Reigns

A reign is the period during which a person holds sovereign power and exercises formal authority from the throne or its equivalent. The term is most often used for monarchs such as kings and queens, emperors, sultans, or popes, but can apply to any head of state who rules for life or for a defined term. Reigns provide a standard unit for organizing political history and biographical records.

The beginning of a reign is typically marked by accession, coronation, or other formal investiture, while its end occurs on death, abdication, deposition, or overthrow. Because succession is not always orderly, reigns may overlap in cases of co-regency, regency, or interregnum. The length of a reign varies enormously, from a few months to several decades, and is influenced by health, politics, and dynastic practices.

Historians date events within a reign using regnal years and ordinal numbers, such as Louis XIV, the thirteenth of his name, or Elizabeth II. Regnal systems also help distinguish rulers with the same name and frame the chronology of courts and administrations. In some cultures, regnal dating coexists with or replaces chronological dating.

Notable long reigns include Louis XIV of France (1643–1715), Victoria of the United Kingdom (1837–1901), and Elizabeth II (1952–2022). Short reigns occur when rulers die soon after accession or are removed by force. The concept of reigns thus underpins political history across diverse monarchies and empires, while remaining subject to gaps created by upheavals and non-monarchical successions.