The space disaster that may have already begun
Otho made a plan to seize power when he learned he was not going to be named the successor of the emperor. He started a conspiracy that led to the murder of the emperor, and took the throne for himself. He ruled for three months, but killed himself when his army was defeated in battle.
Sources: (Mental Floss) (Listverse) (Grunge) (Ranker)
Unfortunately, the baby king only ruled for five days. Infant mortality rates were extremely high at this point in history, and he died shortly after his birth. There were theories that his death was part of plot by his uncle to seize power, but it's more likely that he simply died of natural causes.
Saad Al-Salim Al-Sabah was next in line to be Emir of Kuwait in 2006. His predecessor's health had been failing for years, but Saad was not too well himself. Many expected that he would choose to pass on the Emirship, but when the time came he took the throne. However, his health continued to worsen and he abdicated at the same time that the Kuwaiti parliament voted him out. He ruled for nine days.
Historically, Finland is not a country that has had a monarchy. It gained independence from the Russian Empire in 1917, during World War I. The Finnish people decided they wanted a monarch, and voted for German Prince Frederick Charles Louis Constantine.
The Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich was suddenly named Tsar of Russia in 1825 when his brother, Alexander I, was killed. However, it wasn't known that Konstantin I had secretly renounced his claim to the thrown. It's rumored he did this so he could marry the woman he loved. Konstantin I abdicated swiftly and stepped down after only 24 days in power.
King Umberto II became the ruler of Italy in 1946 when his father Victor Emmanuel III abdicated. But within a month, the Italian people voted to abolish the monarchy and he lost his title. The abolition act stipulated that Umberto II and his family could never return to Italy again, and he lived the rest of his days in Portugal.
Lady Jane was only 15 years old when she was told she would be Queen, and reportedly fainted when she heard the news. Nine days later, Mary Tudor seized power. She took the throne and sentenced Queen Jane to death.
On June 1, 2001, Dipendra fought with his father at a family party. He left and returned a short time later with multiple automatic weapons. He opened fire, killing his father, mother, brother, sister, and five other members of the royal family. Finally he turned the gun on himself. He remained in a coma for three days until he died, during which time he was technically the King of Nepal.
The story of Lady Jane Grey's ascent to the throne is a tragic one. She was a cousin of King Edward VI and only fourth in line for the throne, but when he died, Lady Jane was chosen as his successor. The alternative was Mary Tudor, a devout Catholic whom King Edward did not want to take the throne.
Muhammad al-Badr was the last imam and king of the Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen. He started his reign during a tumultuous period of war and revolution in Yemen. The monarchy was abolished eight days later.
Barghash bin Said was the shortest reigning sultan in the history of Zanzibar (today part of Tanzania). He ascended to the throne in 1896. Zanzibar was a British protectorate at the time, and they didn't like Barghash, considering him a difficult ruler. They pressured him to step down, but he refused.
Inayatullah Khan was the King of Afghanistan for just three days in 1929. The title was passed to him by his brother, who wanted to escape the invading forces. Inayatullah Khan had never wanted to be king, so he immediately surrendered his rights.
In 1917, Michael II was suddenly named the ruler of the Russian Empire when his brother abdicated. The Russian Revolution was in full swing, and he knew it was not a good position to be in.
Bonaparte later changed his mind again and reinstated himself as emperor. When he was defeated, that meant that his son Napoleon II ascended to the throne in his place, again... This time he lasted for 20 days before the French aristocracy rejected him and refused to recognize him as king.
King Sigeric was a Visigoth king who came to power when the previous king was assassinated. He killed his predecessor's family to ensure no one could challenge his right to the throne, but karma came for him, hard. His opponents acted quickly and he too was assassinated within seven days.
In the late 19th century, the people of Portugal were rebeling against the monarchy. King Carlos I and his son, Luís Filipe, were riding through Lisbon one day when they fell victim to an assassination attempt. The King was shot and killed, and Luís Filipe immediately succeeded him as king. However, he too had been shot, and died 20 minutes later.
