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List of Lithuanian monarchs

This article is about the historical monarchs and the institution of monarchy of Lithuania, from the Middle Ages to 1569 and in 1918. For presidents and other heads of state of Lithuania during the 20th and 21st centuries, see List of heads of state of Lithuania. For the monarchy of the Commonwealth since the Union of Lublin in 1569, see List of heads of state of Lithuania.

Monarchy of Lithuania
Royal coat of arms
King Mindaugas
Details
StyleHis/Her Majesty[d]
First monarchMindaugas I[a]
Last monarchStanisław II August[b] Mindaguas II[c]
Formation1236
Abolition1795
ResidenceMindaugas' Castle, Voruta (1253−1263)
Gediminas' Castle, Vilnius (late 13th century−late 15th century)
Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania, Vilnius (late 15th century−1665)
New Grodno Castle, Grodno (second half of the 18th century)
AppointerHereditary (1253–1574)
Szlachta (1574–1795)
Hereditary (1918)
Pretender(s)Prince Inigo of Urach (disputed)

The monarchy of Lithuania concerned the monarchical head of state of Lithuania, which was established as an absolute[1][e] and hereditary monarchy. Throughout Lithuania's history there were three ducal dynasties—the House of Mindaugas, the House of Gediminas, and the House of Jagiellon. Despite this, the one and only crowned king of Lithuania was King Mindaugas I.[2][3] In two more instances, royal nobles were not crowned due to political circumstances, but held de jure recognition abroad —Vytautas the Great by Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor,[4] and Mindaugas II by Pope Benedict XV.[5][4]

Others were seen as kings of Lithuania even though they had only considered it and never took further action to claim the throne, as in the case of Gediminas who was recognised as king of Lithuania by Pope John XXII.[6] The hereditary monarchy in Lithuania was first established in the 13th century during the reign of Mindaugas I and officially re-established as a constitutional monarchy on 11 July 1918, only to be abandoned soon afterwards on 2 November 1918.

During the inaugurations of Lithuanian monarchs until 1569, Gediminas' Cap was placed on the monarch's head by the Bishop of Vilnius in Vilnius Cathedral.[7]

Lithuania in the present day is a representative democracy in a semi-presidential system based on popular sovereignty, as defined in the current Constitution of Lithuania, and has no monarchy.


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  1. ^ Šapoka, Adolfas (2008). Vilnius Lietuvos gyvenime [Vilnius in the Life of Lithuania] (Rev. ed. of the work originally published in 1954) (in Lithuanian). p. 26. Žaltvykslė. ISBN 9789986063025. "Upon entering a union with Poland, Lithuania was an absolute monarchy, having nevertheless one privileged class — the nobility."
  2. ^ Sužiedėlis, Simas, ed. (1970–1978). "Mindaugas". Encyclopedia Lituanica. Vol. III. Boston, Massachusetts: Juozas Kapočius. pp. 538–543. LCCN 74-114275.
  3. ^ Vauchez, Andre; Richard Barrie Dobson; Adrian Walford; Michael Lapidge (2000). Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages. Routledge. p. 855. ISBN 1-57958-282-6.
  4. ^ a b Nadveckė, Ineta (6 July 2019) Trys Lietuvos karaliai: vienas tikras, vienas nelabai ir vienas beveik LRT.
  5. ^ Stuttgart archives, HStA. GU 117, file 847: copy of letter from Benedict XV dated 24 July 1918.
  6. ^ Gediminas(in Lithuanian). Visuotinė lietuvių enciklopedija.
  7. ^ Gudavičius, Edvardas. "Gedimino kepurė" [Gediminas' Cap]. Visuotinė lietuvių enciklopedija (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 19 March 2023.

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