 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Abolition of monarchy" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(April 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Theabolition of monarchy is a legislative or revolutionary movement to abolishmonarchical elements in government, usually hereditary. The abolition of anabsolute monarchy in favour oflimited government under aconstitutional monarchy is a less radical form of anti-monarchism that has succeeded in some nations that still retain monarchs, such as Sweden, Spain, and Thailand.
Abolition has been carried out in various ways, including viaabdication leading to the extinction of the monarchy, legislative reform,revolution,coup d'état, anddecolonisation. Abolition became more frequent in the 20th century, with the number of monarchies inEurope falling from 22 to 12 between 1914 and 2015, and the number ofrepublics rising from 4 to 34. Decolonisation and independence have resulted in an abolition of monarchies in a number of former colonies such as those created by the United Kingdom.
Motivations for abolition includeegalitarianism and anti-class views, eliminating a rival system potentially opposed to another incoming system (as had occurred inRomania in 1947), opposition to undemocratic and hereditary institutions, perception of monarchy as anachronistic or outdated, and opposition to a particular monarch ordynasty.[1][2] In many colonies and former colonies, abolishing the influence of the monarchy of a colonising state is considered part of decolonisation. In manyCommonwealth realms, the monarchy may be viewed as a foreign institution running counter to thenational identity ornational sovereignty.
In the 21st century, some countries that are monarchies have significantrepublican movements, such asSpain[3] andAustralia.[4] Since the beginning of the 20th century, restorations of monarchies have been comparatively rare. Examples are themonarchy of Spain, which since1947 had been nominallya regency with a vacant throne but theBourbon dynasty was restored in 1975; the reinstatement in 1991 of the Emir ofKuwait following abolition in 1990 and theGulf War; and a 1993 transition ofCambodia from aMarxist-Leninist republic to anelective monarchy.
The city-state of Athens was ruled by monarchs in a period before the establishment of Athenian Democracy. Most of this is either mythical or semi-historical. The Athenian monarchy was abolished and replaced with lifetime archons around 1068 BC, whose power was reduced over many years.[5]
TheRoman Republic was established after the overthrow of the seventh king of Rome,Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, in 509 BC, after his disrespect for Roman customs and the Senate as well as his use of violence to control Rome.[6]
Under the leadership ofOliver Cromwell, in 1649,King Charles I was tried for high treason, convicted and executed. This marked the conclusion of theEnglish Civil War which resulted in theParliament of England overthrowing theEnglish monarchy, and initiatinga period of an English republic (known as theWars of the Three Kingdoms). After eleven years, in 1660,a limited monarchy was restored but moderated by an independent Parliament.[7][8]
In theKingdom of England, theGlorious Revolution of 1688 furthered the constitutional monarchy, restricted by laws such as theBill of Rights 1689 and theAct of Settlement 1701. At the same time, inScotland, theConvention of Estates enacted theClaim of Right Act 1689, which placed similar limits on the Scottish monarchy.
Organized anti-monarchism in what is now theUnited States developed out of a gradual revolution that began in 1765, as colonists resisted astamp tax through boycott and condemnation of tax officials.[9] While they were subject to the authority of theParliament of Great Britain (as the monarchy was a limited monarchy since 1660), the North American citizens increasingly clashed with the Parliament that did not provide seats for parliamentary representatives from North America. With theDeclaration of Independence in 1776, anti-monarchical propaganda resulted in violent protests that systematically removed symbols of monarchy. For instance, an equestrian statue ofGeorge III in New York City was toppled. Parliamentaryloyalists were particularly affected by partisan attacks, with tens of thousands leaving forBritish Canada.[10] Property that remained was confiscated by each of thirteen newly createdStates through newly passed laws.[11] Artifacts from the colonial period depicting the British monarchy are seldom found in the United States. However, not all sentiment equated to anti-monarchism. A normality of a monarchy at the head of a polity remained, that some Americans saw apresidency in monarchical terms, a Caesar of the republic, was an early debate in the new republic.[12]
One of the most significant abolitions of monarchy in history—along with theDutch Republic of 1581–1795—involved theAncien Régime in 1792 during theFrench Revolution.[13] TheFrench monarchy was later restored several times with differing levels of authority.Napoleon, initially a hero of the Republican revolution, crowned himself emperor in 1804, only to be replaced by theBourbon Restoration in 1815, which in turn was replaced by the more liberalJuly Monarchy in 1830.
The1848 Revolution was a clearer anti-monarchic uprising that replaced the succession of royal leaders with the short-livedSecond French Republic.Louis Napoleon Bonaparte established theSecond French Empire (1852–1870), retaining republican aspects while placing himself in the center of the state until the losses in theFranco-Prussian War led to his fall, resulting in theFrench Third Republic and the definitive end of the monarchy in France.Monarchism, which had held a majority in the National Assembly after the1871 election, slowly fizzled out over the course of the rest of the century.[14]
![[icon]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fwikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aWiki_letter_w_cropped.svg) | This section is empty. You can help byadding to it. Find sources: "Haitian Revolution" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(April 2023) |
Madagascar
The monarchy of Madagascar, known as theMerina Kingdom, came to an end in 1897 when France made it a colony and overthrew QueenRanavalona III.
Zimbabwe
In 1629, theMwenemutapa attempted to throw out the Portuguese. He failed and in turn he himself was overthrown, leading to the Portuguese installation ofMavura Mhande Felipe on the throne. In 1917,Mambo Chioko, the last king of the dynasty, was killed in battle against the Portuguese.
