Margrethe – the only female monarch

Queen Elizabeth II sat on the throne for 70 years – something that few regents have managed.

The King of Sweden is one of three living monarchs who have sat the longest on the throne.

Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II celebrated 70 years on the throne as recently as February this year. Until yesterday, she was the living regent who had held the title the longest.

Her passing means that Denmark’s Queen Margrethe is now the only living female monarch. This year she celebrates 50 years as regent.

– The idea is that she will celebrate her anniversary this weekend, which has been postponed since January, says court expert Roger Lundgren.

The Danish royal house has announced that it will make a number of changes to the schedule due to Queen Elizabeth’s passing.

Nordic at the top

Despite 50 years on the throne, the Danish queen does not end up at the top of the list of living regents who have sat the longest on the throne. At the top is Brunei’s Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah.

– He became sultan in 1967, says Roger Lundgren.

After Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and Queen Margrethe comes Sweden’s King Carl Gustaf, who next year has sat on the throne for 50 years. He is the seventh king from the House of Bernadotte and the longest-reigning monarch in Sweden’s history.

If you look at the royal houses in Europe, there are few regents who reach the 50 mark. After Sweden, there will therefore be a hope. Next up is another Nordic country – Norway. King Harald took office in 1991.

– Several of the European monarchs have abdicated and released their children instead, says Roger Lundgren and adds:

– This has to do with the fact that in Scandinavia and the UK abdication is somewhat negative, while in the Benelux countries and Spain it is rather seen as a positive thing.

Change of faith in Europe

In Spain, Juan Carlos I abdicated in 2014 after just over 38 years and handed over the throne to his son Felipe VI. In the Netherlands, there was a change of throne after 33 years when Queen Beatrix handed over the crown to her son Willem-Alexander in 2013.

Looking outside Europe, Jordan’s King Abdullah II has held office since his father, King Hussein, died in 1999. In the same year, Muhammad VI of Morocco also became king.