The crown was basically a hot potato during that time of revolutions. Louis XIX almost immediately abdicated, passing it on to someone else. It's said that he was only king for about 20 minutes.
King Louis X of France died without an heir to the throne ready to take his place. However, his wife was pregnant with a son. John I became King of France as soon as he was born.
Dipendra was the Crown Prince of Nepal, heir to the throne after his father's death. It's said now that Dipendra was suffering from mental health issues, although it's hard to explain the actions that lead to his fleeting tenure as King.
Barghash's refusal started the Anglo-Zanzibar war, also known as the shortest war in history. The British sent in a ship called the HMS Thrush, which fired at the palace for 38 minutes before Barghash's men surrendered. Barghash lost his throne after reigning for only two days.
King Frederick had never been to Finland before and was preparing to travel there to take the throne. But in the meantime, World War I ended and the Germans were defeated. Kaiser Wilhelm, King of Germany, abdicated, and many monarchies across Europe were dissolved. It seemed that Finland's grand royal future was not to be, and King Frederick surrendered his title after two months (without ever setting foot in the country).
The notorious Napoleon Bonaparte abdicated his throne as Emperor of France in 1814. This passed the title on to his three-year-old son, Napoleon II. But Bonaparte later changed his mind and decided that his descendants were not eligible. The toddler Napoleon II lost his seat on the throne after just two days.
The popularity of the monarchy was seriously falling when Charles X of France decided to abdicate and pass the throne on to his son, Louis XIX.
Michael announced that he would only take power if he was elected in a democratic vote. He essentially denounced his thrown within 16 hours. Unfortunately, this gesture didn't save him. He was imprisoned and murdered shortly afterwards.
As of 1912, the Chinese Empire had been dissolved and the last monarch had stepped down. A general called Yuan Shikai took the role of the "Provisional Great President of the Republic of China," but he decided to reestablish the monarchy and become emperor. This lasted for all of three months. His power grab was met with strong opposition and he renounced his title.
After the death of Pertinax, the guards auctioned off Rome to the highest bidder. Didius Julianus won the throne by offering each guard 25,000 sesterces. This was the equivalent of a lifetime of wages for them. Emperor Didius Julianus didn't need to worry about the guards, but he was deposed by his successor three months later and executed.
Pertinax was the emperor of Rome during a tumultuous period later known as “The Year of the Five Emperors.” Obviously this does not bode well for Pertinax. He had orchestrated the assassination of his predecessor, but the guards who helped him ended up turning against him. He ruled for 86 days before they killed him, after which they paraded through the streets with his head on a spike.
As a result of the abdications of his ancestors, Henri V ended up as King of France in 1830. But his cousin Louis Philippe quickly seized the throne, and Henri escaped into exile after only seven days in power.
Conrad I was the King of Jerusalem during the time of the Crusades. He was an extremely popular king, but was suddenly killed by a group of hired assassins after four days. Richard the Lionheart was ultimately blamed for hiring the assassins, as he was Conrad I's enemy on the opposite side of the Crusades.
You may think that the people who find themselves at the very top of society thanks to the random lottery of birth are extremely lucky. In the case of some kings and queens, that's true, but these folks barely made it out of the gate!
Whether due to illness, assassination, or simply not being interested, these monarchs never got the chance to distinguish themselves as leaders.
Click through the gallery to see which rulers had the shortest reigns in history.
Shortest reigns in royal history
From minutes to weeks: Sovereigns who governed for a brief period
LIFESTYLE Monarchs
You may think that the people who find themselves at the very top of society thanks to the random lottery of birth are extremely lucky. In the case of some kings and queens, that's true, but these folks barely made it out of the gate!
Whether due to illness, assassination, or simply not being interested, these monarchs never got the chance to distinguish themselves as leaders.
Click through the gallery to see which rulers had the shortest reigns in history.