Mexico
TheFirst Mexican Empire existed from the September 1821Declaration of Independence untilthe emperor's abdication in March 1823. TheProvisional Government took power and theFirst Mexican Republic was proclaimed in 1824. Due toFrench intervention underNapoleon III, theSecond Mexican Empire lasted from 1864 to 1867, when it collapsed and its Emperor,Maximilian I of Mexico, was executed.
Brazil
In Brazil, the monarchy was formally established in 1815 through theUnited Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves (of which theKingdom of Brazil was a constituent state), it evolved into theEmpire of Brazil in 1822, and was abolished in 1889, when EmperorPedro II was overthrown by arepublican military coup (the status of the republic was confirmed bya plebiscite in 1993 that resulted in 86% of the votes to the republican government).
Burma
The monarchy of Burma was abolished in 1885 when the last king,Thibaw Min, lost his throne and the country was annexed by Britain.
South Asia
In 1858 theMughal Empire came to an end after losing a war against Britain, and its Emperor,Bahadur Shah II, lost his throne.
Bengal
British rule in Bengal began with the fall ofSiraj-ud-Daulah at the Battle of Plassey in 1757. And theBengal Nawabs came to an end.
Italy
Between 1859 and 1861, four monarchies in Southern Europe ceased to exist (Parma,Modena,Tuscany andthe Two Sicilies) when they all became part of the newKingdom of Italy.
Spain
In Spain monarchy was abolished from 1873 to 1874 by theFirst Spanish Republic, but then restored until 1931.
Hawaii
In 1893 foreign business leaders overthrew QueenLiliʻuokalani of theKingdom of Hawaii. They established arepublic, which was annexed by the United States in 1898.
Tahiti
The monarchy of Tahiti came to an end in 1880 when France made it a colony and overthrew KingPōmare V.
Manu'a
After ceding sovereignty of theManu'a islands of modern-day American Samoa to the United States in 1904, the lastKing of Manu'a,Tui Manu'a Elisara, died on 2 July 1909. All attempts to revive the position since his death have been met with opposition by the United States Government.[15]
Themonarchy of China ceased to exist in 1912 when theXinhai Revolution led bySun Yat-sen succeeded in overthrowing the youngXuantong Emperor; this marked the end of theQing dynasty and the start of theRepublic of China. In 1915,Yuan Shikai briefly proclaimed theEmpire of China with himself as the emperor; the regime failed to gain legitimacy and collapsed three months later. In 1917, the Qing loyalistZhang Xun sought to revive the Qing dynasty and briefly reinstalled the Xuantong Emperor to the Chinese throne; this attempt is known as the "Manchu Restoration" in historiography. The monarchy in parts of China was restored through the Japanese-sponsored client state known asManchukuo with the former Qing emperor as its leader until the final abolition in 1945.
The area ofTibet was ruled by theGanden Phodrang government which continued through theannexation of Tibet by the People's Republic of China until theTibetan rebellion in 1959 where the monarchy in Tibet was dissolved although it continued in exile as theCentral Tibetan Administration in India.
During the Xinhai Revolution,Outer Mongolia declared independence from the Qing dynasty of China in theMongolian Revolution of 1911. TheBogd Khanate of Mongolia was subsequently proclaimed, although the Republic of China laid claims to Outer Mongolia and was widely recognized by the international community as having sovereignty over it. In 1924, theMongolian People's Republic was established, bringing an end to the monarchy in Mongolia.
World War I led to perhaps the greatest number of abolition of monarchies in history. The conditions inside the Russian Empire and the poor performance in the war gave rise to arevolution which toppled the entire institution of the monarchy, followed by asecond revolution against that government in October of the same year that executed Tsar (Imperator (Императоръ))Nicholas II and implemented aMarxist-Leninist government. TheRussian Civil War saw various monarchist, Republican, anarchist, nationalist and socialist factions fight each other withbourgeois independence movements winning in theBaltic States, Poland and Finland and theBolsheviks winning everywhere else.
The defeatedGerman,Austro-Hungarian andOttoman empires saw the abolition of their monarchies in the close aftermath of the war, ending the reigns ofWilhelm II,Charles I andMehmed VI respectively. The monarchs of the constituent states within the German Empire, most importantlyLudwig III of Bavaria,Frederick Augustus III of Saxony andWilhelm II of Württemberg, soon abdicated. During the war, monarchies were planned forPoland (Kingdom of Poland), theGrand Duchy of Finland (to have aFinnish King), andLithuania (Mindaugas II of Lithuania), with aprotectorate-likesuzerainty exercised by theGerman Empire. Both intended kings renounced their thrones after Germany's defeat in November 1918. KingNicholas I of Montenegro lost his throne when the country became a part of Yugoslavia in 1918.
World War II saw another increased number of abolition of monarchies. In 1922, Benito Mussolini'sMarch on Rome led to King Victor Emmanuel III appointing Mussolini Prime Minister. In 1939Italy invaded Albania and removed the reigning self-proclaimedKing Zog and instated their own KingVictor Emmanuel III as its new monarch.Italy, along with the eastern European monarchies ofBulgaria,Hungary andRomania were forced to join withGermany by their dictators in World War II against theKingdom of Yugoslavia, theWestern allies and theSoviet Union. When Yugoslavia fell in 1941 theIndependent State of Croatia was established under a nominal monarchy, but it was in fact aone party state underAnte Pavelić and apuppet state of Nazi Germany. With the fall ofMussolini in July 1943, the monarchy in Croatia was abolished. As theAxis powers were defeated in the war, communist partisans inoccupied Yugoslavia andoccupied Albania seized power and ended the monarchies. Communists in Bulgaria, Hungary, and Romania removed their monarchies with strong backing by the Soviet Union, which had many troops and supporters placed there during the course of the war. Through this,Peter II of Yugoslavia,Simeon II of Bulgaria andMichael I of Romania all lost their thrones. KingVictor Emmanuel III of Italy had remained King after theFall of the Fascist regime in Italy but transferred most of his powers tohis son after theArmistice of Cassibile. After Victor Emmanuel abdicated to save the monarchy, a narrowreferendum in 1946 ended the short reign of his son KingUmberto II and the Italian monarchy ceased to exist.
