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00:00With the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations wrapping up, we examined the world's longest
00:06reigning monarchs and queens throughout history.
00:10After surpassing her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria in 2007, Queen Elizabeth II
00:16became the longest-living British monarch on September 9, 2015.
00:21From Thursday, June 2 through Sunday, June 5, 2022, was a four-day bank holiday weekend
00:27in honor of the Queen's remarkable achievement, giving Britons two days off from work.
00:33Several jubilee celebrations and events were scheduled for the long weekend.
00:38The 25 kings of states whose sovereignty was recognized worldwide for the majority of their
00:43reign or longer are listed below.
00:46Check out the complete list!
00:49Number 1 Louis XIV
00:52Louis XIV, the youngest child of Louis XIII of France and Anne of Austria, became king
00:58in May 1643.
01:00He was only four years old.
01:02Although Louis XIV's reign would come to an end in 1715 and be succeeded by his great-grandson
01:08Louis XV, his time in power was marked by Versailles' transformation into an opulent
01:14palace, his unwavering support for the arts, the king himself trained in ballet, which
01:19at the time was valuable political currency, and the beginning of several wars.
01:25He was an absolute ruler who referred to himself as the Sun King, mimicking the Greek sun deity
01:30Apollo in both art and daily life, and thought of himself as the center of the world for
01:36France.
01:39Number 2 Elizabeth II
01:42Queen Elizabeth was crowned in 1953 after being proclaimed Queen of Great Britain and
01:47Northern Ireland in 1952.
01:50She surpassed her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria to hold the title of the longest-reigning
01:55British monarch in history on September 9, 2015, after being the longest-living British
02:01monarch in 2007.
02:03Even though she was never intended to be queen at birth, Queen Elizabeth worked with numerous
02:08British and American presidents during her reign in addition to many other foreign leaders.
02:14When her grandfather King George V passed away in 1936, her uncle Edward VIII was expected
02:20to succeed him as monarch, but Edward gave up his throne to wed American socialite Wallace
02:26Simpson.
02:27Consequently, George VI, Elizabeth's father, and Edward VIII's sibling assumed the throne,
02:34which passed to Elizabeth upon his death.
02:38Number 3 Johann II
02:41Johann II is the third-longest-reigning monarch in European history, according to records.
02:47Liechtenstein's former King Johann II, whose reign was succeeded by his brother Francis
02:52I after his death, never wed and never had children.
02:56However, he did implement many significant reforms that led to the nation's independence,
03:02the dissolution of its army, and its designation as a neutral state.
03:06He also established the nation's financial system and legislative governance.
03:11He fostered the humanities and sciences and founded museums and art galleries.
03:17Number 4 K'nitch-Janab-Bakal
03:21K'nitch-Janab-Bakal, sometimes referred to as Bakal the Great, ruled the ancient Mayan
03:26world for the longest period.
03:28At the age of 12, during a tumultuous and unstable period, he succeeded his mother,
03:34from whom he inherited the power to rule, and it is thought that she helped him.
03:39He constructed the Temple of the Inscriptions while in charge of Palenque, an ancient Maya
03:44city situated about 500 miles southeast of Mexico City and present-day Chiapas.
03:50This work of art would eventually house his sarcophagus.
03:54Number 5 Franz Joseph I
03:58Franz Joseph I was crowned Emperor of the Austrian Empire on his 18th birthday, a decision
04:04that stoked expectations of a revival of support for the monarchy, because in no small
04:09part of Franz Joseph's youthful appearance.
04:13A tailor attempted to stab the king in the neck when he was out for a stroll in 1853,
04:18leading to the attempted assassination.
04:20However, Franz Joseph was spared from receiving the majority of the blows by a neighboring
04:24woman who shouted out when she saw a weapon.
04:28No reason was ever found.
04:30Franz Joseph continued to rule as Austrius Emperor after accepting the throne of Hungary
04:35as king in 1867.
04:38He ruled until he died in 1916.
04:42Number 6 Constantine VIII
04:46Constantine VIII and his brother Basil were appointed co-rulers of the Byzantine Empire
04:50around the time that Constantine VIII was set to celebrate his first birthday in 960.
