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The following is alist of usurpers – illegitimate or controversial claimants to the throne in a monarchy. The wordusurper is a derogatory term, often associated with claims that the ruler seized power by force or deceit rather than legal right.[1] The term has often carried disdain to those who have been accused of being one.[2]
| Usurper | Predecessor | Reign | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leopold I of Belgium | William I of the Netherlands | 1831–1865 | Thesouthern provinces of the Netherlands declared independence from theUnited Kingdom of the Netherlands withLeopold I being proclaimed King and sovereign ruler of the newly establishedKingdom of Belgium in 1831. KingWilliam I of the Netherlands refused to accept the illegal separation of Belgium and launched theTen Days' Campaign, a large military offensive by the Dutch to recapture the renegade southern provinces. Although initially successful for the Dutch, the French however backed the Belgians militarily and thereby forced the Dutch to accept diplomatic mediation. In 1839, the two countries signed theTreaty of London, officially recognizing the Kingdom of Belgium as an independent and sovereign state, and Leopold I as its legitimate ruler. |
| Usurper | Predecessor | Reign | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amasis II | Apries | 570 BC – 526 BC |
| Usurper | Predecessor | Reign | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beorhtric | Cynewulf | 786 - 802 | In 786 Cynewulf was murdered byCyneheard the Ætheling, brother ofSigeberht whom Cynewulf had deposed.[3] Beorhtric then became king of Wessex with support fromOffa of Mercia. It is not known whether Beorhtric played a role in the murder. |
| Sweyn Forkbeard | Æthelred the Unready | 1013 - 1014 | In 1013, Sweyn Forkbeard invaded England with a large army, possibly to avenge theSt Brice's Day massacre, where his sister and brother-in-law were allegedly killed. The invasion was successful, and Æthelred went into exile. Sweyn was crowned king of England, but died a few weeks later. His sonCanute would later invade and conquer England in 1016. |
| Canute the Great | Edmund Ironside | 1016 - 1035 | After the death ofSweyn Forkbeard,Æthelred the Unready was brought back to the throne of England, however he only ruled for two years before dying of unknown causes. His eldest son Edmund Ironside was crowned king, however later that year Sweyn's son,Canute invaded England. After being defeated, Edmund agreed to cede all of England, save Wessex, to Canute. Edmund Ironside then died of unknown causes, and Canute was crowned King of England. |
| William The Conqueror | Harold Godwinson | 1066 - 1087 | WhenEdward the Confessor died, he had named his brother-in-lawHarold Godwinson as his successor, theWitan agreed and crowned him king, legitimising his claim.William The Conqueror made up a claim that he was promised the throne by Edward during the time whenEdward the Confessor was in exile in Normandy, but this did not happen.William The Conqueror decided to invade England in 1066, defeatedHarold Godwinson at The Battle of Hastings, then made himself king of England. TheWitan never officially accepted his claim, thus making him illegitimate and a usurper. |
| Stephen | Henry I | 1135–1154 | Henry I named his daughterMatilda his heir, and she was recognised as such by the barons of England. On Henry's death, Stephen took the crown before Matilda learned that her father was dead, which led to 20 years of civil war. |
| Henry IV | Richard II | 1399–1413 | A period of crisis emerged in 1398–1399 under Richard II as he enacted revenge on leading nobles for a dispute ten years previously. He took action against the Lords Appellant, murdering a leader and banishingHenry Bolingbrooke. On the death of Bolingbrooke's father,John of Gaunt, the son wished to return to claim his inheritance as the Duke of Lancaster, which Richard II denied. Henry returned from his exile in France whilst Richard II was away in Ireland. With the support of prominent Northern noble families, Henry took the throne. |
