List of University of Oxford people in public life overseas
Monarchs
Table:
Name

College

Years

Reign

Ref

Seretse Khama

Balliol

1945

King of the BagammaNgwato people (1925); afterwards first President of Botswana (1966–1980)

Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck

Magdalen

2000–?

King of Bhutan (2006 onwards)

[1]

Abdullah II of Jordan

Pembroke

King of Jordan (1999 onwards)

Sultan Ahmad Shah

Worcester

1948–?

King of Malaysia (1979–1984) and Sultan of Pahang (1979 onwards)

[2]

Tuanku Abdul Halim

Wadham

–1954

King of Malaysia (1970–1975; 2011–2016) and Sultan of Kedah (1958 onwards)

[3]

Tuanku Jaafar

Balliol

King of Malaysia (1994–1999) and Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan (1968 onwards)

Muhammad V of Kelantan

St Cross

1990-1991

King of Malaysia (2016-2018) and Sultan of Kelantan (2010 onwards)

Dr Nazrin Shah of Perak

Worcester College, Oxford

Acting King of Malaysia (2018-2019), Deputy King of Malaysia (2016 onwards) and Sultan of Perak (2014 onwards)

William II of the Netherlands

Christ Church

King of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg (1840–1849)

Harald V of Norway

Balliol

1960–1962

King of Norway (1991 onwards)

[4]

Olav V of Norway

Balliol

1924–1926

King of Norway (1957–1991)

[5][6]

Vajiravhud

Christ Church

1900–1901

King of Siam (1910–1925)

[7]

Andrew Bertie

Christ Church

Prince and Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (1988-2008)

[8][9]

George Tupou V

King of Tonga (2006-2012)

Sidkeong Tulku Namgyal

Pembroke

Maharaja and Chogyal of Sikkim (1914)

Moshoeshoe II of Lesotho

Corpus Christi

King of Lesotho (1966-1990, 1995-1996)

Naruhito

Merton

1980s

Emperor of Japan (2019 onwards)

With reference to the provided table and the supplementary paragraphs listed.

Solve the question: Who is the person with the college that was founded in 1624 by King James I of England ? Return your answer as JSON: {"answer": "YOUR ANSWER"}.

