Regent

For other uses, see (disambiguation)}}}.

A regent, from the Latin regens "who reigns" is anyone who acts as head of state, especially if not the monarch (who has higher titles). Thus, the common use is for an acting deputy governor. In a monarchy, a regent usually rules due to the actual monarch's absence, incapacity or minority, and may also be elected to rule during the sede vacante when the royal line has died out. This was the case in Finland and Hungary, where the royal line was considered extinct in the aftermath of World War I. In Iceland, the regent represented the King of Denmark as sovereign of Iceland until the country became a republic in 1944.

In San Marino, an ancient independent miniature republic surrounded within Italy, the "Captains Regent", or Capitani Reggenti, are two officials elected annually as joint heads of state and of government.

In the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (1569-1795), kings were elective, which often led to a fairly long interregnum. In the interim, it was the Polish Roman Catholic Primate who served as the regent, termed the "interrex" (Latin: ruler "between kings," as in ancient Rome).

Contents

Regents in various Monarchies

It should be noted that 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. The list includes some figures who acted as regent, even if they did not themselves hold the title of regent.

Anhalt

Prince Aribert (1918), during the minority of Duke Joachim Ernst

Baden

Prince Frederick (1852-1856), during the incapacity of his brother, Grand Duke Louis II

Bavaria

Prince Luitpold (1886-1912), during the incapacity of his nephews, Ludwig II and Otto
Prince Ludwig (1912-1913), during the incapacity of his cousin, Otto

Belgium

Prince Charles of Belgium, regent of Belgium from 1944 to 1950

Brunswick

George, Prince of Wales, later King George IV of the United Kingdom (1815-1823), during the minority of his cousin, Duke Charles II
Prince Albrecht of Prussia (1885-1906), during the interregnum following the death of Duke Wilhelm in 1884, when the throne could not be filled due to the status of the heir, the Duke of Cumberland, as an enemy of the Reich.
Duke Johann Albrecht of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1907-1913), for the same reason

Bulgaria

Prince Kyril of Preslav, during the minority of his dead brother (Boris III)'s son, Simeon II (1943 to 1944).

China

See Empress dowager and Grand Empress Dowager
2nd Prince Chun between 1908 and 1911 for his son Emperor Xuantong (aka Puyi)

Egypt

Hatshepsut of Egypt for Thutmose III of Egypt
Mohammed Ali Tewfik for King Farouk I of Egypt
Prince Muhammad Abdul Moneim for King Fuad II of Egypt

England

William Longchamp (intermittently 1189-1199), during the absences of Richard I on crusade, in prison, and in France.
William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke (1216-1219) and then Hubert de Burgh, 1st Earl of Kent (1219-1227), during the minority of King Henry III
A regency council headed by Henry, 3rd Earl of Lancaster (1327-1330) during the minority of Edward III
John, Duke of Bedford (1422-1435) and Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester (1422-1437), during the minority of their nephew, Henry VI
Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York (1454-1455; 1455-1456), during the incapacity of his cousin, Henry VI
Richard, Duke of Gloucester (1483), during the minority of his nephew, Edward V
Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset (1547-1550), during the minority of his nephew, Edward VI
John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland (1550-1553), during the minority of Edward VI

Finland

After the abdication of Nicholas II of Russia, the throne of the Grand Duke of Finland was vacant and according to the constitution of 1772, a regent was installed by the Finnish Parliament during the first two years of Finnish independence, before the country was declared a republic.

Pehr Evind Svinhufvud, installed in January 1918, resigned in late 1918.
General C.G.E. Mannerheim, resigned 1919 with the passing of the new constitution.

