# List of shortest-reigning monarchs

A monarch is the leader of a monarchy, a position usually intended to last for life or until abdication or deposition. The reigns of some monarchs have been notably short. Many of these monarchs acceded to the throne as a result of being first in an order of succession, while other monarchs claimed the throne as a result of conflict. The authenticity of some monarchs has been disputed, especially those who reigned during conflict. One factor in such debates is whether the monarch held the throne in a symbolic or nominal capacity.[clarification needed]

## Monarchs who reigned for less than a day

| Monarch | Reign | Length | Notes | Ref. |
| Louis XIX King of France | 2 August 1830 | About 20 minutes (disputed) | Heir-apparent of Charles X, who was forced to abdicate during the July Revolution. His abdication and his father's were announced through the same document, which refers to him as dauphin only. Louis Antoine is said to have been king between his father's signature and his own, but this does not appear to be historically accurate. | [1] [2] [3] [4] |
| Luís II King of Portugal | 1 February 1908 | About 20 minutes (disputed) | Carlos I was murdered in the Lisbon Regicide; his heir-apparent Prince Luís Filipe was also fatally wounded in the attack. Because Luís Filipe survived his father by about 20 minutes, the Guinness Book of Records identifies him as the second-shortest reigning monarch. However, according to the Portuguese tradition, the new monarch must be proclaimed by the Cortes Gerais; thus, the reign of Luís Filipe is disputed and not officially recognised. His younger brother, Manuel, who survived the attack, became the new king following his acclamation in the Cortes. | [1] [5] |
| Daughter of Xiaoming Emperor of Northern Wei | 1 April 528 | Less than a day | Proclaimed "Emperor" as an infant by her grandmother, Empress Dowager Hu, who passed her off as male. Later that same day, Hu admitted she was actually female and proclaimed Yuan Zhao as emperor. Official historical records never listed her as a legitimate sovereign. | [6] [7] [8] |
| Philip Antipope | 31 July 768 | Less than a day | Elected after the death of Pope Paul I. His election was declared invalid, and he was declared guilty of simony; having been stripped of the pontifical garments, he was then personally forced to return to his monastery. | |
| Wanyan Chenglin Emperor of Jin | 9 February 1234 | Less than a day | Emperor Aizong abdicated in his favor while they were still besieged by the Mongols at Caizhou, then committed suicide by hanging. Killed while leading a charge in the streets of Caizhou | |
| Celestine II Antipope | 13/14 December 1124 | Less than a day | Elected after the death of Pope Callixtus II. Abdicated a couple of hours into his papacy due to factional violence breaking out during the investment ceremony | |
| Michael II Emperor of Russia | 15 March 1917 | Less than a day (disputed) | Succeeded after the abdication of Nicholas II. Made his accession conditional on the decision of the Provisional Government, contrary to the wishes of Nicholas, who abdicated without informing either. Numerous questions surround the existence of any "reign", starting with the legality, or lack thereof, of Nicholas's abdication to his brother while bypassing his son Alexei. | |
| Min Shin Saw King of Burma | 1167 | Less than a day | Succeeded after the death of his father Sithu I, who was smothered by his younger son Narathu. Min Shin Saw was assassinated that same night on his brother's order. | |
| Vira Bahu I King of Polonnaruwa | 1196 | Less than a day | Succeeded after the death of his father Nissanka Malla and crowned at night. He was assassinated at dawn by the commander-in-chief Tavuru Senevirat. | |
| Michael Emperor of Trebizond (first reign) | 30 July 1341 | Less than a day | Acclaimed emperor after arriving with the intention to marry Irene Palaiologina, who had been overthrown by Anna Anachoutlou while the voyage was underway. He was deposed and imprisoned on that same night by Anna. He recovered the throne in 1344 and reigned for five years. | |
| Soththisena King of Anuradhapura (Sinhala Kingdom) | 434 | Less than a day | He succeeded his father Mahanama as king and was succeeded by his stepsister, Chattagahaka Jantu. According to the Lesser Chronicle (Cūḷavaṃsa) of Sri Lanka, King Soththisena, the shortest reigning king of Sri Lanka, ascended the throne in the morning and was assassinated that evening in a palace conspiracy. | |

## Other monarchs who reigned for less than a week

| Monarch | Reign | Length | Notes | Ref. |
| Napoleon II Emperor of the French | 4–6 April 1814 (first reign) | 2 days (disputed) | His father Napoleon Bonaparte was declared deposed by the French senate on 4 April 1814, but his formal abdication was not proclaimed until two days later. On 6 April, Napoleon renounced all personal rights to the throne and also those of his descendants. The French Empire was subsequently replaced by the restored Kingdom of France under Louis XVIII. | |
| Louis Philippe II King of the French | 24–26 February 1848 | 2 days (disputed) | His grandfather Louis Philippe I abdicated on 24 February 1848, following the French Revolution of 1848. The Second Republic was proclaimed two days later. He was later recognized by monarchist loyalists as "Louis Philippe II" or "Philip VII". | |
| Khalid bin Barghash Sultan of Zanzibar | 25–27 August 1896 | 2 days | Succeeded after the death of his cousin, Hamad bin Thuwaini, who was likely poisoned by Khalid. He was forced to flee during the Anglo-Zanzibar War, which only lasted less than an hour. | |
| Dục Đức Emperor of Vietnam | 20–23 July 1883 | 3 days | Succeeded after the death of his uncle and adoptive father, Tự Đức. He was deposed and imprisoned by his regents Nguyễn Văn, Tôn Thất and Tran Tien. He died of starvation three months later. | |
| Xiaowen King of Qin (China) | 250 BC | 3 days | Succeeded after the death of his father, King Zhaoxiang. It is speculated that he was poisoned by chancellor Lü Buwei. | |
| Inayatullah Khan King of Afghanistan | 14–17 January 1929 | 3 days | Succeeded after the abdication and flight of his brother, Amanullah Khan, during the uprising of Habibullāh Kalakāni. Abdicated in favour of Kalakani after he captured Kabul | |
| Dipendra King of Nepal | 1–4 June 2001 | 3 days | Proclaimed king after the murder of his father Birendra and most of his family in the Nepalese royal massacre, where he also shot himself and was left in a coma. Died of his injuries without regaining consciousness | |
| Stephen (II) Pope | 22 (or 23) – 25 (or 26) March 752 | 3 days (disputed) | Elected after the death of Pope Zachary. Died of a stroke. His pontificate is ambiguous because he died before his episcopal consecration. Because of this, he was removed from the official List of popes in 1961, and Pope Stephen III was redesignated as Pope Stephen II. | |
| Lê Long Việt Emperor of Vietnam | 1005 | 3 days | Succeeded after the death of his father, Lê Đại Hành. Assassinated on orders of his brother Lê Long Đĩnh, who succeeded him. | |
| Lê Quang Trị Emperor of Vietnam | 1516 | 3 days | Succeeded at the age of 8 after the murder of Lê Tương Dực. Murdered. | |
| John II King of Portugal (first reign) | 11–15 November 1477 | 4 days | King of Portugal for a brief period following his father's retirement to a monastery. After he returned, John abdicated. He became the monarch again in 1481. | |
| John I King of France and Navarre | 15–19 November 1316 | 4 days | Posthumous child of Louis X; king for the four days he lived. | |
| Crateuas King of Macedon | 399 BC | 3 / 4 days | Succeeded Archelaus I as king; little is known about him. Some historians believe that Crateuas was one of several conspirators in Archelaus' death and that the claim that Crateuas held the throne after him is an embellishment. | [30] [31] |
| Mahinda VI King of Polonnaruwa | 1187 | 5 days | Took the throne after killing Vijayabahu II. He was killed by Vijayabahu II's sub-king, Nissanka Malla. | |
| Ioan Joldea Prince of Moldavia | September 1552 | 2–8 days | Succeeded after the assassination of Stephen VI by his boyars after a failed invasion of Transylvania. His reign length is disputed. | |
| Baeda Maryam III Emperor of Ethiopia | April 1826 | Few days | Placed on the throne by Dejazmach Haile Maryam, the governor of Semien, but was deposed by Ras Marye of Yejju a few days later, who restored Gigar to the throne. | |

