All-time

• Main article: List of longest reigning monarchs of all time

The longest-reigning monarch of all-time is a matter of some debate. Candidates include Pepi II Neferkare

Pepi II Neferkare

Pepi II was a pharaoh of the Sixth dynasty in Egypt's Old Kingdom. His throne name, Neferkare , means "Beautiful is the Ka of Re". He succeeded to the throne at age six, after the death of Merenre I, and is generally credited with having the longest reign of any monarch in history at 94 years...

, pharaoh

Pharaoh

Pharaoh is a title used in many modern discussions of the ancient Egyptian rulers of all periods. The title originates in the term "pr-aa" which means "great house" and describes the royal palace...

 of Ancient Egypt

Ancient Egypt

Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...

, believed to have ruled for around 94 years between 2278 BC and 2184 BC, however some sources put the length of his reign at only 64 years. Minhti, king of Arakan

Rakhine State

Rakhine State is a Burmese state. Situated on the western coast, it is bordered by Chin State in the north, Magway Region, Bago Region and Ayeyarwady Region in the east, the Bay of Bengal to the west, and the Chittagong Division of Bangladesh to the northwest. It is located approximately between...

 (now in Burma) is reputed to have reigned for 95 years from 1279 to 1374, but little documentary evidence exists for this claim. Similarly Taejo of Goguryeo

Taejo of Goguryeo

King Taejo of Goguryeo was the sixth monarch of Goguryeo, the northernmost of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. He is sometimes called Taejo the Great. He rose to the throne following the assassination of King Mobon. Under his reign, the young state expanded its territory and developed into a...

 (now in Korea

Korea

Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...

) is listed as reigning for 93 years between 53 and 146 eventually dying at the age of 119 in 165.

The longest undisputed reign is that of Sobhuza II of Swaziland

Sobhuza II of Swaziland

Ngwenyama Sobhuza II was the Paramount Chief and later King of Swaziland. He was the son of Ngwane V.-Biography:...

 who ascended to the throne on December 10, 1899 at the age of four months and ruled until his death on August 21, 1982, a reign of 82 years and 254 days.

Current

• Main article: List of longest reigning current monarchs

The longest-serving current monarch is King Rama IX of Thailand

Bhumibol Adulyadej

Bhumibol Adulyadej is the current King of Thailand. He is known as Rama IX...

 who has been king of Thailand

Thailand

Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...

 since June 9, 1946 – 65 years.

Democratic

President Urho Kekkonen

Urho Kekkonen

Urho Kaleva Kekkonen , was a Finnish politician who served as Prime Minister of Finland and later as the eighth President of Finland . Kekkonen continued the “active neutrality” policy of his predecessor President Juho Kusti Paasikivi, a doctrine which came to be known as the “Paasikivi–Kekkonen...

 (1900–1986) was elected for five consecutive terms as President of Finland

President of Finland

The President of the Republic of Finland is the nation's head of state. Under the Finnish constitution, executive power is vested in the President and the government, with the President possessing extensive powers. The President is elected directly by the people of Finland for a term of six years....

. He acted as President of Finland for 25 years, from 1956 to 1981, when Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease also known in medical literature as Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death...

 forced him to resign. After his death the presidency was limited by law for two consecutive terms.

Dictatorial

• Main article: List of longest ruling non-royal leaders

The longest reigning dictator was Fidel Castro

Fidel Castro

Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...

 who served as First Secretary/Prime Minister/President of Cuba and began his rule on 16 Feb 1959 to 24 Feb 2008, which is a total of 49 years, 8 days.

Monarch

The shortest reign is believed to be that of Luís Filipe of Portugal who was assassinated at the same time as his father on February 1, 1908. He could thus be claimed to have been King of Portugal for 20 minutes. However the Portuguese monarchy lacked automatic succession and so any claim that he was de facto king does not hold up to scrutiny.

Louis Antoine, Duke of Angoulême, also ruled for a period of 20 minutes as King of France after his father abdicated during the July Revolution

July Revolution

The French Revolution of 1830, also known as the July Revolution or in French, saw the overthrow of King Charles X of France, the French Bourbon monarch, and the ascent of his cousin Louis-Philippe, Duke of Orléans, who himself, after 18 precarious years on the throne, would in turn be overthrown...

