List of shortest reigning monarchs of all time
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It has been suggested that List of shortest reigning Monarchs in Vietnam be merged into this article or section. (Discuss) |
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Note: Some of the following have been disputed as legitimate monarchs
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Name |
Country |
Royal House/Dynasty |
Succession |
Reign Ended |
Length |
Comments |
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Vietnam |
111 B.C. |
111 B.C. |
Captured and executed by the Han after his army was destroyed leading to 150 years of Chinese mastery. |
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King Ildibad |
King of the Ostrogoths |
540 |
541 |
Assassinated by a Gepid |
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King Eraric |
King of the Ostrogoths |
541 |
541 |
Assassinated by a member of his own royal guard. |
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High King Fogartach mac Néill |
Ireland |
724 |
724 |
Claimed by some to be the High King of Ireland for several months during a period of high conflict. |
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Jaya Harivarman II |
1167 |
1167 |
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Jaya Indravarman V |
1191 |
1191 |
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Emperor Constantine Laskaris |
1204 |
1204 |
Constantine Laskaris was the emperor of Nicea for a short period after Alexios V Doukas was deposed as the Byzantine emperor by the Fourth Crusade. |
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Vua Mạc Toàn |
Vietnam |
1592 |
1592 |
Mạc Toàn succeeded Mạc Mậu Hợp for a short period after the latter was killed by the forces of Trịnh Tùng. |
Note: Some of the following have been disputed as legitimate monarchs
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Name |
Country |
Royal House/Dynasty |
Succession |
Reign Ended |
Length |
Comments |
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Vua Lý Chiêu Hoàng |
Vietnam |
October 1224 |
21 October 1225 |
~1 Year |
Succeeded the throne through the suicide of her father Lý Huệ Tông. Renounced her claim on the throne for her husband Trần Thái Tông founder of the Trần Dynasty. |
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Vua Hồ Quý Ly |
Vietnam |
February 1400 |
c1400-1401 |
~1 Year |
Hồ Quý Ly succeeded the throne after coaxing 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 favour of his son Hồ Hán Thương. |
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King Louis XVIII |
France |
6 April 1814 |
20 March 1815 |
11 Months 14 Days |
Louis XVIII gained the throne of France after the abdication of Emperor Napoleon I only to lose it to Napoleon I again during the Hundred Days, Then with Napoleon I defeated once more he abdicated in favour of Napoleon II who was also removed in favour of a restoration of Louis XVIII who then reigned from 8 July 1815 until his death on 16 September 1824. |
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Emperor Hàm Nghi |
Vietnam |
1 August 1884 |
4 July 1885 |
11 Months 3 Days |
Captured during the Mandarins' Revolt and the French replaced him with Đồng Khánh. |
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King Fuad II of Egypt |
Egypt and The Sudan |
26 July 1952 |
18 June 1953 |
10 Months 23 Days |
Succeeded the throne after the abdication of Farouk I after the Egyptian Revolution of 1952. Faud II's reign came to an end with the declaration of a republic in Egypt. |
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King/Emperor Edward VIII |
Great Britain, Ireland and British dominions beyond the seas and India |
20 January 1936 |
11 December 1936 |
10 Months 22 Days |
Edward VIII abdicated the throne in favour of his brother George VI of the United Kingdom to avoid a constitutional crisis. |
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Emperor Agustín I |
19 May 1822 |
19 March 1823 |
10 Months |
Agustín I was proclaimed emperor by the Parliament of the newly independent Mexican Empire and later deposed by Republican forces leading to the foundation of the Mexican Republic. |
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Tsar Dmitry II |
All Russia |
Otriepjew |
21 July 1605 |
17 May 1606 |
9 Months 27 Days |
Dmitry II claimed the throne of All Russia after the capture and assassination of Feodor II. Dmitry II's reign was cut short when he was assassinated during an assault on the Kremlin. |
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King Harold II |
England |
5 January 1066 |
14 October 1066 |
9 Months 9 Days |
Harold II succeeded the throne after the death of Edward the Confessor and was killed at the Battle of Hastings during the Norman invasion of England to claim the throne for the future William I and was succeeded briefly by Edgar the Ætheling. |
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Emir Habibullāh Ghāzī |
Afghanistan |
17 January 1929 |
13 October 1929 |
8 Months 26 Days |
Habibullāh Ghāzī succeeded Inayatullah Khan Seraj who had abdicated in his favour after only three days. Habibullāh Ghāzī's reign soon ended when he was deposed and executed by Mohammed Nadir Shah. |
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Vua Nghi Dan |
Vietnam |
28 October 1459 |
24 June 1460 |