## Other monarchs who reigned for less than a month

| Monarch | Reign | Length | Reason for accession | Reason for reign's end |
| Henry V King of France | 2–9 August 1830 | 7 days (disputed) | Abdications of Charles X and Louis XIX, his grandfather and uncle, during the July Revolution | Proclamation hijacked by regent Louis Philippe of Orleans who chose not to announce it as expected. The National Assembly then proclaimed Louis Philippe the King of the French, and Henry marched into exile. |
| Indra Bhattaraka King of Eastern Chalukyas | 673 | 7 days | Made himself the monarch following the death of his elder brother Jayasimha I | Succeeded by his son Vishnuvardhana II, likely abdicated or was deposed |
| Sigeric King of the Visigoths | 16–22 August 415 | 7 days | Assassination of Ataulf by a former retainer of Sigeric's slain brother, Sarus | Assassinated and replaced by Ataulf's relative Wallia. Some lists of kings exclude him for considering him a usurper. |
| Thong Lan King of Ayutthaya | 1388–1389 | 7 days | Death of his father, Borommarachathirat I | Deposed and executed by Ramesuan |
| Zein Pun King of Martaban | April–May 1330 | 7 days | Assassinated King Saw Zein | Assassinated by Sanda Min Hla, widow of Saw Zein |
| Zimri King of Israel | 885 BC or 876 BC | 7 days | Assassinated King Elah | Committed suicide while under siege by Omri, who disputed the crown. His name became a byword for traitor. |
| Muhammad al-Badr King of Yemen | 19–26 September 1962 | 8 days | Death of his father, Ahmad bin Yahya | Monarchy abolished, although he would lead the pro-monarchist forces during the North Yemen Civil War, until 1970 |
| Saad Emir of Kuwait | 15–24 January 2006 | 9 days | Death of Jaber III | Deposed by the National Assembly on the grounds of poor health |
| Irina Godunova Tsarina of Russia | 17–26 January 1598 | 9 days (disputed) | Proclaimed after the death of her husband and distant cousin Feodor I. Ruled for 9 days as nominal tsar. | Abdicated in favour of her brother Boris Godunov. Her reign is sometimes counted as having ended on February 21, when her brother Boris was formally elected tsar by the Boyars. |
| Jane Queen of England and Ireland | 10–19 July 1553 | 9 days (disputed) | Proclaimed at the Tower of London, per the will of her cousin Edward VI | Deposed and executed by Edward's sister, Mary I |
| Henry II King of Haiti | 8–18 October 1820 | 10 days (disputed) | Suicide of his father, Henry I | Murdered before being formally proclaimed. The kingdom was subsequently annexed by the Republic of Haiti. |
| Igor II Grand Prince of Kiev | 2–13 August 1146 | 11 days | Death of his brother Vsevolod II, announced on 1 August and proclaimed on 2 August | Forced to abdicate and replaced by Iziaslav II |
| Xuantong Emperor of Great Qing (second reign) | 1–12 July 1917 | 11 days | Restored by monarchist general Zhang Xun; he had last been emperor in 1912. | Restoration failed due to lack of support. Later became Emperor of Manchukuo |
| Urban VII Pope | 15–27 September 1590 | 12 days | Elected after the death of Sixtus V | Died of malaria. Shortest-reigning Pope recognized by the Holy See |
| Louis II King of Holland | 1–13 July 1810 | 13 days | Abdication and flight of Louis I after being pressured by Napoleon | Kingdom annexed by Napoleon |
| Bel-shimanni King of Babylon | 484 BC | c. 14 days | Proclaimed king in Borsippa and Dilbat, in rebellion against the Achaemenid Empire | Succeeded by Shamash-eriba, either after giving up his claim voluntarily or being defeated by him |
| Eleanor Queen of Navarre | 28 January – 12 February 1479 | 14 days | Proclaimed following the death of her father, John II | Died |
| Boniface VI Pope | April 896 | 15 days | Elected after the death of Formosus | Unclear; he died of gout or was deposed according to different sources. His election was declared null and void in 898. |
| Ali Ahmad Khan Emir of Afghanistan | 17 January – 1 February 1929 | 15 days | Proclaimed Emir in Jalalabad in protest for Inayatullah Khan's abdication on Habibullah Kalakani | Captured and ransomed to Kalakani, who had him executed |
| Ælfweard King of Wessex | 17 July – 2 August 924 | 16 days (disputed) | Death of his father, Edward the Elder | Died. May have reigned in dispute with his elder brother Æthelstan, who succeeded him |
| Celestine IV Pope | 25 October – 10 November 1241 | 16 days | Elected after the death of Gregory IX | Died of natural causes |
| Napoleon II Emperor of the French (second reign) | 22 June – 7 July 1815 | 16 days | Abdication of his father, Napoleon I | Empire abolished, replaced by the Kingdom of France |
| Shang Emperor of Tang | 8–25 July 710 | 17 days | Assassination of his father, Emperor Zhongzong, by Empress Wei and her daughter Li Guo'er who wanted to use the young Shang as their puppet | Deposed; Wei and Li Guo'er were murdered. Most traditional historians did not consider him legitimate and do not include him in the list of emperors of the Tang dynasty, but modern historians usually do. |
| Anikanga King of Polonnaruwa | 1209 | 17 days | Assassinated his son, King Dharmasoka, who was an infant | Assassinated by General Vikkantacamunakka, who then surrendered control to former queen Lilavati |
| Robert I Count of Hiémois [fr] | 19 July – 6 August 1027 | 18 days | Was given a small state by his brother Richard III, Duke of Normandy | Death of his brother, at which point he became Duke of Normandy and left the title |
| Sisinnius Pope | 15 January – 4 February 708 | 20 days | Elected after the death of John VII | Died, possibly of gout |
| Theodore II Pope | December 897 | 20 days | Elected after the deposition of Romanus | Died |
| Muawiya II Caliph of Islam | 683–684 | 20 days to 4 months | Death of his father, Yazid I | Died of disease |
| Gordian II Roman Emperor | March–April 238 | 22 days | Father and son co-emperors proclaimed in rebellion against Maximinus Thrax in the so-called Year of the Six Emperors | Killed at the Battle of Carthage |
| Gordian I Roman Emperor | March–April 238 | 22 days | Father and son co-emperors proclaimed in rebellion against Maximinus Thrax in the so-called Year of the Six Emperors | Committed suicide upon learning of his son's death |
| Marcellus II Pope | 9 April – 1 May 1555 | 23 days | Elected after the death of Julius III | Died of a stroke |
| Cem Sultan of the Ottoman Empire | 28 May – 20 June 1481 | 23 days (disputed) | Proclaimed himself Sultan in Anatolia after the death of his father, Mehmed II | Fled to Mamluk Egypt after being defeated by his brother, Bayezid II |
| Diadumenian Roman Emperor | May – June 218 | 23 days | Death of his father Macrinus | Killed by Elagabalus |
| Damasus II Pope | 17 July – 9 August 1048 | 24 days | Installed by Henry III of Germany after deposing Benedict IX | Died of malaria or poison |
| Rǫgnvaldr Óláfsson King of Mann and the Isles | 6–30 May 1249 | 24 days | Death of his brother Haraldr Óláfsson in a shipwreck | Assassinated by his cousin and successor, Haraldr Guðrøðarson |
| Constantine I Emperor of Russia | 1–25 December 1825 | 24 days (disputed) | Proclaimed after the death of his brother, Alexander I | Refused to assume the throne because he had secretly renounced all rights in 1823 in order to marry Joanna Grudzińska. His younger brother became Nicholas I. |
| Zhao Fu Emperor of Song | 26 March 1129 – 20 April 1129 | 25 days (disputed) | Ascended the throne after his father, Emperor Gaozong, was forced to abdicated amidst a mutiny | Forced to abdicate in favour of his father. He is not considered a legitimate emperor by most historians. |
| Milan Obrenović II Prince of Serbia | 25 June – 8 July 1839 | 26 days | Abdication of his father, Miloš Obrenović I | Died of tuberculosis |
| Quintillus Roman Emperor | 270 | ≈27 days | Death of his brother, Claudius Gothicus | Assassinated or committed suicide |
| Nepotianus Roman Emperor | 3–30 June 350 | 27 days | Proclaimed emperor in Rome | Assassinated by Magnentius |
| Pius III Pope | 22 September – 18 October 1503 | 27 days | Elected after the death of Alexander VI | Died of sepsis in a leg wound |
| Leo XI Pope | 1–27 April 1605 | 27 days | Elected after the death of Clement VIII | Died |
| Liu He Emperor of Han | 74 BC | 27 days | Installed by regent Huo Guang | Deposed by Huo Guang |
| Taichang Emperor of Great Ming | 28 August – 26 September 1620 | 29 days | Death of his father, the Wanli Emperor. | Died of disease |
| Alexios V Emperor of Trebizond | April 1460 | <1 month | Death of this father, John IV of Trebizond | Deposed by his uncle David |
| Ptolemy XI Pharaoh of Egypt | 80 BC | <1 month | Installed as husband and co-ruler of Berenice III | Murdered Berenice and was killed by a mob |
| Praudha Raya King of Sangama dynasty | 1485 | <1 month | Deposed | Deposed by Saluva Narasimha Deva Raya |

