Greatest Monarchs Of All Time

[CSENYC]

Oops, you're right.

Tsar Simeon of Bulgaria is one of the best.

 

[An Ard Ri]

Yes, you're right. And your answer makes me think that François Ier wasn't a bad king! Even if because of him and his wars, France had to pay a lot (and french people had to suffer, again!).

François Ier wasn't a bad King but he did leave France almost bankrupt after a series of really pointless wars.His son Henri II reign was quite brief but he left the French finances in a worse state and a divided kingdom,something which his widow,Catherine de Médicis despite all her early efforts at reconciliation was unable to deal with.Catherine's son in law,Henri III of Navarre and IV of France was one of the greatest French Monarchs.

 

[MartinaM]

Suleiman I - He personally instituted major legislative changes relating to society, education, taxation, and criminal law, he embarked on vast cultural and architectural projects. He was brilliant military strategist and politician and he was a poet as well.

 

[Princess B]

Isabella of Castile and Leon

King Christian IX of Denmark

Queen Elizabeth I

 

[Duchess Marie]

For me the ones that seemed to be perfect to rule where Elizabeth I and Queen Victoria

 

[An Ard Ri]

Isabella of Castile and Leon

Yes Isabella is one of my personal favourites and also her grandson Charles V/I Holy Roman Emperor and King.

 

[maria-olivia]

To me Charles V/I , in Belgium Charles Quint.
Due to his Father Philippe le Beau son of Marie de Bourgogne and Maximilien de Habsbourg and his Mother Jeanne, daughter of Isabelle de Castille and Ferdinand d' Aragon we learned in our history books " Dans le Royaume de Charles Quint le Soleil ne se couche jamais ".
Do you know during his life He was in War one year yes and one year No .
Sorry for mixing french and english !

 

[Marengo]

Charles V is still portrayed generally favorable here in Holland too. Dispite his persecution of the protestants. His empire where the sun never sets speaks to the imagination indeed. His son Philip however has been portrayed for centuries as a religious fanatic, almost as the devil himself, though in recent decades that changed a bit (still a religious fanatic and highly inadequate but not the devil incarnate). In her autobiography Queen Wilhelmina seemed to have taken a liking to Charles too, and she says that her decision to abdicate was inspired by the example of Charles.

 

[maria-olivia]

During Philip II's reign it was terrible for Belgium (Duke of Alba) and a lot of belgian's best craftsmen went to your country and particularly in Delft.
I was told that Philip II was a great Monarch in Spain ?

 

[Marengo]

That is true. The county of Holland was only the 3rd most important province of the Burgundian Netherlands, being preceded by Brabant and especially by Flanders. However due to the religious persecution and the war with Spain many merchants and artisans left for the North. The city of Amsterdam was basically built on the grave of Antwerp (the most important port and economic center of Europe at the beginning of the 80 years war. Without the blockade of the port of Antwerp and without the immigrants from the Southern Netherlands, the Dutch republic would never have been able to be such a succes (or even to stay independant). The consensus of historians at present is that the fall of Antwerp and Alva's fury there was the most important moment for the Dutch republic.

In Spain they regarded Philip II differently indeed, as they do us (heretics, rebels and pirates). Though in Portugal he was also considered the boogieman.

 

[episcogal]

In the twentieth century, I'm going to say:

Baudouin/Boudewijn of Belgium (1951-1993). Straight as an arrow - straighter than an arrow, if that's possible. Most conscientious and loving monarch of any time, with the exception of Jesus.

 

[Hans-Rickard]

For monarches far back in the history i have to say Queen Margaret I of Sweden, Norway and Denmark. In modern times i have to say Pope John Paul II, King Bhumibol of Thailand and Queen Elizabeth II

 

[CyrilVladisla]

King Christian IX of Denmark is an interesting king.
He was the father-in-law of Europe.
​

 

[GeorgiePorgy]

Most Successful Monarch

Hello,

this is my first post here. I look forward to discussing all things royal with you.

My question is who do you think rates as the most successful monarch throughout history and why?

Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria in the UK leap to mind as they oversaw golden ages and unified the country. Or perhaps Alfred for laying the foundations for a unified England. Who else from around the world?

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

I think a monarch is succesful when he/she passes the monarchy in a better state to the heir than at the start. In this framework I regard Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands as a succesful monarch.

She started her kingship in almost a street guerilla in Amsterdam 1980, under strong anti-everything tendences and passed it to her son in sparkling state and at the height of her popularity in Amsterdam 2013.

 

[duke of poliganc]

queen margrethe of denmark she was able to be relatable to everyone in her country a friend , a sister , a mother and a grandmother while still being regal .

 

[Marty91charmed]

When Queen Elizabeth passes away, she will make that list too.