France

Anne of Kiev and Baldwin V, Count of Flanders (1060-1067), during the minority of her son and his nephew Philip I
Suger, Abbot of St. Denis (1147-1149), during the absence of Louis VII on crusade
Alix of Champagne and Guillaume de Champagne, Archbishop of Reims (1190-1191), during the absence of her son Philip II on crusade.
Blanche of Castile (1226-1234), during the minority of her son Louis IX
Blanche of Castile (1248-1252) and Alphonse, Count of Poitou and Toulouse (1248-1254), during the absence of her son and his brother Louis IX on crusade.
Mathieu de Vendôme, Abbot of Saint-Denis and Simon de Clermont, Sieur de Nesle, during the absence of Philip III on crusade.
Philip the Tall (1316), during the interregnum between the death of his brother Louis X and the birth of Louis' posthumous son John I, and during the minority of the short-lived John I.
Philip, Count of Valois and Anjou (1328), from the death of his cousin Charles IV until the birth of a posthumous daughter to the late king brought about Valois' own accession to the throne.
Charles, the Dauphin (1356-1360), during the Captivity of his father in England
Louis I, Duke of Anjou (1380-1382), during the minority of his nephew Charles VI
Jean, Duke of Berry, Philippe II, Duke of Burgundy, and Louis II, Duke of Bourbon (1382-1388), during the minority of their nephew, Charles VI
Louis II, Duke of Bourbon and John, Duke of Berry (1388-1407), during the insanity of their nephew, Charles VI
Isabella of Bavaria (1417-1420)and then Henry V of England, during the insanity of her husband and his father-in-law, Charles VI; they were opposed by
Charles, the Dauphin (1417-1422), Charles VI's eldest surviving son, who also claimed the regency.
John, Duke of Bedford (1422-1435), acting as regent on behalf of his nephew, the young Henry VI of England, whose supporters controlled much of the country in opposition to the legal king Charles VII
Anne of France and her husband Pierre de Beaujeu (1483-1492), during the minority of her brother, Charles VIII
Louise of Savoy (1515-1516), during the absence of her son, Francis I, in Italy.
Louise of Savoy (1523-1526), during the absence at war in Italy, and then the captivity, of her son, Francis I
Catherine de' Medici:
*(1552) While her husband Henry II left the kingdom for the campaign of Metz.
*(1560-1563) During the minority of her second son, Charles IX
*(1574) During the absence of her third son, Henry III, in Poland
Marie de' Medici (1610-1614), during the minority of her son, Louis XIII
Anne of Austria (1643-1651), during the minority of Louis XIV
Philippe II of Orléans (1715-1723), during the minority of Louis XV; often called "the Regent", since he was the last regent of France. **The related era and style are commonly referred to as the Régence (analogous to the British Regency period).
* A 136 carat (27.2 g) diamond he acquired in 1717 is known as 'le régent'
Louis-Stanislas-Xavier, Comte de Provence, while living in exile, self-declared Regent for his nephew Louis XVII of France after the 1793 guillotining of King Louis XVI, until the young pretender's death in 1795.
Empress Eugenie, three times for her husband, Napoleon III, during his absence.

Greece

Archbishop Damaskinos (1944-1946) On behalf of the king till his return.

Hanover

George, Prince of Wales (1813-1820), due to the insanity of his father, King George III

Hesse-Kassel

Electoral Prince Frederick William (1831-1847), due ot the incapacity of his father, Elector William II

Hungary

John Hunyadi, during László V's minority
Mihály Szilágyi in 1458, between László V's death and the crowning of Matthias I
Lodovico Gritti (1530-1534), governor of Eastern Hungary
Johann Kaspar Ampringen (1673-1681), when Hungary lost its independence
Lajos Kossuth, under the 1848 Hungarian Revolution
Miklós Horthy (1920-1944), during the period of the "restored" Hungarian monarchy, when there was no king.

Iceland

Sveinn Björnsson

Japan

Fujiwara Regents as Kanpaku or Sessho
Hojo Regents as Shikken, regents of the Kamakura shogunate
Prince Regent Hirohito or Showa Tenno, for his father Taisho Tenno
Prince Regent Naruhito, for his father Emperor Akihito

Korea

Daewon-gun, Lord Regent for his son King Gojong of Joseon

Liechtenstein

Hereditary Prince Alois has been Regent since August 15, 2004.

Lippe

Prince Adolf of Schaumburg-Lippe (1895-1897), due to the incapacity of his cousin, Prince Alexander
Count Ernst of Lippe-Biesterfeld (1897-1904), for the same reason
Count Leopold of Lippe-Biesterfeld (1904-1905), for the same reason

Luxembourg

Duke Adolph of Nassau was Regent from April 8 1889 to May 3 1889 and from November 4 1890 to November 23 1890, during the terminal illness of Grand Duke William III.
Grand Duchess Marie Anne was Regent to her husband, Grand Duke William IV, during his terminal illness from November 19 1908 to February 25 1912, and then Regent to her daughter, Grand Duchess Marie-Adélaïde, during her minority from February 25 1912 to June 18 1912.

Mecklenburg-Schwerin

Duke Johann Albrecht of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1897-1901), due to the minority of his nephew, Grand Duke Friedrich Franz IV

Mecklenburg-Strelitz

Friedrich Franz IV, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1918), due to the near extinction of the Mecklenburg-Strelitz line.

Monaco

Prince Albert was Regent from March 31, 2005 to April 6, 2005, when he succeeded his father as Albert II of Monaco

Netherlands

Queen Emma (1890-1898), during the minority of her daughter Wilhelmina of the Netherlands

Norway

King Magnus Eriksson after stepping down from the throne in favour of his son Haakon Magnusson
Crown Prince Haakon was Regent from November 25, 2003 to April 12, 2004 and again on March 29 to June 7, 2005 during the illness of his father King Harald

Parma

Louise of Artois (1854-1859), during the minority of her son Robert I.