Sir Seretse Goitsebeng Maphiri Khama , GCB , KBE ( 1 July 1921 - 13 July 1980 ) was the first President of Botswana , in office from 1966 to 1980 . Born into one of the most powerful African royal families of what was then the British Protectorate of Bechuanaland , he was educated abroad in neighboring South Africa and in the United Kingdom . He married a British woman , Ruth Williams , which as a union between a black man and a white woman was controversial , particularly with the National Party government in South Africa as well as among the British and the Bangwato . Khama led his country 's independence movement . He founded the Botswana Democratic Party in 1962 and became Prime Minister in 1965 . In 1966 , Botswana gained independence and Khama was elected as its first president . During his presidency , the country underwent rapid economic and social progress .
Balliol College ( /ˈbeɪliəl/ ) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England . One of Oxford 's oldest colleges , it was founded around 1263 by John I de Balliol , a rich landowner from Barnard Castle in County Durham , who provided the foundation and endowment for the college . When de Balliol died in 1269 his widow , Dervorguilla , a woman whose wealth far exceeded that of her husband , continued his work in setting up the college , providing a further endowment , and writing the statutes . She is considered a co - founder of the college . The college 's alumni include the incumbent Prime Minister of the United Kingdom , Boris Johnson , as well as three former prime ministers ( H. H. Asquith , who once described Balliol men as possessing the tranquil consciousness of an effortless superiority , Harold Macmillan , and Edward Heath ) , Harald V of Norway , Empress Masako of Japan , five Nobel laureates , and numerous literary and philosophical figures , including Adam Smith , Gerard Manley Hopkins , and Aldous Huxley . John Wycliffe , who translated the Bible into English , was Master of the college in the 1360s .
The Bamangwato ( more correctly BagammaNgwato , also BaNgwato ) can be said to be one of the eight principal Tswana chieftaincies of Botswana , and just like any other Tswana chieftaincy in Botswana , constitutes a small percent in the central district even in their capital Serowe . They ruled over majority Bakalanga , ( the largest ethnic group in Central District ) and others such as the Basarwa , Birwa and Tswapong . Modern Bamangwato formed in the Central District , with its main town and capital ( after 1902 ) at Serowe . Its paramount chief , a hereditary position , occupies one of the fifteen places in Ntlo ya Dikgosi , the national House of Chiefs . [ citation needed ] The core patrilineage of the Bamangwato are an 18th-century offshoot of the Bakwena people , but members in the Ngwato kingdom came from many sources , as was the case with all of the major 19th-century African kingdoms . Sir Seretse Khama 's paternal forebears , the chiefs of the Ngwato , had built several prior capitals including Shoshong and Phalatswe , also known as Old Palapye . ( Before the advent of colonial administration and fixed infrastructure , it was common for a town to move when the local environment degraded . ) Khama and the Protectorate administration created the modern borders of the Central District in Botswana . The Sengwato language caused excitement in linguistic circles in 1998 when it was realized that it contained a unique f-s sound . Seretse Khama , Botswana 's first president , was of the Bamangwato , and his son , former President Ian Khama , is the tribe 's de facto paramount chief .
The President of the Republic of Botswana is the head of state and the head of government of Botswana , as well as the commander-in-chief of the armed forces , according to the Constitution of Botswana . The president is elected to a five-year term that runs concurrently with the term of the National Assembly . Since 1997 , he has been limited to a total of 10 years in office ( equivalent to two full terms ) , whether successive or separated . For example , if current president Mokgweetsi Masisi were to leave office in 2024 , he could run again in 2029 , but would have to leave office for good in 2034 . Presidential elections are indirect ; candidates for the legislature declare whom they endorse for president when they lodge their nomination papers , and the candidate who receives a majority of endorsements from the elected members of the National Assembly is automatically elected . If no candidate receives a majority of endorsements , the National Assembly elects the president by simple majority , before it co-opts the specially elected members . If no president is elected after three ballots , or if the Speaker determines that no candidate has enough support to be elected , the legislature is automatically dissolved . In practice , the president is the leader of the majority party in the Assembly .
Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck is the Druk Gyalpo or Dragon King of the Kingdom of Bhutan . After his father Jigme Singye Wangchuck abdicated the throne in his favour , he became the monarch on 9 December 2006 . A public coronation ceremony was held on 6 November 2008 , a year that marked 100 years of monarchy in Bhutan .
Magdalen College ( /ˈmɔːdlɪn/ MAWD-lin ) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford . It was founded in 1458 by William of Waynflete . Today , it is one of the wealthiest colleges , with a financial endowment of £273.2 million as of 2018 , and one of the strongest academically , setting the record for the highest Norrington Score in 2010 and topping the table twice since then . It is home to several of the University 's distinguished chairs , including the Agnelli-Serena Professorship , the Sherardian Professorship , and the four Waynflete Professorships . The large , square Magdalen Tower is an Oxford landmark , and it is a tradition , dating to the days of Henry VII , that the college choir sings from the top of it at 6 a.m. on May Morning . The college stands next to the River Cherwell and the Oxford botanic garden , and within its grounds has a deer park and Addison 's Walk .
Bhutan was founded and unified as a country by Ngawang Namgyal , 1st Zhabdrung Rinpoche in the mid-17th century . After his death in 1651 , Bhutan nominally followed his recommended dual system of government . Under the dual system , government control was split between a secular leader , the Druk Desi ; [ nb 1 ] and a religious leader , the Je Khenpo ( རྗེ་མཁན་པོ་ ) . Both the Druk Desi and Je Khenpo were under the nominal authority of the Zhabdrung Rinpoche , a reincarnation of Ngawang Namgyal . In practice however , the Zhabdrung was often a child under the control of the Druk Desi , and regional penlops often administered their districts in defiance of the power of the Druk Desis until the rise of the unified House of Wangchuck in 1907 . Since the rise of the unified House of Wangchuck in 1907 , the Druk Gyalpo ( འབྲུག་རྒྱལ་པོ་ ; lit . Dragon King ) have been the head of state of the Kingdom of Bhutan .
