Top 10 Longest Reigning Monarchs In History

It is no longer news that the beloved Queen of England, Queen Elizabeth II, the UK’s longest-serving monarch, passed away yesterday at the age of 96, after reigning for 70 years. The eldest of her four children, Charles, Prince of Wales, who is the oldest heir apparent in British history, automatically succeeds her as the King of England. However, the media in a bid to cover the expansive legacy of the late monarch refer to her as the longest-reigning monarch in the world. It is important to note that this is false and to kill this historically false narrative, we have compiled a list of the top 10 longest reigning monarchs in history.

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1. King Louis XIV

Louis XIV, also known as Louis the Great was King of France and the longest reigning monarch in history. He ruled from 14 May 1643 until his death in 1715, reigning for 72 years and 110 days. Louis created a centralized state governed by the capital. He sought to eliminate the remnants of feudalism persisting in parts of France; by compelling many members of the nobility to inhabit his lavish Palace of Versailles.

He succeeded in pacifying the aristocracy, many members of which had participated in the Fronde during his minority. By these means, he became one of the most powerful French monarchs and consolidated a system of absolute monarchy in France that endured until the French Revolution.

2. Queen Elizabeth II

The late Queen of the United Kingdom, Elizabeth II takes second place among the longest reigning monarchs in history, with a reign of 70 years, and 214 days. She ascended the throne on 6 February 1952 and reigned until her death on September 8, 2022, the longest of any British monarch.

Elizabeth II was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during her life and served as monarch of 15 of them at the time of her death. She reigned as a constitutional monarch through major political changes such as the Troubles in Northern Ireland, devolution in the United Kingdom, the decolonization of Africa, and the United Kingdom’s accession to the European Communities and withdrawal from the European Union.

3. King Rama IX

King Bhumibol the Great, also known as Rama IX was the ninth monarch of Thailand from the Chakri dynasty. He reigned for 70 years and 126 days(9 June 1946 – 13 October 2016), taking third place among the longest reigning monarchs in history. During his reign, he was served by a total of 30 prime ministers.

King Rama was highly revered by the people in Thailand– some saw him as an entity close to divinity. Political activists and citizens who criticized the king or the monarchy were often forced into exile or suffered frequent imprisonments, yet many cases were dropped before being proceeded or were eventually given a royal pardon.

4. Prince Johann II

Prince Johann was the Prince of Liechtenstein between 1858 and 1929 and one of the longest reigning monarchs in history, with a reign of 70 years and 91 days. He was the was the elder son of Aloys II, Prince of Liechtenstein and Countess Franziska Kinsky of Wchinitz and Tettau. He ascended to the throne shortly after his 18th birthday.

Johann II issued Liechtenstein’s first constitution in 1862. After World War I, Johann II granted a new constitution in 1921. It granted considerable political rights to common Liechtensteiners and made the principality a constitutional monarchy. The constitution has survived but with revisions, most notably in 2003.

5. Sultan Muhammad Jiwa Zainal Adilin II

The 19th Sultan of Kedah, Muhammad Jiwa Zainal Adilin II is one of the longest-reigning monarchs in history. He reigned from 1710 to 1778 and is widely known as the founder of Alor Setar and many current landmarks in the city are attributed to him. He is also the longest-reigning sovereign monarch in Malaysian history with historically verifiable dates, having ruled for a total of 68 years and 220 days.

Sultan Muhammad Jiwa founded the Alor Setar in 1735 and was made the Kedah’s eighth administrative center since the establishment of the Kedah Sultanate in 1136. Kedah achieved its greatest extent during his reign reaching from Terang in the north to Krian in the south.

6. Kʼinich Janaabʼ Pakal I

Kʼinich Janaab Pakal I, also known as Pacal the Great was the ajaw of the Maya city-state of Palenque in the Late Classic period of pre-Columbian Mesoamerican chronology. He acceded to the throne in July 615 and ruled until his death in August 683, taking his place among the longest-reigning monarchs in history.

During his reign, Pakal was responsible for the construction or extension of some of Palenque’s most notable surviving inscriptions and monumental architecture. Pakal is perhaps best known in popular culture for his depiction on the carved lid of his sarcophagus, which has become the subject of pseudoarchaeological speculations.

7. Franz Joseph I

The Emperor of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Franz Joseph I, takes seventh place among the longest-reigning monarchs in history. He ascended the throne on 2 December 1848  and ruled until his death on 21 November 1916. He is Largely considered to be a reactionary and spent his early reign resisting constitutionalism in his domains.

Franz Joseph was troubled by nationalism during his entire reign. He concluded the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867, which granted greater autonomy to Hungary and transformed the Austrian Empire into the Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary. He ruled peacefully for the next 45 years.

8. Chan Imix Kʼawiil

Chan Imix Kʼawiil was the twelfth ruler of the Maya city-state Copán.  He was crowned 16 days after the death of Kʼakʼ Chan Yopaat. Chan Imix is believed to have been born in AD 612 to have become king at the age of 15. He is thought to have been the longest reigning king of Copán, ruling from 628 to 695.

Chan Imix ruled Copán for 67 years, taking the eighth place among the longest-reigning monarchs in history. He died on 15 June 695 at the age of 79, an age that was so distinguished that it is used to identify him in place of his name on Altar Q.

9. King Ferdinand I

Ferdinand I was the King of the Two Sicilies from 1816, after his restoration following victory in the Napoleonic Wars. Before that, he had been, since 1759, Ferdinand IV of the Kingdom of Naples and Ferdinand III of the Kingdom of Sicily. He was deposed twice from the throne of Naples, before being restored in 1816.

Ferdinand was the third son of King Charles VII of Naples and V of Sicily by his wife, Maria Amalia of Saxony. When his father ascended the Spanish throne in 1759 he abdicated Naples in Ferdinand’s favor in accordance with the treaties forbidding the union of the two crowns. Ferdinand was the founder of the cadet House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies.

10. Queen Victoria

Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland concludes the list of the longest reigning monarchs in history.  She ruled from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901.  Her reign of 63 years and seven months, known as the Victorian era, was longer than that of any previous British monarch.

Her reign was a period of industrial, political, scientific, and military change within the United Kingdom, and was marked by a great expansion of the British Empire. In 1876, the British Parliament voted to grant her the additional title of Empress of India. She is a national icon who was identified with strict standards of personal morality.

Summary

Here is a recap of the longest-reigning monarchs in history, ranked by length of reign.

1. King Louis XIV
2. Queen Elizabeth II
3. King Rama IX
4. Prince Johann II
5. Sultan Muhammad Jiwa Zainal Adilin II
6. Kʼinich Janaabʼ Pakal I
7. King Franz Joseph I
8. Chan Imix Kʼawiil
9. King Ferdinand III
10. Queen Victoria