Prussia

Prince William (1858-1861), during the incapacity of his brother Frederick William IV

Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

Prince Ernst of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (1900-1905), during the minority of his cousin Duke Charles Edward

Saxe-Meiningen

Luise Eleonore of Hohenlohe (1803-1821), during the minority of her son, Duke Bernard II

Saxe-Weimar

Anna Amalia of Brunswick (1758-1775), during the minority of her son, Duke Carl August

Scotland

A large regency council (1286-1290) during the minority of Margaret, Maid of Norway.
William Wallace (1298), claiming to act as regent on behalf of the deposed King John
Thomas Randolph, 1st Earl of Moray (1329-1332), during the minority of David II
Donald, Earl of Mar (1332), during the minority of David II
Robert Stewart, 1st Earl of Fife (1388-1393), during the incapacity of his father, Robert II and of his brother, Robert III
David Stewart, 1st Duke of Rothesay (1399-1401), during the incapacity of his father, Robert III
Robert Stewart, 1st Duke of Albany (1401-1420), during the incapacity of his brother Robert III, and then during the minority and captivity of his nephew James I
Murdoch Stewart, 2nd Duke of Albany (1420-1424), during the captivity of his cousin James I
Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Douglas (1437-1439), during the minority of James II
William Crichton, 1st Lord Crichton and Sir Alexander Livingston (1439-1445), during the minority of James II
William Douglas, 8th Earl of Douglas (1445-1449), during the minority of James II
Mary of Gueldres (1460-1463), during the minority of her son, James III
James Kennedy and Gilbert Kennedy, 1st Lord Kennedy (1463-1466), during the minority of James III
Robert Boyd, 1st Lord Boyd (1466-1469), during the minority of James III.
Patrick Hepburn (1488-1494), during the minority of James IV
Margaret Tudor (1513-1514), during the minority of her son, James V
John Stewart, 2nd Duke of Albany (1514-1524), during the minority of his cousin, James V
Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus and Archbishop James Beaton (1524-1528), during the minority of the former's step-son James V
James Hamilton, 2nd Earl of Arran (1542-1554), during the minority of his cousin, Mary Stuart
Mary of Guise (1554-1560), during the minority of her daughter Mary Stuart
James Stuart, 1st Earl of Moray (1560), during the absence of his half-sister Mary Stuart
James Stuart, 1st Earl of Moray (1567-1570), during the minority of his nephew James VI
Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox (1570-1571), during the minority of his grandson James VI
John Erskine, 1st Earl of Mar (1571-1572), during the minority of James VI
James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton (1572-1581), during the minority of James VI

Spain

Cardinal Cisneros, twice regent of Spain in the late 15th and early 16th century.
Maria Christina of Austria, regent for the infant Alfonso XIII of Spain in the early 20th century.
Francisco Franco, became de facto regent in 1947, after reinstating the monarchy with a vaccant throne.

Sweden

Karl Knutsson (Bonde) (1438-1440), during the interrgnum following the deposition of king Eric XIII; later became king as Charles VIII
Jöns Bengtsson Oxenstierna (1457), during the interregnum following the first deposition of King Charles VIII, and again (1465-1466), following his second deposition.
Kettil Karlsson Vasa (1464), during the interregnum following the first deposition of King Christian I; and again (1465), following the second deposition of Charles VIII
Erik Axelsson Tott (1466-1467), following the end of Jöns Oxenstierna's second regency.
Sten Sture the Elder (1470-1497, 1501-1503) the longest serving regent during the Kalmar Union
Svante Nilsson Sture (1503-1512), succeeding Sten Sture the Elder
Erik Trolle
Sten Sture the Younger (1512-1520), succeeding Svante Sture
Gustav Eriksson Vasa was firstly Regent (1521-1523) after the final dissolution of Kalmar Union, but soon was proclaimed King
Duke Charles of Sudermannia (1599-1604) after ousting his Catholic nephew King Sigismund, until he himself clamed the throne.
Axel Oxenstierna (1632-1644), during the minority of Queen Christina
Dowager Queen Hedwig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp (1660-1672), during the minority of her son King Charles XI
Hedwig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp (1697-1699), during the minority of her grandson King Charles XII
Charles, Duke of Sudermannia (1792-1796) for his underage nephew Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden
Crown Prince Charles John (1810-1818), for his adoptive father King Charles XIII

United Kingdom

George IV (1811-1820), Prince Regent during the incapacity of his father, George III.

Waldeck

Emma of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym (1845-1852), during the minority of her son, Prince George Victor

Other uses

Occasionally, the term regent refers to positions lower than the ruler of a country.

In the Dutch republic of the United Provinces, the members of the ruling class, not formally hereditary but de facto patricians, were known collectively as regenten (the Dutch plural for regent)
In the Dutch Indies, a regent was a native prince allowed to rule de facto colonized 'state' as a regentschap (see that term)
* Hence, in the succeeding republic Indonesia, the term regent is used in English to mean a bupati or local government official.
Also used in private spheres, for instance, some university managers in North America are called regents, or the members of certain governing bodies of lofty institutions, such as the national banks, in France and (imitating) Belgium.
Again in Belgium and France, but far lower on the social ladder, (Régént in French; or in Dutch) Regent is the official title of a secondary school teacher of the lower years (equivalent to junior high school), who does not require a college degree but is trained solely for education in a specialized écôle normale = normaalschool.