With Elizabeth II’s death, Brunei’s sultan becomes longest-lasting monarch

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Died at the age of 96 at Balmoral Palace on Thursday, Queen Elizabeth II went down in history not only as the UK’s longest-serving sovereign, but as the longest-serving head of the monarchy in the world. .

The British were not alone in the short list of monarchies with heads seated on the throne for more than half a century. Leaving the race, Elizabeth ceded leadership to the few remaining monarchs.

This is the case of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, the ruler of Brunei who will complete 55 years in office in October.

In Europe, two others take the podium to accompany him: Margaret the 2nd has been Queen of Denmark for almost 51 years, and Carl Gustaf celebrates his 49-year reign in Sweden next week.

The difference to the following positions is more than a decade. In Eswatini, Mswati III has been in power for 36 years; in Liechtenstein, João Adão 2nd has reigned for 32 years; and in Norway, Harold the 5th has held the crown for 31 years.

Who is the most enduring monarch in all of history?

Crowned since 1953, Elizabeth turned 63 years and five months in July 2015, becoming the longest-lasting British monarch by surpassing Queen Victoria (1837-1901), whose crown, however, had the weight of an immense colonial empire, no longer existent today.

The dispute with monarchs throughout history, however, is more fierce. The British queen disputes the podium with the Thai Bhumibol Adulyadej (1927-2016), with the French Luis 14 (1638-1715), and with João 2° (1840-1929), from Liechenstein.

Adulyadej led the contest with 70 years and 126 days of monarchy in Thailand, until his mark was surpassed by Elizabeth, who celebrated her Platinum Jubilee in February this year and remained in power for 70 years and 214 days, until her death on Thursday.

Just behind the Thai, John the 2nd, called “the Good”, took over at age 18 and was sovereign of Liechtenstein — a country 25 kilometers long between Austria and Switzerland — for 70 years and 91 days. He also lagged behind Queen Elizabeth’s enduring crown.

Depending on the calculation, on the other hand, Luis 14 has the longest reign in history, with 72 years and 110 days as king, from 1643 to 1715. It so happens that he assumed the throne when he was four years old, but went to exercise his sovereign only at 23 years of age.

Counting the days that he effectively reigned, the French headed the monarchy for 63 years and is distant from the British – with this time of government, Louis reigned less than Franz Joseph I, Emperor of Austria and King of Hungary in the 19th century, and that Pacal 2°, leader of a Mayan state based in Palenque, Mexico, throughout the 7th century.

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