Popular monarchy is a term used by Kingsley Martin (1936) for monarchical titles referring to a people rather than a territory.[1] This was the norm in classical antiquity and throughout much of the Middle Ages, and such titles were retained in some of the monarchies of 19th- and 20th-century Europe.

During the French Revolution Louis XVI had to change his title to indicate he was "king of the French" rather than "king of France", paralleling the title of "king of the Franks" (rex Francorum) used in medieval France.

Currently, Belgium has the only explicit popular monarchy, the formal title of its king being King of the Belgians rather than King of Belgium.

List of royal and imperial titles

CountryTitleNotes
Kingdom of AlbaniaKing of the AlbaniansUsed by Zog I, the King of the Kingdom of Albania, from 1928 de facto to 1939, and de jure until 1946. Victor Emmanuel III, who claimed the Albanian throne between 1939 and 1943, used the title King of Albania.
Kingdom of BelgiumKing of the BelgiansUsed since the constitutional oath of Leopold I in 1831. The Belgian popular monarchy is the sole currently in use. The holders of the title have been Leopold I, Leopold II, Albert I, Leopold III, Baudouin, Albert II, and currently Philippe.
Bulgarian EmpireEmperor of the BulgariansVariants: Ruler of the many Bulgarians, Emperor of the Bulgarians and the Romans, Tsar of the Bulgarians, Emperor of Bulgarians and Vlachs, the Romanslayer, Emperor of the Bulgarians and the Greeks, In Christ the Lord Faithful Emperor and Autocrat of the Bulgarians, In Christ the Lord Faithful Emperor and Autocrat of all Bulgarians and Greeks
Kingdom of BulgariaKing of the BulgariansThe official title of Ferdinand I in 1908–1918, Ferdinand's son Boris III (1918–1943) and Boris' son Simeon II (1943 – at least to 1946) was: by the Grace of God and the People's Will King of the Bulgarians. Ferdinand I was elected by the National Assembly as Prince of Bulgaria in 1887.
Kingdom of the BurgundiansKing of the BurgundiansThe title was used from Gjúki to Godomar.
Byzantine EmpireEmperor of the RomansUsed in the Greek form basileus Rhomaíōn at least since Emperor Maurice.
Kingdom of CroatiaKing of the CroatsKralj Hrvata in Croatian, Rex Chroatorum in Medieval Latin, which was later extended to King of the Croats and the Dalmatians (Kralj Hrvata i Dalmatinaca or Rex Chroatorum Dalmatarumque).
Kingdom of EnglandKing of the Anglo-Saxons or King of the EnglishRex Anglorum Saxonum or Rex Anglorum in Medieval Latin. Used by the Anglo-Saxon kings of England. The title King of the Anglo-Saxons was first adopted by Alfred the Great when the people of Mercia accepted him as their ruler in the late 9th century. The first king to style himself King of the English was Æthelstan when he conquered the Norse Kingdom of York in 927, making him the first ruler of a united England.
Kingdom of East AngliaKing of the East AnglesLatin: Rex Orientalium Anglorum
Kingdom of EssexKing of the East SaxonsLatin: Rex Orientalem Saxonum
East FranciaKing of the East FranksLatin: Rex Francorum orientalium
 
