The European countries' royals annually reviewed are as follows, with the key developments over the year outlined afterwards:
Existing hereditary monarchies: Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, Spain, Monaco.
Former monarchies: Russia, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Albania, Serbia, Montenegro, Austria, Germany, Italy, Portugal, France.
Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
celebrates her Platinum Jubilee, marking 70 years on the British throne. This
year also marks her meeting the milestone of second longest serving monarch in
history, only coming after King Louis XIV of France.
With declining mobility in recent years, the health of Queen
Elizabeth II of Great Britain and Northern Ireland deteriorated rapidly in September of
this year, ultimately leading to her passing away aged 96 years old. She was
both the oldest and longest reigning monarch in British history.
At the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, her son and
heir becomes King Charles III of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. By that
point, he had become the oldest and longest serving heir to the British throne.
Queen Margrethe II of Denmark celebrates her Golden Jubilee.
Queen Margrethe II of
Denmark downgrades the formal titles and status of the descendents of her
second son, Prince Joachim, encouraging them to live lives more independently
of the Danish monarchy. The move proves upsetting and controversial in the eyes
of Prince Joachim.
Grand Duchess Maria, claimant to the Russian throne, condemns
her country’s invasion of Ukraine.
Karl II, claimant to the Austrian throne, remarries, wedding Christian Nicolau de Almeida Reid, a
Portuguese woman.
