Records of heads of state
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Contents |
[edit] Longest-serving
[edit] Monarch
[edit] All-time
- Main article: List of longest reigning monarchs of all time
The longest-reigning monarch of all-time is a matter of some debate. Candidates include Pepi II Neferkare pharaoh of Ancient Egypt believed to have ruled for around 94 years between 2278 BC and 2184 BC, however some sources put the length of his reign at only 64 years. Minhti, king of Arakan (now in Myanmar) is reputed to have reigned for 95 years from 1279 to 1374, but little documentary evidence exists for this claim. Similarly Taejo of Goguryeo (now in Korea) is listed as reigning for 93 years between 53 and 146 eventually dying at the age of 119 in 165.
The longest undisputed reign is that of Sobhuza II of Swaziland who ascended to the throne on December 10, 1899 at the age of four months and ruled until his death on August 21, 1982, a reign of 82 years 254 days.
[edit] Current
- Main article: List of longest reigning current monarchs
The longest-serving current monarch is King Rama IX of Thailand who has been king of Thailand since June 9, 1946.
[edit] Shortest-serving
[edit] Monarch
The shortest reign is believed to be that of Luis Filipe of Portugal who was assassinated at the same time as his father on February 1, 1908. He could thus be claimed to have been King of Portugal for 20 minutes.[1] However the Portuguese monarchy lacked automatic succession and so any claim that he was de facto king does not hold up to scrutiny.
[edit] Ruling houses
[edit] Oldest
The current Emperor of Japan, Akihito is the 125th in line from the first emperor Jimmu Tenno, who is variously believed to have reigned in the 1st or 7th century BC.
Queen Elizabeth II is well-documented as being descended from Flavius Afranius Syagrius, forefather of Charlemagne, thus representing a lineage of 54 generations. (See Descent of Elizabeth II from the Romans.)
[edit] Post-nominal numbers
The highest post-nominal number representing a member of a royal house is 75 for Count Heinrich LXXV Reuss zu Schleiz, who was Count in 1800-1. All male members of the family were named Heinrich, and so the numbers are merely personal as opposed to regnal.
[edit] Physical attributes
[edit] Heaviest
The heaviest monarch is believed to have been Taufa'ahau Tupou IV king of Tonga between 1965 and 2006 who at his peak in 1976 was measured as 209.5kg, though he subsequently lost around 40% of his weight.[1]
[edit] References
- ^ a b McWhirter, Norris (1996). Guinness Book of Records. Guinness Publishing, pp. 181-2. ISBN 0-85112-646-4.