8 Months 25 Days |
Succeeded 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. |
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King Louis I |
Spain |
14 January 1724 |
31 August 1724 |
7 Months 17 Days |
Louis I succeeded the throne after the abdication of his father Philip V who also regained the throne after the death of Louis I from smallpox. |
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Queen Matilda |
England |
Spring 1141 |
Autumn 1141 |
c5-9 Months |
Matilda seized the throne after capturing King Stephen at the Battle of Lincoln 2 February 1141. Matilda later released Stephen in trade for her half-brother after which Stephen reclaimed the throne in November. |
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King Edmund |
England |
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. |
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King Lulach |
15 August 1057 |
17 March 1058 |
7 Months 2 Days |
Lulach succeeded the throne after Macbeth of Scotland was killed in battle by the future Malcolm III of Scotland, Lulach himself was also slain by Malcolm III who succeeded him. |
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Emperor Heraklonas |
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 joint emperor as Constans II. Heroklonas was then mutilated and banished after a revolt leaving Constans II as sole emperor. |
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King Hildeprand |
King of the Lombards |
January 744 |
<August 744 |
<7 Months |
Deposed and dead by August 744. |
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Vua Dương Nhật Lễ |
Vietnam |
1369 |
20 May 1370 |
>6 Months |
Dethroned and killed. Replaced by Trần Phủ. |
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Emperor Kiến Phúc |
Vietnam |
2 December 1883 |
31 July 1884 |
6 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). |
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Mbret William |
Albania |
7 March 1914 |
3 September 1914 |
6 Months 27 Days |
William accepted a request from Albania to be it's 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. |
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King Christian Frederick |
Norway |
16 February 1814 |
28 August 1814 |
6 Months 12 Days |
Christian Frederick was created King of Norway upon it's 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. |
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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 abolishment of the sultanate. |
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Vua Lê Túc Tông |
Vietnam |
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. |
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King Donald III |
13 November 1093 |
May 1094 |
~6 Months |
Donald III succeeded the throne after the assassination of Malcolm III and later lost the throne to Duncan II. Donald III regained the throne on 12 November 1094 after the assassination of Duncan II and reigned until 1097. |
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King Duncan II |
May 1094 |
12 November 1094 |
~6 Months |
Duncan II seized the throne from Donald III only to be assassinated and replaced by him. |
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Emperor Alexius IV Angelus |
1 August 1203 |
27 January 1204 |
5 Months 26 Days |
Alexius IV Angelus became co-emperor of the Byzantine Empire when his father Isaac II Angelus regained the throne from Alexius III Angelus. Both reigns would be short being usurped by Alexios V Doukas leading to the deaths of Alexius IV Angelus and Isaac II Angelus. |
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Emperor Wu Sangui |
China |
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. |
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Emperor Isaac II Angelus |
1 August 1203 |
~January 1204 |
~5 Months |
Isaac II Angelus had previously been Emperor of the Byzantine Empire from 7 September 1185 until 1195 until he was imprisoned by his brother Alexius III Angelus, who usurped the throne from him. After Isaac II Angelus was released from captivity by the Fourth Crusade he then regained his empire with his son Alexius IV Angelus as co-emperor forcing Alexius III Angelus into exile. This second reign ended when he and his son Alexius IV Angelus were captured and usurped once more by Alexios V Doukas, this time resulting in the death of Isaac II Angelus and Alexius IV Angelus. |
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Duke Eduard |
Anhalt |
21 April 1918 |
13 September 1918 |
4 Months 23 Days |
Eduard succeeded his brother Friedrich II only to die within 5 months and leave the throne to his son Joachim Ernst. |
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Duke Charles II |
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. |
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Emperor Hiệp Hoà |
Vietnam |
30 July 1883 |
29 November 1883 |
3 Months 29 Days |
Succeeded the throne after the death 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). |
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King Mindaugas II |
Lithunania |
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 it's decision and declared Lithuania a republic. |
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Kaiser/King Frederick III |
German Empire and Prussia |
