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Curzon
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Curzon

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February 4th, 2010

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Pop Quiz — The World’s Oldest Monarch

Pop quiz for readers—who is the oldest monarch in the world? You might think that the answer is Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, or Emperor Akihito of Japan, or King Rama IX of Thailand, or perhaps someone else.

Give us your answer in the comments, but naturally, no googling or any other form of unfair play, please! I’ll be back with the answer in about 24 hours.

(See past pop quizes here, here and here.)

Comments to this entry

Joe Jones
February 4, 2010
5:56 am
My first guess is the Pope, though I forget his exact age.
Crucial Taunt
February 4, 2010
6:06 am
Likely QE-II. I think both Akihito and Bhumibol could be younger by a few hairs. Olav died not too long ago, he might've been the oldest at some point (?). Whatshisname from Spain - not too sure about him. What about the middle eastern sheikdoms - do they count?
T. Greer
February 4, 2010
6:23 am
Well, we are not talking about subnational monarchs, right? Hopefully not, as I can't think of the heads of any of those Monarchs.

My guess is the monarch in Brunei. I forget his name, but he has held that position since the 60s, so I imagine he is pretty old.
James
February 4, 2010
6:30 am
We aren't counting Kim Il-sung as a monarch, are we? He is still reigning as eternal leader of North Korea, even though he is technically dead.
spandrell
February 4, 2010
6:49 am
Castro
kushibo
February 4, 2010
7:35 am
This probably doesn't count, but I'll throw it out there anyway. In 2008, I wrote about the claimants to the Korean imperial/royal throne, one of whom is Yi Haewon (이해원/李海瑗), who will be ninety-one years old on April 24.

She was enthroned as empress by the Korean Imperial Family Association in 2006 to head the out-of-power Yi Dynasty, after the death of her cousin in 2005. The Korean Imperial Household has not held power officially since the Korean empire was absorbed by the Japanese empire in 1910, and it was not brought back to power after Korea's liberation from Japanese rule.

Empress Yi is the granddaughter of the last king and first emperor of Korea, Emperor Kojong, and a niece of the last emperor of Korea, Emperor Sunjong.

Of course, if you start counting out-of-power monarchs, especially contested ones, this could get very murky. Still, it's worth at least an asterisk.
Bob Harrison
February 4, 2010
7:59 am
Oldest monarch or oldest monarchy? The oldest monarchy is in Japan, so it would be Akihito. I think.
Jassim
February 4, 2010
8:00 am
I think it is either the king of Thailand or Shiek Saqer Bin Mohammad Al Qassimi ruler of Ras Al Khaima.
Curzon
February 4, 2010
10:31 am
Jassim wins! It is Sheikh Saqr bin Mohammad al-Qassimi, emir of Ras al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates, who at age 91 (turning 92 in April) is the world's oldest reigning monarch by eight years.

Sheikh Saqr has been ruler of Ras al Khaimah since July 17, 1948, making him the second-longest serving monarch after King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand (age 82), who was corronated on June 9, 1946.

Queen Elizabeth II is age 83 (the oldest "real" monarch of an independent sovereign state; the Emir of RAK defers sovereignty over foreign affairs to the UAE, although there are ipso facto exceptions when dealing with Iran and Oman) , and Emperor Akihito of Japan is the adolescent teenager of the four at a spritely 76.
Josh
February 4, 2010
11:29 am
Monarchy is one of the subjects that I care very little about but my guess is the King of Monaco, Grace Kelly's widower. Unless of course he's passed on and given the title to his son.
Josh
February 4, 2010
11:30 am
And of course I didn't read the comments until after I left my own.
Thomas
February 4, 2010
5:24 pm
Is this a tally of sitting or ruling monarchs only or of anyone who could have the title ascribed to them?

For instance, Queen Mother Elizabeth was nearly one hundred when she passed, for instance. However, she never wielded any actual power and did not hold her title independent of her husband. Would someone like her count in this estimation?
Curzon
February 4, 2010
6:06 pm
Thomas: No. Queen mother was never a sovereign, never the head of state or government or representative of the country, and had as much a constitutional position in the government as Westminster's janitor, i.e. none whatsoever.
Oliver
February 4, 2010
8:21 pm
Wouldn't she have been regent in case the Luftwaffe had taken out the king?
spandrell
February 4, 2010
11:23 pm
"and had as much a constitutional position in the government as Westminster's janitor"
That's a mean way of putting it.
Bob Harrison
February 5, 2010
12:05 am
King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia is older than Queen Elizbaeth II by two years.
Curzon
February 5, 2010
7:38 am
Bob, how right you are! I stand corrected. Wow, Abdullah looks good for his age, must be the dyed beard.