## Other monarchs who reigned for less than three months

| Monarch | Reign | Length | Reason for accession | Reason for reign's end |
| Shallum King of Israel | 752–745 BC | 1 month | Assassinated King Zechariah | Assassinated and replaced by Menahem |
| Napoleon I King of Spain | 6 May – 6 June 1808 | 31 days (1 month) | Forced abdications of Charles IV and Ferdinand VII in Bayonne, and their subsequent imprisonment in France | Designated his brother Joseph Bonaparte as King of Spain. Usually not counted as a King of Spain unlike his brother |
| Antipope Victor IV Pope | March–May 1138 | ≈1 month | Proclaimed after the death of Antipope Anacletus II | Through the influence of Bernard of Clairvaux, he was induced to make his submission to Pope Innocent II. Innocent initially restored him as cardinal of SS. Apostoli, but in the Second Lateran Council of April 1139, all former adherents of Anacletus II were condemned and deposed. He then retired to the priorate of S. Eusebio in Fontanella. |
| Reccared II King of the Visigoths | February–March 612 | ≈1 month | Death of his father, Sisebut | Died |
| Charles II Duke of Parma (second reign) | April – 17 May 1849 | ≈1 month | Restored by Austrian troops after fleeing during the Revolutions of 1848 | Abdicated in favour of his son, Charles III |
| Benedict V Pope | 22 May – 23 June 964 | 32 days (1 month, 1 day) | Elected after the death of John XII | Deposed by Emperor Otto I |
| Nabu-suma-ukin II King of Babylon | 732 BC | 1 month, 2 days | Deposed Nabu-nadin-zeri | Deposed by Nabu-mukin-zeri |
| John Paul I Pope | 26 August – 28 September 1978 | 33 days (1 month, 2 days) | Elected after the death of Paul VI | Died of a heart attack |
| António King of Portugal | 23 July – 25 August 1580 | 33 days (1 month, 2 days) (disputed) | Proclaimed after the death of his uncle Henry due to popular support | Forced to abdicate after being defeated by his cousin Philip I. Reigned in the Azores until 1583 |
| Zhongzong Emperor of Tang (first reign) | 23 January – 26 February 684 | 34 days (1 month, 3 days) | Death of his father, Emperor Gaozong | Deposed by his mother, Empress Dowager Wu |
| Umberto II King of Italy | 9 May – 12 June 1946 | 34 days (1 month, 3 days) | Abdication of his father, Victor Emmanuel III | Monarchy abolished after republican victory in the 1946 Italian institutional referendum |
| Adrian V Pope | 11 July – 18 August 1276 | 38 days (1 month, 7 days) | Elected following the death of Innocent V | Died |
| Salomon III Emperor of Ethiopia (Second reign) | 16 June – 25 July 1799 | 39 days | Restored by Ras Mare'ed and Ras Guebre while Tekle Giyorgis I was campaigning in Begemder | Deposed by Dejazmach Gugsa and Dejazmach Alula, who were part of the army that defeated Salomon's supporters |
| Li Zicheng Emperor of Great Shun | 25 April – 4 June 1644 | 40 days (1 month, 10 days) | Proclaimed himself Emperor after his capture of Beijing and the suicide of the Chongzhen Emperor | Abandoned Beijing after his defeat by the Manchus at the Battle of Shanhai Pass. He was killed under unclear circumstances around 1645, likely in battle. |
| Sweyn Forkbeard King of England | 25 December 1013 – 3 February 1014 | 40 days (1 month, 9 days) | Declared king after conquering London | Died |
| Tirigan King of Sumer | c. 2050 BC | 40 days | Succeeded Si'um | Sumer annexed by Utu-hengal of Uruk |
| Umor Khan of Bulgaria | 766 | 40 days | Likely elected after the deposition and flight of Sabin | Unknown. Could have died or been deposed by Toktu |
| Antipater Etesias King of Macedon | 279 BC | 45 days | Became king after the abdication of Meleager | Deposed by Sosthenes |
| Ala ud-din Sikandar Shah Tughlaq dynasty | 22 January − 8 March 1394 | 45 days (1 month and 14 days) | Succeeded Muhammad Shah III | Died of natural causes |
| Xerxes II Shah of Persia and Pharaoh of Egypt | 424 BC | 45 days (1 month, 15 days) | Death of his father, Artaxerxes I | Assassinated by Sogdianus, his illegitimate half-brother and successor |
| Ying Ziying King of Qin | October–December 207 BC | 46 days | Enthroned by Zhao Gao after the assassination of Qin Er Shi | Assassinated by Xiang Yu |
| Abd al-Rahman V Caliph of Cordoba | 2 December 1023 – 17 January 1024 | 46 days (1 month, 15 days) | Overthrew Al-Qasim al-Ma'mun | Assassinated by Muhammad III |
| Ferdinand VII King of Spain (first reign) | 19 March – 6 May 1808 | 48 days (1 month, 17 days) | Abdication of his father, Charles IV, as a result of the Mutiny of Aranjuez | Forced to abdicate on his father by Napoleon I, who unbeknownst to Ferdinand, had been forced to abdicate his rights on Napoleon himself on the same day. The abdications were declared null by the Council of Castile on 11 August, recognizing him as king despite being imprisoned by the French at Château de Valençay. Napoleon recognized him on 11 December 1813, by the Treaty of Valençay, and he remained on the throne until his death in 1833. |
| Sylvester III Pope | 20 January – 10 March 1045 | 49 days (1 month, 19 days) | Elected after a revolt expelled Benedict IX from Rome | Deposed by Benedict IX |
| Saw E King of Martaban | April–June 1330 | 49 days | Assassination of Zein Pun by former queen consort Sanda Min Hla | Assassinated by Sanda Min Hla |
| Magnus the Strong King of Denmark | 15 April – 4 June 1134 | 50 days (1 month, 19 days) | Appointed as co-king of Denmark with his father king Niels as senior king. Crowned as king of Denmark by Emperor Lothair III 15 April 1134 | Killed at the Battle of Fotevik |
| Benedict IX Pope (second reign) | 10 March – 1 May 1045 | 52 days (1 month, 22 days) | Recaptured Rome and expelled Sylvester III | Abdicated on his godfather, Gregory VI, in order to marry his cousin |
| Ningzong Khagan and Emperor of Great Yuan | 23 October – 14 December 1332 | 52 days (1 month, 22 days) | Elected after the death of his uncle Emperor Wenzong | Died |
| Pedro IV King of Portugal | 10 March – 2 May 1826 | 53 days (1 month, 23 days) | Death of his father, John VI | Abdicated in favour of his daughter, Maria II, and returned to Brazil where he reigned as Pedro I until 1831. |
| Charles II King of Hungary and Croatia | 31 December 1385 – 24 February 1386 | 55 days (1 month, 24 days) | Deposed Queen Mary | Assassinated by Mary's mother, Elizabeth of Bosnia |
| Gregory VIII Pope | 21 October – 17 December 1187 | 57 days (1 month, 25 days) | Elected following the death of Urban III | Died |
| Feodor II Tsar of Russia | 23 April – 20 June 1605 | 58 days (1 month, 28 days) | Death of his father, Boris I | Assassinated by boyars supporting False Dmitry I |
| Khusrau Khan Sultan of Delhi | 10 July – 5 September 1320 | 58 days | Assassination of his homosexual partner and emperor Mubarak Shah | Assassinated by Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq who founded the Tughlaq dynasty |
| Al-Mansur Abu Bakr Sultan of Egypt and Syria | 7 June – 5 August 1341 | 59 days (1 month, 29 days) | Death of his father, An-Nasir Muhammad | Deposed and executed |
| Joachim Ernest Duke of Anhalt | 13 September – 12 November 1918 | 60 days (1 month, 30 days) | Death of his father, Edward | Monarchy abolished |
| Diadumenian Roman co-emperor | after 16 May 218 – after 8 June 218 | 1–2 months | Made co-emperor by his father, Macrinus | Assassinated after the deposition of Macrinus; he was also declared Enemy of Rome and subjected to Damnatio memoriae. |
| Herennius Etruscus Roman co-emperor | May–June 251 | 1–2 months | Made co-emperor by his father, Decius | Killed at the Battle of Abritus |
| Edgar II King of the English | after 14 October 1066 – early December 1066 | 1–2 months | Elected by the Witenagemot after Harold II's death | Submitted to William the Conqueror |
| Ragibagh Khan Khagan and Emperor of Great Yuan | October – 14 November 1328 | 1–2 months | Installed following the death of his father, Yesün Temür | Died after a civil war broke out, probably murdered by a rival claimant |
| Labashi-Marduk King of Babylon | 556 BC | 1-3 months | Succeeded his father, Neriglissar | Assassinated by Belshazzar |
| David Tiberius Eastern Roman emperor | September – 5 November 641 | <2 month | Made co-emperor of his brother Heraclonas by their mother, Empress Martina. | Deposed by supporters of Constans II |
| Yuan Zhao Emperor of Wei | 2 April – May 528 | <2 months | Proclaimed by Empress Dowager Hu | Deposed and executed along with Hu. Traditional historians treat him ambiguously, and subsequent Northern Wei emperors never explicitly declared whether he was an emperor or not. He was not given an imperial posthumous name or temple name, but neither was his imperial status declared null. |
