A pretender is a claimant to an abolished throne or to a throne already occupied by somebody else. The English word pretend comes from the French word prétendre, meaning "to put forward, to profess or claim". The term pretender is also applied to those persons on whose behalf a claim to a throne is advanced, regardless of whether that person himself actually makes an active claim.citation needed Significantly, the word pretender applies both to claimants with genuine rights to the throne (such as the various pretenders of the Wars of the Roses), and to those with fabricated claims (such as the pretender to Henry VII's throne Lambert Simnel). The papal equivalent of a pretender is an antipope.
Modern pretenders
The following list contains current pretenders. During the monarchical period of some countries listed here, there was no reigning house as it is known in the European sense – those are for example Tibet or the Central African Empire. These countries have a – in the column "House".
Europe
- Further information: Monarchies in Europe
| Country |
Pretender
|
born
|
Pretender since
|
Link to past monarchy
|
House
|
Heir
|
born
|
 |
Albania |
Crown Prince Leka |
1939 |
1961 |
son of Zog I (self-proclaimed King from 1928 to 1939, afterwards unofficially in exile to 1961) |
Zogu |
Prince Leka |
1982 |
 |
Austria-Hungary |
Crown Prince Otto1 |
1912 |
1922 |
son of Charles I (Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary etc. from 1916 to 1918) |
Habsburg-Lorraine |
Archduke Karl |
1961 |
 |
Bulgaria |
Simeon II2 |
1937 |
1946 |
Tsar from 1943 to 1946 |
Wettin
(Saxe-Coburg and Gotha line) |
Kardam, Prince of Turnovo |
1962 |
 |
Courland |
Prince Ernst-Johann Biron of Courland |
1940 |
1982 |
descendant of Ernst Johann von Biron (Duke from 1737 to 1740 and 1763 to 1769) |
Biron |
Prince Michael |
1944 |
 |
England
(Jacobite) |
Franz, Duke of Bavaria |
1933 |
1996 |
great-grandson of Maria Theresia of Austria-Este, heir of the House of Stuart |
Wittelsbach |
Max, Duke in Bavaria |
1937 |
 |
France
(Legitimist) |
Louis Alphonse, Duke of Anjou |
1974 |
1989 |
tenth-generation descendant of Louis XIV (King from 1643 to 1715) |
Bourbon |
Juan Carlos I of Spain |
1938 |
 |
France
(Orléanist and Unionist) |
Henri, Count of Paris, Duke of France |
1933 |
1999 |
great-great-great-grandson of Louis-Philippe of France (King from 1830 to 1848) |
Orléans
(sub-line of the House of Bourbon) |
François, Count of Clermont |
1961 |
France
(Bonapartist) |
Charles Napoléon3 |
1950 |
1997 |
great-great-grandnephew of Napoléon I (self-proclaimed Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1814 and in 1815) |
Bonaparte |
Jean-Christophe Napoléon |
1986 |
 |
Greece |
Constantine II |
1940 |
1973 |
King from 1964 to 1973 |
Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg
(sub-line of the House of Oldenburg) |
Crown Prince Pavlos |
1967 |
 |
Ireland
(Jacobite) |
Franz, Duke of Bavaria |
1933 |
1996 |
great-grandson of Maria Theresia of Austria-Este, heir of the House of Stuart |
Wittelsbach |
Max, Duke in Bavaria |
1937 |
 |
Lithuania |
Wilhelm Albert, Duke of Urach |
1957 |
1991 |
grandson of Mindaugas II (nominal King in 1918) |
Urach
(a morgantic subline of the House of Württemberg) |
Prince Karl Philipp |
1992 |
 |
Mann |
Simon Egerton Scrope |
1934 |
|
descendant of William le Scrope (King from 1392 to 1399) |
Scrope |
Harry Scrope |
1974 |
 |
Montenegro |
Nicholas, Prince of Montenegro |
1944 |
1986 |
great-grandson of Nikola I (King from 1910 to 1918) |
Petrović-Njegoš |
Hereditary Prince Boris |
1980 |
 |
Portugal |
Duarte Pio, Duke of Braganza |
1945 |
1976 |
great-grandson of Miguel I (King from 1828 to 1834) |
Braganza
(male-line descent from the House of Capet) |
Infante Afonso, Prince of Beira |
1996 |
 |
Romania |
Michael I |
1921 |
1947 |
King from 1927 to 1930 and from 1940 to 1947 |
Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen |
Frederick William, Prince of Hohenzollern
(via last royal constitution) |
1924 |