In a1999 referendum, the voters of Australia rejected a proposal to replace the constitutional monarchy with a republic with a president appointed by Parliament. The proposal was rejected in all states, with only theAustralian Capital Territory voting in favour. Though polling consistently showed a majority in favour of a republic, the result of the referendum was attributed to a split among republicans between those who supported the presented model and those who supported a directly elected president.[16][17][18][19]
In themodern history of Greece, the monarchy was toppled in 1924, as a result of theNational Schism and theAsia Minor Disaster. The resultingSecond Hellenic Republic led a troubled existence, until a coup restored the monarchy in 1935. The subsequent dictatorial4th of August Regime was established with the support of KingGeorge II of Greece, further delegitimizing the monarchy.
During theAxis occupation of Greece, George II nominally led theGreek government in exile, but the post-war fate of the monarchy was a major dividing issue for Greeks, especially with the rise of the pro-communistNational Liberation Front (EAM) as the country's largest resistance movement. As a compromise, the issue was to be determined by a referendum after the war. In the end, the threat of a post-war communist takeover led theVenizelist republicans to ally with the monarchists; with the defeat of EAM in theDekemvriana, the subsequentWhite Terror, and the outbreak of theGreek Civil War in 1946 resulted in a monarchist victory in the1946 referendum and the return of George II to the country.
The last king,Constantine II, interfered in politics during theApostasia of 1965. The resulting political crisis led to amilitary coup in April 1967. Constantine II reluctantly accepted thefait accompli and lent it legitimacy, but when he tried to stage a counter-coup later that year, he was defeated and forced into exile. Greece formally remained a monarchy until it was abolished by the military junta in June 1973, followed bya July referendum confirming that decision. The restoration of the monarchy was overwhelmingly defeated, after constitutional legality was restored, by a freereferendum in 1974.
In Spain, the monarchy was again abolished in 1931 by theSecond Spanish Republic (1931–1939). In1947,Francisco Franco declared Spain amonarchy but kept himself asregent for life with the constitutional setup essentially unchanged. Per the right the 1947 law granted him to decidewho would be the future Spanish monarch, he appointedJuan Carlos of Bourbon his successor in 1969. The "Prince of Spain" became king at Franco's death in 1975, and during theSpanish transition to democracy, theSpanish constitution of 1978 put the monarchy on a new constitutional basis. The existence of monarchy in Spain is anentrenched clause with much stricter rules forconstitutional amendment than other constitutional provisions.[20]
The monarchy of Portugal was alsooverthrown in 1910, two years after theassassination of KingCarlos I, ending the reign ofManuel II, who died in exile in England in 1932 without issue.
In 1973, the monarchy of KingMohammed Zahir Shah of Afghanistan was abolished after a socialist-supportedcoup d'état led byMohammad Daoud Khan, from the sameMusahiban royal family, who declared himself the firstPresident of Afghanistan.
EmperorHaile Selassie I was overthrown in 1974 as a result of theEthiopian Revolution, ending almost three millennia of monarchical rule in Ethiopia.
In 1945, during theAugust Revolution,Bảo Đại abdicated under the pressure of theViệt Minh led byHo Chi Minh. This marked the end of theNguyễn dynasty and the Vietnamese monarchy. From 1949 to 1955, Bảo Đại served as theQuốc Trưởng (lit. 'Chief of State') of theState of Vietnam and did not receive the title ofHoàng Đế (lit. 'Emperor').
Political upheaval and Communist insurrection put an end to the monarchies ofIndochina after World War II: a short-lived attempt to leave a monarchical form of government in post-colonialSouth Vietnam came to naught in afraudulent 1955 referendum, amilitary coup overthrew the kingless monarchy in Cambodia in 1970 and aCommunist takeover ended the monarchy in Laos in 1975. Cambodia's monarchy later saw an unexpected rebirth under an internationally mediated peace settlement with former kingNorodom Sihanouk being restored as a figurehead in 1993.
ThePahlavi dynasty's rule in Iran ended following theIranian Revolution of 1979 overthrowing ShahMohammad Reza Pahlavi and leading to theestablishment of an Islamic republic.
In some Arab countries, coups d'état replaced monarchies with military dictatorships.
The monarchy of Egypt was abolished in 1953, a year after themilitary overthrow of KingFarouk, which caused him to abdicate in favour of his infant sonFuad II. The monarchy of Iraq ended in 1958 when KingFaisal IIwas killed and a republic proclaimed. The monarchy of Yemen was abolished in 1962 when KingMuhammad al-Badr was overthrown in a coup, although he continued to resist his opponents until 1970. KingIdris of Libya was overthrown bya military coup led byMuammar Gaddafi in 1969.
Many monarchies were abolished in the middle of the 20th century or later as part of the process of decolonization. This included severalCommonwealth realms, which were sovereign states inpersonal union with themonarchy of the United Kingdom.