9 March 1888 |
15 June 1888 |
3 Months 6 Days |
Frederick III succeeded his father's throne with terminal larynx cancer and was unable to speak during his brief reign. |
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Sultan Murad V |
30 May 1876 |
31 August 1876 |
3 Months 1 Day |
Murad V replaced his uncle Abdülaziz who had been deposed by his ministers (and died soon after). Murad V was also soon deposed in favour of his brother Abdul Hamid II, who was also deposed. |
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King Teia |
King of the Ostrogoths |
1 July 552 |
cOctober 552 |
~3 Months |
Probably killed at the Battle of Mons Lactarius. |
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Emperor Constantine III |
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. |
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Emperor Yuan Shikai |
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 back to being the president of the Republic of China until his death on 5 June 1916. |
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Emperor Napoleon I |
Emperor of the French |
1 March 1815 |
22 June 1815 |
2 Months 21 Days |
Napoleon I usurped the throne of Louis XVIII during the Hundred Days only to abdicate in favour of his son Napoleon II after heavy defeat. Napoleon I had previously been emperor from 20 March 1804 until abdicating in favour of Louis XVIII on 6 April 1814. |
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King Pedro IV |
Portugal |
10 March 1826 |
28 May 1826 |
2 Months 18 Days |
Pedro succeeded the throne upon the death of his father and was forced to abdicate in favour of his daughter Maria II. He also reigned as Emperor Pedro I of Brazil from 12 October 1822 to 7 April 1831 until he abdicated in favour of his son Pedro II. |
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King Edward V |
England |
9 April 1483 |
25 June 1483 |
2 Months 16 Days |
Edward V succeeded the throne on the death of his father Edward IV and was replaced by his Uncle who became Richard III after Parliament declared Edward V's claim to the throne invalid. It is unknown what happened to Edward V after his "reign". |
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Emperor Alexios V Doukas |
5 February 1204 |
12 April 1204 |
2 Months 7 Days |
Alexios V Doukas usurped the throne from co-emperors Isaac II Angelus and Alexius IV Angelus and was then deposed during the Fourth Crusade, soon after whilst in exile he was blinded by his father-in-law the previously deposed Alexius III Angelus and then brought back to Constantinople and sentenced to death for treason. |
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King Väinö I |
9 October 1918 |
14 December 1918 |
2 Months 5 Days |
Väinö I 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. |
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Chúa Trịnh Cán |
Vietnam |
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. |
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Duke Joachim Ernst |
Anhalt |
13 September 1918 |
12 November 1918 |
1 Month 30 Days |
Joachim Ernst abdicated his throne at the end of the First World War during the German revolution. He died as a prisoner of war in Buchenwald camp as a prisoner of Soviet forces. |
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King Edgar the Ætheling |
England |
15 October 1066 |
10 December 1066 |
1 Month 25 Days |
Edgar succeeded the throne with the death of Harold II during the Norman invasion only to submit his throne to William I. |
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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. |
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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 |
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Emperor Ningzong |
China |
~1332 |
~1332 |
1 Month 13 Days |
Ningzong was briefly installed as Emperor of the Yuan Dynasty, a ruling dynasty of China. |
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King Sweyn I |
England |
25 December 1013 |
3 February 1014 |
1 Month 9 Days |
Sweyn usurped the throne from Æthelred II who regained the throne after Sweyn's death. Sweyn was also king of Denmark from c985 and king of Norway c985 to 995 and co-monarch from 1000 until his death. |
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King Umberto II |
Italy |
9 May 1946 |
12 June 1946 |
1 Month 3 Days |
Umberto II succeeded the throne when his father Victor Emmanuel III abdicated in an attempt to retain the monarchy. 33 Days after the succession of Umberto II a republic was declared. |
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Emperor Li Zicheng |
China |
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. |
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Bishop John Paul I |
26 August 1978 |
28 September 1978 |
1 Month 2 Days |
Pope John Paul I as Bishop of Rome was head of state for Vatican City during his short papacy. |
Note: Some of the following have been disputed as legitimate monarchs
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Name |
Country |
Royal House/Dynasty |
Succession |
Reign Ended |
Length |
Comments |
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Emperor Táichàng |
28 August 1620 |
26 September 1620 |
29 Days |
Died after a bout of diarrhoea which could have been caused by poisoning. |