Princess Margarita
(via post-abolition family law) |
1949 |
| Paul-Philippe Hohenzollern |
1948 |
2006 |
grandson of Carol II (King from 1930 to 1940) |
Lambrino
(descended of an annulled Hohenzollern marriage) |
Alexander Hohenzollern |
1961 |
 |
Russia |
Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna |
1953 |
1992 |
descendant of Alexander II (Tsar from 1855 to 1881) |
Romanov
(a sub-line of the House of Holstein-Gottorp, a sub-line of the House of Oldenburg) |
Grand Duke George Mikhailovich |
1981 |
| Nicholas Romanov, Prince of Russia |
1922 |
1992 |
descendant of Nicholas I (Tsar from 1825 to 1855) |
Prince Dmitri Romanovich |
1926 |
 |
Scotland
(Jacobite) |
Franz, Duke of Bavaria |
1933 |
1996 |
great-grandson of Maria Theresia of Austria-Este, heir of the House of Stuart |
Wittelsbach |
Max, Duke in Bavaria |
1937 |
 |
Serbia
(Obrenović) |
Nicholas, Prince of Montenegro |
1944 |
1986 |
grandson of Prince Mirko of Montenegro, relative and designated heir of Alexander I of Serbia |
Petrović-Njegoš |
Hereditary Prince Boris |
1980 |
Serbia
(Karađorđević) |
Crown Prince Alexander |
1945 |
1970 |
son of King Peter II, King from 1934 to 1945. |
Karađorđević |
Hereditary Prince Peter |
1980 |
 |
Spain
(Carlist) |
Carlos Hugo, Count of Montemolin |
1930 |
1977 |
sons of Xavier, Duke of Parma, declared regent by Alfonso Carlos of Bourbon, Duke of San Jaime |
Bourbon |
Carlos, Duke of Madrid |
1970 |
| Sixtus, Duke of Aranjuez |
1940 |
1979 |
|
 |
Yugoslavia4 |
Crown Prince Alexander |
1945 |
1970 |
son of Peter II (King from 1934 to 1945) |
Karađorđević |
Hereditary Prince Peter |
1980 |
Germany
Some of the former German monarchies are not listed here because all eligible dynasts of the respective formerly reigning houses are extinct: The Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin in 2001, the duchy of Saxe-Altenburg in 1991 and the principalities of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Schwarzburg-Sondershausen (since 1909 in personal union with Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt) in the male line in 1971. There may be potential claimants to the entirety of Schwarzburg, however.
| Country |
Pretender
|
born
|
Pretender since
|
Link to past monarchy
|
House
|
Heir
|
born
|
| Empire |
 |
Germany |
Georg Friedrich, Prince of Prussia |
1976 |
1994 |
great-great-grandson of William II (Emperor from 1888 to 1918) |
Hohenzollern |
Prince Christian-Sigismund |
1946 |
| Kingdoms |
 |
Bavaria |
Franz, Duke of Bavaria |
1933 |
1996 |
great-grandson of Ludwig III (King from 1913 to 1918) |
Wittelsbach |
Max, Duke in Bavaria |
1937 |
 |
Hanover |
Ernst August V, Prince of Hanover |
1954 |
1987 |
great-great-grandson of Georg V (King from 1851 to 1866) |
Hanover
(a sub-line of the House of Welf, a sub-line of the House of Este) |
Prince Ernst August |
1983 |
 |
Prussia |
Georg Friedrich, Prince of Prussia |
1976 |
1994 |
great-great-grandson of William II (King from 1888 to 1918) |
Hohenzollern |
Prince Christian Sigismund |
1946 |
 |
Saxony |
Maria Emanuel, Margrave of Meissen5 |
1926 |
1968 |
grandson of Frederick Augustus III (King from 1904 to 1918) |
Wettin |
Prince Albert |
1934 |
 |
Westphalia |
Charles Napoléon |
1950 |
1997 |
great-great-grandson of Jérôme Bonaparte (King from 1807 to 1813) |
Bonaparte |
Jean-Christophe Napoléon |
1986 |
 |
Württemberg |
Carl, Duke of Württemberg |
1936 |
1975 |
grand-nephew of William II (King from 1891 to 1918) |
Württemberg |
Hereditary Duke Friedrich |
1961 |
| Grand Duchies |
 |
Baden |
Maximilian, Margrave of Baden |
1933 |
1963 |
great-grandnephew of Frederick II (Grand Duke from 1907 to 1918) |
Zähringen |
Hereditary Prince Bernhard |
1970 |
|
Frankfurt |
Nicolas, Duke of Leuchtenberg |
1933 |
1988 |
descendant of Eugène de Beauharnais (Grand Duke in 1813) |
Beauharnais |
Prince Constantin |
1965 |
 |
Hesse and by Rhine |
Moritz, Landgrave of Hesse |
1926 |
1968 |
adoptive grandson (from the elder line of Hesse-Kassel or Hesse-Cassel) of Ernest Louis (Grand Duke from 1892 to 1918) |