04:57The brothers were able to seize control from the acting ruler of the empire in 976, despite
05:03having little genuine political influence.
05:06Compared to his brother Basil, who utilized war to finance and expand the empire, Constantine
05:12VIII is remembered as being more engaged in opulent and leisurely activities.
05:17Nevertheless, Constantine VIII continued to rule the Byzantine Empire as a co-emperor
05:24until his passing in 1028.
05:28Number 7 Bumibol Adeliede
05:31Bumibol Adeliede, a monarch who ruled during the modern era, was the ninth king of Thailand's
05:37Chakri dynasty and ruled for 70 years before passing away in 2016 at the age of 88.
05:44He was born there in 1927 while his father was a student at Cambridge, Massachusetts,
05:49Harvard University.
05:51The length of Adeliede's reign made him the monarch of Thailand with the longest reign.
05:56Bumibol Adeliede guided Thailand through years of military coups despite having little political
06:02influence during his reign.
06:04As a result, the Thai people came to view him as a symbol of stability and unity.
06:11Number 8 Basil II
06:14Basil II, who was born in 957 or 958, was named co-emperor of the Byzantine Empire in
06:21960 and, along with his brother, assumed leadership in 976 when he was about 18 years old.
06:29Basil expanded the Byzantine Empire by war and kept its coffers full as emperor.
06:35The length of Basil's rule is up for debate, just like Constantine's was.
06:40Born Robert Bartlett, notes in Blood Royal Dynastic Politics in Medieval Europe, Romanos
06:46II had his young son Basil crowned on April 22, 960, which was Easter Day.
06:53Since Basil died on December 15, 1025, he had, from one point of view, had a reign of
06:59more than 65 years.
07:02Modern historians, however, date his reign from 976 to 1025, starting it from the time
07:08that his co-emperor and guardian and the real ruler, John Zemeskis, died.
07:15Number 9 Victoria Queen Victoria, who held the throne for the
07:20longest time in British history, was 18 when she took the oath of office in 1837.
07:26Queen Victoria inaugurated the era that bears her name by surviving many assassination attempts
07:31during her reign.
07:33The smallpox vaccination and the telegraph are just two examples of the significant scientific
07:38and technological advances that define the Victorian era.
07:43Number 10 James I Although the name Aragon conjures up images
07:49of a fantastical land where dragons prowl, the Iberian Peninsula's historical Aragon,
07:55which now includes modern-day Portugal and Spain, actually existed.
07:59James I commanded the army of the medieval kingdom in 1212 as it conquered and subdued
08:04neighboring nations.
08:06James I began his 63-year reign in 1213, making it the longest reign in Iberia.
08:12James I launched decades of growth throughout his reign, bringing the Balearic Islands and
08:18Valencia into Iberian control.
08:22Number 11 Hirohito The 124th Emperor of Japan, Michinomiya Hirohito,
08:30is renowned for holding the position for the longest period.
08:33He traveled widely around Europe before ascending to the throne, which was unique in the period.
08:39Following the passing of his father in 1926, Hirohito made schwa, or enlightened harmony,
08:45the central foundation of his rule.
08:47He linked the nation with Nazi Germany during World War II, but when the Allies had won,
08:53he ordered its capitulation.
08:54Then, before his passing in 1989, he made history by becoming the first Japanese monarch
09:01to travel to the United States.
09:03He also penned several books on marine biology.
09:08Number 12 Kangxi Emperor After his father passed away from smallpox
09:13at the age of 7, Kangxi succeeded him as the second emperor of the Chinese Qing Dynasty.
09:19During his teenage years, Kangxi began to rule in earnest, and he is best known for
09:24the notable expansion of the Chinese Empire into regions of Mongolia, Tibet, and Heilongjiang.
09:30Additionally, he strove to open ports for foreign trade, which contributed to the beginning
09:35of a period of economic success.
09:38Kangxi was captivated by European painting techniques and encouraged the arts,
09:42and thought education was crucial.
09:46Number 13 Christian IV At the tender age of 11, Christian IV
09:52succeeded his father as King of Denmark and Norway.