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

In this age with only protocollary monarchs it will be difficult to find "bad monarchs" as their roles are extremely limited and ceremonial. So it soon turns out into a popularity contest. One can say: Leopold II was a great monarch because he did Grand Works in Belgium. Or Leopold II was a bad monarch because of the atrocities in the Congo.

But these days the royals are simply the puppets in their theatre of state, so what is "a good monarch" is hard to define. Is Harald bad? Is Margrethe good?

Some will argue that King Baudouin and Grand-Duke Henri were poor monarchs because they did not understood their place in the democratic constellation, when they refused to sign a Bill. Others will argue that these two are good monarchs because they remained true to their personal conscience despite the democratic majority thinking differently.

The question is hard to answer in 2016 with the monarchs only as ornaments of state.

 

[SLV]

True, though you could put the Swedish king in the list of monarchs that did not handle things quite as they should.

 

[GeorgiePorgy]

I think a monarch is succesful when he/she passes the monarchy in a better state to the heir than at the start. In this framework I regard Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands as a succesful monarch.

She started her kingship in almost a street guerilla in Amsterdam 1980, under strong anti-everything tendences and passed it to her son in sparkling state and at the height of her popularity in Amsterdam 2013.

Yeah, I agree. I think that length of reign is a factor too, and ideally stability should be taken into account.

 

[GeorgiePorgy]

I think a monarch is succesful when he/she passes the monarchy in a better state to the heir than at the start. In this framework I regard Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands as a succesful monarch.

She started her kingship in almost a street guerilla in Amsterdam 1980, under strong anti-everything tendences and passed it to her son in sparkling state and at the height of her popularity in Amsterdam 2013.

This i have to completely agree with it is becoming more and more common for king's and queen's to pass down the crown in much worse state than the got it handed to them. I was sat watching a Royal Family DVD the other night and it is astonishing some of the things our kings and queens have been through to get where they are today.

At the end of the day it's not easy being a leader of a country so we have to give them a little leeway.....

 

[Norah Jones]

Queen Elizabeth I
Strong and powerful women, dedicated all her life to England. Saw this 2007 Movie “Elizabeth: the Golden Age” with Cate Blanchett . Many events of that period and life of the Queen are shown very natural. Really impressed, the movie touched my soul.

 

[eya]

"From Elizabeth I of England to Isabella I of Castile, many of the most memorable rulers across Europe over the last 500 years have been female."


Female rulers are 27% more likely to wage WAR than males | Daily Mail Online

​

 

[CyrilVladisla]

King Dinis of Portugal
As a capable head of state Dinis made structural improvements. A significant cultural first is the foundation of one of the oldest universities in the world, the University of Coimbra.

 

[norenxaq]

of all time implies throughout the world and history rather than relatively recently in europe as most of these posts are about

my list:
sargon I of agade establisher of the first mesopotamian empire
asoka of india spread buddhism throughout northern india
shi huangdi established the concept of a united chinese empire

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

Gaivs Octavianus, better known as Augustus Caesar, (63 BC - 14 AD).

Augustus dramatically enlarged the Roman Empire, completed the conquest of the Iberian peninsula, North Africa, Egypt and the Middle East. Beyond the frontiers, Augustus secured the Empire with a buffer region of vassal states and made peace through diplomacy. He reformed the Roman system of taxation, developed networks of roads with an official Empire-wide courier system, established a standing well-trained Army and Fleet, established the Praetorian Guard, created official police and firefighting services for Rome, and rebuilt much of the city during his reign.

Not for nothing the era of Augustus is known as Pax Romana.

 

[victor1319]

The greatest king should be the self declared King of the Jews, Jesus. All other reals have been crumbling or will in the future, but his realm was not of this world and will live on.

On a more wordly note: Frederick The Great, "Der alte Fritz", was the only german, who has ever been on the winner side of a world war. Plus: He introduced the potato to Germany, which became the most loved german vegetable, when the folks learned, how to make Schnapps with it.

Folks still lay potatos onto the grave of the great king. What is very fitting, considered, that he was a philosopher too.
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kartoffelbefehl#/media/Datei:Friedrich_II_Tomb_P7140136.JPG

 

[lucien]

Queen Wilhelmina of The Netherlands!

 

[An Ard Ri]

Queen Wilhelmina of The Netherlands!

And the longest reigning Dutch monarch so far,nearly 58 years!

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

Queen Wilhelmina of The Netherlands!

Come on. She was the worst. She can not even stand in the shadow of William III or Frederik Hendrik if we have to name any Orange. Fleeing to London is not exactly the heroïcism which hangs around great monarchs. Her Court was the dullest of Europe. She inspired nothing. Not in legislation like Willem I, not in gallantry or grandesse like Willem II, not in promoting arts, sciences and entrepreneurship like Willem III. Was it not for the War, Wilhelmina's Reign was one long yawn of a control-freaked Spinster-Queen.