| Edward IV | Henry VI | 1461–1470 1471–1483 | After the death of his father,Richard of York at theBattle of Wakefield in 1460, Edward took over leadership of theYorkist faction. His father had been declared the king's heir by parliament, but Edward took the further step of proclaiming himself king in March 1461. He subsequently defeatedLancastrian forces at theBattle of Towton, forcingHenry VI into exile in Scotland. |
| Richard III | Edward V | 1483–1485 | When his brotherKing Edward IV died in April 1483, Richard was named Lord Protector of the realm for Edward's eldest son and successor, the 12-year-oldEdward V. Arrangements were made for Edward's coronation on 22 June 1483; but, before the young king could be crowned, the marriage of his parents was declared bigamous and therefore invalid, making their children officially illegitimate and thus barring them from inheriting the throne. On 25 June, an assembly of Lords and commoners endorsed a declaration to this effect and proclaimed Richard the rightful king.[4][5] |
| Henry VII | Richard III | 1485–1509 | Forces under Henry Tudor won theBattle of Bosworth Field, during which Richard III was killed. Henry then became Henry VII and married the daughter of Edward IV, which is claimed to have ended theWar of the Roses, though relatives of Richard made various attempts to remove him from power. |
| William III andMary II | James II and VII | 1689–1702 | James II and VII fled after the arrival of William and Mary along with their army. This became known as theGlorious Revolution. |
| Usurper | Predecessor | Reign | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pepin the Short | Childeric III | 751–768 | |
| Napoleon Bonaparte | The Directorate | 1799–1814 | In theCoup d'état of 18 Brumaire, (9 November 1799) Napoleon overthrew theConstitution of the Year III and established his rule as First Consul, and five years later as Emperor. |
| Napoleon Bonaparte | Louis XVIII | 1815–1815 | Hundred Days |
| Louis Philippe I | Henri V | 1830–1848 | Louis Philippe took the throne in the aftermath of theJuly Revolution, which had resulted in the abdication of King Charles X in favor of his grandson, a young child. |
| Usurper | Predecessor | Reign | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dafydd, Rhodri, &Cynan | Hywel ab Owain | 1170–1195 | Llywelyn the Great, with the senior legitimate claim, overthrew his uncles |
| Usurper | Predecessor | Reign | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kamaiole | Kanipahu | 1245–1255 | |
| Alapaʻi Nui | Keaweʻīkekahialiʻiokamoku | 1725–1754 |
| Usurper | Predecessor | Reign | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maria Theresa | Charles VI | 1745–1765de jure; 1740–1780de facto | Her father Charles VI illegally changed his father's (Leopold I)Mutual Pact of Succession (1703) from the senior-most-in-line, being his elder brother's (Joseph I), daughterMaria Josepha, as heir to theHoly Roman Empire, to that of his own daughter, Maria Theresa, with hisPragmatic Sanction of 1713. This very act precipitated theWar of the Austrian Succession (1740–1748), which continued on through and resulted into theSeven Years' War (1756–1763). |
| Usurper | Predecessor | Reign | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rodrigo | Wittiza | 710-711 | |
| Mauregato | Silo | 783-789 | |
| Ordoño IV | Sancho I | 951–956 | |
| Ferdinand the Great | Bermudo III | 1037-65 | |
| Sancho II | García II andAlfonso VI | 1071-1072 | |
| Henry II | Peter the Cruel | 1366-1367 1369-1379 | |
| Michael I | Mary II | 1828-1834 | SeeLiberal Wars |
| Isabella II | Fernando VII | 1813-1833 | SeeCarlist Wars |
| Amadeo I | Isabella II | 1833-1868 | SeeGlorious Revolution (Spain) |
| Usurper | Predecessor | Reign | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mahmud Hotak | Sultan Husayn | 1722–1725 | Mahmud, an Afghan ruler of theHotak dynasty who overthrew the heavily declinedSafavid dynasty to briefly become theShah of Persia from 1722 until his death in 1725. |
