The 20 Longest-Reigning Monarchs in World History

Emperor Pedro II was the first monarch born in Brazil and the second and last emperor of the largest nation in South America. His reign was plagued by competing political interests, and Pedro was regarded as a reasonable arbiter of disputes. By keeping Great Britain and the United States out of Brazil’s domestic affairs, Pedro was popular among his subjects.

King Louis XV, descended from the famed Sun King Louis XIV, shared his great-grandfather’s longevity, ruling for almost 59 years. Though he was initially admired and popular with his subjects, his reign was marked by decline in French power in North America, as France lost a financially ruinous war with Great Britain fought from 1756 to 1763. Reforms efforts at home failed and led to the French Revolution in 1789.

George III, from the House of Hanover, was the longest-serving male monarch in British history. His reign coincided with a consequential period in British history. Great Britain extended its empire by virtue of winning the Seven Years’ War from 1756 to 1763, but it lost its American colonies a decade later. The defeat of Napoleonic France led to a period of relative peace called Pax Britannica and made Great Britain the world’s leading power.

Christian IV ascended the throne at age 11 and was the longest-reigning monarch in Danish history. Despite a reputation for personal overindulgence, Christian understood the importance of sound financial policy as it related to political independence. This helped make him one of the most powerful rulers in 17th-century Europe. His fortune turned to misfortune during the religious wars in Europe in the 17th century, culminating in a disastrous defeat in the Thirty Years’ War.

The reign of Qianlong, emperor in the Manchu dynasty, was marked by dramatic expansion of China with campaigns also aimed at eliminating the Turkish and Mongolian threat. Qianlong was famous for supporting the compilation of Chinese classical literature and the arts, and he himself practiced calligraphy and painting. Numerous military ventures led to financial difficulties, and decades of bad management and corruption toward the end of his reign weakened the empire.

Itzamnaaj Bahlam III was a Mayan king of the city of Yaxchilan in pre-Columbian Mexico. He assumed power in 681 and ruled for more than 60 years. He died at age 94 or 95. He was still leading troops into battle in his 80s. He is known for commissioning the construction of buildings that can still be seen at Yaxchilan.

Kangxi was a Manchu dynasty emperor who expanded the Chinese empire north of the Amur River and Outer Mongolia and imposed Chinese hegemony over Tibet. He also consolidated power by winning the Revolt of the Three Feudatories, demonstrating strategic skills. Kangxi was an outward-looking monarch who opened four ports to foreign trade and allowed the introduction of Western education and arts and Roman Catholicism in China.

Hirohito was the longest-reigning Japanese emperor and the head of state during World War II. He was at first perceived to be a powerless constitutional monarch who played no role in Japan’s wartime ambitions, but access to Japanese documents in recent years has convinced some historians that he was involved in wartime decisions. The emperor was revered as an almost god-like figure in Japan, and when he broadcast Japan’s surrender on the radio, it was the first time the nation had heard him speak.

James I was a courageous soldier and was known for his leadership qualities that included helming a crusade to the Middle East. In 1227, he conquered the Balearic Islands, an archipelago off the eastern coast of Spain. This would be crucial to securing future Spanish trade interests as well as defending the Spanish coast.

Victoria was Great Britain’s longest-serving sovereign until Queen Elizabeth II. It was during her reign that the British Empire reached its zenith, with colonies and possessions on every continent on Earth. Great Britain oversaw the Pax Britannica, a period without major wars in which its navy dominated the seas. Indeed, such was the influence of her reign that her name is affixed to a particular era in world history.

Ferdinand III of Sicily was also Ferdinand IV of Naples. He was deposed from the throne of Naples on two separate occasions – once during the revolutionary war of 1799 and once by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1806. After the fall of Napoleon, Ferdinand unified the two kingdoms of Sicily and Naples in 1816 and renamed himself Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies.

Little is known of Chan Imix Kʼawiil, who is believed to be the longest-reigning ruler of Copán, which is today’s Honduras. Not much is known about his activities in the first 26 years of his rule, but after that, there was a spike in the construction of monuments or inscribed stones called stelae, possibly indicating an assertion of power on his part.

Franz Joseph I, emperor of Austria-Hungary, was the face of European monarchy for most of the 19th century and the first part of the 20th century. At the time of his ascension to power, his nation was the leader of German-speaking countries in Europe. That ended in 1866, when Prussia defeated Austria in the Seven Weeks’ War. As leader of a multi-ethnic empire, Franz Joseph begrudgingly allowed more autonomy for Hungary and other ethnic groups. But the empire was in decline and unprepared for war when the emperor’s heir apparent, Franz Ferdinand, was assassinated in Sarajevo, setting off the chain of events that led to World War I.

Sultan Muhammad Jiwa Zainal Adilin II is known as the founder of Alor Setar, the state capital of Kedah, Malaysia. He was the longest-reigning sovereign monarch in Malaysian history. Much of his reign was spent fending off the influence of Burma and invasions from Siam (Thailand).

Johann II, also called Johann II the Good because of his benevolence, is known as the person who introduced Liechtenstein’s first constitution. In 1921, after World War I, he signed a new constitution, turning the principality into a constitutional monarchy with the people having political rights. Though he reigned for seven decades, he was very shy and was only rarely seen in public.

Thailand’s late King Bhumibol Adulyadej is remembered as a leader who, during his 70 years on the throne, led his country in a humane approach, raising its profile on an international level. Locals often referred to him as the Father for his kindness. He often served as a mediator during times of political dispute.

Queen Elizabeth II is the longest-reigning monarch in British history. Born in 1926, she took the throne in 1952, at the age of 25. During her reign, the United Kingdom underwent drastic changes, including the decline of the British Empire (the handover of Hong Kong to China in 1997 effectively marked the end of the empire), “The Troubles” in Northern Ireland, and the nation first entering and then leaving the European Union.

The longest-reigning monarch in history is France’s King Louis XIV, known as the Sun King. He ruled the country during one of its most prosperous periods. He inherited the throne from his father, King Louis XIII, at age 4. Louis XIV is most famous for extending France’s borders, building the Palace of Versailles, and laying the foundations for an absolute monarchy.