| Leo V Pope | Late July – mid-September 903 | <2 months | Elected after the death of Benedict IV | Deposed and imprisoned by Christopher, dying in February 904 under unclear circumstances. The Catholic Church considers Christopher an antipope and stretches Leo V's pontificate to the accession of Sergius III in January 904. |
| Amyntas II King of Macedon | 394/393 BC | <2 months | Death of his relative Aeropus II | Assassinated and succeeded by Aeropus II's son Pausanias |
| John IV Prince of Moldavia | November–December 1577 | <2 months | Deposed Peter IV | Deposed and executed after an Ottoman-Polish-Wallachian invasion restored Peter IV |
| Salim II Sultan of Ndzuwani | February – 2 April 1891 | <2 months | Succeeded his father Abdallah III | Unknown |
| Peter VII Prince of Moldavia | August – September/October 1592 | <2–3 months | Deposed Alexander V | Deposed and mutilated by Aaron I, who then handed him to the Ottomans to be executed |
| Ciubăr Vodă Prince of Moldavia | c. December 1448 – January 1449 | 2 months (disputed) | A Croatian-Hungarian aristocrat sent by John Hunyadi to depose Roman II in favor of Peter III, but said to have reigned himself as Prince after Peter III fled | Unknown. Alexander II became Prince in February 1449. Some historians believe he merely occupied the country on Hunyadi's behalf and did not actually claim the throne. |
| Mamia I King of Imereti (third reign) | November 1713 – 5 January 1714 | 2 months | Recovered the throne after defeating George VII at the Battle of Kutaisi | Died |
| Meleager King of Macedon | 279 BC | 2 months | Death of his brother Ptolemy Keraunos | Forced to abdicate by his troops |
| Trịnh Cán Lord of Tonkin | September–October 1782 | ≈2 months | Death of his father, Trịnh Sâm | Forced to abdicate on Trịnh Khải |
| Gyanendra King of Nepal (first reign) | 7 November 1950 – 7 January 1951 | 61 days (2 months) | Proclaimed when he was 4 years old by Prime Minister Mohan Shumsher Jang Bahadur Rana, in defiance of Gyanendra's grandfather Tribhuvan, who wanted to end the Rana family's hereditary occupation of the government. Afterward, Tribhuvan and most Nepalese royals, including Gyanendra, departed for India. | Tribhuvan returned and resumed rule after the Ranas agreed to his terms. Gyanendra would become the last king of Nepal five decades later, after the Nepalese royal massacre. |
| Ibrahim ibn al-Walid Caliph of Islam | 4 October – 4 December 744 | 61 days (2 months) | Death of his brother, Yazid III | Abdicated in favour of Marwan II, who murdered him in 750 |
| Radu IX Prince of Wallachia (second reign) | April - May 1611 | 2 months | Restored by Ottoman troops | Deposed by Radu X |
| Innocent IX Pope | 29 October – 30 December 1591 | 62 days (2 months, 1 days) | Elected after the death of Gregory XIV | Died |
| Didius Julianus Roman Emperor | 28 March – 1 June 193 | 66 days (2 months, 5 days) | Bought the throne in auction after the assassination of Pertinax | Deposed and executed. Also subjected to Damnatio memoriae |
| Staurakios Eastern Roman Emperor | 26 July – 2 October 811 | 68 days (2 months, 6 days) | Death of his father, Nikephoros I Logothetes | Forced to abdicate by Michael I Rangabe |
| Frederick Charles King of Finland and Karelia | 9 October – 14 December 1918 | 66 days (2 months, 5 days) | Elected by the Parliament of Finland | Renounced the throne without entering the country, which later became a republic |
| Frederick Christian Elector of Saxony | 5 October – 17 December 1763 | 74 days (2 months, 12 days) | Death of his father, Frederick Augustus II | Died |
| Muhammad II Caliph of Cordoba (second reign) | 10 May – 23 July 1010 | 74 days (2 months, 13 days) | Deposed Sulayman ibn al-Hakam | Assassinated and replaced by Hisham II |
| Petronius Maximus Western Roman Emperor | 17 March – 31 May 455 | 75 days (2 months, 14 days) | Elected by the Roman Senate after assassinating Valentinian III | Murdered by a mob while trying to flee Rome from the impending Vandal attack |
| Alexios V Eastern Roman Emperor | 27 January – 12 April 1204 | 76 days (2 months, 16 days) | Deposed co-emperors Isaac II and Alexios IV | Fled Constantinople during the Latin Sack of 1204. Later captured by Crusaders and executed |
| Edward V King of England | 9 April – 25 June 1483 | 77 days (2 months, 16 days) | Death of his father, Edward IV | Deposed and imprisoned by his uncle Richard III, who claimed he was illegitimate. He is presumed murdered in captivity. |
| Chūkyō Emperor of Japan | 13 May – 29 July 1221 | 78 days (2 months, 17 days) | Enthroned following the deposition of his father, Emperor Juntoku, in preparation for the Jōkyū War | Due to the Jōkyū War, the imperial court army was defeated by the Kamakura Shogunate army and he was deposed. Not officially recognized as Emperor until 1870 because of doubts raised by his short reign |
| Tupac Huallpa Sapa Inca | Began c. 26 July 1533, ended 12–27 October 1533 | c. 78–93 days | Installed as puppet Inca by the Spanish after the assassination of Atahualpa | Died of disease or poison |
| Stephen II Despot of Serbia | 1 April – 20 June 1459 | 80 days (2 months, 19 days) | Married a daughter of the late Despot Lazar Branković | Serbia annexed by the Ottoman Empire. Later became King of Bosnia for two years |
| Cuitláhuac Great Speaker of the Triple Alliance | c. 29 June – September 1520 | 80 days (2 months, 19 days) | Elected soon before or after leading a revolt against the Spanish who were holding his brother Moctezuma II hostage in Tenochtitlan | Died of smallpox |
| Hongxian Emperor of China | 1 January – 22 March 1916 | 81 days (2 months, 21 days) | Offered the throne after unanimous vote by the Representative Assembly | Empire abolished after the monarchical restoration proved unexpectedly unpopular. Continued as President of the Republic of China until his death on 6 June |
| Amanullah Khan King of Afghanistan (second reign) | March – 23 May 1929 | 83 days | Returned to contest the throne during the Afghan Civil War (1928–1929), in opposition to Habibullah Kalakani | Fled to British India |
| Pertinax Roman Emperor | 1 January – 28 March 193 | 86 days (2 months, 27 days) | Proclaimed after the assassination of Commodus | Assassinated by his Praetorian Guards, who then auctioned off the throne to the highest bidder. |
| Berengaria Queen of Castile | 6 June – 31 August 1217 | 86 days (2 months, 25 days) | Death of her brother, Henry I | Abdicated in favour of her son, Ferdinand III |
| Christian Frederick King of Norway | 17 May – 14 August 1814 | 89 days (2 months, 28 days) | Elected by the Norwegian Constituent Assembly | Abdicated by the Convention of Moss and returned to Denmark, where he became king (as Christian VIII) in 1839. The Crown of Norway was assumed by his rival, Charles XIII of Sweden. |
| Shajar al-Durr Sultan of Egypt | 2 May – 30 July 1250 | 89 days (2 months 28 days) | Placed on the throne by the Mamluks after the assassination of Turanshah, the last member of the direct male line of the Ayyubid dynasty. Shajar al-Durr was previously the wife of the penultimate sultan As-Salih Ayyub (who died in 1249) and was chosen to provide the Mamluks with a link to the legitimate Ayyubid dynasty. | Abdicated in favour of Aybak, her second husband |
| Philip I King of Castile | 27 June – 25 September 1506 | 90 days (2 months, 29 days) | Recognized as regnant king with equal authority to his wife, Queen Joanna, by the Treaty of Villafáfila | Died of typhoid or poison |
| Gebre Krestos Emperor of Ethiopia | 24 March – 8 June 1832 | 2–3 months (except for a short time during the first reign of Sahle Dengel) | Proclaimed emperor by Ras Ali II of Yejju | Died, possibly poisoned |
| Florianus Roman Emperor | July–September 276 | <3 months | Proclaimed after the death of his half-brother, Tacitus | Assassinated by his own troops while campaigning against the rebel Probus |
| Sinmu King of Silla | 839 | <3 months | Assassinated Minae of Silla | Died from disease |
| Alexander III Prince of Moldavia | December 1540 – February 1541 | <3 months | Assassination of Stephen V | Deposed and later assassinated by Peter IV |
| Alexander V Prince of Moldavia | June–August 1592 | <3 months | Aaron I deposed by the Ottoman Empire | Deposed by Peter VII. In November he became the equally brief Prince of Wallachia, as Alexander III. |
| Alexander II Prince of Moldavia (third reign) | February – March or May 1455 | 2–4 months | Deposed Peter Aaron | Deposed by Peter Aaron and forced into exile, where he died on 25 May 1455 |
| Shihabuddin Omar Emperor of Khalji dynasty | 5 January – April 1316 | ~3 months | Deposed | Deposed by his elder brother Qutbuddin Mubarak Shah, later died in exile |
| Tekle Giyorgis I Emperor of Ethiopia (Sixth reign) | 24 March – June 1800 | ~3 months | Placed on the throne multiple times during the Zemene Mesafint. | Placed on the throne multiple times during the Zemene Mesafint. |

