |
Jaya Indravarman V | King of Champa | Vijaya | 1191 | 1192 | Flight of Suryajayavarman. | Assassinated by Vidyanandana. |
Dharmasoka | King of Polonnaruwa | Kalinga | 1208 | 1209 | Succeeded Kalyanavati. | Assassinated by Anikanga. |
Lilavati (second reign) |
Queen of Polonnaruwa | Vijayabahu | 1209 | 1210 | Assassination of Anikanga by General Vikkantacamunakka, who surrendered control to Lilavati. | Deposed by Lokissara. |
Peter I | Latin Emperor of Constantinople | Courtenay | 1216 | 1217 | Elected after the death of his brother-in-law, Henry I. | Captured during a failed campaign against the Despotate of Epirus; he died in prison in 1219. |
Haraldr Guðrøðarson | King of Mann and the Isles | Crovan | 1249 | 1250 | Assassinated his cousin Rǫgnvaldr Óláfsson. | Deposed and exiled to Norway by Haakon IV, who probably also installed Rǫgnvaldr's brother Magnús Óláfsson as King. |
Balc | Prince of Moldavia | Drăgoșești | 1359 or 1364 | Death of his father, Sas. | Deposed by Bogdan I. | |
Peter I | Prince of Moldavia | Bogdan-Mușat | 1367 | July 1368 | Death of his grandfather, Bogdan I. | Deposed by his uncle, Lațcu. |
Dương Nhật Lễ | Emperor of Vietnam | Trần | 1369 | 1370 | Death of his uncle, Trần Dụ Tông. | Deposed by his father-in-law, Trần Nghệ Tông. |
Yusuf II | Emir of Granada | Nasrid | 1391 | 1392 | Death of his father, Muhammad V. | Possibly assassinated by his son, Muhammad VII. |
Muhammad IX (second reign) |
Emir of Granada | Nasrid | 1430 | 1431 | Deposed and assassinated Muhammad VIII, who had deposed him earlier. | Deposed by Yusuf IV. |
Yusuf IV | Emir of Granada | Nasrid | 1 January 1432 | 1432 | Deposed Muhammad IX. | Deposed by Muhammad IX. |
Peter III (first reign) |
Prince of Moldavia | Bogdan-Mușat | May 1444 | 1445 | Made co-prince by his half-brother Stephen II after he deposed his other brother and previous co-prince, Iliaș, who had been imposed by the Poles. | Unknown. He became co-prince again in 1447, this time with his nephew Roman II, a son of Iliaș. |
Yusuf V | Emir of Granada | Nasrid | 1445 | 1446 | Deposed his nephew Muhammad X. | Deposed by Muhammad X. |
1462 | Deposed his brother Abu Nasr Sa'd. | Deposed by Abu Nasr Sa'd. | ||||
Muhammad XI | Emir of Granada | Nasrid | 1453 | 1454 | Death of Muhammad IX. | Deposed by Abu Nasr Sa'd and assassinated by Sa'd's son, Muley Hacén. |
Mạc Toàn | Emperor of Vietnam | Mạc | 1592-1593 | Capture and assassination of his father Mạc Mậu Hợp by the Lê. | Abdicated on Mạc Kính Chỉ. | |
Mạc Kính Chỉ | Emperor of Vietnam | Mạc | 1592-1593 | Abdication of Mạc Toàn. | Assassinated by the Trịnh lords. | |
Karposh | King of Kumanovo | October? 1689 | November? 1689 | Recognized as King by the Habsburgs while in rebellion against the Ottoman Empire. | Captured and executed by the Ottomans. | |
Mamia I (first reign) |
King of Imereti | Gurieli | 1701 | Installed as puppet king by his father-in-law Giorgi Abashidze, following the assassination of Simon I. | Abdicated on Abashidze, who became King George VI of Imereti, and returned to Guria where he continued ruling as Prince. | |
George VII (fourth reign) |
King of Imereti | Bagrationi | 1719 | February 1720 | Restored by Ottoman troops after being exiled in Constantinople. | Assassinated. |
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. |
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. |
King Narawara | Myanmar | Toungoo | 14 April 1672 | 27 February 1673 | 10 months, 13 days | Died of natural causes |
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 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. |
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. |
gollark: I *have* heard of stability issues.
gollark: Or AWS Glacier.
gollark: You should probably just do more practice of it.
gollark: `pacman` can also search repos just fine.
gollark: I did actually run LDAP (well, openLDAP slapd) for a bit for single sign-on purposes, but dropped it because the only web-based software for managing it was written in PHP, and it was old and weirdly designed.
See also
- List of shortest-reigning popes
- Current reigning monarchs by length of reign
- List of longest-reigning monarchs
- List of the oldest living state leaders
References
- Carney, E. (2015) King and Court in Ancient Macedonia: Rivalry, Treason and Conspiracy. ISD LLC, 400 pages.
- Sinmu is recorded as having reigned for three lunar months, slightly shorter than solar ones.
- Seaman, R.M. (2013) Conflict in the Early Americas: An Encyclopedia of the Spanish Empire's Aztec, Incan, and Mayan Conquests. ABC-CLIO, 485 pages.
- Not assassinated, as the murder had no political aim.
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