The coronation of Carlos III and royals from around the world who flocked to London to attend the event revived interest in monarchies. And in a report, The Washington Post took a look at the richest and most powerful royal families on the planet, from Southeast Asia to the Middle East.
Currently, there are twenty-eight monarchs in the world. Seventeen of them are kings, while Margaret II of Denmark she is the only queen in office. In that aspect, the Principality of Andorra it has the curious characteristic of having two co-princes: the president of France and a Spanish bishop. A legacy that goes back to the times of the French empire.
Right now, Japan It is the only nation that has an emperor. The Muslim countries of Brunei and Oman they have sultans. Instead, the microstates of Liechtenstein and Monaco they have princes. Luxembourg it is the only country that has a ruler with the title of grand duke.
In the Arab countries, the nations of Qatar and Kuwait they remain with emirs. On the other hand, although its name makes reference, the United Arab Emirates it does not have an emir as the head of government, but rather has a presidential monarchy. The King of Saudi Arabia, Salman bin Abdul Aziz, At 87, he is the oldest monarch, although the crown prince Mohammed bin Salman he is the de facto ruler since 2017.
Monarchies can be divided into three general types: those with full governing power, those in which the monarch shares control with an elected body, and those the king alone mainly plays a ceremonial role. In this regard, the majority of European monarchs subscribe to the third option. Although, to remain relevant, several monarchs have taken steps to downsize and modernize.
About three years ago, the Swedish king stripped five of his grandchildren of their royal titles and obligations. Although they did not lose their line to the throne, they stopped receiving tax benefits as active members of royalty. the queen of denmark did the same thing last year. The Nordic royal families own more than a dozen royal palaces and estates. Even the Norwegian royal family sets sail on their 260-foot yacht to compete in regattas or visit fishing villages.
Most of the world’s younger, autocratic monarchies are found in the Middle East and have their roots in British colonialism. The one who would become the first king of Jordan, Abdullah I, came to power under British Mandate in 1921. So did the family al-Thani from Qatar, which from the 19th century increased its power while the area was a British protectorate. The story is similar with the al-Saud in Saudi Arabiawhich consolidated its power, in times of the mythical lawrence of arabiaby repulsing their rivals with the help of the British.
While other despotic regimes in the region have been toppled by foreign intervention or internal revolt, the iron-fisted monarchies of the Gulf have held steady. The discovery of oil and natural gas in the Gulf facilitated modernization, transforming desert ports such as Dubai and Doha in major world centers of commerce and travel.
On the African continent there are only three monarchies left. The kingdom of Morocco in the Maghreb region and two in the tiny nations of Lesotho and Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland. The ruler of Eswatini, King Mswati III, He is considered an autocratic despot who has ruled the country for more than 35 years. When the pro-democratic protests broke out in 2021, human rights organizations protested the repression carried out by the police by firing live ammunition.
In terms of monarchical eccentricities, thai king vajiralongkorn It is an international benchmark. Known for wearing tank tops, fathering seven children by three women and giving his poodle Foo Foo a four-day funeral, the president has limited powers in a country with a parliamentary system. In 2010, with the arrival of the de facto military government, a law was imposed that insulting the monarchy is illegal in Thailand and was implemented to suppress all dissent.
The Sultan of Bruneithe billionaire Hassanal Bolkiah, He is considered the most powerful royal leader in the world. He is the absolute monarch and the richest man in his country. In addition, he was the self-proclaimed prime minister and controls the state media. Currently, he is the longest-reigning monarch in the world.
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