The monarchy of Ireland was not abolished following theIrish war of independence in the 1920s. TheIrish Free State was created as a separate state from the United Kingdom; it was nominally a monarchy but transitioned towards a more republican form of government throughout its existence. TheIrish Constitution thatcame into force in 1937left the question of Republic or monarchy vague, but established aPresident of Ireland, an office usually absent in monarchies. The monarchy was officially abolished by theRepublic of Ireland Act of 1948, which came into force in 1949.
The monarchies of India, Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Tanganyika, Uganda, Guyana, and Malawi were abolished shortly after they became independent of the United Kingdom, whilst remaining within theCommonwealth. Others waited longer before abolishing their monarchies, such as Pakistan, South Africa, The Gambia, Sierra Leone, Malta, Trinidad and Tobago, and Mauritius. The latest country to become arepublic within the Commonwealth wasBarbados in 2021.
With the exceptions of Ireland and India, in each case the deposed monarch wasElizabeth II. Most realms which abolished their monarchy did so by declaring a new constitution or amending it to remove references tothe Crown, with the exception of Fiji, whose monarchy was abolished in 1987 following aseries of coups d'état.
In 1910 the last emperor of Korea,Sunjong, lost his throne when the country was annexed by Japan. However, the Korean royal family was mediatized as a puppet family within the Japanese imperial family. Many of the Korean royals were forcibly re-educated in Japan and forced to marry Japanese royalty and aristocrats to meld the ruling families of the two empires. With the abolition of the Japanese aristocracy and cadet branches of the imperial family, the Korean royals officially lost their remaining status.[citation needed]
Theindependence of India from theUnited Kingdom in 1947 posed a unique problem. From 1858, when the British government replacedCompany rule with directCrown rule, it had been governed as a quasi-federation, with much of the country under the direct rule of the British monarch, who was styled as theEmperor of India. The remainder of the country, however, was under a form of indirect rule under him through its division into over 500subnational monarchies, known asprincely states; each was ruled by a prince who acknowledged the suzerainty of the Indian Emperor. The princely states ranged from powerful and largely independent principalities such as Hyderabad or Mysore, with a high level of autonomy, to tiny fiefdoms a few dozen acres (in the low tens of hectares) in size.
In 1947, it was agreed that India would bepartitioned into the independent British dominions ofIndia andPakistan, with the princely states acceding to one nation or the other. The accession process proceeded smoothly, with the notable exception of four of the most influential principalities. The Muslim ruler of the Hindu-majority state of Junagadh acceded to Pakistan, but his decision was overruled by the Indian government, while Hyderabad chose to be independent, but was forcibly annexed to India in 1948. The Hindu ruler of Jammu and Kashmir, among the largest and most powerful of the principalities, but with a Muslim-majority population, initially held off on a decision. In the autumn of 1947, an invading force from Pakistan frightened the ruler into acceding to India. The ruler of Kalat, in Baluchistan, declared his independence in 1947, after which the state was forcibly merged with Pakistan, resulting in an insurgency persisting to this day. With the promulgation of the Indian constitution in 1950, India abolished its monarchy under the British crown and became a Republic within the Commonwealth of Nations, followed by Pakistan in 1956; as a result of both developments, the majority of the princes formally lost their sovereign rights. A few remaining principalities in Pakistan retained their autonomy until 1969 when they finally acceded to Pakistan. The Indian government formally derecognized its princely families in 1971, followed by Pakistan in 1972.
Finally, in 1975, KingPalden Thondup Namgyal ofSikkim lost his throne when the country became a state ofIndia following areferendum.
The 20th century also saw the formation of a number of new monarchies that still exist to this day such asBhutan (1907),Jordan (1921),Saudi Arabia (1932), andMalaysia (1957).
TheKingdom of Nepal was transformed into a republic by the1st Nepalese Constituent Assembly in 2008.[21][22]Barbados abolished itsmonarchy and became arepublic on 30 November 2021 following a constitutional amendment by theParliament.[23]
In addition, protests in support of a republican form of government took place inMalaysia in 2012,[24] andCambodia the following year.[25] In 2013, an alleged coup plot byAl Islah to overthrow the monarchy of theUnited Arab Emirates and establish anIslamic republic failed.[26] Following the accession ofCharles III in 2022, anti-monarchy protests also occurred in the United Kingdom; some protesters were arrested, but were later released without further action being taken.[27][28]
In areferendum in Brazil in 1993, voters rejected an attempt to restore the country's monarchy. Unsuccessful efforts to restore the monarchies of some of the Balkan states in the former Eastern Bloc continue. Former KingMichael of Romania andPrince Alexander of Serbia had been allowed to return, gained some popularity, played largely apolitical public roles, but never came close to being restored to their ancestral thrones. However, in Bulgaria,Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, who was deposed from the Bulgarian throne in 1946, was elected and served as the Prime Minister of his country from 2001 to 2005. The only formerly communist country to have held a referendum on the monarchy was Albania, where the claimant to his father's throne, the self-styledLeka I, lost bya two-thirds majority.