Bhutan ( /buːˈtɑːn/ ( listen ) ; Dzongkha : འབྲུག་ཡུལ་ , romanized : Druk Yul [ ʈuk̚˩.yː˩ ] ) , officially the Kingdom of Bhutan ( Dzongkha : འབྲུག་རྒྱལ་ཁབ་ , romanized : Druk Gyal Khap ) , is a landlocked country in South Asia . Located in the Eastern Himalayas , it is bordered by the Tibet Autonomous Region of China in the north , the Indian state of Sikkim , the Chumbi Valley of Tibet , China in the west and south , the Arunachal Pradesh state of India in the east , and the Indian states of Assam and West Bengal in the south . Bhutan is geopolitically in South Asia and is the region 's second-least-populous nation after the Maldives . Thimphu is its capital and largest city , while Phuntsholing is its financial center . Bhutan 's independence has endured for centuries . It has never been colonized in its history . Situated on the ancient Silk Road between Tibet , the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia , the Bhutanese state developed a distinct national identity based on Buddhism . Headed by a spiritual leader known as the Zhabdrung Rinpoche , the territory comprised many fiefdoms and was governed as a Buddhist theocracy . Following a civil war in the 19th century , the House of Wangchuck reunited the country and established relations with the British Empire . Bhutan fostered a strategic partnership with India during the rise of Chinese communism and has a disputed border with China . In 2008 Bhutan transitioned from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy and held the first election to the National Assembly of Bhutan . The National Assembly is part of the bicameral parliament of the Bhutanese democracy .
Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein ( Arabic : عبدالله الثاني بن الحسين , ʿAbdullah al-thani bin Al-Husayn , born 30 January 1962 ) has been King of Jordan since 1999 . He belongs to the Hashemite family , who have ruled Jordan since 1921 and claim agnatic descent from Muhammad 's daughter Fatimah . Abdullah was born in Amman as the first child of King Hussein and his second wife , British-born Princess Muna . As the King 's eldest son , Abdullah was heir apparent until Hussein transferred the title to Abdullah 's uncle , Prince Hassan , in 1965 . Abdullah began his schooling in Amman , continuing his education abroad . He began his military career in 1980 as a training officer in the Jordanian Armed Forces , later assuming command of the country 's Special Forces in 1994 , and he became a major general in 1998 . In 1993 Abdullah married Rania Al-Yassin ( of Palestinian descent ) , and they have four children : Crown Prince Hussein , Princess Iman , Princess Salma and Prince Hashem . A few weeks before his death in 1999 , Hussein named Abdullah his heir , and Abdullah succeeded his father . Abdullah , a constitutional monarch , liberalized the economy when he assumed the throne , and his reforms led to an economic boom which continued until 2008 . During the following years Jordan 's economy experienced hardship as it dealt with the effects of the Great Recession and spillover from the Arab Spring , including a cut in its petroleum supply and the collapse of trade with neighboring countries . In 2011 , large-scale protests demanding reform erupted in the Arab world . Many of the protests led to civil wars in other countries , but Abdullah responded quickly to domestic unrest by replacing the government and introducing reforms to the constitution and laws governing public freedoms and elections .
Pembroke College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England , located in Pembroke Square . The college was founded in 1624 by King James I of England , using in part the endowment of merchant Thomas Tesdale , and was named after William Herbert , 3rd Earl of Pembroke , Lord Chamberlain and then-Chancellor of the University . Like many of Oxford 's colleges , Pembroke admitted its first mixed-sex cohort in 1979 , having previously accepted men only . As of 2018 , Pembroke had an estimated financial endowment of £58.5 million . Pembroke offers the study of almost all the courses offered by the university . Dame Lynne Brindley , former head of the British Library , has been Master of the College since 2013 . She will be stepping down at the end of the 2019-2020 academic year . In July 2020 , Sir Ernest Ryder , a former Lord Justice of Appeal , will take on the role .
The King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is Jordan 's head of state and monarch . He serves as the head of the Jordanian monarchy - the Hashemite dynasty . The king is addressed as His Majesty ( صاحب الجلالة ) . Although Jordan is a constitutional monarchy , the king is vested with considerable executive and legislative powers . He is commander-in-chief of the Jordanian Armed Forces and appoints the prime minister and the directors of security agencies . He also appoints the members of the upper house , the Senate , as well as the members of the Constitutional Court .
Jordan ( Arabic : الأردن Al-ʾUrdunn [ al.ʔur.dunː ] ) , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan ( Arabic : المملكة الأردنية الهاشمية Al-Mamlakah al-Urdunniyyah Al-Hāshimiyyah ) , is an Arab country in Western Asia , on the East Bank of the Jordan River . Jordan is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south and the east , Iraq to the north-east , Syria to the north and Israel and the Palestinian West Bank to the west . The Dead Sea is located along its western borders and the country has a 26-kilometre ( 16 mi ) coastline on the Red Sea in its extreme south-west . Jordan is strategically located at the crossroads of Asia , Africa and Europe . The capital , Amman , is Jordan 's most populous city as well as the country 's economic , political and cultural centre . What is now Jordan has been inhabited by humans since the Paleolithic period . Three stable kingdoms emerged there at the end of the Bronze Age : Ammon , Moab and Edom . Later rulers include the Nabataean Kingdom , the Roman Empire , and the Ottoman Empire . After the Great Arab Revolt against the Ottomans in 1916 during World War I , the Ottoman Empire was partitioned by Britain and France . The Emirate of Transjordan was established in 1921 by the Hashemite , then Emir , Abdullah I , and the emirate became a British protectorate . In 1946 , Jordan became an independent state officially known as the Hashemite Kingdom of Transjordan , but was renamed in 1949 to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan after the country captured the West Bank during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War and annexed it until it was lost to Israel in 1967 . Jordan renounced its claim to the territory in 1988 , and became one of two Arab states to sign a peace treaty with Israel in 1994 .
Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Al-Mustain Billah ibni Almarhum Sultan Abu Bakar Riayatuddin Al-Muazzam Shah ( Jawi : المرحوم سلطان حاج احمد شاه المستعين بالله ابن المرحوم سلطان ابو بكر رعاية الدين المعظم شاه ; 24 October 1930 - 22 May 2019 ) was the fifth modern Sultan of Pahang , and also served as the seventh Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia from 26 April 1979 to 25 April 1984 . His abdication as Sultan was decided by the Royal Council at an extraordinary meeting on 11 January 2019 . A special amendment was passed on the state constitution that gave the body more power for this decision , citing the Sultan 's incapability to rule due to his failing health . The abdication announced the next day which was retroactively effective on the day of the Royal Council meeting , paving the way to his son , Abdullah to succeed him as Sultan the immediately , and subsequently be elected as the next Yang di-Pertuan Agong later the same month .
Worcester College /ˈwʊstər/ is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England . The college was founded in 1714 by the benefaction of Sir Thomas Cookes , 2nd Baronet ( 1648-1701 ) of Norgrove , Worcestershire , whose coat of arms was adopted by the College . Its predecessor , Gloucester College , had been an institution of learning on the same site since the late 13th century until the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1539 . Founded as a men 's college , Worcester has been coeducational since 1979 . As of 2018 [ update ] , Worcester College had a financial endowment of £41.9 million . Notable alumni of the college include the media mogul Rupert Murdoch , television producer and screenwriter Russell T Davies , US Supreme Court justice Elena Kagan , Fields Medalist Simon Donaldson , and novelist Richard Adams .