. Antoine abdicated and was succeeded by Henry, Count of Chambord. Since the letters of abdication were written, and thus indisputable, Antoine can be described as the shortest reigning monarch in written history.

Oldest

Officially, the current Emperor of Japan

Emperor of Japan

The Emperor of Japan is, according to the 1947 Constitution of Japan, "the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people." He is a ceremonial figurehead under a form of constitutional monarchy and is head of the Japanese Imperial Family with functions as head of state. He is also the highest...

, Akihito

Akihito

is the current , the 125th emperor of his line according to Japan's traditional order of succession. He acceded to the throne in 1989.-Name:In Japan, the emperor is never referred to by his given name, but rather is referred to as "His Imperial Majesty the Emperor" which may be shortened to . In...

 is the 125th in line from the first emperor Jimmu

Emperor Jimmu

was the first Emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. He is also known as Kamuyamato Iwarebiko and personally as Wakamikenu no Mikoto or Sano no Mikoto....

, who is variously believed to have reigned in the 1st or 7th century BC. However, documentary evidence is only available for the 29th emperor, Kimmei

Emperor Kimmei

was the 29th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.His reign is said to have spanned the years from 539 through 571.-Traditional narrative:...

 (509—571 CE).

Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom

Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom

Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...

 is well documented as being descended from Arnulf of Metz

Arnulf of Metz

Saint Arnulf of Metz was a Frankish bishop of Metz and advisor to the Merovingian court of Austrasia, who retired to the Abbey of Remiremont....

 (c. 582—640), forefather of Charlemagne

Charlemagne

Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...

, thus representing a lineage of 47 generations. (See Descent of Elizabeth II from the Franks.)

Ottoman Empire

Ottoman Empire

The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...

 lasted for 36 sultans in 21 generations

Ottoman family tree

-Bibliography:...

, from Osman I

Osman I

Osman I or Othman I or El-Gazi Sultan Osman Ghazi, or Osman Bey or I. Osman, Osman Gazi Han), nicknamed "Kara" for his courage, was the leader of the Ottoman Turks, and the founder of the dynasty that established and ruled the Ottoman Empire...

 to Mehmed VI

Mehmed VI

Mehmet VI was the 36th and last Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, reigning from 1918 to 1922...

 for 623 years. (See List of sultans of the Ottoman Empire.)

Post-nominal numbers

The highest post-nominal number representing a member of a royal house is 75 for Count Heinrich LXXV House of Reuss, who was Count in 1800–1. All male members of the family were named Heinrich, and so the numbers are merely personal as opposed to regnal.

Heaviest

The heaviest monarch is believed to have been Taufa'ahau Tupou IV

Taufa'ahau Tupou IV

Tāufaāhau Tupou IV, King of Tonga, GCMG, GCVO, KBE, KStJ son of Queen Sālote Tupou III and her consort Prince Viliami Tungī Mailefihi, was the king of Tonga from the death of his mother in 1965 until his own death in 2006...

, King of Tonga

Tonga

Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...

 from 1965 to 2006 who at his peak in 1976 was measured as 209.5 kg (462 lb), though he subsequently lost around 40% of his weight.

Tallest

Abdou Diouf

Abdou Diouf

Abdou Diouf was the second President of Senegal, serving from 1981 to 2000. Diouf is notable both for coming to power by peaceful succession, and leaving willingly after losing the 2000 presidential election to Abdoulaye Wade...

 was the tallest head of state. He became President of Senegal in 1981, His height is 6 ft 6 inches (198cm)

Shortest

President

President of Mexico

The President of the United Mexican States is the head of state and government of Mexico. Under the Constitution, the president is also the Supreme Commander of the Mexican armed forces...

 Benito Juarez

Benito Juárez

Benito Juárez born Benito Pablo Juárez García, was a Mexican lawyer and politician of Zapotec origin from Oaxaca who served five terms as president of Mexico: 1858–1861 as interim, 1861–1865, 1865–1867, 1867–1871 and 1871–1872...

 of Mexico

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

reportedly the shortest world leader, Standing at 4 ft 6 inches (1.37m)