| Ashraf Hotak | Mahmud Hotak | 1725–1729 | Ashraf, also an Afghan ruler of theHotak dynasty, who took the throne in 1725 after killing his cousin Mahmud Hotak. Ashraf himself was killed in theBattle of Damghan in 1729 thereby restoring the rule by theSafavid dynasty (Tahmasp II, son of Sultan Husayn, subsequently became Shah of Persia). |
| Nader Shah Afshar | Abbas III | 1736–1747 | Nader, from humble origin and member of theAfshar tribe, became an important Persian army leader during the reign ofTahmasp II, Safavid Shah of Persia. In 1732 he forced Tahmasp III to abdicate in favour of the Shah's baby son,Abbas III, to whom Nader became regent (de facto ruler). In 1736, he proclaimed himself Shah of Persia in which Abbas III was killed. Nader Shah Afshar was founder and first Shah of theAfsharid dynasty. |
| Adel Shah Afshar | Nader Shah Afshar | 1747–1748 | Adel, member of theAfsharid dynasty and nephew of Nader Shah Afshar, took the throne in 1747 after rebelling against his uncle who was killed in the process. |
| Ebrahim Afshar | Adel Shah Afshar | 1748 | Ebrahim, member of theAfsharid dynasty and brother of Adel Shah Afshar, took the throne in 1748 after deposing, blinding & then killing his brother. |
| Shahrokh Mirza Afshar | Ebrahim Afshar | 1748– 1750, 1750–1796 | Shahrokh, member of theAfsharid dynasty and grandson of Nader Shah Afshar, took the throne in 1748 after the deposition and murder of Ebrahim Afshar. His throne was restored in 1750, but at the end of his life, the Afsharid rule was confined to a small local state inKhorasan (with the bulk of his former empire divided between theZand dynasty, theQajar dynasty, and tribes from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Georgia and the Caucasus). In 1796, Shahrokh died from torture ordered by Qajar rulerAgha Mohammad Khan (who himself became Shah of Persia in 1789). |
| Suleiman II of Persia | Shahrokh Mirza Afshar | 1749–1750 | Suleiman II, pretender to the formerSafavid throne, took the throne in 1749 after deposing & blinding Shahrokh Afshar. Suleiman II himself was blinded and removed from the throne in 1750, whereby Shahrokh Afshar was restored to his power. |
| Ali Mardan Khan Bakhtiari | Shahrokh Mirza Afshar | 1750–1751 | In 1750, Chahar Lang chieftain Ali Mardan Khan Bakhtiari and the Zand chieftainKarim Khan conquered the former Safavid capitalIsfahan and installedIsmail III, the last prince of theSafavid dynasty, as afigurehead and "puppet shah of Persia" in order to legitimize their rule over Persia. Ali Mardan took the title ofVakil-e, i.e. "deputy" or "regent" of the Persian state, which ended with the overthrown of his regime in 1751. |
| Karim Khan Zand | Ali Mardan Khan Bakhtiari | 1751–1779 | After killing Ali Mardan Khan Bakhtiari in 1751, Karim Khan Zand appointed himselfVakil-e (regent) of the Persian state. However, albeitde facto ruler of all of Persia (except forKhorasan which was still ruled byShahrokh Mirza Afshar), he never officially adopted the title ofShah for himself. Although, in retrospection he can be considered founder and first Shah of theZand dynasty. Ismail III continued to be "puppet shah of Persia" in order to legitimize Karim Khan's rule over Persia; he was kept in safe custody at the stronghold ofAbadeh till his death in 1773. |
| Zaki Khan Zand | Karim Khan Zand | 1779 | With the natural death in 1779 ofKarim Khan Zand, ruler of theZand dynasty, a power struggle followed. Karim Khan's brother Zaki Khan Zand installedMohammad Ali Khan Zand, the younger son of Karim Khan who was also his son-in-law, as Shah of the Zand dynasty; although according tomale primogenitureAbol-Fath Khan Zand, the eldest son of Karim Khan should have become Shah. Later on, both sons Mohammad Ali Khan and Abol-Fath Khan Zand were declared co-shahs, but they were onlypuppet rulers with nominal power; the real power was taken into the hands of their uncle Zaki Khan who was thede facto ruler. However, his reign was short-lived being murdered by rebellious tribal leaders after a few months. |
