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Monday 13 June 2016

Monarch

The longest reigning monarch in history was Pepi II, who ruled Egypt for 90 years; (2278-2184 BC) Within two years of Pepi's death, Egypt fell apart.

The Imperial House of Japan is the oldest continuous hereditary monarchy in the world. Some sources indicate that it existed as far back as 660 BC.

When Hugh Capet was crowned King of France on July 3, 987, he became the first monarch of the Capetian dynasty. They ruled France continuously until their overthrow during the French Revolution in 1792.

12th century portrayal of Hugh Capet

The Habsburgs were a dynasty that at one point in the middle of the last millennium controlled much of Europe. Many members of this family inherited a distinctive protruding jaw. Charles II (“the bewitched") was the last Spanish Habsburg. He suffered from multiple health issues and infertility, and died without heirs in 1700.

John William Friso, Prince of Orange (August 14, 1687 – July 14, 1711) is the ancestor of all European monarchs occupying the throne today. Due to the intermarriage of the European royal houses, many kings and queens are descended from Friso in more than one way.

John William Friso, Prince of Orange (1710) by Louis Volders

When Queen Anne withheld Royal Assent from the Scottish Militia Bill on March 11, 1708, it was the last time ever that a British monarch has vetoed legislation. The queen withheld royal assent on the advice of her ministers for fear that the proposed militia created would be disloyal

King Louis XIV of France died in 1715 after a reign of 72 years – the longest of any major European monarch.

King George I (reigned 1714-1727) was the last British monarch who could not speak English.

The last British monarch to lead his troops into battle was George II at the Battle of Dettingen during the War of the Austrian Succession in 1743.

The oldest person to have come to the British or English throne was William IV, who became king in 1830 aged 64.

Portrait by Sir Martin Archer Shee, 1833 (detail)

In 1917 King George V issued a Proclamation stating that the male line descendants of the British Royal Family would bear the surname Windsor.

Bhumibol Adulyadej died at the age of 88 on October 13, 2016. He had ascended to the throne of Thailand in 1946 and served for 70 years, 126 days. At the time of his death, he was the world's longest-serving head of state.

King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand was the first monarch born in the US. His father, King Mahidol Adulyadej, was enrolled in a public health program at Harvard at the time of his son's birth.

Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej in 2010. By Bhumibol_Adulyadej_2 Wikipedia

The kingdom of Eswatini, formerly named Swaziland, was established in 1745 and is named after Mswati II, who expanded and unified the kingdom through military conquests. Swaziland adopted a constitution in 1968 but it was annulled by the king. It is the only remaining absolute monarchy in Africa.

The term "Britannic Majesty" appears in international treaties and on passports to differentiate the British monarch from foreign rulers.

Source Daily Express

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