## Other monarchs who reigned for less than six months

| Monarch | Reign | Length | Reason for accession | Reason for reign's end |
| Shirikti-shuqamuna King of Babylon | c. 981 BC | 3 months | Succeeded his brother, Ninurta-kudurri-usur I | Succeeded by Mar-biti-apla-usur |
| Sîn-šumu-līšir King of Assyria and Babylon | 626 BC | 3 months | Rebelled against Sinsharishkun of Assyria | Defeated by Sinsharishkun |
| Jehoahaz King of Judah | 609 BC | 3 months | Josiah killed at the Battle of Megiddo | Deposed and imprisoned by Necho II |
| Shamash-eriba King of Babylon | 484 BC | 3 months | Proclaimed king in Sippar, in rebellion against the Achaemenid Empire | Defeated by Xerxes I |
| Vikramabahu II King of Polonnaruwa | 1196 | 3 months | Assassination of his nephew Vira Bahu I | Assassinated by his nephew Chodaganga I |
| Min Hla King of Ava | August–November 1425 | 3 months | Assassination of his father, Thihathu of Ava | Assassinated by his stepmother, Shin Bo-Me |
| George VIII King of Imereti | 1716 | 3 months | Deposed George VII with Ottoman support | Fled back to Guria |
| Ea-mukin-zeri King of Babylon | c. 1004 BC | 3-5 months | Succeeded Simbar-shipak | Succeeded by Kashshu-nadin-ahi |
| Otho Roman Emperor | 15 January – 16 April 69 | 91 days (3 months, 1 day) | Proclaimed after the assassination of Galba | Committed suicide after the Battle of Bedriacum |
| Murad V Ottoman Sultan and Caliph | 30 May – 31 August 1876 | 93 days (3 months, 1 day) | Deposition of his uncle, Abdulaziz | Deposed during the Great Eastern Crisis |
| Nebuchadnezzar IV King of Babylon | 25 August - 27 November 521 BC | 94 days (3 months, 2 days) | Rebelled against the Achaemenid Empire | Captured and executed by Darius the Great |
| Napoleon I Emperor of the French (second reign) | 20 March – 22 June 1815 | 94 days (3 months, 2 days) | Returned to Paris | Abdicated in favour of Napoleon II |
| Sunjong King of Goryeo | 2 September – 5 December 1083 | 95 days (3 months, 3 days) | Death of his father | Died |
| Maria I Queen of Brazil | 16 December 1815 – 20 March 1816 | 95 days (3 months, 4 days) | Brazil raised to a kingdom | Died |
| Mustafa I Sultan of the Ottoman Empire | 22 November 1617 – 26 February 1618 | 96 days (3 months, 4 days) | Death of his brother, Ahmed I | Deposed in favor of his nephew, Osman II. He reigned again for fifteen months after the assassination of Osman II in 1622, before he was deposed again. |
| Louis VII Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt | 25 April – 31 August 1678 | 96 days (3 months, 6 days) | Death of his father, Louis VI | Died of an infection |
| Dulce Queen of León | 23 September – 30 December 1230 | 97 days (3 months, 7 days) | Proclaimed as co-monarchs following the death of their father Alfonso IX | Renounced their rights to the throne following the Treaty of Benavente, accepting their brother Ferdinand III as sole monarch |
| Sancha Queen of León | 23 September – 30 December 1230 | 97 days (3 months, 7 days) | Proclaimed as co-monarchs following the death of their father Alfonso IX | Renounced their rights to the throne following the Treaty of Benavente, accepting their brother Ferdinand III as sole monarch |
| Jeconiah King of Judah | 9 December 598 BC – 15/16 March 597 BC | 97 days (3 months, 7 days) | Death of his father Jehoiakim at the Siege of Jerusalem | Deposed and exiled to Babylon |
| Frederick III German Emperor and King of Prussia | 9 March – 15 June 1888 | 98 days (3 months, 6 days) | Death of his father, Wilhelm I | Died of laryngeal cancer |
| Pupienus Roman Emperor | April–July 238 | 99 days | Co-emperors proclaimed by the Roman Senate in rebellion against Maximinus Thrax after the deaths of Gordian I and Gordian II, in the Year of the Six Emperors | Assassinated by the Praetorian Guard. They were succeeded by Gordian III, grandson of Gordian I. |
| Balbinus Roman Emperor | April–July 238 | 99 days | Co-emperors proclaimed by the Roman Senate in rebellion against Maximinus Thrax after the deaths of Gordian I and Gordian II, in the Year of the Six Emperors | Assassinated by the Praetorian Guard. They were succeeded by Gordian III, grandson of Gordian I. |
| Charles II Duke of Parma (first reign) | 31 December 1847 – 19 April 1848 | 110 days (3 months, 19 days) | Proclaimed after the death of Marie Louise of Parma | Fled the country and abdicated in favour of his son, Charles III |
| Ibrahim Pasha Wali of Egypt | 20 July – 10 November 1848 | 113 days (3 months, 21 days) | Succeeded his father Muhammad Ali after he was deemed incapable due to senility | Died of exhaustion after travelling to Constantinople to be confirmed in office |
| Mindaugas II King of Lithuania | 11 July – 2 November 1918 | 114 days (3 months, 22 days) | Accepted the throne after election by the Council of Lithuania | Monarchy "suspended" by the council. Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic declared a month later |
| Olybrius Western Roman Emperor | 11 July 472 – 2 November 472 | 114 days (3 months, 22 days) | Installed by Ricimer after the assassination of Anthemius | Died of dropsy |
| Sima Lun Emperor of Jin | 3 February – 31 May 301 | 117 days (3 months, 28 days) (disputed) | Deposed his great-nephew Emperor Hui | Forced to return the throne to Emperor Hui, and committed suicide shortly afterwards. Many historians do not consider him a legitimate emperor. |
| Nebuchadnezzar III King of Babylon | September/October - 18-22 December 522 BC | 3-4 months | Rebelled against the Achaemenid Empire | Captured and executed by Darius the Great |
| Aemilianus Roman Emperor | June–September 253 | 3–4 months | Proclaimed in rebellion against Trebonianus Gallus and Volusianus | Assassinated by his own troops |
| Ansprand King of the Lombards | March–June 712 | 3–4 months | Deposed Aripert II | Died |
| Solamish Sultan of Egypt and Syria | August–November 1279 | <4 months | Placed on the throne after his older brother Barakah was deposed by powerful emirs | Deposed by his regent Qalawun, who took over as sultan |
| Radu X Prince of Wallachia (second reign) | June - September 1611 | ~4 months | Deposed Radu IX | Deposed by Radu IX |
| Sriranga II King of Vijayanagara | 1614 | ~4 months | Succeeded Venkatapati Raya | Assassinated by Gobburi Jagga Raya |
| Renseneb Pharaoh of Egypt | 1777 BC | 4 months | Succeeded Khaankhre Sobekhotep | Unknown. Could have been deposed by Hor |
| Philip IV King of Macedon | May – September 297 BC | 4 months | Death of his father, Cassander | Died of disease |
| Sivali Queen of Anuradhapura | 35 | 4 months | Death of her brother Chulabhaya | Deposed by her cousin Ilanaga |
| Christopher Pope | October 903 – January 904 | 4 months (disputed) | Deposed and imprisoned Leo V | Deposed by Sergius III. Though counted as legitimate for most of history, he was removed from the Annuario Pontificio in the mid-20th century and is considered an antipope by the modern Catholic Church. |
| Susenyos II Emperor of Ethiopia | August – 15 December 1770 | 4 months | Elected by a principal council in Gondar after Tekle Haymanot II and Ras Mikael Sehul left for Tigray | Fled after Ras Mikael Sehul returned to Gondar and restored Tekle Haymanot II |
| Stephen VIII Prince of Moldavia | 24 April – August 1595 | 4–5 months | Deposed Aaron I | Deposed by Jeremy I, with Polish support. Stephen tried to recover the throne in December, but he was defeated at the Battle of Suceava, captured, and impaled. |
| Michael I Prince of Moldavia | May–September 1600 | 4–5 months | Invaded Moldavia and deposed Jeremy I, who fled to Poland | Returned to Wallachia after defeat in the Battle of Mirăslău. Jeremy I was restored. |
| Andreyas Emperor of Ethiopia | 1429 – March 1430 | 4–6 months | Succeeded his father Yeshaq I | Died at a young age |
| Wazir Ali Khan Nawab of Awadh | 21 September 1797 – 21 January 1798 | 122 days (4 months) | Death of his uncle and adoptive father, Asaf-ud-Daula | Deposed by the East India Company |
| Hiệp Hòa Emperor of Đại Nam | 30 July – 29 November 1883 | 122 days (3 months, 30 days) | Deposition of his nephew, Dục Đức | Deposed and forced to commit suicide |
| Nepherites II Pharaoh of Egypt | mid-late 380 BC | 4 months | Death of his father, Hakor | Deposed and likely killed by Nectanebo I |
| Sarwe Iyasus Emperor of Ethiopia | 1433 | 4–8 months | Succeeded his father Takla Maryam | Died of Bubonic Plague |
| Khande Rao Holkar II Maharaja of Indore | 13 November 1843 – 17 March 1844 | 125 days (4 months, 4 days) | Death of his cousin and adoptive father, Hari Rao Holkar | Died suddenly |
| Abd al-Malik Imad ad-Dawla King of Zaragoza | 24 January – 31 May 1110 | 127 days (4 months, 7 days) | Death of his father, Al-Musta'in II, at the Battle of Valtierra | Deposed by the Almoravids. Fled to Rueda de Jalón, where he ruled as a vassal of Alfonso I of Aragon until his death in 1130 |
| Faisal I King of Syria | 8 March – 14 July 1920 | 128 days (4 months, 6 days) | Crowned by the Syrian Congress | Surrendered to a French ultimatum and was expelled to Mandatory Iraq, where he was made King in 1921 and reigned until his death in 1933. The Arab Kingdom of Syria was abolished on July 25, 1920, and replaced with the French Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon. |
| Michael V Eastern Roman Emperor | 13 December 1041 – 21 April 1042 | 129 days (4 months, 8 days) | Death of his adoptive father, Michael IV | Deposed by Zoë and Theodora III |
| Wenzong Khagan and Emperor of Great Yuan (first reign) | 16 October 1328 – 26 February 1329 | 133 days (4 months, 10 days) | Installed following the death of Yesün Temür Khan | Abdicated in favour of his brother Emperor Mingzong |
| Charles IV King of Naples | 22 February – 7 July 1495 | 135 days (4 months, 14 days) | Crowned after conquering the city of Naples | Left Italy after defeat in the First Italian War |
| Liu Bian Emperor of Han | 15 May – 28 September 189 | 136 days (4 months, 13 days) | Death of his father, Emperor Ling | Deposed and replaced by his younger half-brother, Emperor Xian |
| Alexander Hangerli Prince of Moldavia | 7 March – 24 July 1807 | 139 days (4 months, 17 days) | Appointed by Selim III | Deposed and replaced by Scarlat Callimachi |
| Yonas Emperor of Ethiopia | 18 August 1797 – 4 January 1798 | 140 days (4 months, 18 days) | Proclaimed Emperor by Ras Isra'el of Begemder | Deposed by Gugsa of Yejju |
| Hisamuddin of Selangor King of Malaysia | 14 April – 1 September 1960 | 140 days (4 months, 18 days) | Elected after the death of Abdul Rahman of Negeri Sembilan | Died of illness |
| Ntare V King of Burundi | 8 July – 28 November 1966 | 143 days (4 months, 20 days) | Deposed his father, Mwambutsa IV | Deposed by Prime Minister Michel Micombero, who became the dictatorial first president of Burundi |
| Edward Duke of Anhalt | 21 April – 13 September 1918 | 145 days (4 months, 23 days) | Death of his brother, Frederick II | Died |
| Chong Emperor of Han | 20 September 144 – 15 February 145 | 148 days (4 months, 26 days) | Death of his father, Emperor Shun | Died |
| John V Eastern Roman Emperor (third reign) | 17 September 1390 – 16 February 1391 | 152 days (4 months, 30 days) | Recovered the throne from his grandson, John VII, who had deposed him months before | Died |
| Hostilian Roman co-emperor | July–November 251 | <5 months | Made co-emperor by Trebonianus Gallus after the death of Hostilian's father and brother at the Battle of Abritus | Died from plague or poison |
| Peter Aaron Prince of Moldavia (first reign) | October 1451 – February 1452 | <5 months | Assassinated Bogdan II | Deposed by Alexander II |
| İsa Sultan of the Ottoman Empire | January–May 1403 | 3–5 months (disputed) | Defeated by his brother Mehmed I at the Battle of Ulubad | Strangled in September 1403 |
| Valagamba King of Anuradhapura (first reign) | 103 BC | 5 months | Ascended the throne following the assassination of his brother Khallata Naga | Deposed by Pulahatta. He regained the throne in 88 BC. |
| Eraric King of the Ostrogoths | 541 | 5 months | Elected after the murder of Ildibad | Assassinated by Totila's followers |
| Ælfwynn Lady of Mercia | 12 June – December 918 | 5 months | Death of her mother, Æthelflæd | Abdicated in favour of her uncle Edward I |
| Abd al-Rahman IV Caliph of Cordoba | 29 April – September 1018 | Around 5 months | Proclaimed Caliph after Ali ibn Hammud al-Nasir's assassination | Assassinated. Title disputed with Al-Qasim al-Ma'mun |
| Radu IX Prince of Wallachia (first reign) | November 1601 - March 1602 | 5 months | Deposed Simon I | Deposed by Simon I |
| Innocent V Pope | 21 January – 22 June 1276 | 153 days (5 months, 1 day) | Elected following the death of Gregory X | Died |
| John VII Eastern Roman Emperor | 14 April – 17 September 1390 | 156 days (5 months, 3 days) | Deposed his grandfather, John V | Restoration of John V |
| Sonni Baru King of Songhai | 6 November 1492 – 12 April 1493 | 158 days | Succeeded his father Sonni Ali | Fled after being defeated at the Battle of Anfao |
| Celestine V Pope | 5 July – 13 December 1294 | 161 days (5 months, 8 days) | Elected following an interregnum | Resigned |
| Roman II Prince of Moldavia | 15 September 1447 – 23 February 1448 | 161 days (5 months, 8 days) | Assassinated his uncle, Stephen II, who had previously deposed and blinded Roman's father, Iliaş. He was co-prince with his other uncle Peter III. | Fled to Poland where he died in July 1448. Thereafter Peter III ruled in solitary. |
| Yohannes II Emperor of Ethiopia | 7 May – 18 October 1769 | 165 days (5 months, 12 days) | Summoned by Ras Mikael Sehul after the murder of his great-nephew Iyoas I | Poisoned on the orders of Ras Mikael Sehul |
| Lê Túc Tông Emperor of Đại Việt | 17 July – 30 December 1504 | 166 days (5 months, 13 days) | Death of his father, Lê Hiến Tông | Died of illness |
| Al-Mustansir Caliph of Cairo | 13 June – 28 November 1261 | 168 days (5 months, 15 days) | Proclaimed Caliph in Egypt after the Mongols sacked Baghdad and killed his nephew, Caliph Al-Musta'sim, in 1258 | Killed in an ambush near Hit while trying to reconquer Iraq |
| Abu Bakr Shah Tughlaq dynasty | 15 March 1389 – 30 August 1390 | 168 days (5 months, 15 days) | Succeeded Tughluq Khan | Deposed and imprisoned by Muhammad Shah III |
| Tughluq Khan Tughlaq dynasty | 20 September 1388 – 14 March 1389 | 168 days (5 months, 18 days) | Succeeded Firoz Shah Tughlaq | Assassinanted shortly after his victory against Muhammad Shah III |
| Álvaro V Manikongo | 27 February – 14 August 1636 | 170 days (5 months, 20 days) | Poisoned Álvaro IV | Poisoned |
| Yazid III Caliph of Islam | 17 April – 3/4 October 744 | 171–172 days (5 months, 17–18 days) | Likely assassinated his cousin, Al-Walid II | Died of a brain tumor |
| Charles I King of Norway | 20 November 1449 – 13 May 1450 | 174 days (5 months, 22 days) | Elected in Trondheim by a portion of the Norwegian Council, in defiance of Christian I of Denmark who had been elected by the other part | Renounced his claim to Norway and recognized Christian I. He continued ruling as King of Sweden until he was also replaced there in 1457 by Christian I, and took exile in Poland. |
| Charles VIII King of Sweden (second reign) | 9 August 1464 – 30 January 1465 | 174 days (5 months, 21 days) | Returned from exile during a rebellion against Christian I | Exiled again after defeat by Christian I's regent in Sweden, Archbishop Jöns Bengtsson Oxenstierna. He recovered the throne for a third time in 1467 and reigned until his death in 1470. |
| Gong Emperor of Sui | 18 December 617 – 12 June 618 | 176 days (5 months, 25 days) | Installed as a puppet emperor by Li Yuan | Deposed by Li Yuan, who established the Tang dynasty and later had Emperor Gong murdered |
| Al-Muntasir Caliph of Islam | 11 December 861 – 7 June 862 | 178 days (5 months, 24 days) | Assassination of his father, Al-Mutawakkil | Died of disease |
| Isaac II Eastern Roman Emperor (second reign) | 1 August 1203 – 27/28 January 1204 | 179 days (5 months, 26–27 days) | Restored to the throne after the flight of his brother Alexios III, who had imprisoned and blinded him in 1195 | Deposed by Alexios V. Isaac II died soon afterwards under unclear, but possibly natural circumstances. Alexios IV was strangled on February 8. |
| Alexios IV Eastern Roman Emperor | 1 August 1203 – 27/28 January 1204 | 179 days (5 months, 26–27 days) | Proclaimed co-emperor with his father because of his deteriorated mental and physical state; he ruled alone in practice. | Deposed by Alexios V. Isaac II died soon afterwards under unclear, but possibly natural circumstances. Alexios IV was strangled on February 8. |
| Heraclonas Eastern Roman Emperor | May – October/November 641 | <6 months | Death of his father, Heraclius I | Deposed, mutilated, and exiled to Rhodes by Constans II |

