A regent is a person selected to act as head of state (ruling or not) because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated.The Oxford English Dictionary defines the term as "A person appointed to administer a State because the Monarch is a minor, is absent or is incapacitated." The following is a list of regents throughout history.
Regents in extant monarchies Those who held a regency briefly, for example during surgery, are not necessarily listed, particularly if they performed no official acts; this list is also not complete, presumably not even for all monarchies included. The list includes some figures who acted as regent, even if they did not themselves hold the title of regent.
Asia Cambodia Prince Sisowath Monireth, Chairman of the Regency Council of Cambodia in 1960 Chea Sim, Acting Head of State of Cambodia from 1993 to 1994, and again from 1994 to 1995, and twice in 2004 Nhek Bun Chhay, Acting Head of State of Cambodia in 2004
Japan
Regent Empress Dowager Jingū for her son, the future Emperor Ōjin Prince Regent Shōtoku for his aunt, Empress Suiko Fujiwara Regents as Sesshō or Kampaku Prince Regent Hirohito for his father, Emperor Taishō, from 1921 to 1926.
Jordan Prince Naif bin Al-Abdullah from 20 July to 5 September 1951, due to the schizophrenia of his brother King Talal, who was in a Swiss mental hospital. A regency council (Ibrahim Hashem, Suleiman Toukan, Abdul Rahman Rusheidat and chairing Queen Mother Zein al-Sharaf Talal) took over during the king's ailment and continued after the king's forced abdication (on 11 August 1952), serving from 4 June 1952 to 2 May 1953, until King Hussein came of age. Crown Prince Hassan, from 4 July 1998 to 19 January 1999 while his brother King Hussein was undergoing cancer treatments.
Malaysia and its constitutive monarchies Terengganu Tengku Muhammad Ismail (eight years of age at the time), co-reigned with the three-member Regency Advisory Council (Majlis Penasihat Pemangku Raja) from 2006 to 2011. His father, Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin the Sultan of Terengganu was elected as 13th King of Malaysia. The Malaysian constitution does not allow a simultaneous reign as both the King of Malaysia and as monarch of the King's native state (deemed absent on the State throne). Sultan Mizan was crowned as King on 13 December 2006 and the prince as the Regent (Pemangku Raja) of Terengganu effective on the same date.
Oman for the minor Sa`id (II) ibn Sultan (b. 1790 – succeeded 20 November 1804 – d. 19 Oct 1856) : 20 November 1804 – 31 July 1806 Badr ibn Sayf (d. 1806) for Sultan Turki ibn Sa`id (b. 1832 – succeeded 30 January 1871 – died 4 Jun 1888) : August – December 1875 Abdul-Aziz ibn Said – (b. 1850 – d. 1907)
Qatar H.E. Shaikh Abdullah bin Jassim Al Thani was proclaimed as regent when his father Sheikh Qasim bin Muhammad Al Thani became incapacitated, 13 May 1913; succeeded on his death, 17 July 1913
Saudi Arabia 30 March 1964 – 2 November 1964 Crown Prince Faisal (b. 1906 – d. 1975) –Regent for his brother King Saud, and later his successor 1 January 1996 – 21 February 1996 formally, but de facto until 1 August 2005 Crown Prince Abdullah (b. 1924 – d. 2015) –Regent for his brother King Fahd, and later his successor
Thailand
Prayurawongse for King Mongkut (1851–1855) Sri Suriwongse for King Chulalongkorn (1868–1873) Queen Saovabha Phongsri for King Chulalongkorn (1897) Crown Prince Maha Vajiravudh for King Chulalongkorn (1907) Prince Prajadhipok Sakdidej for King Vajiravudh (1925) Prince Paribatra Sukhumbandhu for King Prajadhipok (1932) Prince Narisara Nuwattiwong for King Prajadhipok (1934–1935) Prince Oscar Anuvatana (d. 1935), Prince Aditya Dibabha (1935–1944), Pan Sukhum (1935–1938), General Um Indrayodhin (1935–1942) and Pridi Banomyong (1941–1945) for King Ananda Mahidol Prem Tinsulanonda, regent from 13 October to 1 December 2016 while King Vajiralongkorn was in Germany mourning for his father and predecessor
Africa Morocco The Wattasid Vizier Abu Zakariya Yahya was regent during the minority of the Marinid sultan Abd al-Haqq II; the Wattasid Viziers however kept the power beyond the majority of Abd al-Haqq II, until 1459 when most members of their family were killed by the sultan, allowing him to return to power.