Hesse |
Hereditary Prince Donatus |
1966 |
 |
Hesse-Kassel (or Hesse-Cassel)6 |
 |
Mecklenburg-Strelitz |
Duke Georg Borwin of Mecklenburg789 |
1956 |
1996 |
descendant of Georg (Strelitz line) (Grand Duke from 1816 to 1860) |
Mecklenburg
(Strelitz line), (a sub-line of the House of Nikloting) |
Duke Alexander |
1991 |
 |
Oldenburg |
Anton-Günther, Duke of Oldenburg |
1923 |
1970 |
grandson of Frederick Augustus II (Grand Duke from 1900 to 1918) |
Holstein-Gottorp
(a sub-line of the House of Oldenburg) |
Duke Christian |
1955 |
 |
Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach10 |
Michael, Prince of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach |
1946 |
1988 |
grandson of William Ernest (Grand Duke from 1901 to 1918) |
Wettin |
Prince Wilhelm Ernst |
1946 |
| Duchies |
 |
Anhalt |
Eduard, Prince of Anhalt |
1941 |
1963 |
son of Joachim Ernst (Duke from April to November 1918) |
Ascania |
—
(Princess Julia Katharina is styled Hereditary Princess11 on family site) |
1980 |
 |
Brunswick |
Ernst August V, Prince of Hanover |
1954 |
1987 |
grandson of Ernest Augustus III (Duke from 1913 to 1918) |
Hanover
(a sub-line of the House of Welf, a sub-line of the House of Este) |
Prince Ernst August |
1983 |
 |
Nassau |
Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg |
1955 |
2000 |
great-great-grandson of Adolphe (Duke from 1839 to 1866) |
Nassau-Weilburg
(a sub-line of the House of Bourbon-Parma, a sub-line of the House of Bourbon) |
Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume |
1981 |
 |
Saxe-Coburg and Gotha |
Andreas, Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha |
1943 |
1998 |
grandson of Charles Edward (Duke from 1900 to 1918) |
Wettin |
Hereditary Prince Hubertus |
1975 |
 |
Saxe-Meiningen |
Konrad, Prince of Saxe-Meiningen |
1952 |
1984 |
grandnephew of Bernhard III (Duke from 1914 to 1918) |
– |
| Principalities |
 |
Hohenzollern-Hechingen |
Frederick William, Prince of Hohenzollern |
1924 |
1965 |
great-great-grandson of Karl Anton (Prince from 1848 to 1849) |
Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen |
Hereditary Prince Karl Friedrich |
1952 |
| Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen |
 |
Lippe |
Armin, Prince of Lippe |
1924 |
1949 |
son of Leopold IV (Prince from 1905 to 1918) |
Lippe |
Hereditary Prince Stephan |
1959 |
| Friedrich Wilhelm, Prince of Lippe |
1947 |
1990 |
great-nephew of Leopold IV (Prince from 1905 to 1918) |
– |
 |
Reuss-Köstritz
(Reuss Junior Line) |
Heinrich IV, Prince of Reuss-Köstritz |
1919 |
1946 |
current head of the House after the extinction of the first hereditary line in 1945 |
Reuss |
Prince Heinrich XIV |
1955 |
 |
Reuss-Greiz
(Reuss Senior Line) |
hereditary line ceased in 1928 through the death of Heinrich XXVII (Prince from 1908 to 1918), so the claim passed to the Köstritz line that year |
 |
Schaumburg-Lippe |
Alexander, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe |
1958 |
2003 |
grandnephew of Adolf II (Prince from 1911 to 1918) |
Lippe |
Hereditary Prince Heinrich-Donatus |
1994 |
 |
Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt,
Schwarzburg-Sondershausen |
Friedrich Magnus, Count of Solms-Wildenfels |
1927 |
1984 |
heir via application of semi-salic law, descendant of Friedrich Günther (Prince of Rudolstadt from 1793 to 1863) |
Solms |
Hereditary Count Michael |
1949 |
| Philip, Prince of Stolberg-Wernigerode |
1967 |
2001 |
heir of Count Botho of Stolberg, to whom the Schwarzburg lands would have passed on the extinction of the house via a pact between the two houses |
Stolberg |
Prince Georg Heinrich |
1970 |
 |
Waldeck and Pyrmont |
Wittekind, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont |
1936 |
1967 |
grandson of Friedrich Adolf (Prince from 1893 to 1918) |
Waldeck |
Hereditary Prince Carl Anton |
1991 |
Italy
Modena, Naples and Parma do not mean the Italian cities but the former states on the territory of present-day's Italy.