| Sadeq Khan Zand | Abol-Fath Khan Zand | 1779–1781 | WithZaki Khan Zand being killed in June 1779 andMohammad Ali Khan Zand died of a heart attack in the same month,Abol-Fath Khan Zand was proclaimed the sole official (3rd) Shah of the Zand dynasty by his uncleSadeq Khan Zand. However, Sadeq held the real power with Abol-Fath only as puppet-monarch not taking part in the administration of the empire. This situation did not however suit Sadeq Khan for long; after two months he proclaimed himself Shah with deposing, blinding & later killing his nephew Abol-Fath. |
| Ali-Morad Khan Zand | Sadeq Khan Zand | 1781–1785 | Ali-Morad Khan, a distant member of the Zand dynasty, took the throne in 1781 after capturing the capitolShiraz and murderingSadeq Khan Zand, the fifth Shah of the Zand dynasty. |
| Jafar Khan Zand | Ali-Morad Khan Zand | 1785–1789 | Jafar Khan Zand, son of the fifth ShahSadeq Khan Zand, took the throne in 1785 after murderingAli-Morad Khan Zand, the sixth Shah of the Zand dynasty. |
| Sayed Morad Khan Zand | Jafar Khan Zand | 1789 | Sayed Morad Khan, son of the sixth ShahAli-Morad Khan Zand, took the throne in 1789 after murderingJafar Khan Zand, the seventh Shah of the Zand dynasty. |
| Lotf Ali Khan Zand | Sayed Morad Khan Zand | 1789–1794 | On hearing of the murder of his fatherJafar Khan Zand, Lotf Ali Khan marched to the capital Shiraz and took the throne in 1789 after forcing to surrender and executingSayed Morad Khan, eighth Shah of the Zand dynasty. |
| Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar | Lotf Ali Khan Zand | 1789–1797 | Agha Mohammad Khan was a eunuch who served at a Persian court and was enthroned as the Shah of Persia in 1789, but was not officially crowned until March 1796, having deposed, blinded & then killedLotf Ali Khan (9th and last Shah of the Zand dynasty) in 1794, and killingShahrokh Mirza Afshar (last Shah of theAfsharid dynasty) in 1796. Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar was founder and first Shah of theQajar dynasty, and with him Persia became again centralized and unified. |
| Reza Shah Pahlavi | Ahmad Shah Qajar | 1925–1941 | Reza Shah Pahlavi was a former brigadier-general of thePersian Cossack Brigade who came to power after the1921 Persian coup d'état and deposition ofAhmad Shah Qajar, the last Shah of the Qajar dynasty. Reza Pahlavi was founder and became first Shah of thePahlavi dynasty in 1925. |
| Mohammad Reza Pahlavi | Reza Shah Pahlavi | 1941–1979 | Mohammad Reza Pahlav took the throne after the forced abdication of his father Reza Shah Pahlavi during theAnglo-Soviet invasion of Iran on 16 September 1941. He was the second and last Shah of the Pahlavi dynasty, being himself overthrown by theIranian Revolution on 11 February 1979. |
| Usurper | Predecessor | Reign | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emperor Tenmu | Emperor Kōbun | 672–686 | |
| Tokugawa Ieyasu | Toyotomi Hideyoshi | 1603-1605 | Japan has not had an officialshogunate functionally ruling the country since the collapse ofAshikaga shogunate in 1573. Hideyoshi's position asTaiko is nominally acivilian position held from the Emperor (as he is barred from Shogunal title due to being of peasant origin). Ieyasu would succeed in defeating the bulk of Hideyoshi's loyalists at theBattle of Sekigahara in 1600, demolishing Toyotomi influence and disinheriting Hideyoshi's sonHideyori. |
| Usurper | Predecessor | Reign | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sindae of Goguryeo | Chadae of Goguryeo | 165–179 | |
| Micheon of Goguryeo | Bongsang of Goguryeo | 300–331 | |
| Bojang of Goguryeo | Yeongnyu of Goguryeo | 642–668 | |
| Seong of Balhae | Dae Won-ui | 793–794 | |
| Taejo of Goryeo | Gung Ye | 918–943 | Establishment of theGoryeo dynasty. |
| Hyeonjong of Goryeo | Mokjong of Goryeo | 1009–1031 | |
| Myeongjong of Goryeo | Uijong of Goryeo | 1170–1197 | |