Lesotho Queen Mamohato was regent for the exiled King Moshoeshoe II in 1970 and again in 1990, and after his death in 1996.
Eswatini Tibati Nkambule of Swaziland was regent following the death of Mbandzeni, until the majority of his son Ngwane V (1889 to 1895) Labotsibeni Mdluli was regent following the death of her son Ngwane V, until the majority of his son King Sobhuza II (1899 to 1921) Queen Dzeliwe was regent after the death of her husband King Sobhuza II from 1982 to 1983 Queen Ntfombi was regent following the death of her husband King Sobhuza II, until the majority of his son King Mswati III (1983 to 1986)
Europe Belgium Baron Erasme Louis Surlet de Chokier, regent of Belgium until Leopold I's formal accession in 1831 Prince Charles, Count of Flanders, prince regent of Belgium during his elder brother Leopold III's exile and suspension of royal duties from 1944 to 1950 Prince Baudouin, Duke of Brabant, prince regent of Belgium from 1950 to 1951, for his father Leopold III
Denmark Margaret Sambiria, Regent for her son Eric V, 1259–1264. Agnes of Brandenburg, Regent for her son Eric VI, 1286–1293. Gerhard III of Holstein, Regent for Valdemar III, 1326–1330. Margrete Valdemarsdatter, Regent for her son Olaf II, 1376–1387. Philippa of England, Regent on behalf of her husband Eric of Pomerania, 1423–1425. Christopher of Bavaria, regent of the realm prior to his official election as king, 1439–1440. Dorothea of Brandenburg During the Danish intermarium, 1448. Isabella of Austria, Regent on behalf of her husband Christian II of Denmark while he was in Sweden, 1520. Louise of Mecklenburg-Güstrow, Regent during her husband's, Frederick IV trip to Italy, 1708–1709. Johann Friedrich Struensee, de facto regent for King Christian VII, 1770–1772. Hereditary Prince Frederick (along with, effectively, his mother, Queen Juliana Maria) for his half-brother (and her step-son), King Christian VII, 1772–1784. Crown Prince Frederick for his father, King Christian VII, 1784–1808. Marie of Hesse-Kassel, Regent for her spouse Frederick VI during his visit to Vienna, 1814–1815. Crown Prince Frederik for his father, King Christian X, 1942–1943. Crown Prince Frederik for his mother, Queen Margrethe II from 21–25 February 2023. Christian, Crown Prince of Denmark for his father Frederik X, during the latter's trip to Poland from 31 January to 2 February 2024.
Liechtenstein Prince Franz Joseph was regent for four months for his grand-uncle Sovereign Prince Franz I. Hereditary Prince Hans-Adam was regent for his father Sovereign Prince Franz Joseph II from 1984 until the latter's death in 1989. Hereditary Prince Alois has been regent for his father Sovereign Prince Hans-Adam II since 15 August 2004.
Luxembourg Duke Adolph of Nassau was regent from 8 April 1889 to 3 May 1889 and from 4 November 1890 to 23 November 1890, during the terminal illness of Grand Duke William III. Dowager Grand Duchess Marie Anne was regent to her husband, Grand Duke William IV, during his terminal illness from 19 November 1908 to 25 February 1912, and then regent to her daughter, Grand Duchess Marie-Adélaïde, during her minority from 25 February 1912 to 18 June 1912. Hereditary Grand Duke Jean was regent for his mother, Grand Duchess Charlotte, from 4 May 1961 to 12 November 1964. Hereditary Grand Duke Henri was regent for his father, Grand Duke Jean, from 4 March 1998 to 7 October 2000. Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume was regent for his father, Grand Duke Henri, from 8 October 2024 to 3 October 2025.