## Other monarchs who reigned for a year or less

| Monarch | Reign | Length | Reason for accession | Reason for reign's end |
| Marduk-ahhe-eriba King of Babylon | c. 1042 BC | 6 months | Succeeded Adad-apla-iddina | Succeeded by Marduk-zer-X |
| Zechariah King of Israel | 753–752 or 746–745 BC | 6 months | Death of his father, Jeroboam II | Assassinated by his captain Shallum, who succeeded him. |
| Mark King of Makuria | c. 747 | 6 months | Crowned by the former king Zachary I after the deposition and exile of Abraham | Assassinated by Abraham's supporters |
| Kamarnava II Eastern Ganga dynasty | 1015 | 6 months | Succeeded Vajrahasta IV | fate unknown, succeeded by Gundama II |
| Amda Seyon II Emperor of Ethiopia | 1494 | 6 months | Succeeded his father Eskender | Died at the age of 7, succeeded by his uncle Na'od |
| Shivaji IV Kolhapur State | 2 July 1821 – 3 January 1822 | 6 months | Succeeded Sambhaji III | Succeeded by Shahaji |
| Vallabharaja King of Gurjara | c. 1008 | 6 months | Crowned after his father Chamundaraja retired | Died of smallpox while on campaign |
| Stephen VII Prince of Moldavia | 8 August 1563 – January 1564 | 6 months | Deposed and assassinated John II | Fled to Poland after the Ottomans refused to recognize him and restored Alexander IV, the prince before John II |
| Wu Sangui Emperor of Great Zhou | March–August 1678 | 6 months | Rebelled against the Qing dynasty and proclaimed himself Emperor in Hengyang | Died |
| Amha Selassie Emperor of Ethiopia | 12 September 1974 – 12 March 1975 | 181 days (6 months) | Proclaimed by the Derg while he was receiving medical treatment in Switzerland, following the deposition of his father Haile Selassie. He did not accept this proclamation as legitimate and did not return to Ethiopia. | Monarchy abolished |
| Shunzong Emperor of Tang | 28 February – 28 August 805 | 182 days (6 months) | Death of his father, Emperor Dezong | Abdicated in favour of his son Emperor Xianzong |
| Hasan ibn Ali Caliph of Islam | 661 | 6–7 months | Elected after the death of his father, Ali | Abdicated in favor of Muawiyah I |
| Enlil-nadin-shumi King of Babylon | c. 1224 BC | 6-18 months | Kashtiliash IV deposed by Tukulti-Ninurta I of Assyria | Succeeded by Kadashman-Harbe II |
| Mingzong Khagan and Emperor of Great Yuan | 27 February – 30 August 1329 | 183 days (6 months, 3 days) | Abdication of his brother Emperor Wenzong | Died, possibly poisoned. Emperor Wenzong was restored to the throne. |
| Peter III Emperor of All Russia | 5 January – 9 July 1762 | 185 days (6 months, 4 days) | Death of his aunt, Elizabeth I | Deposed and possibly assassinated by his wife, Catherine II |
| Kale Kye-Taung Nyo King of Ava | 9 November 1425 – 16 May 1426 | 188 days (6 months, 7 days) | Deposed his nephew, Min Hla | Deposed by Mohnyin Thado |
| Henry VI King of England (second reign) | 3 October 1470 – 11 April 1471 | 191 days (6 months, 9 days) | Restored after Edward IV's flight during the 1470 Lincolnshire Rebellion | Deposed by Edward IV after recapturing London and probably assassinated |
| Dafydd ap Gruffudd Prince of Gwynedd and Wales | 11 December 1282 – 22 June 1283 | 193 days (6 months, 11 days) | Death of his brother, Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, at the Battle of Orewin Bridge | Captured in battle by Edward I of England, who had him hanged, drawn, and quartered on 3 October |
| William I Prince of Albania | 21 February – 3 September 1914 | 194 days (6 months, 11 days) | Formally offered the throne by Albanian notables after being chosen for the position by the European Great Powers | Fled to Italy amidst unrest related to the outbreak of World War I. |
| Jamshid bin Abdullah Sultan of Zanzibar | 1 July 1963 – 12 January 1964 | 195 days (6 months, 11 days) | Death of his father, Abdullah bin Khalifa | Monarchy abolished |
| Sogdianus Shah of Persia and Pharaoh of Egypt | 424–423 BC | 6 months, 15 days | Proclaimed himself after the death of his father Artaxerxes I, in defiance of the legitimate heir, his half-brother Xerxes II, whom he later had assassinated | Assassinated by his other half-brother, Darius II |
| Jean Casimir-Perier Co-Prince of Andorra | 27 June 1894 – 16 January 1895 | 203 days (6 months, 20 days) | Became Prince of Andorra as President of France | Resigned |
| Constantius III Western Roman Emperor | 8 February – 2 September 421 | 206 days (6 months, 23 days) | Made co-emperor by Honorius | Died |
| Al-Qasim al-Ma'mun Caliph of Cordoba (second reign) | 12 February – 9 September 1023 | 209 days (6 months, 26 days) | Flight of Yahya al-Mu'tali from Cordoba | Deposed and imprisoned |
| Duncan II King of Scots | May – 12 November 1094 | <7 months | Crowned at Scone as a puppet of William the Conqueror, in rebellion against Donald III who retained control of the Scottish Highlands | Killed in battle or assassinated after defeat |
| Alexander II Prince of Moldavia (first reign) | February – 12 October 1449 | <7 months | Deposed Peter III | Deposed by Bogdan II. Recovered the throne in 1452 |
| Peter Aaron Prince of Moldavia (second reign) | August 1454 – February 1455 | <7 months | Deposed Alexander II | Deposed by Alexander II |
| Bardiya Shah of Persia and Pharaoh of Egypt | early 522 BC – September 522 BC | 7 months | Rebelled in the Zagros Mountains against Cambyses II, then in Egypt, some time before Cambyses' death | Assassinated by nobles led by Darius I, who claimed he was not the real Bardiya (brother of Cambyses) but a royal impostor |
| Pilaya Mara King of Anuradhapura | 91–90 BC | 7 months | Assassinated King Panya Mara | Murdered by his chief minister, Dathika |
| Lilavati Queen of Polonnaruwa (third reign) | 1211–1212 | 7 months | Restored after deposition of Lokissara | Deposed by Parakrama Pandyan II |
| Tarabya King of Ava | April 1400 – before 25 November 1400 | 7 months | Death of his father Swa Saw Ke | Assassinated by his former tutor Thihapate of Tagaung after he became insane |
| Nedjemibre Pharaoh of Egypt | c. 1780 BC or 1736 BC | >7 months | Succeeded Sewadjkare I | Possibly deposed by Khaankhre Sobekhotep |
| Lulach King of Scots and Mormaer of Moray | 15 August 1057 – 17 March 1058 | 214 days (7 months, 2 days) | Death of his stepfather Macbeth at the Battle of Lumphanan | Assassinated by Malcolm III |
| Paul Deschanel Co-Prince of Andorra | 18 February 1920 – 21 September 1920 | 216 days (7 months, 3 days) | Became Prince of Andorra as President of France | Resigned |
| Shang Emperor of Han | 13 February – 21 September 106 | 220 days (7 months, 8 days) | Death of his father, Emperor He | Died |
| Galba Roman Emperor | 8 June 68 – 15 January 69 | 221 days (7 months, 7 days) | Proclaimed in rebellion against Nero, who committed suicide | Assassinated by Otho in vengeance for adopting Lucius Calpurnius Piso Licinianus as his heir instead of him |
| Edmund II King of the English | 23 April – 30 November 1016 | 221 days (7 months, 7 days) | Elected in London by part of the Witenagemot after the death of his father, Æthelred the Unready; another part elected King Cnut of Denmark in Southampton. | Died, possibly assassinated, after agreeing to divide the kingdom with Cnut. Thereafter Cnut reigned over the whole of England. |
| Yahya al-Mu'tali Caliph of Cordoba (second reign) | 9 November 1025 – 19 June 1026 | 222 days (7 months, 10 days) | Reconquered Cordoba from Muhammad III | Deposed in absentia by Hisham III. Became king of Malaga where he reigned until 1035 |
| Guttorm King of Norway | 2 January – 11 August 1204 | 222 days (7 months, 9 days) | Death of his uncle, Haakon III | Died of illness |
| Kōbun Emperor of Japan | 9 January – 21 August 672 | 226 days (7 months, 13 days) | Death of his father, Emperor Tenji | Committed suicide after being deposed by his uncle, Emperor Tenmu. Only counted officially and given a posthumous name after 1870 |
| Louis I King of Spain | 15 January – 31 August 1724 | 229 days (7 months, 16 days) | Abdication of his father, Philip V | Died of smallpox. Philip V regained the throne and reigned until his own death in 1746. |
| Jovian Roman Emperor | 27 June 363 – 17 February 364 | 232 days (7 months, 19 days) | Elected after the death of Julian in the Battle of Samarra | Died in his sleep, possibly suffocated by a defective brazier |
| Sulayman ibn al-Hakam Caliph of Cordoba (first reign) | 8 November 1009 – 2 June 1010 | 236 days (7 months, 24 days) | Declared Caliph after taking Cordoba from Muhammad II and freeing, but declining to reinstall former Caliph Hisham II | Deposed by Muhammad II. Recovered the throne in 1013 and reigned for three years |
| Stephen IX Pope | 3 August 1057 – 29 March 1058 | 238 days (7 months, 26 days) | Elected after the death of Victor II | Died |
| Kiến Phúc Emperor of Đại Nam | 1 December 1883 – 31 July 1884 | 243 days (7 months, 30 days) | Deposition of his adoptive great uncle, Hiệp Hòa | Died of illness or poison |
| Theodore I King of Corsica | 12 March – 11 November 1736 | 244 days (7 months, 30 days) | Elected king by Corsican rebels against the Republic of Genoa | Left Corsica in a failed bid to get foreign support |
| Alfonso III Duke of Modena and Reggio | 11 December 1628 – July 1629 | <8 months | Death of his father, Cesare | Abdicated in favor of his son to become a monk |
| Phelles King of Tyre | 879 BC | 8 months | Assassinated his brother Astarymus | Assassinated by Ithobaal I |
| Ulpia Severina Roman Empress | 270 | 8 months | Assassination of her husband, Aurelian. Only woman to have ruled the Roman Empire in her own right | Election of Tacitus |
| Tacitus Roman Emperor | 25 September 275 – June 276 | 8 months | Elected by the Roman Senate after the assassination of Aurelian | Died of fever while returning from a military campaign in Gaul |
| Manava King of Gauda | 625–626 | 8 months | Death of his father, Shashanka | Kingdom conquered and divided between Harsha and Bhaskaravarman |
| Abd al-Wahid I Caliph of the Almohad Empire | February–September 1224 | 8 months | Elected after the death of his grand-nephew, Yusuf II | Assassinated |
| George I Prince of Moldavia | November 1399 – June 1400 | 8 months | Succeeded his brother Stephen I while he was ill but still alive | Deposed and imprisoned after invasion by Mircea I of Wallachia, who installed George's exiled half-brother, Alexander I |
| Amda Iyasus Emperor of Ethiopia | 1433–1434 | 8 months | Succeeded his brother Sarwe Iyasus | Unknown fate |
| Baeda Maryam II Emperor of Ethiopia | 15 April – December 1795 | 8 months | Made emperor by Dejazmach Wolde Gabriel while Tekle Giyorgis I was absent from Gondar | Deposed by Ras Aligaz and Tekle Giyorgis I restored |
| Ferdinand IV Grand Duke of Tuscany | 21 July 1859 – 22 March 1860 | 245 days (8 months, 1 day) | Abdication of his father, Leopold II, after their flight in the Second Italian War of Independence | Tuscany annexed by the Kingdom of Italy |
| Lê Nghi Dân Emperor of Đại Việt | 3 October 1459 – 6 June 1460 | 247 days (8 months, 3 days) | Assassinated his half-brother, Lê Nhân Tông | Deposed in favor of his other half-brother Lê Thánh Tông. He was exiled to Lạng Sơn and died shortly after. |
| Vitellius Roman Emperor | 16 April – 22 December 69 | 250 days (8 months, 6 days) | Proclaimed in rebellion against Galba | Assassinated |
| Jianwen Emperor of Jin | 6 January – 12 September 372 | 250 days (8 months, 6 days) | Installed by general Huan Wen | Died of illness |
| Injong King of Joseon | 29 November 1544 – 8 August 1545 | 252 days (8 months, 9 days) | Death of his father, Jungjong | Possibly poisoned by his step-mother Queen Munjeong so his half-brother Myeongjong would become king |
| Ramon Riu i Cabanes Co-Prince of Andorra | 18 April – 27 December 1901 | 253 days (8 months, 9 days) | Became Co-Prince of Andorra as Bishop of Urgell | Died |
| Francis (III) Erdmann Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg | 20 November 1665 – 30 July 1666 | 253 days (8 months, 10 days) | Death of his father Julius (I) Henry | Died |
| Ninurta-kudurri-usur II King of Babylon | c. 939 BC | 8 months, 12 days | Succeeded his father, Nabu-mukin-apli | Succeeded by his brother, Mar-biti-ahhe-iddina |
| John XXI Pope | 8 September 1276 – 20 May 1277 | 255 days (8 months, 12 days) | Elected following the death of Adrian V | Died after apartment collapsed |
