The following is a list of usurpers – illegitimate or controversial claimants to the throne in a monarchy. The word usurper is a derogatory term, often associated with claims that the ruler seized power by force or deceit rather than legal right. The term has often carried disdain to those who have been accused of being one.HistoricUK
Belgium
UsurperPredecessorReignCommentsLeopold I of BelgiumWilliam I of the Netherlands1831–1865The southern provinces of the Netherlands declared independence from the United Kingdom of the Netherlands with Leopold I being proclaimed King and sovereign ruler of the newly established Kingdom of Belgium in 1831. King William I of the Netherlands refused to accept the illegal separation of Belgium and launched the Ten Days' Campaign, a large military offensive by the Dutch to recapture the renegade southern provinces. Although initially successful for the Dutch, the French however backed the Belgians militarily and thereby forced the Dutch to accept diplomatic mediation. In 1839, the two countries signed the Treaty of London, officially recognizing the Kingdom of Belgium as an independent and sovereign state, and Leopold I as its legitimate ruler.
China
UsurperPredecessorReignCommentsTangKing Jie of Xia1675–1646 BCCollapse of the Xia dynasty. Establishment of the Shang dynasty.King Wu of ZhouDi Xin1046–1043 BCCollapse of the Shang dynasty. Establishment of the Western Zhou.King Cheng of ChuDu'ao671–626 BCKing Mu of ChuKing Cheng of Chu625–614 BCKing Ling of ChuJia'ao540–529 BCHelüLiao514–496 BCDuke Tai of Tian QiDuke Kang of Jiang Qi386–384 BCCollapse of the Jiang Qi. Establishment of the Tian Qi.Qin Er ShiQin Shi HuangFusu210–207 BCKnown in historiography as the Shaqiu Coup.Wang MangLiu Ying9–23Collapse of the Western Han. Establishment of the Xin dynasty.Emperor Wen of Cao WeiEmperor Xian of Han220–226Collapse of the Eastern Han. Establishment of the Cao Wei.Emperor Wu of JinEmperor Yuan of Cao Wei266–290Collapse of the Cao Wei. Establishment of the Western Jin.Emperor Wudao of Huan ChuEmperor An of Jin404Establishment of the Huan Chu.Emperor Wu of Liu SongEmperor Gong of Jin420–422Collapse of the Eastern Jin. Establishment of the Liu Song.Liu ShaoEmperor Wen of Liu Song453Emperor Ming of Liu SongLiu Ziye466–472Emperor Gao of Southern QiEmperor Shun of Liu Song479–482Collapse of the Liu Song. Establishment of the Southern Qi.Emperor Ming of Southern QiXiao Zhaowen494–498Emperor Wu of LiangEmperor He of Southern Qi502–549Collapse of the Southern Qi. Establishment of the Liang dynasty.Emperor Wenxuan of Northern QiEmperor Xiaojing of Eastern Wei550–559Collapse of the Eastern Wei. Establishment of the Northern Qi.Hou JingXiao Dong551–552Establishment of the Hou Han.Emperor Xiaomin of Northern ZhouEmperor Gong of Western Wei557Collapse of the Western Wei. Establishment of the Northern Zhou.Emperor Wu of ChenEmperor Jing of Liang557–559Collapse of the Liang dynasty. Establishment of the Chen dynasty.Emperor Xuan of ChenChen Bozong569–582Emperor Wen of SuiEmperor Jing of Northern Zhou581–604Collapse of the Northern Zhou. Establishment of the Sui dynasty.Emperor Yang of SuiEmperor Wen of SuiYang Yong604–618Yuwen HuajiYang Hao618–619Establishment of the Xu.Emperor Gaozu of TangYang You618–626Establishment of the Tang dynasty.Wang ShichongYang Tong619–621Collapse of the Sui dynasty. Establishment of the Zheng.Emperor Taizong of TangEmperor Gaozu of TangLi Jiancheng626–649Known in historiography as the Xuanwu Gate Incident.Wu ZetianEmperor Ruizong of Tang690–705Interregnum of the Tang dynasty. Establishment of the Wu Zhou.Emperor Zhongzong of TangWu Zetian684, 705–710Collapse of the Wu Zhou. Restoration of the Tang dynasty. Known in historiography as the Shenlong Coup.Emperor Taizu of Later LiangEmperor Ai