A world without a queen

With the abdication of Queen Margrethe today, the world is now without a reigning queen. It is the first time since the 1800s that the world will be without a woman on a throne.

As such, there’s no one alive who will remember a time when a woman was not a monarch somewhere in the world.

All the thrones in Europe and the world are now taken by men. The current monarchies and their kings are listed below:

Bahrain: King Hamad

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Belgium – King Philippe

Bhutan: King Jigme Khesar

Brunei: Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah

Cambodia: King Norodom Sihamoni

Denmark: King Frederik X

Photo: Hasse Nielsen ©

Eswatini: King Mswati III

Japan: Emperor Naruhito

Jordan: King Abdullah II

Kuwait: Emir Mishal Al-Ahmad

Lesotho: Letsie III

Liechtenstein: Prince Hans Adam II

Luxembourg: Grand Duke Henri

Malaysia: King Abdullah

Monaco: Prince Albert II

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Morocco: King Mohammed VI

Norway: King Harald V

Oman: Sultan Haitham bin Tarik

Qatar: Emir Tamim

Saudi Arabia: King Salman

Spain: King Felipe VI

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Sweden: King Carl XVI Gustaf

Thailand: King Rama X

Tonga: King Tupou VI 

The Netherlands: King Willem-Alexander

United Arab Emirates: Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed

United Kingdom: King Charles III

For some monarchies, women are not allowed to reign; this includes the Arab monarchies and Japan. There is also one European monarchy with those rules – Liechtenstein.

However, the rest of Europe and Bhutan allow for female monarchs; for many of those countries, the future is female.

The Dutch heir – the Princess of Orange Photo: RVD

Belgium’s heir is Princess Elisabeth, while the Netherlands’ is Princess Amalia. Princess Ingrid Alexandra is a future monarch for Norway and Crown Princess Victoria for Sweden, and Spain will one day see Princess Leonor on the throne.

The Swedish heir – Crown Princess Victoria Linda Broström/The Royal Court of Sweden

The next likely female monarch will be Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden who is the heir to her father, King Carl XVI Gustaf, but the King is in good health, so unless there is another abdication, it could be a while before the world sees a woman on a throne.

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