| Country | Last monarch | Year | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | ||||
| Songhai | Askia Malla | 1901 | Abolished by theFrench and incorporated intoFrench West Africa. | |
 | Rimatara | Tamaeva V | Abolished by the French and incorporated into theEstablishments in Oceania. | |
 | Nuku Hiva | Laurent Piukeke Taupotini | ||
| Gumma | Firisa | 1902 | Annexed by theEthiopian Empire. | |
 | Aceh | Alauddin Muhammad Da'ud Syah II | 1903 | Aceh War |
 | Dahomey | Agoli-agbo | 1904 | Incorporation intoFrench Dahomey. |
| Oyo | Adeyemi I Alowolodu | 1905 | Last monarch died; the realm was incorporated into theBritishSouthern Nigeria Protectorate. | |
| Habr Yunis | Nur Ahmed Aman | 1907 | Incorporation intoBritish Somaliland. | |
 | Bali | Dewa Agung Jambe II | 1908 | Incorporation intoDutch East Indies. |
 | Mwali | 1909 | Incorporation into theFrench Comoros. | |
| 1910s | ||||
.svg) | Portugal | Manuel II | 1910 | Coup d'état |
.svg) | Korea | Sunjong | Native monarchy abolished; replaced byJapanese rule through 1945. | |
| Angoche | Incorporation into Portugal. | |||
| Nri | Eze Nri Òbalíke | 1911 | Abolished by theBritish and incorporated intoSouthern Nigeria Protectorate. | |
| Kasanje | Incorporation intoPortuguese West Africa. | |||
 | Riau-Lingga | Abdul Rahman II | Abolished by theDutch. | |
.svg) | China | Xuantong | 1912 | Xinhai Revolution – Emperor ousted by warlords and republicans. (Briefly restored in 1917) |
| Wadai | Dud Murra of Wadai | French annexation of Wadai Empire. | ||
| Ndzuwani | Saidi Mohamed bin Saidi Omar | Incorporation into the French Comoros. | ||
.svg) | Samos | Grigorios Vegleris | Incorporation intoGreece. | |
 | Kongo | Manuel III of Kongo | 1914 | Position abolished by Portuguese after an unsuccessful revolt. |
| Mbunda | Mwene Mbandu Kapova I of Mbunda | |||
 | Sultanate of Sulu | Sultan Jamalul-Kiram II | 1915 | Split intoAmerican Insular Government over the Philippine islands,British North Borneo and theDutch East Indies. |
 | Darfur | Ali Dinar | 1916 | Re-incorporation intoAnglo-Egyptian Sudan. |
.svg) | China | Hongxian | Monarchy dropped, shortly after the outbreak of theNational Protection War. | |
 | Russia | Nicholas II | 1917 | Russian Revolution |
| Finland | Finnish Declaration of Independence | ||
 | Montenegro | Nicholas I | 1918 | Referendum uniting Montenegro with Serbia. |
.svg) | Germany | Wilhelm II | All on account of German defeat in World War I and the followingGerman Revolution. | |
.svg) | Prussia | |||
.svg) | Bavaria | Ludwig III | ||
 | Württemberg | William II | ||
.svg) | Saxony | Frederick Augustus III | ||
 | Hesse | Ernest Louis | ||
.svg) | Baden | Frederick II | ||
.svg) | Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach | William Ernest | ||
 | Mecklenburg-Schwerin | Frederick Francis IV | ||
| Mecklenburg-Strelitz | Adolphus Frederick VI | ||
 | Oldenburg | Frederick Augustus II | ||
 | Brunswick | Ernst Augustus | ||
 | Anhalt | Joachim Ernst | ||
.svg) | Saxe-Coburg and Gotha | Charles Edward | ||
.svg) | Saxe-Meiningen | Bernhard III | ||
| Saxe-Altenburg | Ernst II | ||
.svg) | Waldeck-Pyrmont | Friedrich | ||
 | Lippe | Leopold IV | ||
 | Schaumburg-Lippe | Adolf II | ||
 | Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt | Günther Victor | ||
| Schwarzburg-Sondershausen | ||||
 | Reuss Elder Line | Heinrich XXIV | ||
 | Reuss Younger Line | Heinrich XXVII | ||
 | Austria | Charles I | Charles I "renounced participation" in state affairs, but did not abdicate. Monarchy officially abolished by theTreaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, on 10 September 1919. | |
.svg) | Hungary | Monarchy restored in 1920, although the throne remained vacant with aregent. | ||
.svg) | Finland | Frederick Charles I | Monarchy never in effect. | |
.svg) | Lithuania | Mindaugas II | ||
 | Poland | Vacant (ruled byRegency Council) | ||
 | United Baltic Duchy | Duke Adolf Friedrich of Mecklenburg | ||
.svg) | Courland and Semigallia | Vacant | ||
.svg) | Serbia | Peter I | Throne transferred to the newly createdKingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, thenKingdom of Yugoslavia. | |
 | Ukraine | Pavlo Skoropadskyi | Removed from power, following anuprising led bySymon Petliura and the withdrawal of German forces from Kyiv. | |
| 1920s | ||||
 | Bukhara(Uzbekistan) | Mohammed Alim Khan | 1920 | Monarchy deposed by an invasion by the Red Army (Bukhara operation). |
 | Khiva(Uzbekistan) | Abdallah Khan of Khiva | Monarchy deposed by a communist uprising aided by the Red Army (Khivan Revolution). | |
 | North Caucasian Emirate | Uzun Hajji Saltinsky | Abolished by theBolsheviks. | |
.svg) | Syria | Faisal I | Monarchy deposed following theSiege of Damascus. | |
 | Upper Asir | Al-Hasan Bin Ayad | Incorporation intoNejd. | |
 | Jabal Shammar | Muhammad bin Talal Al Rashid | 1921 | |
.svg) | Ottoman Empire | Mehmed VI | 1922 | Sultanate abolished in 1922. |