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Emperor Changyi Wang |
74 B.C. |
74 B.C. |
27 Days |
Installed and deposed by Regent Huo Guang. |
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Prince Milan Obrenović II |
25 June 1839 |
8 July 1839 |
26 Days |
Succeeded after the death 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. |
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Tsar Constantine |
1 December 1825 |
25 December 1825 |
24 Days |
Succeeded his elder brother Alexander I and abdicated in favour of his younger brother Nicholas I leading to the Decembrist revolt. |
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Emperor Gordian I |
Gordianan |
22 March 238 |
12 April 238 |
21 Days |
Proclaimed joint Augustus with his son Gordian II after leading a revolt against Maximinus I. Gordian I hanged himself on hearing the news that Gordian II had fallen in battle against Maximinus I. |
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Emperor Gordian II |
Gordianan |
22 March 238 |
12 April 238 |
21 Days |
Proclaimed joint Augustus with his father Gordian I after leading a revolt against Maximinus I. Gordian II was killed at the Battle of Carthage. |
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Emperor Napoleon II |
22 June 1815 |
7 July 1815 |
16 Days |
Succeeded with the abdication of Napoleon I and deposed with the restoration of Louis XVIII. |
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King Lodewijk II |
1 July 1810 |
13 July 1810 |
12 Days |
Succeeded with the abdication of his father Lodewijk II only to have his kingdom annexed by the Napoleon I of the French. |
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Queen Jane |
England and Ireland |
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. |
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15 January 2006 |
24 January 2006 |
9 Days |
Succeeded with the death of Jaber III Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabahand 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. |
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King Henry V |
2 August 1830 |
9 August 1830 |
7 Days |
Succeeded with the abdications of Charles X and then Louis XIX 20 minutes later, only to be rejected by the National Assembly in favour of Louis-Phillipe. |
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King Zimri |
c885 B.C. or c876 B.C. |
c885 B.C. or c876 B.C. |
7 Days |
A biblical king from the Books of Kings. |
Note: Some of the following have been disputed as legitimate monarchs
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Name |
Country |
Royal House/Dynasty |
Succession |
Reign Ended |
Length |
Comments |
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"King" Otto Witte |
"Albania" |
13 August 1913 |
18 August 1913 |
5 Days |
Unverifiable, possibly a pathological liar. |
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King John I |
15 November 1316 |
20 November 1316 |
5 Days |
Posthumous son of Louis X, died aged 5 days. |
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Vua Lê Trung Tông |
Vietnam |
October 1005 |
October 1005 |
3 Days |
Assassinated by order of his successor Lê Ngoạ Triều. |
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Vua Dục Đức |
Vietnam |
20 July 1883 |
23 July 1883 |
3 Days |
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Afghanistan |
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 Habibullāh Ghāzī who was deposed 8 months later. |
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King Dipendra |
1 June 2001 |
4 June 2001 |
<56 Hours |
Succeeded to the throne after the murder of his father Birendra during the Nepalese royal massacre in which Dipendra inflicted mortal wounds upon himself which he would die of. |
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Sultan Sayyid Khalid bin Barghash |
Zanzibar |
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. |
Due to the ephemeral nature of their reigns, the following have been disputed as legitimate monarchs:
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Name |
Country |
Royal House/Dynasty |
Succession |
Reign Ended |
Length |
Comments |
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King Saul Wahl |
Katzenellenbogen |
c18 August 1587 |
c18 August 1587 |
c1 Day or 1 Night |
"Rex Pro Tempore", Possibly legend. |
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Tsar Michael II |
15 March 1917 |
16 March 1917 |
c16 Hours |
Deferred acceptance. Later Executed. |
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King Phillipe VII |
28 February 1848 |
29 February 1848 |
c16 Hours |
Rejected by the National Assembly. Fled to exile. |
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Emperor Modi |
9 February 1234 |
9 February 1234 |
c12 Hours |
Coronated whilst under assault by Mongolians and killed after the coronation. |
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King Louis XIX |
2 August 1830 |
2 August 1830 |
c20 Minutes |
Succeeded with abdication of Charles X only to abdicate in favour of Henry V. |
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King Luís Filipe I |
1 February 1908 |
1 February 1908 |
c20 Minutes |
Heir apparent Prince Royal who did not automatically assume the title of King after the assassination of Carlos I. Assassinated c20 minutes after Carlos I. |