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong ( literally 'He Who is Made Lord ' , Jawi : يڠ دڤرتوان اݢوڠ ) , also known as the Supreme Head or the King , is the constitutional monarch and head of state of Malaysia . The Yang di-Pertuan Agong is the commander-in-chief of the Malaysian Armed Forces . The office was established in 1957 , when the Federation of Malaya ( now Malaysia ) gained independence from the United Kingdom . Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy with an elected monarch as head of state . The Yang di-Pertuan Agong is one of the few elected monarchs in the world . The 16th and current Yang di-Pertuan Agong is Al-Sultan Abdullah of Pahang , replacing Sultan Muhammad V of Kelantan , who abdicated on 6 January 2019 . He was elected on 24 January , at a special meeting of the Conference of Rulers ; he took the oath of office and was sworn in at the Istana Negara on 31 January . The queen consort for the Yang di-Pertuan Agong is known as the Raja Permaisuri Agong and the couple are styled in English as His Majesty and Her Majesty , respectively .
Malaysia ( /məˈleɪziə , -ʒə/ ( listen ) mə-LAY-zee-ə , -⁠zhə ; Malay : [ məlejsiə ] ) is a country in Southeast Asia . The federal constitutional monarchy consists of 13 states and three federal territories , separated by the South China Sea into two similarly sized regions , Peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia ( Malaysian Borneo ) . Peninsular Malaysia shares a land and maritime border with Thailand and maritime borders with Singapore , Vietnam , and Indonesia . East Malaysia shares land and maritime borders with Brunei and Indonesia and a maritime border with the Philippines and Vietnam . Kuala Lumpur is the national capital and largest city while Putrajaya is the seat of the federal government . With a population of over 30 million , Malaysia is the world 's 44th most populous country . The southernmost point of continental Eurasia , Tanjung Piai , is in Malaysia . In the tropics , Malaysia is one of 17 megadiverse countries , home to large numbers of endemic species . Malaysia has its origins in the Malay kingdoms which , from the 18th century , became subject to the British Empire , along with the British Straits Settlements protectorate . Peninsular Malaysia was unified as the Malayan Union in 1946 . Malaya was restructured as the Federation of Malaya in 1948 and achieved independence on 31 August 1957 . Malaya united with North Borneo , Sarawak , and Singapore on 16 September 1963 to become Malaysia .
Sultan ( /ˈsʌltən/ ; Arabic : سلطان sulṭān , pronounced [ sʊlˈtˤɑːn , solˈtˤɑːn ] ) is a position with several historical meanings . Originally , it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning strength , authority , rulership , derived from the verbal noun سلطة sulṭah , meaning authority or power ( cognate with the Hebrew word Shilton שלטון which retained that meaning to the present ) . Later , it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who claimed almost full sovereignty in practical terms ( i.e. , the lack of dependence on any higher ruler ) , albeit without claiming the overall caliphate , or to refer to a powerful governor of a province within the caliphate . The adjective form of the word is sultanic , and the dynasty and lands ruled by a sultan are referred to as a sultanate ( سلطنة salṭanah ) . The term is distinct from king ( ملك malik ) , despite both referring to a sovereign ruler . The use of sultan is restricted to Muslim countries , where the title carries religious significance , contrasting the more secular king , which is used in both Muslim and non-Muslim countries . In recent years , sultan has been gradually replaced by king by contemporary hereditary rulers who wish to emphasize their secular authority under the rule of law . A notable example is Morocco , whose monarch changed his title from sultan to king in 1957 .
Pahang ( Malay pronunciation : [ paˈhaŋ ] ; Jawi : ڤهڠ ) , officially Pahang Darul Makmur with the Arabic honorific Darul Makmur ( Jawi : دار المعمور , The Abode of Tranquility ) is a sultanate and a federal state of Malaysia . It is the third largest Malaysian state by area and ninth largest by population . The state occupies the basin of the Pahang River , and a stretch of the east coast as far south as Endau . Geographically located in the East Coast region of the Peninsular Malaysia , the state shares borders with the Malaysian states of Kelantan and Terengganu to the north , Perak , Selangor and Negeri Sembilan to the west , Johor to the south , while South China Sea is to the east . The Titiwangsa mountain range that forms a natural divider between the Peninsula 's east and west coasts is spread along the north and south of the state , peaking at Mount Tahan , which is 2,187m high . Although two thirds of the state is covered by dense rain forest , its central plains are intersected by numerous rivers , and along the coast there is a 32-kilometre wide expanse of alluvial soil that includes the deltas and estuarine plains of the Kuantan , Pahang , Rompin , Endau , and Mersing rivers . The state is divided into 11 administrative divisions called daerah ( districts ) - Pekan , Rompin , Maran , Temerloh , Jerantut , Bentong , Raub , Lipis , Cameron Highlands and Bera . The largest district is Jerantut , which is the main gateway to the Taman Negara national park . Pahang 's capital and largest city , Kuantan , is the eighth largest urban agglomerations by population in Malaysia . The royal capital and the official seat of the Sultan of Pahang is located at Pekan . Pekan was also the old state capital which its name translates literally into 'the town ' , it was known historically as 'Inderapura ' . Other major towns include Temerloh , Bentong and its hills resorts of Genting Highlands and Bukit Tinggi .
Al-Sultan Al-Mutassimu Billahi Muhibbuddin Tuanku Al-Haj Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Badlishah ( Jawi : المرحوم سلطان عبدالحاليم معظم شاه ابن المرحوم سلطان بدليشاه ; 28 November 1927 - 11 September 2017 ) was the 28th Sultan of Kedah , reigning from 1958 to 2017 . He served as the fifth Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia from 1970 to 1975 , and as the 14th Yang di-Pertuan Agong from 2011 to 2016 . He was the first person to reign as Yang di-Pertuan Agong twice , as well as the oldest elected to the office . Immediately prior to his death , he was the second longest-reigning living monarch in the world after Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom .
Wadham College ( /ˈwɒdəm/ ) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom . It is located in the centre of Oxford , at the intersection of Broad Street and Parks Road . Wadham College was founded in 1610 by Dorothy Wadham , according to the will of her late husband Nicholas Wadham ( 1531-1609 ) , a member of an ancient Devon and Somerset family . The central buildings , a notable example of Jacobean architecture , were designed by the architect William Arnold and erected between 1610 and 1613 . They include a large and ornate Hall . Adjacent to the central buildings are the Wadham Gardens . Amongst Wadham 's most famous alumni is Sir Christopher Wren . Wren was one of a brilliant group of experimental scientists at Oxford in the 1650s , the Oxford Philosophical Club , which included Robert Boyle and Robert Hooke . This group held regular meetings at Wadham College under the guidance of the warden , John Wilkins , and the group formed the nucleus which went on to found the Royal Society . Wadham is a liberal and progressive college which aims to maintain the diversity of its student body and a friendly atmosphere . Founded as a men 's college , in 1974 it was among the first become coeducational , and the college has a strong reputation as a promoter of gay rights . In 2011 it became the first Oxford college to fly the rainbow flag as part of queer week , a celebration of sexual diversity and individuality .