of Tang907–912Collapse of the Tang dynasty. Establishment of the Later Liang.Zhu YouguiEmperor Taizu of Later Liang912–913Emperor Mingzong of Later TangEmperor Zhuangzong of Later Tang926–933Known in historiography as the Xingjiao Gate Incident.Emperor Liezu of Southern TangEmperor Rui of Yang Wu937–943Collapse of the Yang Wu. Establishment of the Southern Tang.Emperor Taizu of Later ZhouEmperor Yin of Later Han951–954Collapse of the Later Han. Establishment of the Later Zhou.Emperor Taizu of SongEmperor Gong of Later Zhou960–976Collapse of the Later Zhou. Establishment of the Northern Song. Known in historiography as the Coup at Chen Bridge.Emperor Taizong of SongEmperor Taizu of Song976–997Wanyan LiangEmperor Xizong of Jin1150–1161Emperor Lizong of SongEmperor Ningzong of SongZhao Hong1224–1264Yongle EmperorJianwen Emperor1402–1424Known in historiography as the Jingnan Campaign.Jingtai EmperorEmperor Yingzong of Ming1449 – 1457The Jingtai Emperor and Ming government deposed Emperor Yingzong as he was held captive by the Mongols.Emperor Yingzong of MingJingtai Emperor1435–1449, 1457–1464Known in historiography as the Duomen Coup.
Egypt
UsurperPredecessorReignCommentsAmasis IIApries570 BC – 526 BC
England
UsurperPredecessorReignCommentsBeorhtricCynewulf786 - 802 In 786 Cynewulf was murdered by Cyneheard the Ætheling, brother of Sigeberht whom Cynewulf had deposed.Mike Ashley, The Mammoth Book of British Kings and Queens (New york: Carroll & Graf, 1999), p. 312 Beorhtric then became king of Wessex with support from Offa of Mercia. It is not known whether Beorhtric played a role in the murder.Sweyn ForkbeardÆthelred the Unready1013 - 1014 In 1013, Sweyn Forkbeard invaded England with a large army, possibly to avenge the St Brice's Day massacre, where his sister and brother-in-law were allegedly killed. The invasion was successful, and Æthelred went into exile. Sweyn was crowned king of England, but died a few weeks later. His son Canute would later invade and conquer England in 1016.Canute the GreatEdmund Ironside1016 - 1035 After the death of Sweyn Forkbeard, Æthelred the Unready was brought back to the throne of England, however he only ruled for two years before dying of unknown causes. His eldest son Edmund Ironside was crowned king, however later that year Sweyn's son, Canute invaded England. After being defeated, Edmund agreed to cede all of England, save Wessex, to Canute. Edmund Ironside then died of unknown causes, and Canute was crowned King of England.William the ConquerorHarold Godwinson1066 - 1087 When Edward the Confessor died, he had named his brother-in-law Harold Godwinson as his successor, the Witan agreed and crowned him king, legitimising his claim. William the Conqueror made up a claim that he was promised the throne by Edward during the time when Edward was in exile in Normandy, but this did not happen. William the Conqueror decided to invade England in 1066, defeated Harold Godwinson at The Battle of Hastings, then made himself king of England. The Witan never officially accepted his claim, thus making him illegitimate and a usurper. StephenHenry I1135–1154Henry I named his daughter Matilda his heir, and she was recognised as such by the barons of England. On Henry's death, Stephen took the crown before Matilda learned that her father was dead, which led to 20 years of civil war.Henry IVRichard II1399–1413A period of crisis emerged in 13981399 under Richard II as he enacted revenge on leading nobles for a dispute ten years previously. He took action against the Lords Appellant, murdering a leader and banishing Henry Bolingbrooke. On the death of Bolingbrooke's father, John of Gaunt, the son wished to return to claim his inheritance as the Duke of Lancaster, which Richard II denied. Henry returned from his