| Gangjong of Goryeo | Huijong of Goryeo | 1211–1213 | |
| Chungmok of Goryeo | Chunghye of Goryeo | 1344–1348 | |
| Chang of Goryeo | U of Goryeo | 1389–1389 | |
| Gongyang of Goryeo | Chang of Goryeo | 1389–1392 | |
| Taejo of Joseon | Gongyang of Goryeo | 1392–1398 | Collapse of the Goryeo dynasty. Establishment of theJoseon dynasty. |
| Sejo of Joseon | Danjong of Joseon | 1417–1468 | |
| Jungjong of Joseon | Yeonsangun of Joseon | 1506–1544 | Known in historiography as theJungjong coup |
| Injo of Joseon | Gwanghaegun of Joseon | 1595–1649 |
| Usurper | Predecessor | Reign | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tiglath-Pileser III | Shalmeneser III | 745–727 BCE | Neo-Assyrian. Ended a civil war, reformed the military, and reignited the Neo-Assyrian campaigns of conquest. |
| Usurper | Predecessor | Reign | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| William I, Prince of Orange | Philip II of Spain | 1572–1584 | With the "Act of Abjuration" (Plakkaat van Verlatinghe) during theDutch Revolt, thenorthern provinces of the Netherlands declared them-self independent from the rule of KingPhilip II of Spain, who also wasLord of the Netherlands. Prince William I of Orange, leader of the Dutch Revolt, was proclaimedStadtholder (therebyde facto ruler) of the renegadeNetherlands in 1572. This intensified theEighty Years' War in which Philip II deployed his armies and tried to regain control over most of these provinces. William of Orange was assassinated in 1584 byBalthasar Gérard, a loyalist to Philip II. |
| Maurice, Prince of Orange | Philip III of Spain | 1585–1625 | In 1585, Prince Maurice of Orange was proclaimedStadtholder (therebyde facto ruler) of the renegadeNetherlands after the death of his fatherWilliam of Orange. During this period, King Philip III of Spain was thede jure Lord of the Netherlands. |
| Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange | Philip IV of Spain | 1625–1647 | In 1625, Prince Frederick Henry of Orange was proclaimedStadtholder (therebyde facto ruler) of the renegadeNetherlands after the natural death of his brotherMaurice of Orange. During this period, King Philip IV of Spain was thede jure Lord of the Netherlands. |
| William II, Prince of Orange | Philip IV of Spain | 1647–1650 | In 1647, Prince William II of Orange was proclaimedStadtholder (therebyde facto ruler) of the renegadeNetherlands after the natural death of his fatherFrederick Henry of Orange. With thePeace of Münster in 1648, theDutch republic was recognized as an independent and sovereign state, herewith officially legitimizing and solidifying the rule of William II in this country. |
| Usurper | Predecessor | Reign | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sverre Sigurdsson | Magnus Erlingsson | 1184–1202 |
| Usurper | Predecessor | Reign | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marina Mniszech andFalse Dmitry I | Feodor II | 1605–1606 | |
| Elizabeth | Ivan VI | 1741–1762 | |
| Catherine the Great | Peter III | 1762–1796 |
| Usurper | Predecessor | Reign | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eric the Saint | Sverker the Elder | 1156–1160 | Involvement in Sverker's murder is uncertain. |
| Magnus Henriksen | Eric the Saint | 1160–1161 | |
| Charles Sverkerson | Magnus Henriksen | 1161–1168 | |
| Canute Ericson | Boleslas Sverkerson | 1168–1195 | |
| Erik Knutsson | Sverker the Younger | 1208–1216 | |
| Canute the Tall | Eric the Lisp and Lame | 1229–1234 | |
| Charles IX | Sigismund | 1604–1611 | As regent 1599–1604. |
| Charles XIII | Gustaf IV Adolf | 1809–1818 | As regent March–May 1809 |
| Usurper | Predecessor | Reign | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Worawongsathirat | Yodfa | 1548 | His kingship is not accepted by most traditional historians. |
| Usurper | Predecessor | Reign | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dương Tam Kha | Ngô Quyền | 944–950 | |
| Ngô Xương Văn | Dương Tam Kha | 951–965 | |
| Mạc Đăng Dung | Le Chieu Tong | 1527–1529 |