King of the Franks
 
Used by the Carolingians from Pepin the Short. Also used in medieval France and by the Ottonian Holy Roman Emperors-elect.
Frankish Empire
Kingdom of France (West Francia)
King of the West FranksLatin: Rex Francorum occidentalium
King of the FrenchUsed by Louis XVI from 1791 to 1792, and by Louis Philippe I from 1830 until 1848.
French EmpireEmperor of the FrenchUsed by Napoleon I, Napoleon II (however briefly and ceremonially), and Napoleon III during their various reigns.
Kingdom of the GepidsKing of the Gepids
Holy Roman EmpireKing of the Romans, Roman King; King of the GermansTitles of the Emperors-elect. Latin: Rex Romanorum/Teutonicorum, German: König der Römer, Römischer König, König der Deutschen
Emperor of the RomansOfficial title of the Holy Roman Emperors; Latin: Imperator Romanorum
German-Roman EmperorEnglish realisation of the common German-language title for the Holy Roman Emperors: Römisch-deutscher Kaiser; literally: Roman-German Emperor
Kingdom of the GewisseKing of the GewisseTitle later became King of the West Saxons as the Gewisse expanded (see Kingdom of Wessex)
Kingdom of GötalandKing of the GeatsGötar konung in Swedish, Rex Getarum/Gothorum in Medieval Latin. Title attributed to legendary and historical kings of the North Germanic Geats.
Kingdom of GreeceKing of the HellenesUsed for the monarchs until the monarchy's abolition in 1973 (the King had been in exile since 1967).
Kingdom of KentKing of the Cantware (Kentish Men)Latin: Rex Cantuariorum
Khazar KhaganateKhagan of the Khazars
Kingdom of the LombardsKing of the LombardsRex Langobardorum in Medieval Latin.
Kingdom of NorwayKing/Lord of the NorwegiansThe first Norwegian king, Harald Fairhair, used the style King/Lord of the Norwegians (dróttin Norðmanna), in the oldest source of his life in Haraldskvæði. Subsequent Norwegian kings used similar titles, like his son Håkon the Good who was called King of the Norwegians (Norðmanna gram)
Kingdom of the OstrogothsKing of the Ostrogoths
Kingdom of PortugalKing of the PortugueseThe first Portuguese king, Afonso Henriques, used the style King of the Portuguese (Rex Portugalensium), to remember that he was elected on the battlefield, after the Battle of Ourique (1139), by his fellows and subjects; their descendants, instead, used the style of King of Portugal (Rex Portugaliae or later in Rei de Portugal).
Roman EmpireRoman EmperorUsed in the Latin form Imperator romanus.
Kingdom of RomaniaKing of the RomaniansUsed from 1881 until 1947. The holders of the title were Carol I, Ferdinand I, Carol II and Michael I.
Kingdom of the RugiiKing of the Rugii
Kingdom of ScotlandKing of ScotsThis usage became less common with William III and Mary II, who chose to be called King and Queen of Scotland. The Acts of Union 1707 abolished the Scottish and English thrones and created the Kingdom of Great Britain.
Kingdom of Serbia / Serbian EmpireKing of Serbia and Emperor of the SerbsUsed between 1346 and 1371. цар Срба и Грка / car Srba i Grka in Serbian. This title was soon enlarged into "Emperor and Autocrat of all the Serbs and Greeks, the Bulgarians, Vlachs and Albanians".[2][3][4]
Kingdom of Serbia / Kingdom of YugoslaviaKing of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes or King of YugoslaviaUsed from 1918 to 1929, when the title was changed to King of Yugoslavia. The holders of the title were Peter I and Alexander I.
Kingdom of the SuebiKing of the Suevi in Galicia
Kingdom of SussexKing of The South SaxonsLatin: Rex Sussaxonum, Rex Suthaxonum
Kingdom of SwedenKing of the Swedes, the Goths, and the WendsUsed in the Swedish form Sveriges, Götes och Vendes konung until 1973. Thereafter simply King of Sweden (Sveriges konung).
Kingdom of the Vandals and AlansKing of the Vandals
Kingdom of the VisigothsKing of the Visigoths
Principality of WalesPrince of the WelshEvolving from King of the Britons, before mediatising in the 12th century as Prince of the Welsh. Eventually, Dafydd II of Gwynedd and Wales adopted the title Prince of Wales to denote suzerainty over the whole of Wales, not just the Welsh people.
Kingdom of WessexKing of the West Saxons

See also

Notes

  1. Martin, Kingsley (April 1936), "The Evolution of Popular Monarchy", Political Quarterly, 7 (2): 155–78, doi:10.1111/j.1467-923X.1936.tb01608.x.
  2. Hupchick 1995, p. 141
  3. Clissold 1968, p. 98
  4. White 2000, p. 246
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