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Top 10 Youngest Kings in the World
There have been several kings who were only a few years old when they were crowned king or queen of their nation.
There have been several kings who were only a few years old when they were crowned king or queen of their nation.
King Tut of Egypt, one of history’s most well-known kings, was about 9 years old when he assumed the throne.
Not to be confused with the youngest king in world history, there have been several others who ascended to the throne before they could even crawl. Shah Shapur II of Persia (before birth), Alfonso XIII of Spain (a day old), Ivan VI of Russia (two months old), and Henry VI of Britain are just a few examples of kings who lived during this time period (nine months old).
A King or Monarch is the highest authority over a nation and its people, typically by hereditary right and with life tenure.
A man who inherits the right to rule a nation is called a king. When the reigning monarch passes away, usually a member of his own family, a new king usually ascends to the throne. When a monarch abdicates, it can sometimes result in someone else becoming king. George VI is one such occurrence.
The age requirement to become a King or Queen is undefined. When the Monarch passes away, the Heir takes over immediately.
However, according to custom, if the new king or queen isn’t old enough to reign (often if they’re under eighteen or twenty-one), a regent is chosen to take over until they reach adulthood.
List of Top 10 Youngest Kings in the World
Let’s quickly review some of the monarchies with the youngest kings in recorded history.
1. Murad IV
When Murad IV took over as Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, he was just 11 years old. Murad’s behavior was typical of 11-year-old boys in that he was exposed to the corrupting effects of absolute power . He was regarded as a young tyrant whose goal it was to crush any uprising against his government.
He forbade tobacco, coffee, and wine shops to demonstrate his willpower after he believed that people would mingle there to plot against him. Anyone caught smoking would also be executed without mercy. Ironically, his reign came to an end in 1640 when he passed away from alcoholism, which partially explains that he consumed all the alcohol himself!
2. King Tutankhamun
Possibly the most well-known king in history is King Tut. When King Tut ascended to power, he was only nine years old. After being destroyed by his father, he is responsible for rebuilding the religion of the Ancient Egyptians.
Tut was a king in name only; he was not a physical giant. Due to his inbreeding, he was affected by a number of illnesses and malformations. He was compelled to use a cane to walk because of a malformation in his left foot, scoliosis, and bone necrosis; the cane was buried with him.
3. Shah Shapur II
According to history, Shah Shapur II ascended to the throne before he was even born. Shapur II, who ruled the Sasanian Empire of Persia, became a king at birth in 309 AD because his father had just passed away.
However, according to legend, he was crowned while still inside his mother’s womb. It appears that they placed a crown atop his mother’s stomach. At age 16, he stepped forward to take control of the empire on his own.
4. Alfonso XIII
On the day of his birth in 1886, Alfonso XIII was crowned king of Spain. Nevertheless, he didn’t take on the role of monarch until he was 16 years old.
Alfonso XIII was crowned immediately upon his birth because he was born after his father, the previous monarch, had passed away. When he reached 16 in 1902, he assumed complete authority as king of Spain.
Alfonso’s collapse was also a government he assisted in installing to some extent. They requested he quit the throne and end the monarchy following the Socialist and Republican parties’ wins in the Spanish parliament. He eventually departed the country in 1931 without abdicating, and he never came back.
5. King John I
John I was a famous English king because of how young he was when he became the monarch. He was born on December 24, 1166. From 1199 until his death in 1216, he was the King of England.
King John I, whose mother Eleanor was the Duchess of Aquitaine, was thought to be the youngest child of King Henry II of England. He was regarded as one of the youngest kings in history because he took the throne of England at the young age of four.
6. Henry VI
Henry VI was a king who was born on December 6, 1421. At a very young age, he succeeded his father, Henry V, who had died, to become king of England. He ascended to the throne when he was nine months old. From 1422 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471, he held the titles of King of England and Lord of Ireland. He reigned as King of France from 1422 to 1453, despite controversy. Henry VI was his father’s only child. The death of his maternal grandfather Charles VI paved the way for his accession to the French throne. He was admired and recognized as the only English king to have inherited the French throne in 1431.
A legacy of Henry’s was his passion for education. Even though his rule was flawed and severely criticized, he demonstrated a great concern for education, and he is remembered in history as a supporter and lover of learning. As part of his enduring legacies, Henry XI founded the colleges at Eton, King’s College, Cambridge, and All Souls, Oxford. He passed away on May 21st, 1471. He is still among the world’s youngest kings, nevertheless.
7. John I
Five Days Following His Birth, John I of France Started His Reign. John I was born on November 15, 1316, and is also referred to as John the Posthumous.
Louis X, his father, had passed away in June 1316. With his first marriage to Margaret of Burgundy, Louis X left behind a daughter named Jeanne.
Until Clementia of Hungary, Louis’ second wife and widow, gave birth to a boy—the next King of France, Jeanne served as queen regent under the tutelage of her uncle and regent Philip.
John passed away on November 19 after barely five days. Philip succeeded him as King Philip V after his death, and he also assumed regency responsibilities for the young king.
8. Ivan VI
When he was only 2 months old, Ivan VI became the youngest czar in Russian history. Ivan Antonovich, a son of the Grand Duchess Anna Leopoldovna and a niece of the Russian Empress Anna, was born in August 1740.
Empress Anna adopted the baby before she passed away in October 1740 and intended for him to be her heir.
In December 1741, Peter the Great’s daughter staged a coup and ascended to the throne, replacing Ivan VI’s mother as regent. Ivan and his parents were put in prison by the new empress, Elizabeth of Russia, and Ivan died in captivity in 1764.
9. Pu Yi
Pu Yi, only two years old, ascended to the throne of China in 1908. Three years later, a revolution toppled the imperial system of government, and the Republic of China rose from the ashes. He didn’t get to enjoy his position of power for very long.
History in China was changed for good. It implied that Pu Yi was a monarch devoid of a throne.
He continued to enjoy the luxuries of royalty and led an opulent life in Beijing despite having his title removed.
After being ousted from Beijing, Yi escaped to Japan and eventually emerged as a sort of Manchurian candidate. During World War II, he served as a puppet monarch for a Chinese kingdom under Japanese authority. He was arrested by Russian forces and imprisoned as a war criminal.
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10. King Oyo
King Kaboyo of the Tooro Kingdom passed away in 1995, leaving his only son as the next heir to the kingdom. A three-year-old Oyo was obliged to start his coronation procedures in September 1995 at 2:00 am. At the palace entryway, a staged combat between the forces of a rebel prince and the royal army was performed as part of the ritual.
The young prince must pass a test administered by the Omusuga, the leader of the royal clan, in order to avoid being cursed by the local deities. The test is conducted to determine whether the new heir has divine rights and whether he is of royal blood.
According to reports, King Oyo cares deeply about the environment. He has demonstrated an interest in Fort Portal street maintenance and tree planting throughout the years. Evidently, he is doing everything within his power to lead his people excellently.
Conclusion
A new king might participate knowingly and willingly or, as is the case with these young kings, might find themselves wearing a crown that is way too large for them before they even understand what it is.
As the adage goes, many of the youngest kings in history rose to power while they were still in diapers.
Below is a list of the Youngest Monarchs who have ever served in the world;
- Murad IV
- King Tutankhamun
- Shah Shapur
- Alfonso XIII
- Ivan VI
- King John I
- Pu Yi
- King Oyo
- John I
- Henry VI
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