Kedah ( Malay pronunciation : [ kəˈdɑh ] ; Jawi : قدح ) , also known by its honorific Darul Aman or Abode of Safety , [ citation needed ] is a state of Malaysia , located in the northwestern part of Peninsular Malaysia . The state covers a total area of over 9,000 km² , and it consists of the mainland and the Langkawi islands . The mainland has a relatively flat terrain , which is used to grow rice , while Langkawi is an archipelago , most of which are uninhabited islands . Kedah was previously known as Kadaram ( Tamil : கடாரம் ; kadāram ) by the ancient and medieval Tamils , Kataha or Kalahbar ( Arabic : قتح ; qataḥa or Arabic : قلحبر ; qalaḥbar ) by the Arabs , [ citation needed ] and Syburi ( Thai : ไทรบุรี ; RTGS : Sai Buri ) by the Siamese when it was under their influence . To the north , Kedah borders the state of Perlis and shares an international boundary with the Songkhla and Yala provinces of Thailand . It borders the states of Perak to the south and Penang to the southwest . The state 's capital is Alor Setar and the royal seat is in Anak Bukit . Other major towns include Sungai Petani , and Kulim on the mainland , and Kuah on Langkawi .
Tuanku Jaafar ibni Almarhum Tuanku Abdul Rahman , GCB ( Jawi : zتوانكو جعفر ابنzالمرحوم توانكو عبدالرحمن ; z19 July 1922 - 27 December 2008 ) was the tenth Yang di-Pertuan Agong ( equivalent to King ) of Malaysia from 26 April 1994 until 25 April 1999 and the tenth Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan .
In Malay , Yang di-Pertuan Besar , literally He Who Is Made Great or Great Ruler , is a royal title .
Negeri Sembilan ( Malay pronunciation : [ ˈnəgəri səmbiˈlan ] ) is a state in Malaysia which lies on the western coast of Peninsular Malaysia . It borders Selangor on the north , Pahang in the east , and Melaka and Johor to the south . The name is believed to derive from the nine ( sembilan ) villages or nagari in the Minangkabau language ( now known as luak ) settled by the Minangkabau , a people originally from West Sumatra ( in present-day Indonesia ) . Minangkabau features are still visible today in traditional architecture and the dialect of Malay spoken . Unlike the hereditary monarchs of the other royal Malay states , the ruler of Negeri Sembilan is known as Yang di-Pertuan Besar instead of Sultan . The election of the Ruler is also unique . He is selected by the council of Undangs who lead the four biggest territories of Sungai Ujong , Jelebu , Johol , and Rembau , making it one of the more democratic monarchies . The capital of Negeri Sembilan is Seremban . The royal capital is Seri Menanti in Kuala Pilah District . Other important towns are Port Dickson , Bahau and Nilai . The Arabic honorific title of the state is Darul Khusus ( the Special Abode ) .
Sultan Muhammad V ( Jawi : zV سلطان محمد ; z born 6 October 1969 ) is the current Sultan of Kelantan and served as the 15th Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia from 13 December 2016 to 6 January 2019 . He was proclaimed Sultan of Kelantan on 13 September 2010 , succeeding his father , Sultan Ismail Petra , who was deemed incapacitated by illness . He was proclaimed Yang di-Pertuan Agong on 13 December 2016 . In an unprecedented move , Muhammad V became the first Yang di-Pertuan Agong to step down from the throne , effective 6 January 2019 while his term should will have ended by 12 December 2021 .
St Cross College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England . Founded in 1965 , St Cross is an all-graduate college with traditional-style buildings on a central site in St Giles ' , just south of Pusey Street . It aims to match the structure , life and support of undergraduate colleges , with the relaxed atmosphere of an all-graduate college . In May 2016 , it was announced that the Fellows of St Cross College had elected Carole Souter CBE , Chief executive of the National Heritage Memorial Fund and Heritage Lottery Fund , as the next Master of the College . In September 2016 , she succeeded Sir Mark Jones , who had been Master of St Cross since 2011 .
King , or king regnant , is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts . The female equivalent is queen regnant , while the title of queen on its own usually refers to the consort of a king .
The Sultan of Kelantan is the constitutional head of Kelantan state in Malaysia . The executive power of the state is vested in him as the monarch of the state . The current sultan , Muhammad V , is the 29th Sultan of Kelantan . He is the Head of Islam in the state and the source of all titles , honours and dignities of its people . He was the 15th Yang di-Pertuan Agong . His reign as the monarch and head of state of Malaysia or Yang di-Pertuan Agong began on 13 December 2016 , after his election on 14 October 2016 at the 243th ( special ) Conference of Rulers .
Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Azlan Muhibbuddin Shah Al-Maghfur-Lah ( Jawi : سلطان نظرين معز الدين شاه ابن المرحوم سلطان عزلن محب الدين شاه المغفور له؛ born 27 November 1956 ) is the 35th Sultan of Perak . He became the Deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia , elected on 14 October 2016 , before Sultan Muhammad V abdicated on 6 January 2019 . He is currently the Deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong . He is also a half-third cousin of Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim ( crown prince and future Sultan of Johor ) , since both share a common ancestor ( Idris Shah I of Perak ) .
The Sultan of Perak is one of the oldest hereditary seats among the Malay states .
William II ( Willem Frederik George Lodewijk , anglicized as William Frederick George Louis ; 6 December 1792 - 17 March 1849 ) was King of the Netherlands , Grand Duke of Luxembourg , and Duke of Limburg . William II was the son of William I and Wilhelmine of Prussia . When his father , who up to that time ruled as sovereign prince , proclaimed himself king in 1815 , he became Prince of Orange as heir apparent of the Kingdom of the Netherlands . With the abdication of his father on 7 October 1840 , William II became king . During his reign , the Netherlands became a parliamentary democracy with the new constitution of 1848 . William II was married to Anna Pavlovna of Russia . They had four sons and one daughter . William II died on 17 March 1849 and was succeeded by his son William III .