exile in France whilst Richard II was away in Ireland. With the support of prominent Northern noble families, Henry took the throne.Edward IVHenry VI1461–1470 1471–1483 After the death of his father, Richard of York at the Battle of Wakefield in 1460, Edward took over leadership of the Yorkist faction. His father had been declared the king's heir by parliament, but Edward took the further step of proclaiming himself king in March 1461. He subsequently defeated Lancastrian forces at the Battle of Towton, forcing Henry VI into exile in Scotland. Richard IIIEdward V1483–1485 When his brother King Edward IV died in April 1483, Richard was named Lord Protector of the realm for Edward's eldest son and successor, the 12-year-old Edward V. Arrangements were made for Edward's coronation on 22 June 1483; but, before the young king could be crowned, the marriage of his parents was declared bigamous and therefore invalid, making their children officially illegitimate and thus barring them from inheriting the throne. On 25 June, an assembly of Lords and commoners endorsed a declaration to this effect and proclaimed Richard the rightful king.Henry VIIRichard III1485–1509 Forces under Henry Tudor won the Battle of Bosworth Field, during which Richard III was killed. Henry then became Henry VII and married the daughter of Edward IV, which is claimed to have ended the War of the Roses, though relatives of Richard made various attempts to remove him from power.Oliver CromwellCharles II1653–1658 Ordered the execution of King Charles I after his defeat in the Second English Civil War, then defeated his son Charles II in the Third English Civil War. Took control of the Commonwealth of England as Lord Protector. Period of Cromwell's and his son's rule known as the English Protectorate.William III and Mary IIJames II and VII1689–1702James II and VII fled after the arrival of William and Mary along with their army. This became known as the Glorious Revolution.
France
UsurperPredecessorReignCommentsPepin the ShortChilderic III751–768Napoleon BonaparteThe Directorate1799–1814 In the Coup d'état of 18 Brumaire, (9 November 1799) Napoleon overthrew the Constitution of the Year III and established his rule as First Consul, and five years later as Emperor.Napoleon BonaparteLouis XVIII1815–1815 Hundred DaysLouis Philippe IHenri V1830–1848Louis Philippe took the throne in the aftermath of the July Revolution, which had resulted in the abdication of King Charles X in favour of his grandson, a young child.
Gwynedd (Wales)
UsurperPredecessorReignCommentsDafydd, Rhodri, & CynanHywel ab Owain1170–1195 Llywelyn the Great, with the senior legitimate claim, overthrew his uncles
Hawaii
See also Aliʻi nui of Hawaii. +UsurperPredecessorReignCommentsKamaioleKanipahu1245–1255Alapai NuiKeaweʻīkekahialiʻiokamoku1725–1754
Holy Roman Empire
UsurperPredecessorReignCommentsMaria TheresaCharles VI1745–1765 de jure; 1740–1780 de factoHer father Charles VI illegally changed his father's (Leopold I) Mutual Pact of Succession (1703) from the senior-most-in-line, being his elder brother's (Joseph I), daughter Maria Josepha, as heir to the Holy Roman Empire, to that of his own daughter, Maria Theresa, with his Pragmatic Sanction of 1713. This very act precipitated the War of the Austrian Succession (1740–1748), which continued on through and resulted into the Seven Years' War (1756–1763).
Iberian Peninsula
UsurperPredecessorReignCommentsRodrigoWittiza710-711MauregatoSilo783-789Ordoño IVSancho I951–956Ferdinand the GreatBermudo III1037-65Sancho IIGarcía II and Alfonso VI1071-1072Henry IIPeter the Cruel1366-1367 1369-1379Michael IMary II1828-1834 See Liberal WarsIsabella IIFernando VII1813-1833 See Carlist WarsAmadeo IIsabella II1833-1868 See Glorious Revolution (Spain)
Iran (Persia)