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Royalty in Asia: all you need to know about the six countries with monarchic rule
- Monarchic rule was once the most common form of government across much of Asia, but today only a handful of royal families remain
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Six countries in East and Southeast Asia currently have monarchs as their heads of state, although the royals’ political power and relevance varies widely across the region.
Until the 20th century, monarchic rule was the most common form of government in much of Asia but after a wave of revolutions and the process of decolonisation, only a handful of royal families remain.
Some monarchs have gained renewed prominence in recent years, such as Thailand’s late King Bhumibol, a revered figure who became a symbol of national unity amid political upheavals during his exceptionally long reign.
Japan lays claim to the world’s oldest continuous hereditary monarchy, which can trace its lineage back at least 1,500 years. During the Allied occupation of the country at the end of the second world war, constitutional reforms were imposed that stripped the emperor of his powers. The role is now entirely representative and ceremonial in nature.
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