Longest-Reigning Monarchs In History

Plenty of countries have had monarchies at some point in their history. Some monarchs have actively helped their country, implementing useful laws or expanding territory, such as the Kangxi emperor of China (via Columbia University). Other monarchs, however, have been terrible, particularly in the days when beheading and burnings at the stake were common. Regardless of whether they were decent rulers or not, however, only a few have ruled so long as to be on a list of the longest-reigning monarchs.

Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom is the only living monarch on the list, while Louis XIV of France — who lived and worked in the 1700s — remains the longest-reigning monarch of a sovereign state. Several of the longest-reigning monarchs in history had regents during their childhoods until they could rule themselves; one notable exception was Prince Johann of Liechtenstein. With that said, here are 12 of the longest-reigning monarchs in history thus far.

Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand is the second-longest reigning monarch of a sovereign state. Since her ascension in 1952, at the age of 25, she has reigned for 70 years. During her Platinum Jubilee, though she missed some events, she said, "I remain committed to serving you to the best of my ability, supported by my family" (via BBC News).

Some have considered Elizabeth's reign to be a second Golden Age, quite like the reign of the first Elizabeth in the 1500s. Reuters writes that she has ensured the survival of the monarchy in an increasingly modern time when some might believe its time to be at an end. She successfully guided the United Kingdom out of the aftermath of World War II and through the next several decades of upheaval.

Britain's empire of the past has vanished, leading to a Commonwealth today, to which Elizabeth has been indispensable. Though she's never given a private interview on the subject, historian David Starkey has surmised that Elixsbeth mainly feels as though she's doing her job, and will never give her reign any sort of title, leaving that up to others (via Reuters). Ultimately, the prevailing view is that Elizabeth has performed her role to the best of her ability while still moving with the times and managing to keep the monarchy popular.

Johann II of Liechtenstein served as the prince of Liechtenstein for 70 years and 91 days. His reign is known for being the longest modern reign where a regent wasn't called for due to the ruler being a minor, per Royal Central, mainly because he inherited the throne from his father shortly after he had turned 18.

Johann granted two constitutions, the second one making the principality into a constitutional monarchy; it also gave commoners more rights than they had previously. Johann also carefully negotiated relations with Austria-Hungary and Switzerland, which were fraught during World War I. Johann II was ultimately succeeded by his brother Franz I (via Royal Central).

Johann II was an avid art collector, according to the Princely House of Liechtenstein, and had Vaduz Castle renovated during his reign; Liechtenstein Castle was also rebuilt. In addition to being a collector, Johann II was a patron of the arts, supporting museums throughout the Austro-Hungarian Empire. He also helped found a fruit and horticultural school in 1895. Overall, Johann II was a believer in social reform, giving social benefits to all his staff.

Franz Joseph of Austria and Austria-Hungary reigned for nearly 68 years; he died in the middle of World War I in 1916. After his uncle Ferdinand abdicated in 1848, Franz Joseph was proclaimed emperor. He was likely most influenced by his early adviser Klemens, Furst von Metternich, and his wife Elisabeth of Bavaria, according to Britannica. Franz Joseph negotiated Austria and Hungary so that the two existed as equal partners under his rule.

Franz Joseph ruled fairly peacefully in the latter half of his lengthy reign but was troubled by personal losses, reports the Christian History Institute. His brother Maximilian was killed by the Mexican Republic in 1867 after declaring himself emperor, while his wife Elisabeth was assassinated in 1898. Additionally, in 1889, his son Rudolph had an affair, then apparently murdered his lover and took his own life. Franz Joseph ultimately let himself be talked into issuing the ultimatum to Serbia that led to the assassination of his nephew. Franz Joseph died at the age of 86 of pneumonia.

Victoria of the United Kingdom and Ireland was so influential an entire age was named after her: the Victorian Age (also the Victorian era or period). She reigned for 63 years, and under her reign, Britain had a "worldwide empire on which the sun never set," according to The Royal Family.

Victoria became queen at the age of 18 and was heavily influenced in her early reign by her prime minister Lord Melbourne and her husband Prince Albert. When Albert died in 1861, it took Victoria several years to consider resuming public duties; in the meantime, a republican movement gained strength, per History. However, Victoria's foreign policy efforts to avert war gained her popularity, as did increasing imperial views from the 1870s onward. She became the empress of India in 1876.

Though the power of the sovereign declined during her reign, she also showed how influential she could be in the areas where she did hold power. For example, though she could be conservative on certain social issues, Victoria also advocated for the poor and supported various charities involved in education and medicine (via The Royal Family). Her long reign began to shape the modern image of what the constitutional monarch would look like, a vision now embodied in her descendent Elizabeth II.

Emperor Showa of Japan ruled for 62 years and 13 days. He was regarded as divine by Buddhist and Shinto sects, and is Japan's longest-reigning monarch, according to Atomic Heritage. His father ascended to the throne in 1912, and Hirohito (only known as Showa, his reigning name meaning "enlightened harmony," after his death) followed suit in 1926 (via History). The ideology of "kodo" was followed heavily during his considerable reign, and it encouraged the expansion and subservience of individuals to the imperial state.

He was emperor of Japan during the entirety of World War II, including the attack on Pearl Harbor and Japan's surrender in 1945. Scholars have debated for years about how much power Hirohito actually held during the war, and how much influence he actually held regarding war decisions. He was not tried for war crimes as many Japanese government officials were (via Atomic Heritage). On the other hand, many scholars point to a trend of his inaction in a time when action could have saved lives or prevented atrocities.

After the war, Hirohito signed a new constitution which made him a figurehead with no political power. He publicly mourned the lives lost at Nagasaki and Hiroshima, and in 1971, said there were parts of the war he felt "personally sorry for," per the Institute of the Study of Human Rights. He made regular public appearances throughout the rest of his life and died in 1989.

According to Britannica, the Qianlong emperor ruled China for 60 years in the mid-1700s, overseeing the military campaigns that banished the Mongol and Turkish threats. As a young boy, his education was carefully planned out, as it was arranged for him to take the throne after his grandfather, who saw in him the makings of a great leader. He became emperor at the age of 24. Military campaigns were extremely successful in northeast China, but less so in the south. Several rebellions were crushed over the next few decades.

As Recording the Grandeur of the Qing explains, under the Qianlong emperor's rule, China grew to a size that it had never been seen before, as it included Tibet and a large amount of central Asia. Overall, East Asia was summarily dominated by China during the Qianlong emperor's reign. Due to the vastness of the empire, a multiethnic state began to emerge, comprised of Han Chinese, Manchus, Tibetans, and Mongols, among others. The Qianlong emperor saw himself as a universal ruler of many peoples, and was a great patron of the arts; he abdicated the throne in 1796 and died in 1799 (via Britannica).