A monarch is the head of a monarchy, a form of government in which a state is ruled by an individual who normally rules for life or until abdication, and typically inherits the throne by birth. Monarchs may be autocrats (as in all absolute monarchies) or may be ceremonial figureheads, exercising only limited or no reserve powers at all, with actual authority vested in a legislature and/or executive cabinet (as in many constitutional monarchies). In many cases, a monarch will also be linked with a state religion. Most states only have a single monarch at any given time, although a regent may rule when the monarch is a minor, not present, or otherwise incapable of ruling. Cases in which two monarchs rule simultaneously over a single state, as is the current situation in Andorra, are known as coregencies.

A variety of titles are applied in English; for example, "king" and "queen", "prince" and "princess", "grand duke" and "grand duchess", "emperor" and "empress". Although they will be addressed differently in their local languages, the names and titles in the list below have been styled using the common English equivalent. Roman numerals, used to distinguish related rulers with the same name, have been applied where typical.

In political and sociocultural studies, monarchies are normally associated with hereditary rule; most monarchs, in both historical and contemporary contexts, have been born and raised within a royal family. Succession has been defined using a variety of distinct formulae, such as proximity of blood, primogeniture, and agnatic seniority. Some monarchies, however, are not hereditary, and the ruler is instead determined through an elective process; a modern example is the throne of Malaysia.Constitution of Malaysia, Art. 32, Sec. 3. These systems defy the model concept of a monarchy, but are commonly considered as such because they retain certain associative characteristics. Many systems use a combination of hereditary and elective elements, where the election or nomination of a successor is restricted to members of a royal bloodline.

Entries below are listed beside their respective dominions, which are organised alphabetically. These monarchs reign as head of state in their respective sovereign states. Monarchs reigning over a constituent division, cultural or traditional polity are listed under constituent monarchs. For a list of former ruling families or abolished thrones, see: former ruling families.

Monarchs by country

Title Monarch Portrait Arms or emblem Sovereign state(s) Since(Length) House Type Heir to the throne Co-Prince Josep-Lluís Serrano Pentinat () rowspan=2 Ceremonial Ex officio Constitution of Andorra, Ch. 3. Emmanuel Macron () King Charles III () Windsor Ceremonial William, Prince of Wales Constitution of Antigua and Barbuda, Art. 68.Constitution of Australia, Art. 61.Constitution of the Bahamas, Art. 71.Constitution of Belize, Art. 36.Constitution of Canada, Art. 9.Constitution of Grenada, Art. 57.Constitution of Jamaica, Art. 68.Constitution Act 1986: Part 1.Constitution of Papua New Guinea, Art. 82.Constitution of Saint Kitts and Nevis, Art. 51.Constitution of Saint Lucia, Art. 59.Constitution of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Art. 50.Constitution of Solomon Islands, Art. 1.Constitution of Tuvalu, Art. 48. King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa () Executive Salman, Crown Prince of Bahrain King Philippe () Ceremonial Elisabeth, Duchess of Brabant, Princess of Belgium King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck () Executive Jigme Namgyel Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah () Absolute Al-Muhtadee Billah King Norodom Sihamoni () Ceremonial Hereditary and elective King Frederik X () Ceremonial Christian, Crown Prince of Denmark King Mswati III () Absolute Hereditary and elective Queen MotherNtfombi () Emperor Naruhito () Ceremonial Fumihito, Crown Prince Akishino (Heir presumptive) King Abdullah II () Executive Hereditary and elective (presumably Hussein bin Abdullah) Emir Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah () Executive Hereditary and elective (presumably Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah) King Letsie III () Ceremonial Lerotholi Seeiso Prince Hans-Adam II () Executive Alois, Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein (currently Prince Regent) Grand Duke Guillaume V () Ceremonial Prince Charles of Luxembourg King Ibrahim () Ceremonial & Federal Elective (presumably Nazrin Shah) Prince Albert II () Executive Jacques, Hereditary Prince of Monaco King Mohammed VI () Executive Moulay Hassan, Crown Prince of Morocco King Willem-Alexander () Ceremonial Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Orange King Haakon VIII () Ceremonial Ingrid Alexandra, Crown Princess of Norway Sultan Haitham bin Tariq () Absolute Theyazin bin Haitham Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani () Executive Abdullah bin Hamad King Salman () Absolute Mohammed bin Salman King Felipe VI () Ceremonial Leonor, Princess of Asturias (Heir presumptive) King Carl XVI Gustaf () Ceremonial Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden King Rama X, Vajiralongkorn () Ceremonial Dipangkorn Rasmijoti (Heir presumptive) King Tupou VI () Executive Tupoutoʻa ʻUlukalala President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan () Executive & Federal Hereditary and elective (presumably Khaled bin Mohamed Al Nahyan) Pope Leo XIV (Holy See) () Absolute Elective

See also List of current reigning monarchs by length of reign List of current non-sovereign monarchs List of current heads of state and government Heads of former ruling families List of monarchies List of current heirs apparent List of current consorts of sovereigns Records of heads of state

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