09:55However, he was not formally crowned until he was 19 years old in 1596.
10:01He is renowned for his several incursions into the disastrous Thirty Years' War,
10:06as well as feudal conflicts against Sweden.
10:09Christian IV had a flair for architecture and built many still-loved structures,
10:13such as Fredericksburg Castle when he wasn't at war.
10:17Before his death in 1648, he had 20 offspring with five different women during his prolific
10:23personal life.
10:26Number 14 Friedrich Gunther
10:29Friedrich Gunther was just 13 years old when he was named Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt,
10:34a region in present-day Thuringia, Germany.
10:37After his father passed away, he ascended to the throne.
10:41However, up until the age of 21, his mother held the position of the crown.
10:47The last ruler of the House of Schwarzburg, Gunther ruled for the remainder of his life.
10:53Number 15 Qianlong
10:56Qianlong, the grandson of long-reigning Chinese Emperor Kangxi,
11:01ruled China for a similar amount of time.
11:03In 1735, when Qianlong was 24 years old, he started a string of noteworthy deeds that
11:10included compiling the Siku Quanshu, a comprehensive list of all the books that
11:14were known to exist in China.
11:17Some believe this was an organic result of Qianlong's support for the arts and personal
11:21interest in poetry and calligraphy.
11:24Qianlong labored to successfully extend China's territory with a new province,
11:28presently known as the Uyghur Autonomous Region of Xinjiang,
11:32until his rule came to an end with his death in 1796.
11:38Number 16 Honoré III
11:42Some monarchs like to get their hands dirty, and monarchs like to keep a distance.
11:47Despite Monaco's apparent neutrality in the War of the Austrian Succession,
11:51Honoré III, who took the Monegasque crown at age 13,
11:55spent the majority of his reign fighting in the Royal French Army.
11:59During his rule, he developed Monaco's first printing press and newspaper,
12:04as well as enhanced the country's trade,
12:06which was heavily reliant on the development of circus fruits.
12:11George III
12:13George III was regarded as England's longest-reigning monarch
12:17before Queen Victoria and the current British monarch, Queen Elizabeth.
12:21After the death of his grandfather in 1760,
12:24he came to the throne of Great Britain and Ireland.
12:27He wed Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz,
12:30a German duchess, to strengthen their political position.
12:33The union produced 15 offspring, who were brought into the palace's daily life.
12:39Britain's triumph in the Seven Years' War
12:41and resistance to Napoleon's France during his reign are remarkable achievements.
12:46George III is said to have suffered from a severe mental disease
12:49throughout the final 10 years of his life.
12:54Number 18
12:55Honoré I
12:57It's best to get things going early if you want to be a long-reigning monarch,
13:01and Honoré I excelled at this.
13:04When he was just nine months old, following the death of his father Lucien Grimaldi,
13:09he was crowned the Lord of Monaco.
13:11Naturally, many regents supported Honoré I in making decisions,
13:16and it is said that he delegated governance to one of them.
13:19Honoré I, however, assumed more responsibility for day-to-day management
13:24during the last 20 years of his life.
13:26He also gained notoriety for a string of battles
13:29and for inviting Pope Paul III to Monaco.
13:32Number 19
13:35Nicholas I
13:36In 1860, Nicholas I succeeded his father as the Crown Prince of Montenegro,
13:42a small country with little real influence on the international scene.
13:47But during his administration, Montenegro more than doubled in size
13:50and developed into not only a sovereign state,
13:53but also a significant diplomatic powerhouse.
13:56Nicholas I grew more autocratic after years of popular rule,
14:01yet he grudgingly enacted a constitution in 1905 that curtailed his authority.
14:06Nicholas I spent the remainder of his life in exile in Italy
14:10after a failed entry into World War I.
14:14Number 20
14:15Pedro II
14:16When Pedro II assumed the throne in 1831 at the age of five,
14:21he was proclaimed the country's second emperor by the time he was 10 years old.
14:25He was regarded as a kind-hearted leader
14:27who was skilled at utilizing Brazil's natural riches
14:30to strengthen the country's ailing economy.