Christ Church ( Latin : Ædes Christi , the temple or house , ædēs , of Christ , and thus sometimes known as The House ) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England . Christ Church is a joint foundation of the college and the cathedral of the Oxford diocese ( Christ Church Cathedral and its cathedral school ) , which serves as the college chapel and whose dean is ex officio the college head . Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII , it is one of the larger colleges of the University of Oxford with 629 students in 2016 . It is also the second wealthiest college ( after St John 's ) with an endowment of £550.3m as of 2018 [ update ] . Christ Church has a number of architecturally significant buildings including Tom Tower ( designed by Sir Christopher Wren ) , Tom Quad ( the largest quadrangle in Oxford ) , and the Great Dining Hall which was also the seat of the parliament assembled by King Charles I during the English Civil War . The buildings have inspired replicas throughout the world in addition to being featured in films such as Harry Potter and The Golden Compass . This has helped Christ Church become the most popular Oxford college for tourists with almost half a million visitors annually . Christ Church has many notable alumni including thirteen British prime ministers ( more than any other Oxbridge college ) , King Edward VII , King William II of the Netherlands , seventeen Archbishops , writers Lewis Carroll ( Alice in Wonderland ) and W. H. Auden , philosopher John Locke , and scientist Robert Hooke . Christ Church is also partly responsible for the creation of University College Reading , which later gained its own Royal Charter and became the University of Reading . The first female undergraduates matriculated at Christ Church in 1980 .
This is a list of monarchs of the Netherlands ( Dutch : Koningen der Nederlanden ) . By practical extension , the list includes the stadtholders of the House of Orange Nassau since 1556 . However , they were voted into office by and were civil servants and generals of the semi-independent provinces of the Dutch Republic and can not be seen as monarchs . From William IV they were the direct male line ancestors of later monarchs when the monarchy was established in 1813 ( first as a Sovereign Principality , but in 1815 as a Kingdom ) .
The Grand Duke of Luxembourg is the monarchical head of state of Luxembourg . Luxembourg has been a grand duchy since 15 March 1815 , when it was created from territory of the former Duchy of Luxembourg . It was in personal union with the United Kingdom of the Netherlands until 1890 under the House of Orange-Nassau . Luxembourg is the world 's only sovereign grand duchy and since 1815 , there have been nine monarchs , including the incumbent , Henri .
Harald V ( Norwegian : [ ˈhɑ̀rɑl ] ; born 21 February 1937 ) is King of Norway , having ascended the throne upon the death of his father King Olav V on 17 January 1991 . Harald was the third child and only son of King Olav V and Princess Märtha of Sweden . He was second in the line of succession at the time of his birth , behind his father . In 1940 , as a result of the German occupation during World War II , the royal family went into exile . Harald spent part of his childhood in Sweden and the United States . He returned to Norway in 1945 , and subsequently studied for periods at the University of Oslo , the Norwegian Military Academy and Balliol College , Oxford . In 1957 , following the death of his grandfather , Haakon VII , Harald became crown prince . A keen sportsman , he represented Norway in sailing at the 1964 , 1968 , and 1972 Olympic Games , and later became patron of World Sailing . Harald married Sonja Haraldsen in 1968 , their relationship having initially being controversial due to her status as a commoner . The couple had two children , Märtha Louise and Haakon . Harald succeeded his father as king in 1991 , with Haakon becoming his heir apparent .
The Norwegian monarch is the monarchical head of state of Norway , which is a constitutional and hereditary monarchy with a parliamentary system . The Norwegian monarchy can trace its line back to the reign of Harald Fairhair and the previous petty kingdoms which were united to form Norway ; it has been in unions with both Sweden and Denmark for long periods . The present monarch is King Harald V , who has reigned since 17 January 1991 , succeeding his father , Olav V. The heir apparent is his only son , Crown Prince Haakon . The crown prince undertakes various public ceremonial functions , as does the king 's wife , Queen Sonja . The crown prince also acts as regent in the king 's absence . There are several other members of the Royal Family , including the king 's daughter , grandchildren and sister . Since the dissolution of the union between Norway and Sweden and the subsequent election of a Danish prince as King Haakon VII in 1905 , the reigning royal house of Norway has been a branch of the Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg branch of the House of Oldenburg ; originally from Schleswig-Holstein in Germany , the same royal house as the Danish and former Greek royal families . Whilst the Constitution of Norway grants important executive powers to the King , these are almost always exercised by the Council of State in the name of the King ( King 's Council , or cabinet ) . Formally the King appoints the government according to his own judgement , but parliamentary practice has been in place since 1884 . Constitutional practice has replaced the meaning of the word King in most articles of the constitution from the king personally to the elected government . The powers vested in the monarch are significant , but are treated only as reserve powers and as an important security part of the role of the monarchy . The King does not , by convention , have direct participation in government .
Olav V ( born Prince Alexander of Denmark ; 2 July 1903 - 17 January 1991 ) was King of Norway from 1957 until his death . Olav was the only child of King Haakon VII of Norway and Maud of Wales . He became heir apparent to the Norwegian throne when his father was elected King of Norway in 1905 . He was the first heir to the Norwegian throne to be brought up in Norway since Olav IV in the fourteenth century , and his parents made sure he was given as Norwegian an upbringing as possible . In preparation for his future role , he attended both civilian and military schools . In 1929 , he married his first cousin Princess Märtha of Sweden . During World War II his leadership was much appreciated and he was appointed Norwegian Chief of Defence in 1944 . At his death in 1991 , he was the last surviving grandchild of Edward VII of the United Kingdom and Alexandra of Denmark . Owing to his considerate , down-to-earth style , King Olav was immensely popular , resulting in the nickname Folkekongen ( The People 's King ) . In a 2005 poll by the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation , Olav was voted Norwegian of the Century .
Vajiravudh , also known as King Rama VI , reigning title Phra Mongkut Klao Chao Yu Hua [ a ] ( Thai : วชิราวุธ ; RTGS : Wachirawut ; 1 January 1881 - 26 November 1925 ) , was the sixth monarch of Siam under the Chakri dynasty , ruling from 1910 until his death in 1925 . King Vajiravudh is known for his efforts to create and promote Siamese nationalism . His reign was characterized by Siam 's movement further towards democracy and minimal participation in World War I .
