Heads of former ruling families
This is a list of the current heads of the former royal houses of countries where a monarchy has either been abolished, suspended or replaced by a new house.
Entries in this list are based on the relevant succession laws, whether hereditary or elective, irrespective of whether the individual stakes an active claim to the titles associated with the abolished monarchy. Individuals who stake claims to royal titles but who are not part of former royal dynasties are not included. Note that a country may have multiple royal houses with a claim to the defunct position.
Africa
| State | Pretender | Since | House | Claim | Succession | Abolition | Ref |
 Burundi | Rosa Paula Iribagiza | Ntwero | Daughter of Mwami Mwambutsa IV. | Hereditary | 1966 | ||
| Jean-Bédel Bokassa, Crown Prince of the Central African Empire | Bokassa | Heir apparent of Emperor Bokassa I. | Hereditary | 1979 | |||
| Dahomey | Dah Sagbadjou Glele | Aladaxonou | Elected by Dahomeyan nobles. | Elective | 1904 | ||
 Egypt | Fuad II | Muhammad Ali | Last reigning King. | Hereditary | 1953 | ||
 Ethiopia | Zera Yacob Amha Selassie | Solomon | Grandson of Emperor Haile Selassie. | Hereditary | 1975 | ||
| Ethiopia | Girma Yohannes Iyasu | Solomon | Grandson of Emperor Iyasu V. | Hereditary | 1975 | ||
| Kongo | Yves Ñzînga Mvêmb'a | Kilukeni | Descendant of Manikongo Afonso I. | Elective and Hereditary | 1914 | ||
 Libya | Muhammad bin Hasan | Senussi | Son of Hasan ar-Rida, heir apparent of King Idris I. | Hereditary | 1969 | ||
| Libya | Idris bin Abdullah | May 1989 | Senussi | Relative of King Idris I. | Hereditary | 1969 | |
 Rwanda | Emmanuel Bushayija | Abanyiginya | Nephew of Mwami Kigeli V Ndahindurwa. | Hereditary and Elective | 1961 | ||
 Tunisia | Muhammad Al Husain | Al Husain | Grandson of Bey Muhammad VI al-Habib. | Hereditary | 1957 | ||
 Zanzibar | Jamshid bin Abdullah | Al Bu Sa'id | Last reigning Sultan. | Hereditary | 1964 |
Americas
Asia
Burma (Myanmar)
India and Pakistan
Following the Partition of India in 1947, the majority of princely states in the subcontinent acceded to either the Dominion of Pakistan or the Dominion of India. Official recognition of hereditary royal entitlements and accompanying privy purses was abolished in the Republic of India through a constitutional amendment on 28 December 1971. The same was done in Pakistan on 1 January 1972. In many cases, members of the former ruling families of princely states retain a considerable degree of political influence within their communities. Many leaders continue to be referred to by their claimed titles, including most notably within the Supreme Court. Jammu and Kashmir, subject to an ongoing armed conflict between India, Pakistan and China, is the last remaining of the independent princely states once under British suzerainty of which sovereignty continues to be disputed.Nepal
Nepal's numerous small monarchies were collectively abolished by the federal government on 7 October 2008. At the time, the thrones of both Salyan and Jajarkot had been vacant since the deaths of rajas Gopendra Bahadur and Prakash Bikram respectively, and have remained vacant.| State | Pretender | Since | House | Claim | Succession | Abolition | Ref |
 Nepal | Gyanendra | 28 May 2008 | Shah | Last reigning Maharajdhiraja. | Hereditary | 2008 | |
| Bajhang | Binod Bahadur | 7 October 2008 | Shah | Last reigning Raja. | Hereditary | 2008 | |
| Bhirkot | Prakash | 7 October 2008 | Shah | Last reigning Raja. | Hereditary | 2008 | |
| Mustang | Jigme Singhe Palbar | 16 December 2016 | Bista | Nephew and adopted son of last reigning Raja. | Hereditary | 2008 |
Thailand
| State | Pretender | Since | House | Claim | Succession | Abolition | Ref |
| Chiang Mai | Wongsak Na Chiangmai | 1989 | Thipchak | Grandson of Kaew Nawarat, the last King of Lanna and Prince Ruler of Chiang Mai | Hereditary | 1939 | |
| Lampang | Srirat Na Lampang | 2015 | Thipchak | Grandson of Phromma Phiphongthada, the 11th Prince Ruler of Lampang | Hereditary | 1922 | |
| Lamphun | Wattanan Na Lamphun | 1995 | Thipchak | Grandson of Chak Kham Kachornsak, the last Prince Ruler of Lamphun | Hereditary | 1943 | |
| Nan | Somprathana Na Nan | 1993 | Tin Mahawong | Great-granddaughter of Maha Phrom Surathada, the last Prince Ruler of Nan | Hereditary | 1931 |
Europe
Germany
The German Empire was a federation of a score of smaller monarchies, all of which are now abolished under modern republican Germany, although a handful of monarchs never abdicated their titles. As a result, there are a large number of claimants to various German thrones. Since the dissolution of the German empire, however, a number of former royal dynasties have become extinct in the male line, and are therefore not included in the list below. Mecklenburg–Schwerin became extinct in 2001, Saxe-Altenburg in 1991, and Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Schwarzburg-Sondershausen in 1971.In all cases the succession is hereditary.
Italy
Until the mid-nineteenth century, the Italian peninsula comprised a number of states, some of which were monarchies. During the Italian unification, the monarchs of such agglomerated states lost their sovereignty and their titles became purely ceremonial. The resultant throne of the Kingdom of Italy was held by the former king of Sardinia.Lithuania
Following the country's independence from Russia in 1918, the Council of Lithuania voted to establish a monarchy, and invited Prince Wilhelm, the Duke of Urach, to take the throne as king. Wilhelm accepted the nomination in July 1918, and adopted the regnal name Mindaugas II. During the subsequent German Revolution, however, the Council withdrew its decision in November 1918, and Wilhelm was never crowned. His grandson Wilhelm Albert, Duke of Urach, is the head of the family since 9 February 1991. His marriage in 1992 was morganatic and so in 2009 his brother, Prince Inigo of Urach, visited Lithuania and announced that if offered the throne he would be ready to assume it.| State | Pretender | Since | House | Claim | Succession | Abolition | Ref |
 Lithuania | Wilhelm Albert | Württemberg | Grandson of King Wilhelm Karl. | Hereditary | 1918 |
Oceania
In each case the succession is hereditary.| State | Pretender | Since | House | Claim | Abolition | Ref |
| Abemama | Tem Tokataake | Descendant of Tem Binoka. | 1911 | |||
| Easter Island | Valentino Riroroko Tuki | Miru | Descendant of King Riro Kāinga. | 1888 | ||
 Hawaiʻi | Abigail Kawānanakoa | Kawānanakoa | Descendant of David Kawānanakoa, heir apparent of Queen Liliʻuokalani. | 1895 | ||
| Hawaiʻi | Quentin Kawānanakoa | Kawānanakoa | Descendant of David Kawānanakoa, heir apparent of Queen Liliʻuokalani. | 1895 | ||
| Hawaiʻi | Owana Salazar | Laʻanui | Descendant of Kalokuokamaile, half-brother of King Kamehameha I. | 1895 | ||
| Tahiti | Léopold Pōmare | Pōmare | Descendant of Queen Pōmare IV. | 1880 | ||
| Tahiti | Pōmare | Descendant of Queen Pōmare IV. | 1880 |