The Remaining Kingdoms On Earth

There are more than you think.

Alice Alinari

Most people are familiar with the British Royals of the United Kingdom, but there are many other monarchs still reigning in the world. Some have little to no political power, and some have absolute power.

In Saudi Arabia, King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud is both the King and Prime Minister. An absolute monarch. What he says goes. There are several other Kings in the Middle East, including the kings of Jordan, Bahrain, The United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, and Oman. Although they are often referred to as Emirs, they are essentially kings.

King Salman and US President Obama January 2015 • Public Domain

Europe has no shortage of royals. Sweden, Belgium, Norway, Spain, Luxembourg, Denmark, Liechtenstein, and The Netherlands all reside under Royal families. And of course, Monaco still has Prince Albert II (the one not in a can.) The Pope is considered the Absolute Monarch of Vatican City. So he also qualifies.

King Willem-Alexander of The Netherlands with Queen Máxima and their daughters Princess Catharina-Amalia (left), Princess Alexia (right) and Princess Ariane (center) • Creative Commons

Africa has a few kings, namely King Mswati III of Swaziland and King Mohammed VI of…