Thailand , [ a ] officially the Kingdom of Thailand and formerly known as Siam , [ b ] is a country at the centre of the Southeast Asian Indochinese Peninsula composed of 76 provinces . At 513,120 km2 ( 198,120 sq mi ) and over 68 million people , Thailand is the world 's 50th-largest country by total area and the 21st-most-populous country . The capital and largest city is Bangkok , a special administrative area . Thailand is bordered to the north by Myanmar and Laos , to the east by Laos and Cambodia , to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia , and to the west by the Andaman Sea and the southern extremity of Myanmar . Its maritime boundaries include Vietnam in the Gulf of Thailand to the southeast , and Indonesia and India on the Andaman Sea to the southwest . It is a unitary state . Although nominally the country is a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy , the most recent coup , in 2014 , established a de facto military dictatorship under a junta . Tai peoples migrated from southwestern China to mainland Southeast Asia from the 11th century ; the oldest known mention of their presence in the region by the exonym Siamese dates to the 12th century . Various Indianised kingdoms such as the Mon kingdoms , Khmer Empire and Malay states ruled the region , competing with Thai states such as the Kingdoms of Ngoenyang , Sukhothai , Lan Na and Ayutthaya , which rivaled each other . Documented European contact began in 1511 with a Portuguese diplomatic mission to Ayutthaya , now one of the great powers in the region . Ayutthaya reached its peak during cosmopolitan Narai 's reign ( 1656-1688 ) , gradually declining thereafter until being ultimately destroyed in the 1767 Burmese-Siamese War . Taksin ( r. 1767-1782 ) quickly reunified the fragmented territory and established the short-lived Thonburi Kingdom .
Andrew Willoughby Ninian Bertie ( 15 May 1929 - 7 February 2008 ) was Prince and Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta from 1988 until his death in 2008 . On 20 February 2015 a formal inquiry for the cause of his beatification and canonisation was opened in Rome .
This is a list of Grand Masters of the Knights Hospitaller , including its continuation as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta after 1798 . It also includes unrecognized anti-Grand Masters and lieutenants or stewards during vacancies . The title Grand Master is applied retrospectively ; the medieval heads of the order took the title of custos ( guardian ) of the hospital . The title magister ( master ) is used on coins minted in Rhodes , beginning with Foulques de Villaret . The first to use the title Grandis Magister ( Grand Master ) was Jean de Lastic ( r. 1437-1454 ) ; the title Grandis Magister is found on coins minted by Pierre d'Aubusson ( r. 1476-1503 ) . Later Grand Masters in Rhodes used Magnus Magister . After the loss of Rhodes , Philippe Villiers de L'Isle-Adam and his successors went back to using simple Magister , abbreviated M.H.H . for Magister Hospitalis Hierosolymae . Use of Magister Magnus is taken up again in the 17th century , under Antoine de Paule ( r. 1623-1636 ) . The title of Prince and Grand Master ( Principe e Gran Maestro del Sovrano Militare Ordine di Malta ) is in use from 1880 , when Franz Joseph I of Austria granted the title of Prince of the Holy Roman Empire to the Grand Masters . The title has remained in use after the dissolution of the Austrian Empire in 1919 . Numbered lists of Grand Masters of the Order , with portraits and attributed arms , are published from the early 17th century , with updated editions appearing throughout the 18th century .
The Sovereign Military Order of Malta ( SMOM ) , officially the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem , of Rhodes and of Malta ( Italian : Sovrano Militare Ordine Ospedaliero di San Giovanni di Gerusalemme di Rodi e di Malta ; Latin : Supremus Militaris Ordo Hospitalarius Sancti Ioannis Hierosolymitani Rhodiensis et Melitensis ) , commonly known as the Order of Malta , is a Catholic lay religious order , traditionally of military , chivalric and noble nature . It has been called the smallest sovereign state in the world , though it is not recognized as one by the United Nations . SMOM claims continuity with the Knights Hospitaller , a chivalric order that was founded c. 1099 by the Blessed Gerard in medieval Jerusalem . In terms of international law , it is an establishment of the 19th century , recognized at the Congress of Verona of 1822 , and since 1834 headquartered in Palazzo Malta in Rome . The order is led by an elected Prince and Grand Master . Its motto is Tuitio fidei et obsequium pauperum ( 'defence of the faith and assistance to the poor ' ) . The order venerates the Virgin Mary as its patroness , under the title of Our Lady of Mount Philermos . The headquarters of the Order of Saint John had been located in Malta from 1530 until 1798 . It was technically a vassal of the Kingdom of Sicily , holding Malta in exchange for a nominal fee , but declared independence in 1753 . It was expelled from Malta under the French occupation in 1798 and , from 1805 to 1812 , much of its possessions in Protestant Europe were confiscated , resulting in the fragmentation of the order into a number of Protestant branches , since 1961 united under the umbrella of the Alliance of the Orders of Saint John of Jerusalem . The Congress of Vienna of 1815 confirmed the loss of Malta , but the Congress of Verona in 1822 guaranteed the continued existence of the Catholic order as a sovereign entity . The seat of the order was moved to Ferrara in 1826 and to Rome in 1834 , the interior of Palazzo Malta being considered extraterritorial sovereign territory of the order .
George Tupou V ( Tongan : Siaosi Tupou , full name : Siaosi Tāufaʻāhau Manumataongo Tukuʻaho Tupou ; 4 May 1948 - 18 March 2012 ) was the King of Tonga from the death of his father Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV in 2006 until his own death six years later .
This is a list of monarchs of Tonga since 1845 , after the Constitution of Tonga established the role of the monarch . Tonga is the only sovereign indigenous monarchy in Oceania . The first monarch was George Tupou I .
Tonga ( /ˈtɒŋ ( ɡ ) ə/ ; Tongan : [ ˈtoŋa ] Puleʻanga Fakatuʻi ʻo Tonga ) , officially named the Kingdom of Tonga , is a Polynesian sovereign state and archipelago comprising 169 islands , of which 36 are inhabited . The total surface area is about 750 square kilometres ( 290 sq mi ) scattered over 700,000 square kilometres ( 270,000 sq mi ) of the southern Pacific Ocean . The state has a population of 100,651 people , of whom 70% reside on the main island of Tongatapu . Tonga stretches across approximately 800 kilometres ( 500 mi ) in a north-south line . It is surrounded by Fiji and Wallis and Futuna ( France ) to the northwest , Samoa to the northeast , Niue to the east ( which is the nearest foreign territory ) , Kermadec ( part of New Zealand ) to the southwest , and New Caledonia ( France ) and Vanuatu to the farther west . It is about 1,800 kilometres ( 1,100 mi ) from New Zealand 's North Island . From 1900 to 1970 , Tonga had British protected state status , with the United Kingdom looking after its foreign affairs under a Treaty of Friendship . The country never relinquished its sovereignty to any foreign power . In 2010 , Tonga took a decisive path towards becoming a constitutional monarchy rather than a traditional absolute kingdom , after legislative reforms passed a course for the first partial representative elections .
Sidkeong Tulku Namgyal ( 1879-5 December 1914 ) was the ruling Maharaja and Chogyal of Sikkim for a brief period in 1914 , from 10 February to 5 December .
Mahārāja ( /ˌmɑːhəˈrɑːdʒə/ ; Sanskrit : महाराज ; also spelled Maharajah , Maharaj , Moharaja , Muharazeh ) is a Sanskrit title for a great ruler , great king or high king . A few ruled mighty states informally called empires , including ruler Maharaja Ranjit Singh , founder of the Sikh Empire , and Maharaja Sri Gupta , founder of the ancient Indian Gupta Empire , but 'title inflation ' soon led to most being rather mediocre or even petty in real power , while compound titles were among the attempts to distinguish some among their ranks . The female equivalent , Maharani ( or Maharanee , Moharani , Mahārājñī , Maharajin ) , denotes either the wife of a Maharaja ( or Maharana etc . ) , and also in states where that was customary , a woman ruling without a husband . The widow of a Maharaja is known as a Rajmata queen mother . Maharaja Kumar generally denotes a son of a Maharaja , but more specific titulatures are often used at each court , including Yuvaraja for the heir ( the crown prince ) . The form Maharaj ( without -a ) indicates a separation of noble and religious offices , although the fact that in Hindi the suffix -a is silent makes the two titles near homophones .
