CURRENT MONARCHIES

As of 2022, there are 43 sovereign states in the world with a monarch as head of state, 13 in Asia, 12 in Europe, 9 in the Americas, 6 in Oceania and 3 in Africa.

Common wealth realms

King Charles III is the monarch of fifteen Commonwealth realms. They evolved out of the British Empire into fully independent states within the Commonwealth of Nations that retain the same King as head of state, unlike other Commonwealth countries that are either dependencies, republics or have a different royal house. All fifteen realms are constitutional monarchies and full democracies, where the King has limited powers or a largely ceremonial role.

1. Antigua and Barbuda
2. Australia
3. The Bahamas
4. Belize
5. Canada
6. Grenada
7. Jamaica
8. New Zealand
9. Papua New Guinea
10. Saint Kitts and Nevis
11. Saint Lucia
12. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
13. Solomon Islands
14. Tuvalu
15. The United Kingdom (England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland)

European constitutional monarchies: Fully democratic states in which the monarch has a limited or large ceremonial role.

1. Andorra: Andorra is unique among all existing monarchies, as it is a diarchy with the Co-Princeship being shared by the President of France currently Emmanuel Macron and the Bishop of Urgell (currently Joan-Enric Vives). This arrangement creates a unique situation among monarchies, as neither Co-Prince is of Andorran descent, one is elected by common citizens of a foreign country (France) but not by Andorrans as they cannot vote in the French Presidential elections, the other, the bishop of Urgell, is appointed by a foreign head of state, the Pope
2. Belgium: King Philippe
3. Denmark: Queen Margrethe II
4. Luxembourg: Grand Duke Henri
5. The Kingdom of the Netherlands: King Willem-Alexander
6. Norway: King Harald V
7. Spain: King Felipe VI
8. Sweden: King Carl XVI Gustaf

European mixed monarchies: Constitutional monarchies in which the Prince retains many powers as an absolute monarch.

1. Liechtenstein: Sovereign Prince Hans-Adam II. The 2003 Constitution referendum gives the Prince of Liechtenstein the power to veto any law that the Landtag (parliament) proposes and vice versa. The Prince can hire or dismiss any elective member or government employee from their post. However, unlike an absolute monarch, the people can call for a referendum to end the Prince’s reign.
2. Monaco: Sovereign Prince Albert II. The Prince of Monaco cannot hire or dismiss any elective member or government employee from their post, but he can select the minister of state, government council and judges.

Muslim monarchies

Muslim Absolute monarchs remain in Brunei, Oman and Saudi Arabia

1. Brunei: Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah
2. Oman: Sultan Haitham bin Tarik
3. Saudi Arabia: King Salman

Muslim mixed monarchies: Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar have representative bodies of some kind, but the monarch retains most of his powers

1. Bahrain: King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa
2. Kuwait: Emir Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah
3. Qatar: Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani

Muslim constitutional monarchies: Jordan, Malaysia, Morocco and the United Arab Emirates are constitutional monarchies, but their monarchs still retain more substantial powers than in European equivalents.

1. Jordan: King Abdullah II
2. Malaysia: Yang di-Pertuan Agong Abdullah
3. United Arab Emirates: President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan

East and Southeast Asian constitutional monarchies: Bhutan, Cambodia, Japan, and Thailand have constitutional monarchies where the monarch has a limited or ceremonial role.

1. Bhutan: King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck. Bhutan changed from a traditional absolute monarch into a constitutional one in 2008
2. Cambodia: King Norodom Sihamoni. Cambodia has its own monarchy after independence from the French Colonial Empire, which was deposed after the Khmer Rouge came into power. The monarchy was subsequently restored in the peace agreement of 1993.
3. Japan: Emperor Naruhito
4. Thailand: King Rama X. Thailand changed from traditional absolute monarchy into a constitutional one in 1932.

Other monarchies: Five monarchies do not fit into one of the above groups by virtue of geography or class of monarchy: the Tonga in Polynesia, Eswatini and Lesotho in Southern Africa and the Vatican City in Europe. Of these, Lesotho and Tonga are constitutional monarchies , while Eswatini and Vatican City are absolute monarchies.

1. Tonga: King Tupou VI
2. Eswatini: King Mswati III
3. Lesotho: King Letsie III
4. Vatican City: Pope Francis

Alphabetical Summary

1. Andorra: Emmanuel Macron and Joan-Enric Vives
2. Antigua and Barbuda: King Charles III
3. Australia: King Charles III
4. The Bahamas: King Charles III
5. Bahrain: King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa
6. Belgium: King Philippe
7. Belize: King Charles III
8. Bhutan: King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck
9. Brunei: Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah
10. Cambodia: King Norodom Sihamoni
11. Canada: King Charles III
12. Denmark: Queen Margrethe II
13. Eswatini: King Mswati III
14. Grenada: King Charles III
15. Jamaica: King Charles III
16. Japan: Emperor Naruhito
17. Jordan: King Abdullah II
18. Kuwait: Emir Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah
19. Lesotho: King Letsie III
20. Liechtenstein: Sovereign Prince Hans-Adam II
21. Luxembourg: Grand Duke Henri
22. Malaysia: Yang di-Pertuan Agong Abdullah
23. Monaco: Sovereign Prince Albert II
24. New Zealand: King Charles III
25. Norway: King Harald V
26. Oman: Sultan Haitham bin Tarik
27. Papua New Guinea: King Charles III
28. Qatar: Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani
29. Saint Kitts and Nevis: King Charles III
30. Saint Lucia: King Charles III
31. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: King Charles III
32. Saudi Arabia: King Salman
33. Solomon Islands: King Charles III
34. Spain: King Felipe VI
35. Sweden: King Carl XVI Gustaf
36. Thailand: King Rama X
37. The Bahamas: King Charles III
38. The Kingdom of the Netherlands: King Willem-Alexander
39. The United Kingdom (England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland) King Charles III
40. Tonga: King Tupou VI
41. Tuvalu: King Charles III
42. United Arab Emirates: President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan
43. Vatican City: Pope Francis