Popular monarchy is a term used by Kingsley Martin (1936) for monarchical titles referring to a people rather than a territory. This was the norm in

classical antiquity Classical antiquity (also the classical era, classical period or classical age) is the period of cultural history between the 8th century BC and the 5th century AD centred on the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the interlocking civilizations ...

and throughout much of the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

, and such titles were retained in some of the monarchies of 19th- and 20th-century Europe. During the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are conside ...

Louis XVI Louis XVI (''Louis-Auguste''; ; 23 August 175421 January 1793) was the last King of France before the fall of the monarchy during the French Revolution. He was referred to as ''Citizen Louis Capet'' during the four months just before he was e ...

had to change his title to indicate he was "king of the French" rather than "king of France", paralleling the title of "king of the Franks" (''rex Francorum'') used in medieval France. Currently,

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...

has the only explicit popular monarchy, the formal title of its king being ''King of the Belgians'' rather than ''King of Belgium''.

List of royal and imperial titles

} , - valign="top" ,

Kingdom of Essex la, Regnum Orientalium Saxonum , conventional_long_name = Kingdom of the East Saxons , common_name = Essex , era = Heptarchy , status = , status_text = , government_type = Monarc ...

, , '' King of the East Saxons'', , la, Rex Orientalem Saxonum , - valign="top" , rowspan="2",

East Francia East Francia (Medieval Latin: ) or the Kingdom of the East Franks () was a successor state of Charlemagne's empire ruled by the Carolingian dynasty until 911. It was created through the Treaty of Verdun (843) which divided the former empire int ...

, , ''King of the East Franks'', , la, Rex Francorum orientalium , - valign="middle" , rowspan="3",
''

King of the Franks The Franks, Germanic-speaking peoples that invaded the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century, were first led by individuals called dukes and reguli. The earliest group of Franks that rose to prominence was the Salian Merovingians, who c ...

''
, , rowspan="3", Used by the Carolingians from

Pepin the Short the Short (french: Pépin le Bref; – 24 September 768), also called the Younger (german: Pippin der Jüngere), was King of the Franks from 751 until his death in 768. He was the first Carolingian to become king. The younger was the son of ...

. Also used in medieval France and by the Ottonian Holy Roman Emperors-elect. , - valign="top" ,

Frankish Empire Francia, also called the Kingdom of the Franks ( la, Regnum Francorum), Frankish Kingdom, Frankland or Frankish Empire ( la, Imperium Francorum), was the largest post-Roman barbarian kingdom in Western Europe. It was ruled by the Franks dur ...

, - valign="top" , rowspan="3",

Kingdom of France The Kingdom of France ( fro, Reaume de France; frm, Royaulme de France; french: link=yes, Royaume de France) is the historiographical name or umbrella term given to various political entities of France in the medieval and early modern period ...

( West Francia) , - valign="top" , ''King of the West Franks'' , , la, Rex Francorum occidentalium , - valign="top" , '' King of the French'' , , Used by

from 1791 to 1792, and by

Louis Philippe I Louis Philippe (6 October 1773 – 26 August 1850) was King of the French from 1830 to 1848, and the penultimate monarch of France. As Louis Philippe, Duke of Chartres, he distinguished himself commanding troops during the Revolutionary Wa ...

from 1830 until 1848. , - valign="top" ,

French Empire French Empire (french: Empire Français, link=no) may refer to: * First French Empire, ruled by Napoleon I from 1804 to 1814 and in 1815 and by Napoleon II in 1815, the French state from 1804 to 1814 and in 1815 * Second French Empire, led by Nap ...

, , ''

Emperor of the French Emperor of the French (French: ''Empereur des Français'') was the title of the monarch and supreme ruler of the First and the Second French Empires. Details A title and office used by the House of Bonaparte starting when Napoleon was pro ...

'' , , Used by

Napoleon I Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader wh ...

, Napoleon II (however briefly and ceremonially), and

Napoleon III Napoleon III (Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was the first President of France (as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte) from 1848 to 1852 and the last monarch of France as Emperor of the French from 1852 to 1870. A neph ...

during their various reigns. , - valign="top" , Kingdom of the Gepids , , ''King of the Gepids'' , - valign="top" , rowspan="3",

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a political entity in Western, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its dissolution in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars. From the accession of Otto I in 962 ...