| Tewodros I Emperor of Ethiopia | 12 October 1413 – 23 June 1414 | 255 days (8 months, 12 days) | Succeeded his father Dawit I | Died in battle against the Adal Sultanate |
| Muhammad II Caliph of Cordoba (first reign) | 15 February – 1 November 1009 | 259 days (8 months, 17 days) | Overthrew Hisham II and his prime minister Abd al-Rahman Sanchuelo, who tried to make Hisham name him his heir | Deposed by Sulayman ibn al-Hakam |
| Benedict XI Pope | 22 October 1303 – 7 July 1304 | 259 days (8 months, 16 days) | Elected after the death of Boniface VIII | Died |
| Berenice III Pharaoh of Egypt (second reign) | 5 August 81 BC – 22 April 80 BC | 260 days (8 months, 17 days) | Appointed as co-ruler by her father, Ptolemy IX. She had previously been co-ruler with her husband Ptolemy X. | Murdered by her half-brother and second husband, Ptolemy XI |
| Hongxi Emperor of Great Ming | 7 September 1424 – 29 May 1425 | 264 days (8 months, 22 days) | Death of his father, the Yongle Emperor | Died |
| Sancho II King of León | 12 January – 6 October 1072 | 268 days (8 months, 24 days) | Deposed and imprisoned his brother, Alfonso VI | Killed at the Siege of Zamora |
| Albert V Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg | 29 December 1468 – 24 September 1469 | 271 days (8 months, 26 days) | Was given Anhalt-Bernburg to rule | Died of old age |
| Matilda Lady of the English | 2 February – c. 1 November 1141 | c. 272 days (8 months, 28 days) (disputed) | Captured her cousin Stephen, King of England, at the Battle of Lincoln | Stephen exchanged (behind her back and against her will) for her half-brother Robert, 1st Earl of Gloucester, who was captured at the Rout of Winchester. She was called Lady of the English and not Queen because she was never crowned despite planning to this end. |
| William III King of Sicily | February–October 1194 | <9 months | Death of his father, Tancred | Deposed by his uncle, Henry I |
| Claudine Lady of Monaco | July 1457 – 16 March 1458 | <9 months | Death of her father, Catalan Grimaldi. As she was only six years old, her grandmother Pomellina Fregoso was named regent in her father's will. | Pomellina was deposed after trying to murder Lamberto Grimaldi, Claudine's cousin and bethrothed. Lamberto then assumed the position of Lord of Monaco in detriment of his future wife. |
| Mamia I King of Imereti (second reign) | October 1711 – June 1712 | <9 months | Deposed George VII, who fled to Kartli | Fled to Kartli himself after being defeated by George VII at the Battle of Chkhari |
| Marduk-apla-iddina II King of Babylon (second reign) | 703-702 BC | 9 months | Deposed Marduk-zakir-shumi II | Fled to Elam after his defeat by Sennacherib of Assyria |
| Benedict IX Pope (third reign) | November 1047 – July 1048 | 9 months | Returned to Rome after the death of Clement II | Expelled by the troops of Henry III of Germany, who imposed Damasus II |
| Uthman ibn Abi-Bakr King of Valencia | 1085–1086 | 9 months | Death of his father, Abu-Bakr ibn Abd-al-Aziz | Deposed by Yahya al-Qadir |
| Gavril Radomir Emperor of Bulgaria | 6 October 1014 – August 1015 | 9 months | Death of his father Samuel | Murdered by his cousin Ivan Vladislav |
| Chodaganga King of Polonnaruwa | 1196–1197 | 9 months | Assassinated Vikramabahu II | Deposed and blinded by General Tavuru Senevirat who handed power to Queen Lilavati, widow of Parakramabahu I |
| Lokissara King of Polonnaruwa | 1210–1211 | 9 months | Invaded Sri Lanka with a Tamil army from the continent, deposing Lilavati | Deposed by General Parakrama, who restored Lilavati |
| Tekle Haymanot II Emperor of Ethiopia (first reign) | 18 October 1769 – August 1770 | 9 months | Succeeded his father Yohannes II | Deposed when he left Gondar for Tigray |
| Az-Zahir Caliph of Islam | 5 October 1225 – 10 July 1226 | 278 days (9 months, 5 days) | Death of his father, An-Nasir | Died of natural causes |
| Harold II King of the English | 5 January – 14 October 1066 | 282 days (9 months, 9 days) | Elected by the Witenagemot at the suggestion of the dying king Edward the Confessor | Killed at the Battle of Hastings |
| Clement II Pope | 25 December 1046 – 9 October 1047 | 288 days (9 months, 14 days) | Elected at the request of Henry III of Germany, following the depositions of competing popes Benedict IX, Sylvester III, and Gregory VI | Poisoned with lead sugar, either accidentally or intentionally |
| Christian II King of Sweden | 1 November 1520 – 23 August 1521 | 295 days (9 months, 22 days) | Conquered Sweden, which had been in rebellion against the Kalmar Union for seven years | Deposed by the rebel "Protector of the Realm" Gustav Vasa, who was elected King Gustav I in 1523 |
| Vetranio Western Roman Emperor | 1 March – 25 December 350 | 299 days (9 months, 24 days) | Made co-emperor of Constantius II after the assassination of Constans | Deposed by Constantius II, who became single emperor |
| Habibullah Kalakani Emir of Afghanistan | 14 December 1928 – 13 October 1929 | 303 days (9 months, 29 days) | Abdication of Inayatullah Khan | Deposed and executed by Mohammed Nadir Shah |
| Aaron I Prince of Moldavia (first reign) | September 1591 – before 20 June 1592 | <10 months | Designated by the Ottomans after the abdication of Peter VI | Deposed by the Ottomans and replaced with Alexander V |
| Agustín I Emperor of Mexico | 19 May 1822 – 19 March 1823 | 304 days (10 months) | Elected by the Congress of Mexico after Ferdinand VII of Spain refused the position for himself and any of his relatives | Abdicated. The monarchy was abolished shortly after. |
| Leo II Eastern Roman Emperor | 18 January – November 474 | 10 months | Made augustus (co-emperor) by his grandfather, Leo I | Died |
| Carus Roman Emperor | c. September 282 – c. July 283 | Around 10 months | Either assassinated Probus, or was proclaimed after such assassination | Allegedly struck by lightning while campaigning against the Sassanids |
| Muhammad XII Emir of Granada (first reign) | June 1482 – 20 April 1483 | Around 10 months | Rebelled against his father, Muley Hacén, seizing Granada and Almería. His father successfully defended and retained Málaga. | Captured at the Battle of Lucena during an incursion in Castilian territory. Liberated by the Christians in order to fuel inter-Muslim conflict, he titled himself Emir again in 1487 and reigned until 1492. |
| Simon I Prince of Wallachia (first reign) | October 1600 – 3 July 1601 | Around 10 months | Assassination of Michael II | Deposed by Radu IX |
| Ismail II Emir of Granada | 23 August 1359 – 24 June or 13 July 1360 | 306–325 days (10 months, 1–19 days) | Deposed and exiled his brother, Muhammad V, to North Africa | Deposed and assassinated by his brother-in-law, Muhammad VI |
| Romulus Augustus Western Roman Emperor | 31 October 475 – 4 September 476 | 309 days (10 months, 4 days) | Installed in Ravenna by his father, General Orestes, after rebelling against Julius Nepos. The latter fled to Dalmatia and continued ruling there as Western Roman emperor until 480. | Deposed by Odoacer, who sent the imperial insignia to Constantinople and titled himself King of Italy |
| Martin II King of Sicily | 25 July 1409 – 31 May 1410 | 310 days (10 months, 6 days) | Death of his son Martin I | Died |
| Antipope Alexander V Pope | 26 June 1409 – 3 May 1410 | 311 days (10 months, 7 days) | Elected in opposition to the Roman pope Gregory XII and the Avignon pope Benedict XIII | Died suddenly |
| Louise Hippolyte Princess of Monaco | 20 February – 29 December 1731 | 312 days (10 months, 9 days) | Death of her father, Anthony I | Died of smallpox |
| Zhao Bing Emperor of Song | 10 May 1278 – 19 March 1279 | 313 days (10 months, 9 days) | Death of his half-brother Emperor Duanzong | Murdered by his chancellor Lu Xiufu during the Battle of Yamen |
| Narawara King of Burma | 14 April 1672 – 27 February 1673 | 319 days (10 months, 13 days) | Death of his father, Pye Min | Died |
| Edward VIII King of the United Kingdom, the British Dominions, and Emperor of India | 20 January – 11 December 1936 | 326 days (10 months, 21 days) | Death of his father, George V | Abdicated in favour of his brother George VI in order to marry Wallis Simpson, a twice-divorced American socialite |
| Fuad II King of Egypt and the Sudan | 26 July 1952 – 18 June 1953 | 327 days (10 months, 23 days) | Abdication of his father, Farouk I | Monarchy abolished |
| Paul Doumer Co-Prince of Andorra | 13 June 1931 – 7 May 1932 | 329 days (10 months, 24 days) | Became Prince of Andorra as President of France | Assassinated |
| Jovan Nenad Tsar of Bačka | 29 August 1526 – 26 July 1527 | 331 days (10 months, 28 days) | Carved a Serbian kingdom in southern Hungary after the death of Louis II in the Battle of Mohacs, refusing to recognize John Zapolya as King of Hungary and collaborating with the Habsburgs | Assassinated after failing to link with the Habsburgs |
| Baldwin I Latin Emperor of Constantinople | 16 May 1204 – 14 April 1205 | 333 days (10 months, 29 days) | Elected by the Crusaders after the Sack of Constantinople | Captured by Kaloyan of Bulgaria at the Battle of Adrianople. Later died in prison |
| Al-Muhtadi Caliph of Islam | 21/22 July 869 – 21 June 870 | 334–335 days (11 months) | Assassination of his cousin, Al-Mu'tazz | Assassinated |
| Marwan I Caliph of Islam | June 684 – April/May 685 | 10–11 months | Elected after the death of Muawiya II | Died |
| Alexander III Prince of Wallachia | Began August–November 1592, ended 2–12 September 1593 | 11–14 months | Succeeded Stephen I | Deposed by Michael II and exiled to Constantinople, where he was accused of conspiracy and executed in 1597 |
| Dmitry I Tsar of Russia | 10 June 1605 – 17 May 1606 | 341 days (11 months, 7 days) | Deposition of Feodor II | Assassinated |
| Richard III Duke of Normandy | 28 August 1026 – 6 August 1027 | 343 days (11 months, 9 days) | Death of his father Richard II | Died of illness |
| Napoleon I Emperor of Elba | 11 April 1814 – 20 March 1815 | 343 days (11 months, 9 days) | Title created by the Treaty of Fontainebleau | Fled to France |
| Moshoeshoe II King of Lesotho (second reign) | 25 January 1995 – 15 January 1996 | 355 days (11 months, 21 days) | Reinstated as king in the place of his son Letsie III | Died in a car accident |
| Alfonso II King of Naples | 25 January 1494 – 23 January 1495 | 363 days (11 months, 29 days) | Death of his father, Ferdinand I | Abdicated in favour of his son, Ferdinand II |
| Christian (I) Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg | 16 November 1863 – 15 November 1864 | 364 days (11 months, 30 days) | Became King of Denmark as Christian IX and Duke of Schleswig-Holstein and Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg upon the death of Frederick VII | Saxe-Lauenburg came under the control of Austria and Prussia in 1864. |
| Charles III Duke of Parma (first reign) | 19 April 1848 – April 1849 | Around 12 months | Abdication of his father, Charles II, after both fled during the Revolutions of 1848 | Father restored by Austrian troops |
| Simon I Prince of Wallachia (second reign) | August 1601 – August 1602 | Around 12 months | Deposed Radu IX | Deposed by Radu X |
| Zababa-shuma-iddin King of Babylon | c. 1158 BC | 1 year | Succeeded Marduk-apla-iddina I | Succeeded by Enlil-nadin-ahi |
| Michael VI Eastern Roman Emperor | 31 August 1056 – 31 August 1057 | 365 days (12 months) | Succeeded Theodora III after being chosen by her as successor, shortly before her death | Abdicated in favour of Isaac I and became a monk |
| Elizabeth II Queen of Tanganyika | 9 December 1961 – 9 December 1962 | 365 days (12 months) | Gained independence within the Commonwealth of Nations and shared a monarch with Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and certain other sovereign states | Monarchy abolished |
| Elizabeth II Queen of Uganda | 9 October 1962 – 9 October 1963 | 365 days (12 months) | Gained independence within the Commonwealth of Nations and shared a monarch with Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and certain other sovereign states | Monarchy abolished |
| Elizabeth II Queen of Kenya | 12 December 1963 – 12 December 1964 | 366 days (12 months) | Gained independence within the Commonwealth of Nations and shared a monarch with Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and certain other sovereign states | Monarchy abolished |

