Malaysia

Malaysia elects new monarch

Malaysia has elected its next monarch. Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar, 64, from the state of Johor, was elected by the Malaysian royal families for a five-year term. The Sultan will begin his tenure as King of Malaysia on 31 January 2024. He will take over for King Abdullah, who was from the state of Pahang. Malaysia has a unique system for the title of King. The heads of the nine royal…
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Bhutan

A new royal baby for the King and Queen of Bhutan

The King and Queen of Bhutan have welcomed their third child. Queen Jetsun Pema gave birth to a daughter in the Lingkana Palace in Thimpu. The announcement of the arrival of the new princess was made on September 9th 2023. The statement said ”We are honoured to share the wonderful news that a healthy baby girl has been born to Their Majesties, The Druk Gyalpo and Gyaltsuen today…
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FeaturesJapan

The world's oldest reigning monarchy

While there are several monarchies that date back over one thousand years, there is one throne that dates back over two thousand years. The Japanese monarchy, also known as the Chrysanthemum Throne, was officially founded in 440 BCE. The Japanese monarchy is the…
Thailand

Royal Mystery: Who is the heir to the Thai throne?

While the line of succession and heir to the throne in most countries is clear, in Thailand, it’s a bit murky. The King, Rama X, only has one son, who he claims – Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti (18). Even though he’s the only son, he does not hold the title Crown Prince of Thailand. In 1974, a constitutional amendment was passed in Thailand to allow women to ascend the…
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Brunei

The world's current longest-reigning monarch

After the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, a new monarch took the title of the world’s longest-reigning ruler. So, who is the current longest-reigning monarch in the world? That honour goes to Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei, who has reigned for 55 and a…
Japan

Royal Wedding Rewind: Crown Prince Naruhito and Masako Owada

We are taking a look back at the wedding of the Emperor and Empress of Japan: Crown Prince Naruhito of Japan’s engagement to diplomat Masako Owada was announced on 19 January 1993. The pair had become engaged on Masako’s 29 birthday, 9 December 1992; Masako finally accepted Naruhito’s proposal on his third attempt as she had turned him down twice before because she did not…
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