, , '' King of the Romans'', ''Roman King''; ''King of the Germans'' , , Titles of the Emperors-elect. la, Rex Romanorum/Teutonicorum, german: König der Römer, Römischer König, König der Deutschen , - valign="top" , '' Emperor of the Romans'' , , Official title of the Holy Roman Emperors; la, Imperator Romanorum , - valign="top" , ''German-Roman Emperor'' , , English realisation of the common German-language title for the Holy Roman Emperors: ; literally: Roman-German Emperor , - valign="top" , Kingdom of the Gewisse , , '' King of the Gewisse'', , Title later became ''King of the West Saxons'' as the Gewisse expanded (see Kingdom of Wessex) , - valign="top" , Kingdom of

Götaland Götaland (; also '' Geatland'', '' Gothia'', ''Gothland'', ''Gothenland'' or ''Gautland'') is one of three lands of Sweden and comprises ten provinces. Geographically it is located in the south of Sweden, bounded to the north by Svealand, wi ...

, , '' King of the Geats'' , , in

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

, in

Medieval Latin Medieval Latin was the form of Literary Latin Classical Latin is the form of Literary Latin recognized as a Literary language, literary standard language, standard by writers of the late Roman Republic and early Roman Empire. It was used f ...

. Title attributed to legendary and historical kings of the North Germanic Geats. , - valign="top" ,

Kingdom of Greece The Kingdom of Greece ( grc, label=Katharevousa, Greek, Βασίλειον τῆς Ἑλλάδος ) was established in 1832 and was the successor state to the First Hellenic Republic. It was internationally recognised by the Treaty of Constant ...

, , ''King of the Hellenes'' , , Used for the monarchs until the monarchy's abolition in 1973 (

the King In the British English-speaking world, The King refers to: * Charles III (born 1948), King of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms since 2022 As a nickname * Michael Jackson (1958–2009), American singer and pop icon, nicknamed "T ...

had been in exile since 1967). , - valign="top" , Kingdom of Kent , , '' King of the Cantware (Kentish Men)'', , la, Rex Cantuariorum , - valign="top" , Khazar Khaganate , , ''Khagan of the Khazars'' , , , - valign="top" ,

Kingdom of the Lombards The Kingdom of the Lombards ( la, Regnum Langobardorum; it, Regno dei Longobardi; lmo, Regn di Lombard) also known as the Lombard Kingdom; later the Kingdom of (all) Italy ( la, Regnum totius Italiae), was an early medieval state established ...

, , '' King of the Lombards'' , , in Medieval Latin. , - valign="top" , Kingdom of the Ostrogoths , , ''King of the Ostrogoths'' , , , - valign="top" ,

Kingdom of Portugal The Kingdom of Portugal ( la, Regnum Portugalliae, pt, Reino de Portugal) was a monarchy in the western Iberian Peninsula and the predecessor of the modern Portuguese Republic. Existing to various extents between 1139 and 1910, it was also kn ...

, , ''King of the Portuguese'' , , The first Portuguese king,

Afonso Henriques Afonso I of PortugalOr also ''Affonso'' (Archaic Portuguese-Galician) or ''Alphonso'' ( Portuguese-Galician) or ''Alphonsus'' (Latin version), sometimes rendered in English as ''Alphonzo'' or ''Alphonse'', depending on the Spanish or French i ...

, used the style ''King of the Portuguese'' (), to remember that he was elected on the battlefield, after the Battle of Ourique (1139), by his fellows and subjects; their descendants, instead, used the style of ''King of Portugal'' ( or later in ). , - valign="top" ,

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post- Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Medite ...

, , '' Roman Emperor'' , , Used in the Latin form . , - valign="top" ,

Kingdom of Romania The Kingdom of Romania ( ro, Regatul României) was a constitutional monarchy that existed in Romania from 13 March ( O.S.) / 25 March 1881 with the crowning of prince Karl of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen as King Carol I (thus beginning the Romanian ...

, , '' King of the Romanians'' , , Used from 1881 until 1947. The holders of the title were Carol I,

Ferdinand I Ferdinand I or Fernando I may refer to: People * Ferdinand I of León, ''the Great'' (ca. 1000–1065, king from 1037) * Ferdinand I of Portugal and the Algarve, ''the Handsome'' (1345–1383, king from 1367) * Ferdinand I of Aragon and Sicily, '' ...

, Carol II and Michael I. , - valign="top" , Kingdom of the Rugii , , ''King of the Rugii'' , , , - valign="top" ,

Kingdom of Scotland The Kingdom of Scotland (; , ) was a sovereign state in northwest Europe traditionally said to have been founded in 843. Its territories expanded and shrank, but it came to occupy the northern third of the island of Great Britain, sharing a ...