.svg) | Wituland | Fumo 'Umar ibn Ahmad | 1923 | Sultanate abolished by the British and incorporated into theKenya Colony. |
 | Greece | George II | 1924 | Restored 1935 and later abolished again in 1973 (see below). |
 | Mongolia | Bogd Khan | CommunistPeople's Republic proclaimed after the Bogd Khan's death. | |
.svg) | Albania | William I | 1925 | Monarchy restored in 1928 (Albanian Kingdom). |
| Mohammerah | Khaz'al al-Ka'bi | Sheikhdom abolished byPersia. | ||
.svg) | Hejaz | Ali bin Hussein, King of Hejaz | Conquered by theNejd. | |
.svg) | Kurdistan | Mahmud Barzanji | Kingdom of Kurdistan reconquered by the British. | |
| Orungu | Rogombé-Nwèntchandi | 1927 | Abolished by the French and incorporated intoFrench Equatorial Africa. | |
 | Hobyo | Ali Yusuf Kenadid | Incorporation intoItalian Somaliland. | |
.svg) | Afghanistan | Habibullāh Kalakāni | 1929 | After the fall of Kalakani on 13 October 1929, the Emirate ended, and was replaced by the revivedKingdom of Afghanistan. |
| 1930s | ||||
| Baidah | 1930 | Incorporation into theMutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen. | ||
.svg) | Asir | Sayyid al-Hasan ibn Ali al-Idrisi al-Hasani | Incorporation intoSaudi Arabia. | |
| Kumul | Maqsud Shah | Upon Maqsud Shah's death in March 1930Jin Shuren replaced the Khanate with three normal provincial administrative districts Hami, Yihe, and Yiwu. This set off theKumul Rebellion, in whichYulbars Khan attempted to restore the heir Nasir to the throne. | ||
.svg) | Spain | Alfonso XIII | 1931 | Later restored (see below). |
| Jimma | Abba Jofir | 1932 | Deposed and incorporated into theEthiopian Empire. | |
 | Najran | Ali II ibn Muhsin ibn Husayn | 1934 | Incorporation into Saudi Arabia. |
.svg) | Albania | Zog I | 1939 | Throne usurped byVictor Emmanuel III, afterItalian invasion. |
| 1940s | ||||
.svg) | Greece | George II | 1941 | The end of the monarchy was announced byGeorgios Tsolakoglou after taking over as prime minister of theHellenic State, which was collaborating with theThird Reich and not recognized by theAllies. |
.svg) | Albania | Victor Emmanuel III | 1943 | Relinquished throne afterItalian armistice in 1943. |
.svg) | Croatia | Tomislav II | Abdicated after withdrawal of Italian support in 1943. | |
.svg) | Iceland | Christian X | 1944 | Referendum; official result: 99.5% in favour of termination of personal union with Denmark, 98.5% in favour of new republican constitution. |
.svg) | Montenegro | Vacant (ruled by a governor) | Monarchy abolished after takeover byYugoslav Partisans | |
.svg) | Yugoslavia | Peter II | 1945 | Monarchy abolished by the Communist regime ofJosip Broz Tito |
 | Manchukuo | Kangde | Monarchy abolished after thesurrender of Japan. Territories returned to theRepublic of China. | |
 | Gowa | Muhammad Tahur Muhibuddin | Sultanate abolished. | |
.svg) | Vietnam | Bảo Đại | Monarchy abolished after the surrender of Japan. | |
.svg) | Gypsy | Janos I | The king abdicated and no successor was elected. | |
| Hungary | Miklós Horthy asRegent | 1946 | Decision of the parliament without a referendum. |
.svg) | Italy | Umberto II | Referendum; official result: 54.3% in favour of republic. | |
 | Bulgaria | Simeon II | Referendum; official result: 95% in favour of republic. Tsar Simeon II was exiled by the CommunistFatherland Front regime. Simeon later served asPrime Minister of Bulgaria from 2001 to 2005. | |
.svg) | Sarawak | Charles Vyner Brooke | White Rajahs ceded Sarawak to the British Crown, which created theColony of Sarawak | |
 | Deli | Amaluddin Al Sani Perkasa Alamsyah | Acts of violence against the nobility reached their peak during the bloody incident known as theSocial Revolution in 1946. Many kings and members of royal families in North Sumatra were murdered and robbed of property and belongings, includingTengku Amir Hamzah, the Indonesian poet who was beheaded in Kuala Begumit. The family of the Sultanate of Deli and Serdang survived thanks to the protection of the Allied soldiers who were there to accept the surrender of the Japanese. | |
 | Asahan | Shaibun Abdul Jalil Rahmad Shah | ||
 | Langkat | Mahmud Abdul Jalil Rahmad Shah | ||
.svg) | Serdang | Sulaiman Syariful Alam Shah | ||
| Princely States | 1947–1974 | Political integration of India | ||
 | Romania | Michael I | 1947 | Forced to abdicate and exiled by the Communists. |
 | Ireland | George VI | 1949 | Abolished the last "monarchy of Ireland" under the terms of theRepublic of Ireland Act 1948 as from 18 April 1949, which also saw Ireland become a republic outside the British Commonwealth. Ten days later, theLondon Declaration was enacted to allow republics and native monarchies to become members of the newly renamedCommonwealth of Nations. |
 | Mangkunegaran | Mangkunegara VII | Integration with Indonesia. | |
 | Siak | Kasim Abdul Jalil Syaifudin I | The Sultan also handed over his property for the struggle of independence of the Republic of Indonesia. | |