14:33Pedro II made considerable strides in building a network of railroad,
14:37telegraph, and cable lines,
14:39as well as shifting the nation's focus from the production of sugar to coffee beans.
14:44Because of his anti-slavery activities in support of the masons,
14:47the latter of which infuriated the Roman Catholic Church,
14:51his popularity had declined by the time of his death in 1889.
14:55Number 21
14:57Wilhelmina I
14:59At the start of World War II,
15:01Wilhelmina made it known that she opposed the German occupation as Queen of the Netherlands.
15:07She went to London along with other of her cabinet members,
15:11but because of a BBC radio program called Radio Orange
15:14that was transmitted to the Netherlands,
15:16she came to represent Dutch resistance.
15:19To boost morale among her people,
15:21she famously uttered the phrase,
15:23She renounced the throne in 1948
15:26and had a private life until her passing in 1962.
15:30Number 22
15:32Ludovico I
15:34Ludovico I, who ruled over Saluzzo, Italy for the majority of the 15th century
15:40until his death in 1476,
15:42is a man about whom nothing is known.
15:44Before the Italian Wars began,
15:47Ludovico I is remembered for helping to create a wealthy family
15:51Ludovico I is remembered for helping to create a wealthy age for the people of Saluzzo
15:55and fostering friendly ties with surrounding communities.
15:58With its cobblestone streets, historic churches and medieval palace,
16:03Saluzzo's historic city center has grown to be a well-liked tourist destination.
16:07Saluzzo is a hilltop city with views of the surrounding mountains and agricultural plains.
16:14Number 23
16:16Louis XV
16:17It was never anticipated that Louis XV,
16:20who was born in 1710, would rule France.
16:24However, by the time he turned five,
16:26his father, grandfather and two elder brothers had all passed away,
16:30making him the heir apparent.
16:32By the age of ten, he was present at cabinet sessions,
16:36but as he became more interested in botany and his string of mistresses,
16:40his desire to rule as a monarch faded.
16:43Although he was once referred to as Louis the Beloved,
16:46his popularity declined as a result of his involvement
16:49in multiple costly wars and the French Revolution.
16:53Number 24
16:55James VI
16:57James VI, the only child of Mary Queen of Scots,
17:01took the throne of Scotland in 1567 following his mother's forced abdication.
17:06James VI believed in a royal absolutism,
17:09which is a monarchy without constitutional restrictions
17:13and one in which a royal thinks themselves to be a divine ruler on earth,
17:17even though a board of regents reigned until he was in his teens.
17:21After Queen Elizabeth I passed away in 1603,
17:24he also became James I of England.
17:27As he worked to unify the two nations,
17:29this dual identity became known as the Union of the Crowns.
17:35Number 25
17:37Athelstan
17:38The monk Athelstan in the History Channel's Viking,
17:41a character who is a fictitious fusion of his time,
17:44is not to be confused with Athelstan, the first monarch of England.
17:49The in-person Athelstan was a warrior who repelled invading Danes and Scots to expand
17:54and later found a kingdom that is now known as England.
17:57He died in Gloucester, England in 939 at the age of 47.
18:02Athelstan established churches all around the realm,
18:05brought about legal and social change,
18:08and established a cosmopolitan court with scholars from all over Europe during his reign.
18:13After sending military aid to Norway, he became known as Athelstan the Good
18:18and used clever familial unions to establish strong ties with mainland Europe.
18:23Heavy is the head that wears the crown,
18:26and no one wore that headpiece longer than the men and women on this list.
18:30One feels the weight of the crown instantly upon knowing these personalities.
18:35They not only carry millennia of history,
18:38but also a ton of responsibility towards the present and the future generations.
18:43Someone has rightly put it,
18:45a thousand years and more of history, a divine power with near limitless authority.
18:50One placed upon the head shall transform you not in body, but presence.
18:55You are no longer you, you are the sovereignty of the country, the monarch.
19:01The country in human form, your cells and organs constitute the land.
19:06By God and his decision, you are king.
19:10What are your opinions on this video?
19:13Are any of your favorite monarchs on the list?
19:16Do let us know in the comment section below what you like about them.
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