| Country |
Pretender
|
born
|
Pretender since
|
Link to past monarchy
|
House
|
Heir
|
born
|
| Unified Italy |
 |
Italy |
Vittorio Emanuele, Prince of Naples |
1937 |
1983 |
son of Umberto II (King from May to June 1946) |
Savoy |
Emanuele Filiberto, Prince of Venice and Piedmont |
1972 |
| Amedeo, Duke of Savoy |
1943 |
2006 |
cousin of Umberto II (King from May to June 1946) |
Prince Aimone, Duke of Apulia |
1967 |
| pre-unificarian States |
 |
Modena and Reggio |
Prince Lorenz of Belgium, Archduke of Austria-Este |
1955 |
1996 |
head of the ducal family of Modena |
Habsburg-Lorraine |
Prince Amedeo of Belgium, Archduke of Austria-Este |
1986 |
 |
Naples |
Joachim, 8th Prince Murat |
1944 |
1944 |
descendant of Joachim Murat (King from 1808 to 1815, appointed by Napoléon I of France) |
Murat |
Joachim, Prince of Pontecorvo |
1973 |
 |
Parma |
Carlos Hugo, Duke of Parma |
1930 |
1977 |
grandson of Roberto I (Duke from 1854 to 1859) |
Bourbon |
Carlos, Prince of Piacenza |
1970 |
|
Piombino |
Prince Niccolò Boncompagni-Ludovisi |
1941 |
1988 |
descendant of Antonio I Boncompagni-Ludovisi (prince from 1778 to 1801) |
Boncompagni |
Prince Francesco Boncompagni-Ludovisi |
1965 |
 |
Tuscany |
Archduke Sigismund, Grand Duke of Tuscany |
1966 |
1993 |
descendant of Ferdinand IV (Grandduke from 1859 to 1860) |
Habsburg-Lorraine |
Archduke Amadeo, Grand Prince of Tuscany |
2001 |
 |
Two Sicilies |
Infante Carlos, Duke of Calabria |
1938 |
1964 |
descendants of Ferdinand II (King from 1830 to 1859) |
Bourbon |
Prince Pedro, Duke of Noto |
1968 |
| Prince Carlo, Duke of Castro12 |
1963 |
2008 |
Prince Antoine of Bourbon Two Sicilies |
1929 |
Africa
Americas
- Further information: Monarchies in the Americas
Asia
| Country |
Pretender
|
born
|
Pretender since
|
Link to past monarchy
|
House
|
Heir
|
born
|
 |
Aceh |
Hasan di Tiro |
1930 |
? |
descendant of the Sultans of Aceh |
Tiro |
|
1925 |
 |
Afghanistan |
Crown Prince Ahmad Shah |
1934 |
2007 |
Eldest surviving son of Mohammed Zahir Shah, Shah from 1933 to 1973 |
Barakzai |
Prince Muhammad Zahir Khan |
1962 |
 |
Bukhara |
Seyyid Mir Ibrahim Khan |
1903 |
1944 |
son of Seyyid Mir Mohammed Alim Khan (Emir from 1910 to 1920) |
Manġit |
? |
 |
Champasak |
Keo Na Champassak |
1944 |
1980 |
grandson of Ratsadanay (King from 1900 to 1904) |
Na Champassak |
Saysanasak na Champassak |
1946 |
 |
China
(Qīng) |
Aisin Gioro Hengzhen |
1944 |
1997 |
descendant of Dàoguāng (Emperor from 1820 to 1850) |
Qīng13 |
Jin Xing (Aisin Gioro) |
1977 |
 |
China
(Yuán) |
Vincent Yuan |
? |
2003 |
great-grandson of Yuán Shìkǎi (self-proclaimed Emperor from 1915 to 1916) |
— |
Jada Yuán |
? |
 |
Georgia |
Nugzar Bagration-Gruzinsky |
1950 |
1984 |
descendant of George XII (King of Georgia from 1798 to 1800) |
Bagrationi |
Princess Anna Bagration-Gruzinski of Georgia |
1976 |
| David Bagrationi of Moukrani |
1976 |
2008 |
descendant of Constantine II (King from 1478 to 1505) |
Gourami (Ugo) Bagration of Moukhrani |
1985 |
 |
Iran
(Pahlavī) |
Rez̤ā Pahlavī |
1960 |
1980 |