 | Surakarta Sunanate | Pakubuwono XII | During theIndonesian National Revolution, the Surakarta Sunanate and Mangkunegaran Princedom sent a letter of confidence toSukarno to demonstrate their support for the newly declared Republic of Indonesia. They were subsequently awarded the status of Daerah Istimewa (Special Region, similar to today'sYogyakarta Sultanate) within the Indonesian state. However, because of political agitation and opposition from Indonesian communists that led to an anti-monarchy movement and rebellion in early 1946, both monarchies had their Special Region status revoked and were then merged into the province ofCentral Java. | |
| 1950s | ||||
 | Pontianak | Syarif Hamid II of Pontianak | 1950 | Integration with Indonesia. |
 | Kotawaringin | |||
 | India | George VI | Abolishedits monarchy after adoptinga new republican constitution. India became the firstrepublic in the Commonwealth of Nations. | |
 | Jaisalmer | Giridhar Singh Bhati | Merged with theRepublic of India. | |
 | Mysore | Jayachamaraja Wodeyar | ||
 | Tibet | Tenzin Gyatso | 1951 | Annexed by thePeople's Republic of China. |
.svg) | Egypt | Fuad II | 1953 | Republic proclaimed the year after the1952 Egyptian revolution. |
 | Pakistan | Elizabeth II | 1956 | Abolishedits monarchy after adoptinga new republican constitution. |
 | Tunisia | Muhammad VIII | 1957 | Ordered by parliament. |
 | Ashanti | Prempeh II | 1957 | Entered into state union withGhana after independence from theUnited Kingdom. |
.svg) | Iraq | Faisal II | 1958 | Coup d'état |
 | Bima | Muhammad Salahuddin | In 1958, the Sumbawan principalities were abolished by the Indonesian republic and replaced by a modern bureaucratic structure | |
| 1960s | ||||
.svg) | Buton | Falihi of Buton | 1960 | Integration with Indonesia. |
 | Ghana | Elizabeth II | Abolishedits monarchy pursuant to areferendum; official result: 88% in favour of republic. | |
.svg) | South Africa | 1961 | Abolishedits monarchy pursuant to areferendum; official result: 53% in favour of republic. South Africa also withdrew from the Commonwealth, but was readmitted on 1 June 1994. | |
.svg) | Rwanda | Kigeli V | coup d'état, followed byreferendum; official result: 80% in favour of abolishing monarchy. | |
.svg) | Tanganyika | Elizabeth II | 1962 | Abolishedits monarchy after adopting a new republican constitution. |
 | Yemen | Muhammad al-Badr | coup d'état | |
 | South Kasai | Albert Kalonji | Status of the head of state was complicated, Albert Kalonji used the title of Mulopwe (God-king/Emperor). | |
 | Nigeria | Elizabeth II | 1963 | Abolishedits monarchy after amending its constitution. |
 | Uganda | Abolishedits monarchy after amending its constitution. | ||
 | Kenya | 1964 | Abolishedits monarchy after amending its constitution. | |
.svg) | Zanzibar | Jamshid bin Abdullah | Zanzibar Revolution | |
.svg) | Burundi | Ntare V | 1966 | coup d'état |
 | Malawi | Elizabeth II | Abolishedits monarchy after adopting a new republican constitution. | |
 | Fadhli Sultanate | Nasser bin Abdullah bin Hussein bin Ahmed Alfadhli | 1967 | Incorporation into the newly createdPeople's Republic of South Yemen. |
 | Qu'aiti Sultanate in Hadhramaut | Ghalib II bin Awadh bin Saleh Al Qu'aiti | ||
 | Sultanate of Upper Yafa | Muhammad ibn Salih Harharah | ||
 | Sultanate of Lower Yafa | Mahmud ibn Aidrus Al Afifi | ||
| Muflahi Sheikhdom | al Qasim ibn Abd ar Rahman | |||
| Audhali Sultanate | Salih ibn al Husayn ibn Jabil Al Audhali | |||
 | Emirate of Beihan | Saleh al Hussein Al Habieli | ||
| Dathina Sheikhdom | ||||
 | Emirate of Dhala | Shafaul ibn Ali Shaif Al Amiri | ||
 | Wahidi Sultanate of Balhaf in Hadhramaut | |||
| Sheikhdom of Shaib | Yahya ibn Mutahhar al-Saqladi | |||
| Alawi Sheikhdom | Salih ibn Sayil Al Alawi | |||
| Aqrabi Sheikhdom | Mahmud ibn Muhammad Al Aqrabi | |||
 | Wahidi Sultanate of Haban in Hadhramaut | Husayn ibn Abd Allah Al Wahidi | ||
| Qutaibi Sheikhdom | ||||
| Hadrami Sheikhdom | ||||
| Mausatta Sheikhdom | ||||
| Busi Sheikhdom | ||||
| Dhabi Sheikhdom | ||||
| Haushabi Sultanate | Faisal bin Surur Al Haushabi | |||
 | Kathiri Sultanate in Hadhramaut | Al Husayn ibn Ali | ||
 | Mahra Sultanate | |||
 | Sultanate of Lahej | Ali bin Abd al Karim al Abdali | ||
| Sheikhdom of al-Hawra | ||||
| Sheikhdom of al-`Irqa | ||||
| Lower Aulaqi Sultanate | Nasir ibn Aidrus Al Awlaqi | |||
| Upper Aulaqi Sultanate | Awad ibn Salih Al Awlaqi | |||
| Upper Aulaqi Sheikhdom | Amir Abd Allah ibn Muhsin al Yaslami Al Aulaqi | |||
 | Ankole | Gasiyonga II | Abolished by the government of PresidentMilton Obote. It remains officially inexistant, as PresidentYoweri Museveni has opposed the kingdom's restoration.[29][30] | |
| Tidore | Zainal Abidin Syah | Sultanate abolished. | ||
 | Maldives | Muhammad Fareed Didi | 1968 | Referendum; official result: 81.23% in favour of republic. |
 | Libya | Idris I | 1969 | coup d'état |