, , ''

King of Scots The monarch of Scotland was the head of state of the Kingdom of Scotland. According to tradition, the first King of Scots was Kenneth I MacAlpin (), who founded the state in 843. Historically, the Kingdom of Scotland is thought to have grown ...

'' , , This usage became less common with William III and Mary II, who chose to be called King and Queen of Scotland. The

Acts of Union 1707 The Acts of Union ( gd, Achd an Aonaidh) were two Act of Parliament, Acts of Parliament: the Union with Scotland Act 1706 passed by the Parliament of England, and the Union with England Act 1707 passed by the Parliament of Scotland. They put ...

abolished the Scottish and English thrones and created the Kingdom of Great Britain. , - valign="top" , Kingdom of Serbia / Serbian Empire , , '' King of Serbia'' and '' Emperor of the Serbs'' , , Used between 1346 and 1371. ' / in Serbian. This title was soon enlarged into "''Emperor and Autocrat of all the Serbs and Greeks, the Bulgarians, Vlachs and Albanians''". , - valign="top" , Kingdom of Serbia /

Kingdom of Yugoslavia The Kingdom of Yugoslavia ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Kraljevina Jugoslavija, Краљевина Југославија; sl, Kraljevina Jugoslavija) was a state in Southeast and Central Europe that existed from 1918 until 1941. From 1918 ...

, , '' King of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes'' or ''King of Yugoslavia'' , , Used from 1918 to 1929, when the title was changed to ''King of Yugoslavia''. The holders of the title were Peter I and Alexander I. , - valign="top" ,

Kingdom of the Suebi The Kingdom of the Suebi ( la, Regnum Suevorum), also called the Kingdom of Galicia ( la, Regnum Galicia) or Suebi Kingdom of Galicia ( la, Galicia suevorum regnum), was a Germanic post-Roman kingdom that was one of the first to separate from ...

, , ''King of the Suevi in Galicia'' , , , - valign="top" ,

Kingdom of Sussex la, Regnum Sussaxonum , conventional_long_name = Kingdom of the South Saxons , capital = , era = Heptarchy , status = Vassal of Wessex (686–726, 827–860)Vassal of Mercia (771–796) , govern ...

, , '' King of The South Saxons'', , la, Rex Sussaxonum, , - valign="top" ,

Kingdom of Sweden Sweden, ; fi, Ruotsi; fit, Ruotti; se, Ruoŧŧa; smj, Svierik; sje, Sverji; sju, Sverje; sma, Sveerje or ; yi, שוועדן, Shvedn; rmu, Svedikko; rmf, Sveittiko. formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic country located on t ...

, , ''King of the Swedes, the Goths, and the Wends'' , , Used in the Swedish form until 1973. Thereafter simply

King of Sweden The monarchy of Sweden is the monarchical head of state of Sweden,See the #IOG, Instrument of Government, Chapter 1, Article 5. which is a constitutional monarchy, constitutional and hereditary monarchy with a parliamentary system.Parliamentary ...

(). , - valign="top" , Kingdom of the Vandals and Alans , , ''King of the Vandals'' , , , - valign="top" , Kingdom of the Visigoths , , ''King of the Visigoths'' , , , - valign="top" , Principality of Wales , , ''Prince of the Welsh'' , , Evolving from ''

King of the Britons The title King of the Britons ( cy, Brenin y Brythoniaid, la, Rex Britannorum) was used (often retrospectively) to refer to the most powerful ruler among the Celtic Britons, both before and after the period of Roman Britain up until the Norma ...

'', before mediatising in the 12th century as ''Prince of the Welsh''. Eventually,

Dafydd II Dafydd ap Llywelyn (''c.'' March 1212 – 25 February 1246) was Prince of Gwynedd from 1240 to 1246. He was the first ruler in Wales to claim the title Prince of Wales. Birth and descent Though birth years of 1208, 1206, and 1215 have ...

of Gwynedd and Wales adopted the title ''

Prince of Wales Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rule ...

'' to denote suzerainty over the whole of Wales, not just the Welsh people. , - valign="top" , Kingdom of Wessex , , '' King of the West Saxons'', ,

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Popular Monarchy Monarchy

Monarchy A monarchy is a form of government in which a person, the monarch, is head of state for life or until abdication. The political legitimacy and authority of the monarch may vary from restricted and largely symbolic (constitutional monarchy ...

Royal titles

List of royal and imperial titles

See also

Notes