Monaco Hereditary Prince Albert was regent for his father Prince Rainier III from 31 March 2005 to 6 April 2005, when he succeeded him as Prince Albert II
Netherlands Dowager Princess Anne, during the minority of her son, William V, Prince of Orange, between 1751 and 1759 Dowager Princess Marie Louise, during the minority of her son, William IV, Prince of Orange from 1711 to 1730, and the minority of her grandson, William V, jointly with Duke Louis Ernest of Brunswick-Lüneburg from 1759 till her death in 1765. Duke Louis Ernest of Brunswick-Lüneburg, the Captain-General of the Dutch army, during the minority of William V, jointly with Dowager Princess Marie Louise from 1759 until her death in 1765, and with Princess Carolina of Orange-Nassau (1765–1766) Princess Carolina, during the minority of her brother, William V, and jointly with Duke Louis Ernest, between 1765 and 1766. Council of State, during insanity of the King William III in 1889 and again in 1890 Dowager Queen Emma (1890–1898), during the minority of her daughter Queen Wilhelmina, between 1890 and 1898 Princess Juliana during illness of her mother Queen Wilhelmina in 1947 and again in 1948
Norway King Magnus Eriksson (1343–1355) after stepping down from the throne in favor of his son Haakon Magnusson Johann Friedrich Struensee, de facto regent for King Christian VII, 1770–1772 Hereditary Prince Frederick (along with, effectively, his mother, Queen Juliana Maria) for his half-brother (and her step-son), King Christian VII, 1772–1784 Crown Prince Frederick for his father, King Christian VII, 1784–1808 Crown Prince Olav was regent for his father King Haakon VII in 1945, awaiting his return at end of the Second World War, and during his illness between 1955 and 1957. Crown Prince Harald was regent during the illness of his father King Olav V between 1990 and 1991. Crown Prince Haakon was regent from 25 November 2003 to 12 April 2004, from 29 March to 7 June 2005, from 3 March to 22 April 2024 and from 18 August 2026 to 28 August 2026 during the illness of his father King Harald V, up until his death when Haakon ascended to the throne.
Spain
Crown of Castile: Ferdinand II of Aragon, twice regent of Castile (1504–1506, 1507–1516) for Queen Juana Pope Adrian VI (1520–1522) and Isabella of Portugal (1529–1533, 1535–1536, 1538–1539) and Prince Philip (1539–1541, 1543–1548, 1551–1554) and Archduke Maximilian (1548–1551) and Maria of Austria (1548–1551) during Charles I's absences. Joan of Austria, Princess Dowager of Portugal (Infanta Juana), regent of Castile (1554–1559) for King Philip II of Spain during the king's marriage to Queen Mary I of England. Fernando de Acevedo as President of the Council of Castile during King Philip III's visit to Portugal in 1619. Queen Mariana of Austria, regent of Spain during the minority of her son Charles II from 1665 to 1675. Luis Manuel Fernández de Portocarrero cardinal and archbishop of Toledo during King Charles II's illness in 1700. Government Board of the Realms during the illness of Charles II and Philip V absence from 1700 to 1701. Luis Manuel Fernández de Portocarrero cardinal and archbishop of Toledo during King Philip V's absence from 1701 to 1703. Queen Regent Elisabeth Farnese during King Charles III's absence in 1759. Infante Antonio Pascual of Spain, French invasion (King Ferdinand VII's absence) in 1808. Lieutenant General Joachim Murat (1808) and Jean de Dieu Soult (1813) during King Joseph's absence. A Supreme Central and Governmental Junta of Spain and the Indies from 25 September 1808 to 31 January 1810 and a regency Council (the Cortes of Cádiz from 1 February 1810 to 10 May 1814 during the imprisonment/abdication of Ferdinand VII. Regencies during the Hundred Thousand Sons of St. Louis Intervention (1823): Provisional Regency Council of the Realm. President: Cayetano Valdés y Flores, Provisional Government Board of Spain and the Indies. President: Francisco de Eguía, Regency Council of the Realm during King's Captivity. President: Pedro de Alcántara Álvarez de Toledo, 13th Duke of the Infantado.