## Other monarchs who may have reigned for less than a year

The following monarchs may also have reigned for less than a year, but only an approximate length of reign is known.
| Monarch | Reign | Reason for accession | Reason for reign's end |
| 5–70 unnamed rulers Pharaohs of Egypt (Seventh Dynasty) | c. 2181 BC (70–75 days total) | Existence questioned due to poor and imprecise records. Some believe it fictional, a metaphor for a chaotic interregnum between the Sixth and Eighth Dynasties; others that it really existed but its pharaohs were included in the Eighth Dynasty by mistake. | Existence questioned due to poor and imprecise records. Some believe it fictional, a metaphor for a chaotic interregnum between the Sixth and Eighth Dynasties; others that it really existed but its pharaohs were included in the Eighth Dynasty by mistake. |
| Neferkare Pepiseneb Pharaoh of Egypt | 2181–2170 BC | Succeeded Neferkahor | Succeeded by Neferkamin Anu after a reign of one year or more. Only attested in the Abydos King List and possibly the Turin King List (as Neferkare Khered Seneb) |
| Sewadjkare I Pharaoh of Egypt | c. 1781 BC or 1737 BC | Succeeded Sehetepibre | Succeeded by Nedjemibre. Only known from the Turin King List, which originally included his reign duration but is illegible due to damage |
| Ashur-shaduni King of Assyria | c. 1473 BC | Succeeded his father, Nur-ili | Deposed by his uncle, Ashur-rabi I |
| Kara-hardash King of Babylon | c. 1333 BC | Succeeded his father, Burnaburiash II | Assassinated by Nazi-Bugash |
| Ninurta-tukulti-Ashur King of Assyria | c. 1132 BC | Succeeded his father, Ashur-dan I | Deposed by his brother, Mutakkil-Nusku |
| Mutakkil-Nusku King of Assyria | c. 1132 BC | Deposed his brother, Ninurta-tukulti-Ashur | Died |
| Nazi-Bugash King of Babylon | c. 1333 BC | Assassinated Kara-hardash | Assassinated by Ashur-uballit I of Assyria, who installed Kara-hardash's brother Kurigalzu II on the throne |
| Baba-aha-iddina King of Babylon | 813-812 BC | Succeeded Marduk-balassu-iqbi | Deposed by Shamshi-Adad V of Assyria |
| Marduk-zakir-shumi II King of Babylon | 703 BC | Proclaimed in rebellion against Sennacherib of Assyria | Deposed by Marduk-apla-iddina II |
| Sinsharishkun King of Babylon | 626 BC | Defeated the rebel Sîn-šumu-līšir | Independence of Babylon under Nabopolassar |
| Pausanias King of Macedon | 394/393 – 393/392 BC | Became king after Amyntas II was assassinated | Assassinated by a distant cousin, Amyntas III |
| Nidin-Bel King of Babylon | Autumn 336 - 335 BC | Possible rebel king between the reigns of Artaxerxes IV and Darius III; existence dubious | Possible rebel king between the reigns of Artaxerxes IV and Darius III; existence dubious |
| Laconicus King of Sparta | 192 BC | Proclaimed after the assassination of Nabis of Sparta | Sparta annexed by the Achaean League |
| Antiochus King of Syria | 150 BC | Only known from a coin minted at the end of Demetrius I Soter's reign | Only known from a coin minted at the end of Demetrius I Soter's reign |
| Seleucus V King of Syria | 125 BC | Assassination of his father, Demetrius II Nicator | Assassinated by his mother and co-ruler, Cleopatra Thea |
| Cleopatra IV Pharaoh of Egypt | 28 June 116 BC – 115 BC | Death of her father, Ptolemy VIII. Reigned alongside her brother and husband, Ptolemy IX | Pushed out of joint rule by her mother, Cleopatra III |
| Zhao Jiande King of Nanyue | 112–111 BC | Assassination of Zhao Xing | Assassinated, Nanyue annexed by the Han dynasty |
| Antiochus XI King of Syria | 94–93 BC | Proclaimed himself king after his brother Seleucus VI was killed fighting against their cousin Antiochus X | Died in battle against Antiochus X |
| Arsaces King of Pontus | 37–36 BC | Death of his brother Darius | Died |
| Sundara Satakarni Satavahana dynasty | 76-77 (~1 year) | Succeeded Purindrsena | Died in battle Saka-Satavahana Wars |
| Chakora Svatikarna Satavahana dynasty | 77-78 (~6 months) | Succeeded Sundara Satakarni | Died in battle Saka-Satavahana Wars |
| Liu Yi Emperor of Han | 125 | Elected to succeed the late Emperor An | Died of illness |
| Adur Narseh Shah of Persia | 209 | Death of his father, Hormizd II | Assassinated and replaced with Shapur II. His reign is questioned by some historians because he is mentioned in Greek sources but not in Persian ones. |
| Gongsun Yuan King of Yan | 237–238 | Rebelled against Cao Wei | Deposed and executed by Wei, along with his family |
| Vithimiris/Vinitharius King of the Goths | c. 376 | Suicide of Ermanaric when faced by Alan and Hunnic invasions | Killed in battle with the Huns |
| Ellac King of the Huns | 453–454 | Death of his father, Attila | Killed at the Battle of Nedao |
| Ildibad King of the Ostrogoths | 540–541 | Elected after Witiges was taken prisoner to Constantinople by the Byzantines | Murdered by his bodyguard |
| John King of the Moors and Romans | 545–546 | Elected after the death of Stotzas in the Battle of Thacia | Arrested by the Byzantines and crucified in Constantinople |
| Teia King of the Ostrogoths | Began July 552, ended October 552 – early 553 | Elected after the death of Totila in the Battle of Taginae | Killed at the Battle of Mons Lactarius |
| Seaxburh Queen of Wessex | 672–674 | Succeeded her husband, Cenwalh of Wessex, after his death. Only woman included in the list of kings of Wessex | Died. The throne was inherited by either Cenfus or his son Æscwine, who were distant relatives of her husband. |
| Roderic King of the Visigoths | 710/711–711/712 | Seized the throne by force, either assassinating Wittiza or in the aftermath of Wittiza's death by other causes | Killed at the Battle of Guadalete |
| Sigeberht King of Wessex | 756–757 | Succeeded Cuthred, a distant relative | Deposed by Cynewulf and later assassinated |
| Sabin Khan of Bulgaria | 765–766 | Assassination of Telets | Deposed, fled to Constantinople |
| Toktu Khan of Bulgaria | 766–767 | Succeeded Umor, possibly after deposing him | Assassinated while trying to flee from a revolt |
| Pagan Khan of Bulgaria | 767–768 | Elected after the deposition or assassination of Toktu. | Deposed and assassinated. |
| Dae Won-ui King of Balhae | c. 793 – November 793 | Death of his father Mun | Assassinated on the order of his nephew Seong by the ministers |
| Seong King of Balhae | November 793 – mid 794 | Assassinated his uncle Dae Won-ui | Deposed and assassinated by his uncle Gang |
| Anulo King of Denmark | 812 | Death of King Hemming. Anulo and his followers claimed him to be the rightful new king of Denmark. | Killed in battle fought against another claimant for the kingship of Denmark (the party of Anulo won the battle, and Anulo's brothers became new joint kings of Denmark) |
| Sigfred King of Denmark | 812 | Death of King Hemming. Sigfred and his followers claimed him to be the rightful new king of Denmark. | Killed in battle fought against another claimant for the kingship of Denmark |
| Gan King of Balhae | 817–818 | Death of his father Hui | Assassinated by his uncle Seon |
| Nepotian King of Asturias | 842 | Succeeded his childless "kinsman", Alfonso II, whom he had served as count of the palace | Deposed by Alfonso's second degree cousin, Ramiro I |
| Fruela King of Asturias | 866 | Seized the throne by force in the aftermath of Ordoño I's death | Assassinated after some months and replaced with Ordoño's son, Alfonso III. Called "The Usurper" to distinguish from Fruela I and Fruela II |
| Jeonggang King of Silla | 886–887 | Death of his brother, Heongang | Died |
| Alfonso Fróilaz King of Leon | July 925 – late 925 | Death of his father, Fruela II | Deposed by his cousins Sancho Ordóñez, Alfonso IV, and Ramiro II, who then fought among themselves. Fróilaz allied with Alfonso IV and may have been rewarded with a sub-kingdom in the northeast until both were removed by Ramiro II in 932. |
| Arinjaya Chola Chola dynasty | 957-958 CE | Succeeded Gandaraditya Chola | Died in a war in Arrur, succeeded by Parantaka Chola II |
| Bezprym Duke of Poland | 1031 – spring? 1032 | Flight of his brother Mieszko II to Bohemia during a period of German and Kievan invasions | Assassinated. Duchy divided between his brothers Mieszko and Otto and cousin Dytryk |
| Abd Allah ibn al-Hakam al-Tujibi King of Zaragoza | 1039 | Assassinated his cousin, Al-Mundhir ibn Yahya | Deposed by Al-Musta'in I |
| Eric and Eric Kings of Sweden | 1066–1067 | Death of Stenkil. Each claimed the throne for himself and fought the other. | Killed in battle in quick succession. The throne went to Stenkil's son, Halsten. |
| Ragnvald Knaphövde King of Sweden | late 1120s | Elected in Östergötland after the death of Inge | Assassinated by the Geats, who had elected Magnus I |
| David V King of Georgia | c. 1154–1155 | Deposed his father, Demetrius I | Unclear, but likely assassinated. His reign is given different lengths in different chronicles: from one to six months, to even two years. |
| Magnus II King of Sweden | 1160–1161 | Assassinated Eric IX | Killed in battle with Eric IX's son, Charles VII |
| Parakrama Pandyan I Pandya dynasty | 1161-1162 | Executed by Parakramabahu I | Succeeded by Vira Pandya III |
| Jaya Harivarman II King of Champa | 1166–1167 | Succeeded Jaya Harivarman I | Succeeded by Jaya Indravarman IV |
| Vijayabahu II King of Polonnaruwa | 1186–1187 | Death of his uncle, Parakramabahu I | Assassinated by Mahinda VI |
| Suryajayavarman King of Champa | 1190–1191 | Installed by the Khmer after they invaded and deposed Jaya Indravarman IV | Fled to Cambodia during the revolt of Vidyanandana, leaving the capital Vijaya to Jaya Indravarman V |
| Jaya Indravarman V King of Champa | 1191–1192 | Flight of Suryajayavarman | Assassinated by Vidyanandana |
| Dharmasoka King of Polonnaruwa | 1208–1209 | Succeeded Kalyanavati | Assassinated by Anikanga |
| Lilavati Queen of Polonnaruwa (second reign) | 1209–1210 | Assassination of Anikanga by General Vikkantacamunakka, who surrendered control to Lilavati | Deposed by Lokissara |
| Peter I Latin Emperor of Constantinople | 1216–1217 | Elected after the death of his brother-in-law, Henry I | Captured during a failed campaign against the Despotate of Epirus; he died in prison in 1219. |
| Lý Chiêu Hoàng Empress of Đại Việt | October 1224 – October/November 1225 | Abdication of her father, Lý Huệ Tông, who retired to become a Buddhist monk. | Forced to abdicate in favour of her husband, Trần Thái Tông. She was the only empress regnant in the history of Vietnam. |
| Ermengol IX Count of Urgell | 1243 | Death of his father, Ponce I | Died, reasons unknown |
| Haraldr Guðrøðarson King of Mann and the Isles | 1249–1250 | Assassinated his cousin Rǫgnvaldr Óláfsson | Deposed and exiled to Norway by Haakon IV, who probably also installed Rǫgnvaldr's brother Magnús Óláfsson as king |
| Tsenfa Arad Emperor of Ethiopia | 1294–1295 | Five sons of Yagbe'u Seyon reigned consecutively after him for one year each, possibly as a result of dynastic confusion. | Throne seized by their uncle Wedem Arad |
| Hezba Asagad Emperor of Ethiopia | 1295–1296 | Five sons of Yagbe'u Seyon reigned consecutively after him for one year each, possibly as a result of dynastic confusion. | Throne seized by their uncle Wedem Arad |
| Qedma Asagad Emperor of Ethiopia | 1296–1297 | Five sons of Yagbe'u Seyon reigned consecutively after him for one year each, possibly as a result of dynastic confusion. | Throne seized by their uncle Wedem Arad |
| Jan Asagad Emperor of Ethiopia | 1297–1298 | Five sons of Yagbe'u Seyon reigned consecutively after him for one year each, possibly as a result of dynastic confusion. | Throne seized by their uncle Wedem Arad |
| Saba Asagad Emperor of Ethiopia | 1298–1299 | Five sons of Yagbe'u Seyon reigned consecutively after him for one year each, possibly as a result of dynastic confusion. | Throne seized by their uncle Wedem Arad |
| Simon II Lord of Lippe | 10 August 1344 – Late 1344 | Death of his father Simon I | Died likely of age related causes |
| Albert III Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst | 1359 – c. 1 August 1359 | Made co-monarch alongside his uncle Waldemar I | Died |
| Balc Prince of Moldavia | 1359 or 1364 | Death of his father, Sas | Deposed by Bogdan I |
| Peter I Prince of Moldavia | 1367 – July 1368 | Death of his grandfather, Bogdan I | Deposed by his uncle, Lațcu |
| Dương Nhật Lễ Emperor of Đại Việt | 1369–1370 | Death of his uncle, Trần Dụ Tông | Deposed by his father-in-law, Trần Nghệ Tông |
| Al-Musta'sim Caliph of Cairo (first reign) | 1377 | Deposition of Al-Mutawakkil I | Deposed by Al-Mutawakkil I. He became Caliph a second time in 1386–1389. |
| Yusuf II Emir of Granada | 1391–1392 | Death of his father, Muhammad V | Possibly assassinated by his son, Muhammad VII |
| Hồ Quý Ly Emperor of Đại Ngu | 28 February 1400 – 1401 | Deposed his grandson, Trần Thiếu Đế | Abdicated in favour of his son, Hồ Hán Thương |
| Virupaksha Raya Emperor of Vijayanagara | 1404-1405 | Death of Harihara II | Killed by his own sons |
| Ramachandra Raya Emperor of Vijayanagara | 1422 | Death of Deva Raya I | Succeeded by Veera Vijaya Bukka Raya |
| Muhammad IX Emir of Granada (second reign) | 1430–1431 | Deposed and assassinated Muhammad VIII, who had deposed him earlier | Deposed by Yusuf IV |
| Yusuf IV Emir of Granada | 1 January 1432 – c. 1432 | Deposed Muhammad IX | Deposed by Muhammad IX |
| Peter III Prince of Moldavia (first reign) | May 1444 – 1445 | Made co-prince by his half-brother Stephen II after he deposed his other brother and previous co-prince, Iliaș, who had been imposed by the Poles | Unknown. He became co-prince again in 1447, this time with his nephew Roman II, a son of Iliaș. |
| Yusuf V Emir of Granada | 1445–1446 | Deposed his nephew Muhammad X | Deposed by Muhammad X |
| Yusuf V Emir of Granada | 1462 | Deposed his brother Abu Nasr Sa'd | Deposed by Abu Nasr Sa'd |
| Muhammad XI Emir of Granada | 1453–1454 | Death of Muhammad IX | Deposed by Abu Nasr Sa'd and assassinated by Sa'd's son, Muley Hacén |
| Praudha Raya Emperor of Vijayanagara | 1485 | Succeeded Virupaksha Raya II | Deposed by Saluva Narasimha Deva Raya |
| Thimma Bhupala Emperor of Vijayanagara | 1491 (~2 months) | Death of Saluva Narasimha Deva Raya | Assassinated by an unknown Sangama dynasty commander |
| Al-Mustamsik Caliph of Cairo (second reign) | 1516–1517 | Deposed his son Al-Mutawakkil III, who had previously deposed him in 1508 | Abdicated in favor of Al-Mutawakkil III |
| Al-Mutawakkil III Caliph of Cairo (second reign) | 1517 | Abdication of his father | Captured by Selim I and deported to Constantinople, where he surrendered the title to Selim (according to later tradition) |
| Tupac Amaru I Sapa Inca | 1571 – 24 September 1572 | Death of his brother Titu Cusi Yupanqui | Executed by the Spanish |
| Mạc Toàn Emperor of Đại Việt | 1592–1593 | Capture and assassination of his father Mạc Mậu Hợp by the Lê | Abdicated in favour of Mạc Kính Chỉ |
| Mạc Kính Chỉ Emperor of Đại Việt | 1592–1593 | Abdication of Mạc Toàn | Assassinated by the Trịnh lords |
| Karposh King of Kumanovo | October? – November? 1689 | Recognized as King by the Habsburgs while in rebellion against the Ottoman Empire | Captured and executed by the Ottomans |
| Mamia I King of Imereti (first reign) | 1701 | Installed as puppet king by his father-in-law Giorgi Abashidze, following the assassination of Simon I | Abdicated in favour of Abashidze, who became King George VI of Imereti, and returned to Guria where he continued ruling as Prince |
| Abdullah I King of Iraq | 8 March 1920 – c. 1920 | Proclaimed by the Congress of Iraq | Refused the position. Became Emir of Transjordan in 1921 and King of Jordan in 1946 |