son of Mohammad Rez̤ā Pahlavī (Shah from 1941 to 1979) |
Pahlavī |
Ali-Rez̤ā Pahlavī II |
1966 |
 |
Iran
(Qâjâr) |
Mohammad Hassan Mirza II |
1949 |
1988 |
descendant of Mohammad Ali Shah Qâjâr (Shah from 1907 to 1909) |
Qâjâr |
Prince Arsalan Mirza |
? |
 |
Iraq |
Prince Ra'ad bin Zeid |
1936 |
1970 |
cousins of Faysal II (King from 1939 to 1958) |
Hāshim |
Prince Zeid Ra’ad Zeid Al-Hussein |
1964 |
| Sharif Ali bin al-Hussein |
1956 |
195814 |
? |
 |
Jerusalem |
Juan Carlos I |
1938 |
1975 |
The Kingdom of Jerusalem was abolished in 1291. There are various succession theories as to how the claim were to pass and who the rightful heir or heiress is. |
Bourbon |
Felipe, Prince of Asturias |
1968 |
| Louis Alphonse, Duke of Anjou |
1974 |
1989 |
Juan Carlos I |
1938 |
| Victor Emmanuel, Prince of Naples |
1937 |
1983 |
Savoia |
Emanuele Filiberto, Prince of Venice and Piedmont |
1972 |
| Otto von Habsburg |
1912 |
1922 |
Habsburg-Lorraine |
Archduke Karl |
1961 |
| Infante Carlos, Duke of Calabria |
1938 |
1964 |
Bourbon |
Prince Pedro, Duke of Noto |
1968 |
| Prince Carlo, Duke of Castro |
1963 |
2008 |
Prince Antoine of Bourbon Two Sicilies |
1929 |
| Charles-Antoine Lamoral, Prince de Ligne de La Trémoille |
1946 |
2005 |
Ligne |
Prince Edouard |
1976 |
| Patrick Guinness |
1956 |
1999 |
Guinness |
Jasmine Guinness |
1976 |
 |
Kalat |
Agha Suleiman Jan |
1967 |
1998 |
grandson of Ahmed Yar Khan (Khan from 1933 to 1955) |
Ahmadzai |
— |
 |
Korea |
Yi Haewŏn15 |
1919 |
2006 |
granddaughter of Gwangmu (Emperor from 1863 to 1907) |
Yi16 |
— |
| Yi Won |
1962 |
2005 |
adoptive son of Prince Yi Gu, grandson of Gwangmu (Emperor from 1863 to 1907) |
? |
 |
Laos |
Soulivong Savang |
1963 |
1978/
1984 |
grandson of Savang Vatthana (King from 1959 to 1975) |
Khun Lo |
Thayavong Savang |
1964 |
 |
Maldives |
Prince Muhammad Nur ud-din |
? |
1969 |
son of Hassan Nooraddeen Iskandar II (Sultan from 1935 to 1943) |
Huraa |
Prince Ibrahim Nur ud-din |
? |
 |
Manchukuo |
Aisin Gioro Puren |
1918 |
1994 |
brother of Kāngdé
(Pǔyí) (Emperor from 1934 to 1945) |
Qīng |
Jin Yuzhang |
1942 |
|
Mongolia |
Aisin Gioro Hêng Chen |
1944 |
1997 |
descendant of Dàoguāng (Emperor of China from 1820 to 1850) |
Aisin Gioro Chinsin |
1977 |
 |
Mongolia |
Jampal Namdol Chökyi Gyaltsen |
1932 |
1936 |
9th Jebtsundamba Khutuktu, reincarnation of Bogd Khan, 8th Jebtsundamba Khutuktu |
- |
- |
- |
 |
Myanmar |
Taw Phaya |
1924 |
1962 |
grandson of Thibaw Min (King from 1878 to 1885) |
Konbaung |
Taw Phaya Myat Gyi |
1945 |
 |
Nepal |
Gyanendra |
1947 |
2008 |
king from 2001 to 2008 |
Shah |
Crown Prince Paras |
1971 |
|
Qu'aiti |
Ghalib II |
1948 |
1967 |
Sultan from 1966 to 1967 |
Al-Qu'aiti |
Prince Saleh bin Ghalib al-Qu'aiti |
1977 |
 |
Ryūkyū |
Shō Mamoru |
? |
1996 |
descendant of Shō Tai (King from 1848 to 1879) |
Shō |
? |
|
Sarawak |
Anthony Brooke17 |
1912 |
1946 |
nephew of Charles Vyner Brooke (White Raja from 1917 to 1946) |
Brooke |
James Bertram Lionel Brooke |
1940 |
|
Singapore |
| |
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