The Chogyal were the monarchs of the former kingdoms of Sikkim and Ladakh in present-day India , which were ruled by separate branches of the Namgyal dynasty . The Chogyal was the absolute monarch of Sikkim from 1642 to 1975 , when the monarchy was abolished and its people voted in a referendum to make Sikkim the 22nd state of India .
Sikkim ( /ˈsɪkɪm/ ) is a state in northeastern India . It borders Tibet in the north and northeast , Bhutan in the east , Nepal in the west , and West Bengal in the south . Sikkim is also located close to India 's Siliguri Corridor near Bangladesh . Sikkim is the least populous and second smallest among the Indian states . A part of the Eastern Himalaya , Sikkim is notable for its biodiversity , including alpine and subtropical climates , as well as being a host to Kangchenjunga , the highest peak in India and third highest on Earth . Sikkim 's capital and largest city is Gangtok . Almost 35% of the state is covered by the Khangchendzonga National Park . The Kingdom of Sikkim was founded by the Namgyal dynasty in the 17th century . It was ruled by a Buddhist priest-king known as the Chogyal . It became a princely state of British India in 1890 . After 1947 , Sikkim continued its protectorate status with the Republic of India . It enjoyed the highest literacy rate and per capita income among Himalayan states .
Moshoeshoe II ( 2 May 1938 - 15 January 1996 ) , previously known as Constantine Bereng Seeiso , was the paramount chief of Lesotho , succeeding paramount chief Seeiso from 1960 until the country gained full independence from Britain in 1966 . He was king of Lesotho from 1966 until his exile in 1990 , and from 1995 until his death in 1996 .
Corpus Christi College ( formally , Corpus Christi College in the University of Oxford , informally abbreviated as Corpus or CCC ) , is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom . Founded in 1517 , it is the 12th oldest college in Oxford . The college , situated on Merton Street between Merton College and Christ Church , is one of the smallest in Oxford by student population , having around 250 undergraduates and 90 graduates . It is academic by Oxford standards , averaging in the top half of the university 's informal ranking system , the Norrington Table , in recent years , and coming second in 2009-10 . The college 's role in the translation of the King James Bible is historically significant . The college is also noted for the pillar sundial in the main quadrangle , known as the Pelican Sundial , which was erected in 1581 . Corpus achieved notability in more recent years by winning University Challenge on 9 May 2005 and once again on 23 February 2009 , although the latter win was later disqualified . The Visitor of the college is ex officio the Bishop of Winchester , currently Tim Dakin .
Lesotho ( /ləˈsuːtuː/ ( listen ) , Sotho pronunciation : [ lɪˈsʊːtʰʊ ] ) , officially the Kingdom of Lesotho ( Sotho : 'Muso oa Lesotho ) , is an enclaved country within the border of South Africa . Along with the Vatican City and San Marino , it is one of only three independent states completely surrounded by the territory of another country , and the only one outside of the Italian peninsula . Lesotho is just over 30,000 km2 ( 11,583 sq mi ) in size and has a population of around 2 million . Its capital and largest city is Maseru . Lesotho was previously the British Crown Colony of Basutoland , but it declared independence from the United Kingdom on 4 October 1966 . It is now a fully sovereign state that is a member of the United Nations , the Commonwealth of Nations , and the Southern African Development Community ( SADC ) . The name Lesotho roughly translates to the land of the brown-skinned people .
Naruhito ( 徳仁 , pronounced [ naɾɯçi̥to ] ; born 23 February 1960 ) is the Emperor of Japan . He acceded to the Chrysanthemum Throne on 1 May 2019 , beginning the Reiwa era , following the abdication of his father , Emperor Akihito . He is the 126th monarch according to Japan 's traditional order of succession .
Merton College ( in full : The House or College of Scholars of Merton in the University of Oxford ) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England . Its foundation can be traced back to the 1260s when Walter de Merton , chancellor to Henry III and later to Edward I , first drew up statutes for an independent academic community and established endowments to support it . An important feature of Walter 's foundation was that this college was to be self-governing and the endowments were directly vested in the Warden and Fellows . By 1274 , when Walter retired from royal service and made his final revisions to the college statutes , the community was consolidated at its present site in the south east corner of the city of Oxford , and a rapid programme of building commenced . The hall and the chapel and the rest of the front quad were complete before the end of the 13th century . Mob Quad , one of Merton 's quadrangles , was constructed between 1288 and 1378 , and is claimed to be the oldest quadrangle in Oxford , while Merton College Library , located in Mob Quad and dating from 1373 , is the oldest continuously functioning library for university academics and students in the world . Like many of Oxford 's colleges , Merton admitted its first mixed-sex cohort in 1979 , after over seven centuries as an institution for men only . Notable alumni and academics past and present include four Nobel laureates and writer J. R. R. Tolkien who was Merton Professor of English Language and Literature from 1945 to 1959 . Merton is one of the wealthiest colleges in Oxford and held funds totalling £272 million as of July 2017 . Merton has a strong reputation for academic success , having regularly ranked first in the Norrington Table in recent years .
The Emperor of Japan is the head of the Imperial Family and the head of state of Japan . Under the 1947 constitution , he is defined as the symbol of the State and of the unity of the people . Historically , he is also the highest authority of the Shinto religion . In Japanese , the Emperor is called Tennō ( 天皇 , pronounced [ tennoꜜː ] ) , literally heavenly sovereign . In English , the use of the term Mikado ( 帝／御門 ) for the Emperor was once common , but is now considered obsolete . Currently , the Emperor of Japan is the only head of state in the world with the English title of emperor . The Imperial House of Japan is the oldest continuing monarchical house in the world . The historical origins of the emperors lie in the late Kofun period of the 3rd-6th centuries AD , but according to the traditional account of the Kojiki ( finished 712 ) and Nihon Shoki ( finished 720 ) , Japan was founded in 660 BC by Emperor Jimmu , who was said to be a direct descendant of the sun-goddess Amaterasu . Naruhito is the current Emperor of Japan . He acceded to the Chrysanthemum Throne upon the abdication of his father , the now-Emperor Emeritus Akihito on 1 May 2019 at midnight JST . The role of the Emperor of Japan has historically alternated between a largely ceremonial symbolic role and that of an actual imperial ruler . Since the establishment of the first shogunate in 1199 , the Emperors of Japan have rarely taken on a role as supreme battlefield commander , unlike many Western monarchs .