Royal House Origins

Established in 1644 - Monarchy dissolved in 1912.

The name Alaouite comes from the ‘Alī of its founder Moulay Ali Cherif who became Sultan of Tafilalt in 1631.

Qa-bu-s ibn Sa’i-d A-l Sa’i-d is the current Sultan of Oman - the 14th descedant.

The Al Khalifa clan belongs to the Anizah tribe that migrated from Najd to Kuwait in the early Eighteenth Century.

Ruled from the 840's until the death of Máel Coluim mac Cináeda in 1034.

A clan from the Anizah tribe, which migrated to Kuwait in the early eighteenth century from Najd (current day Saudi Arabia).

Al Thani family has been ruling Qatar since 1825.

Established in 809 - dissolution in 1410. King of Valencia, King of Majorca and King of Sicily

Established in 861 - dissolution in 1064. The city of Ani was founded by Ashot III the Merciful.

Established in 1818, dissolution in 1973. The final ruler was Mohammad Zahir Shah.

The Swedish parliament saw it practical to elect a king whom Napoleon could accept. On 21 August 1810, the Riksdag elected Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte, Marshal of France, as heir apparent to the Swedish throne.

His Majesty Paduka Seri Baginda Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah is the head of state with full executive authority, including emergency powers since 1962.

Established 1804 - dissolution in 1870. Founded by Napoleon Bonaparte.

Established in 900 AD. The Golden family name of Genghis Khan and his successors.

The Duchy of Parma was created in 1545 from that part of the Duchy of Milan south of the Po River, as a fief for Pope Paul III's illegitimate son, Pier Luigi Farnese.

The Spanish monarchy has its roots the Visigothic Kingdom and its Christian successor states which fought the Reconquista following the Muslim conquest of Spain in the 8th century.

Established in 1442 - dissolution in 1853 (Portugal) and 1889 (Brazil).

Established in the 9th Century - dissolution in 1819.

Produced two Kings of Scotland: Robert I and David II.

Established 987 - dissolution 1328. Ended when the three sons of Philip IV all failed to produce male heirs.

This title was held by the greatest warlords of Ayuthaya and was meant to reflect the prowess of the holder on the battlefield.

Africa's last absolute monarch in the sense that he has the power to choose the prime minister, other top government posts and top traditional posts.

Ruled from 1034 to 1040 and from 1058 to 1290.

Established in 1747 - dissolution in 1823. The Durrani Empire is the origin of the state of Afghanistan.

Founded in 1316 - dissolution in 1572.

Founded 918 - dissolution in 1392.

The Grimaldi family descends from Grimaldo, a Genovese statesman at the time of the early Crusades.

Established in 1100 - dissolution in 1780. House of Habsburg supplied all the formally elected Holy Roman Emperors from 1452 to 1740.

Established in 1635 - dissolution in 1918. Queen Victoria was the last British monarch of the House of Hanover.

Founded in 1916 - dissolution in 1958 during the July Revolution.

The Hashemites trace their ancestry from Hashim ibn Abd al-Manaf (died c.510 AD), the great-grandfather of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.

Founded in 778 BC. Hata is the name given to those of the Qin Dynasty.

Established in 1192 - dissolution in 1918.

Founded in 1576 - dissolution in 1850.

Founded in 1757 - dissolution in 1968 when the Republic of the Madives was declared.

Established in 1705 - dissolution in 1957. Bey Muhammad VIII al-Amin assumed the title of King and reigned as such until the prime minister Habib Bourguiba deposed the dynasty and declared Tunisia a republic on July 25, 1957.

Founded in 1821 - deposition in 1823.

Founded in 1111 - dissolution in 1369.

Founded in 1804 - dissolution in 1945.

Founded in 1123 - dissolution in 1918.

Founded in 1131 - dissolution in 1918.

Founded in 1253 - dissolution in 1572.

King Letsie rules as a constitutional monarch, most of his duties are ceremonial.

Founded in 1450 - dissolution in 1629. Portuguese explorers disposed of the King in order to freely search for King Solomon's Mines.

Founded in 1344, the House of Nassau-Weilburg became extinct in the male line with the death of Grand Duchess Charlotte in 1985.

Established in 1802 - dissolution in 1945. Bảo Đại abdicated the throne and transferred power to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.

The House of Oldenburg is descended from King Christian III of Denmark.

William I of Orange (also known as "William the Silent" and "Father of the Fatherland") organized the Dutch revolt against Spanish rule, which after the Eighty Years' War led to an independent Dutch state.

Established 1661 - dissolution in 1848. Last French king of this house was Louis XVI.

Established in 1925 - dissolution in 1979. The Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini lead the Islamic Revolution overthrowing the Shah.

Established in 1204 - dissolution in 1311.

Founded in 1697. Prince Nicholas of Montengro is the current head of the family but has no influence in government.

Founded in the 10th Century. The last Piast died in 1675.

Established in 1794 - dissolution in 1925. Soltan Ahmad Shaw was overthrown in a coup d'etat which proclaimed Reza Shah Pahlavi as Shah of Iran.

The House of Saud take their name from Muhammad ibn Saud ("Muhammad, son of Saud"), the ruler of Diriyah in central Arabia, and the founder of what came to be known as the First Saudi State, who died in 1765.

Founded in 1003 - dissolution in 1946. Reputed to be the longest surviving royal house in the world.

Founded in 1837 - dissolution in 1969. King Idris was overthrown by a military coup led by Colonel Muammar al-Gaddafi.

Founded in 1371. Ended with Anne of Great Britain (last Queen of Scots), 1665-1714.

The only sovereign monarchy among the island nations of the Pacific Ocean.

The House of Wangchuck has ruled Bhutan since it was reunified in 1907.

Agnates of the House of Wettin have, at various times, ascended the thrones of Great Britain, Portugal, Bulgaria, Poland, Saxony, and Belgium.

Established in 1887 - dissolution in 1946. The Last Tsar, Simeon II, became prime minister of Bulgaria in 2001.

The royal house was created from the British branch of the German House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha by George V by a royal proclamation in 1917.

Established in 1180 - dissolution in 1918. Provided two Holy Roman Emperors, one King of Hungary and one King of Denmark.

The emperor is the symbol of the state and unity of the people. Although he is not technically head of state, he is frequently treated as one.

Established in 962 - dissolution in 1918. Current head of family is Maximilian, Margrave of Baden.

Established in 1928 - dissolution in 1939. The Final ruler was Zog.