By Raza Mehdi
Oct 12, 2022
Time on the throne: 72 years and 110 days History's longest-reigning monarch is France's King Louis XIV, the Sun King (his chosen symbol). He assumed the throne from his father at age 4. He extended the borders and military and also built the Palace of Versailles.
Louis XIV
Time on the throne: 70 years and 214 days Queen Elizabeth II is the longest-reigning monarch in British history. She ascended the throne in 1952 at age 25. During her reign, the United Kingdom witnessed radical changes in legislation.
Elizabeth II
Time on the throne: 70 years and 126 days Thailand's late King Bhumibol Adulyadej was a leader who led his country with a humane approach, focusing on helping the needy. His compassion won him international acclaim.
Bhumibol Adulyadej
Time on the throne: 70 years and 91 days Johann II issued the first constitution of Liechtenstein. After World War I, he signed another constitution, turning the kingdom into a constitutional monarchy. He was nicknamed Johann the Good for his support of science and generosity to the impoverished.
Johann II
Time on the throne: 68 years and 220 days Sultan Muhammad Jiwa is the founder of Alor Setar, the state capital of Kedah, Malaysia among other existing landmarks. Alor Setar lies on the west bank of the Kedah River and is a major transportation centre.
Sultan Muhammad Jiwa Zainal Adilin II
Time on the throne: 68 years and 33 days Kʼinich Janaabʼ Pakal I was the Mayan king of Palenque, located in current Mexico. He transformed Palenque from obscurity to a grand city, containing massive temples shaped like pyramids with intricately carved inscriptions.
Kʼinich Janaabʼ Pakal I
Time on the throne: 67 years and 355 days Emperor of Austria-Hungary, Joseph I was a governing figure of the Habsburg Empire in the last decades of its existence. His ultimatum to Serbia triggered Austria and Germany into World War I.
Franz Joseph I
Time on the throne: 67 years and 130 days Chan Imix Kʼawiil was the longest-reigning ruler of the ancient Mayan city of Copán, located in Honduras. He constructed many monuments for the revival of the city from previous disasters.
Chan Imix Kʼawiil
Time on the throne: 65 years and 90 days Ferdinand III of Sicily was also the Ferdinand I of Naples. But he was deposed from the throne of Naples by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1806. After the fall of Napoleon, Ferdinand unified Sicily and Naples in 1816 and renamed himself the king of the Two Sicilies.
Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies
Time on the throne: 63 years and 216 days Queen Victoria was Great Britain's longest-serving sovereign with a profound legacy. Her period of authority was named the Victorian Era since the British Empire reached its zenith, with colonies and possessions on every continent.
Queen Victoria