| Saloum | Maad Saloum Fode N'Gouye Joof | Last monarchs died; the realms were incorporated into the newly independentRepublic of Senegal. | ||
| Sine | Maad a Sinig Mahecor Joof | |||
| 1970s | ||||
 | Guyana | Elizabeth II | 1970 | Abolishedits monarchy after adopting a resolution establishing a republic.[31] |
 | Cambodia | Norodom Sihanouk | Later restored (see below). | |
.svg) | Rhodesia | Elizabeth II | Abolishedits unrecognised monarchy. An unrecognised government of the British colony ofSouthern Rhodesia hadunilaterally declared independence as Rhodesia in 1965, proclaiming Elizabeth II as Queen, but she did not accept the title, nor was it recognised by any other state. Following areferendum in 1969, in which 81% voted to abolish the monarchy, a republic was declared in 1970. Rhodesia continued to be internationally recognised as a British colony through 1979, whenit was disestablished and the independent republic ofZimbabwe was founded in 1980, which was a member of the Commonwealth until December 2003. | |
 | The Gambia | Abolishedits monarchy pursuant to areferendum; official result: 70.45% in favour of republic. | ||
 | Sierra Leone | 1971 | Abolishedits monarchy after adopting a new republican constitution. | |
 | Ceylon | 1972 | Abolishedits monarchy after adoptinga new republican constitution; country renamed to "Sri Lanka". | |
.svg) | Afghanistan | Mohammed Zahir Shah | 1973 | coup d'état |
.svg) | Greece | Constantine II | 1974 | Referendum; official result: 69.18% against monarchy.A prior referendum had been organised by themilitary junta with 78.57% in favour of a republic, but was annulled after the junta was overthrown earlier in 1974. |
 | Malta | Elizabeth II | Abolishedits monarchy after amending its constitution. | |
.svg) | Ethiopia | Haile Selassie I /Amha Selassie | 1975 | Abolished the monarchy following acoup d'état in 1974. |
.svg) | Sikkim | Palden Thondup Namgyal | Referendum; official result: 97% to become astate of India. | |
.svg) | Laos | Savang Vatthana | Communist takeover by thePathet Lao | |
 | Trinidad and Tobago | Elizabeth II | 1976 | Abolishedits monarchy after adopting a new republican constitution. |
.svg) | Iran | Mohammad Reza Pahlavi | 1979 | Iranian Revolution |
 | Central Africa | Bokassa I | Dethroned by aFrench military operation to restore the deposed president to power. | |
| 1980s | ||||
.svg) | Rwenzururu | Charles Mumbere | 1982 | Forced to abdicate by the government of Uganda; declaration of independence of Rwenzururu was annulled. |
 | Fiji | Elizabeth II | 1987 | Abolishedits monarchy as a result of theSeptember 1987 coup d'état bySitiveni Rabuka.Elizabeth II remained recognized asParamount Chief by theGreat Council of Chiefs until the council's de-establishment on 14 March 2012 byFrank Bainimarama. Additionally, the Queen's portrait continued to feature on Fijian coins and banknotes until 2013. |
| 1990s | ||||
 | Kuwait | Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah | 1990 | Dethroned due to theIraqi invasion of Kuwait. Restored in 1991 (see below). |
 | Mauritius | Elizabeth II | 1992 | Abolishedits monarchy after amending its constitution. |
| 2000s | ||||
 | Samoa | Malietoa Tanumafili II | 2007 | Died in office, triggering a transition to subsequentO le Ao o le Malo (heads of state) being elected for five-year terms. The country is ade jure republic, although all heads of state have been members of the high lineagetamaʻāiga dynasties. A proposal to elect future officeholders for life has been made.[32] |
 | Nepal | Gyanendra | 2008 | Establishment of a federal republic approved by the1st Nepalese Constituent Assembly.[33] |
 | Lo | Jigme Dorje Palbar Bista | Abolished by order of theGovernment of Nepal.[34] | |
| 2020s | ||||
 | Barbados | Elizabeth II | 2021 | Abolishedits monarchy after adopting theConstitution (Amendment) (No. 2) Act, 2021, which created the office of thePresident of Barbados. |
| Country | Year abolished | Notes | Year restored | Years of republic | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
  | England | 1649 | Commonwealth of England established, then Parliament reversed itself and invited thereturn of the monarchy. | 1660 | 11 |
.svg) | Scotland | 1652 | Commonwealth | 1660 | 8 |
 | Spain | 1873 | First Spanish Republic established. | 1874 | 1 |
| 1931 | Second Spanish Republic established;restored (de jure) under the regency ofFrancisco Franco. | De jure: 1947 De facto: 1975 | De jure: 16 De facto: 44 | ||
| Kuwait | 1990 | Republic of Kuwait proclaimed prior toannexation byIraq; restored in theGulf War. | 1991 | 1 |
| Cambodia | 1970 | TheKhmer Republic established; restored as anelective monarchy. | 1993 | 23 |
Many othermonarchies continue to exist in the 21st century, never having been abolished.
If most Americans saw the danger of addressing Washington as their American Caesar – he had absolutely no interest in becoming emperor – they nevertheless found it surprisingly appealing.
