What are the 12 monarchies of Europe?

House of Windsor – United Kingdom

Arguably the most recognisable royal family, the House of Windsor have maintained a strong public presence throughout the 20th and 21st centuries.

The members of the House of Windsor undertake over 2,000 official engagements annually, with the royal family attending a variety of events spanning from school openings to charity galas.

House of Grimaldi – Monaco

Made famous by the wedding of 1950s film icon Grace Kelly to Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, the House of Grimaldi is the reigning royal family of the Principality of Monaco.

The Monegasque royal family is currently headed by Rainier III and Kelly’s son, Prince Albert II and his wife, and former Olympic swimmer, Princess Charlene.

Perhaps the most glamorous royal family, the House of Grimaldi is home to Pauline Ducruet, daughter of Rainier III and Kelly’s youngest child Princess Stephanie, who studied fashion at the esteemed New York fashion school Parsons School of Design and undertook internships with both Vogue and Louis Vuitton.

House of Bernadotte – Sweden

The Swedish royal family is currently led by Europe’s longest reigning King, King Carl XVI Gustaf, and Queen Silvia of Sweden.

In 1980, the House of Bernadotte became the first modern monarchy to alter the Act of Succession to be gender-neutral and remove the automatic prioritisation of male heirs in the line of succession.

This change now places the King and Queen’s eldest daughter, Crown Princess Victoria, above her younger brother, Prince Carl Philip, as next in line to the Swedish throne.

House of Orange-Nassau – Netherlands

King Willem-Alexander has been the reigning monarch since April 2013 and is the Netherlands’ first King in over a century.

Unlike many royal families, the Dutch royal family have a clear distinction between what constitutes the Dutch royal family and the Dutch royal house.

While Orange-Nassau encompasses the entire family, under the 2002 revision to the Royal House Membership Act, membership to the Royal House of Orange-Nassau is limited to the immediate family of the current and former reigning monarch.

House of Glücksburg – Norway (L) and Denmark (R)

Both the royal families of Norway and Denmark are part of the House of Glücksburg, with Crown Prince Frederik, Crown Princess Mary, and Queen Margrethe II representing Denmark and King Harald V and Queen Sonja representing Norway.

As the house is overseen by Christoph, Prince of Schleswig-Holstein, a direct descendant of Queen Victoria, the House is closely connected to the British royal family, placing King Charles as 19th on the line of succession for the leader of the House.

House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha – Belgium

King Phillipe and Queen Mathilde have been the reigning monarchs of Belgium since 2013.

Queen Mathilde is well known for her advocacy which has been highlighted through her 2016 invitation by the United Nations Secretary-General to become a global advocate for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Queen Mathilde is also an honorary chair of UNICEF Belgium and a royal patron for Breast International Group, which is the largest global network of dedicated academic researchers focused on creating ground-breaking treatments and potential cures for breast cancer.

House of Liechtenstein – Liechtenstein

Despite Liechtenstein being the sixth smallest country in the world by area, Liechtenstein’s current ruling monarch, Prince Hans-Adam II, is Europe’s wealthiest monarch.

The Princely House is one of the major shareholders of LGT Group (formerly Bank in Liechtenstein). Due to royal involvement, Prince Hans-Adam II is the 279th richest person in the world with an estimated net worth of $7.8 billion USD as of April 2023.

House of Luxembourg-Nassau – Luxembourg

Grand Duke Henri and Cuban-born Grand Duchess Maria Teresa are the current ruling monarchs of Luxembourg.

The Grand Duchess is a committed advocate against sexual violence, creating the ‘Stand Speak Rise Up!’ association in September 2019 to condemn rape as a weapon of war and the proliferation of sexual violence.

House of Borbón-Anjou – Spain

King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain have been the ruling monarchs of Spain since June 2014.

In 1992, King Felipe VI was a member of the Spanish Olympic sailing team for the Barcelona Summer Olympics. He was also the flag bearer for the Spanish Olympic team at the opening ceremony of the games.

Co-Princes of Andorra – Andorra

Although not a royal house, Andorra is still classified as one of the twelve modern monarchies of Europe.

Andorra is ruled by two co-princes, with Bishop of Urgell, Joan Enric Vives Sicilia, and French President Emmanuel Macron currently serving as co-princes.

Andorra’s unique monarchy is a result of the 1278 treaty between the Spanish-based Bishop of Urgell and French-based Count of Foix that saw the two parties agree to co-rule the land-locked territory of Andorra.

Vatican City – Italy

Unlike other monarchies that see their leader inherit power through the line of succession, Vatican City operates as an elected monarchy, with the monarch being bestowed absolute power over their elected territory.

Vatican City is the world’s smallest independent nation-state, with 517 people living under elected monarch Pope Francis’ authority.