Were there any really young European monarchs or dictators?

Question

I know that Queen Isabella was young, but I'm really looking from someone from England, France, or Germany
(If you have more information on Queen Isabella that would be apreciated as well)

Answer 1

http://www.britannia.com/history/h6f.html is an excellent site for finding out more about the British monarchy. From here: Aethelred II (The Unready) first ascended the throne at age 10. Henry VI was an infant when he technically became ruler. This is only a couple -- history is full of child monarchs, which usually brought trouble as their elders scrambled to become the power behind the throne.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_French_monarchs has a listing of French monarchs. One notable young monarch was Louis XIV, or The Sun King, who technically took the throne at age 5 (the first minister, Cardinal Mazarin, had control of the state affairs).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_German_monarchs lists the monarchs of Germany. One king, Louis the Child, inherited the throne at the age of 6.

Answer 2

For a long time, France crowned nobody but underage guys. Louis XV of France was only 5 years old when he ascended the throne. His father, Louis XIV was only 4. *His* father, Louis XIII, was only 8. None of them died young - it just seems that they waited until fairly late in life to bother about getting married and having kids.

Answer 3

Queen Victoria of the Britons was 18 when she got the job

there must be load of young king I just can't remember them at the mom.

Answer 4

The youngest ever monarch in England or Scotland (or both) is Mary I of Scotland at only 6 days old!!

Her son, James VI of Scotland (later James I of England) came to the Scottish throne just a few weeks after his first birthday.

henry VI of england pips him to the post, however, since he was just 8 months old when he came to the throne, and went on to reign for almost 50 years.

In 4th place is James V, Mary I of Scotland's father, at 17 months old.

Queen Margaret of Scotland was 3 years old.

Her Grandfather and predecessor, Alexander III of Scotland was 8 years old when he became king of the Scots.

David I of Scotland was just 5 years old when he first sat on the Scottish Throne at Scone.

James II of Scotland was 6 when he was crowned, while his son, James III, was only a year older, at 7, when he replaced his father.

Malcolm IV of Scotland was 9 years old when he started his reign in 1153.

Edward VI of england was also 9 years old when he came to the English throne, and died when he was 16.

Henry III was also 9 when he came to the throne, but reigned slightly longer at 56 years. Currently he has the 3rd longest reign of any british monarch, but is due to be overtaken by the present queen next year.

Ethelred the Unready and Richard II were both 10 years old when they became King of all England, although their reigns are a few centuries apart.

James I of Scotland was 12 years old when he was crowned.

Back to England with Edward V, who reigned for about 2 months when he was 13 years old, before being deposed (and apparently murdered) by his uncle Richard III.

Edward the Martyr was also 13 when he came to the throne in 975.

Edward the Martyr's predecessor, Edgar, was only 14 when he became king.

Edwy of England was king of England from age 14 till 19.

Edward III was another 14 year old king and would be one of only 5 british monarchs to reign for more than 50 years.

Back to north of the border in Scotland, James IV (like all King James' of Scotland - except James VII of Scotland and II of England), was also under 18 when he came to the throne at 15.

Alexander III of Scotland's father, Alexander II, was 16 years old when he came to power.

Lady Jane Grey was queen of England for 9 days before being deposed and executed by Mary I, when Jane was only 16/17 years old.

Edmund I was 17 when he came to the throne in 939.

And Queen Victoria had just celebrated her 18th Birthday when she came to the throne.

This is a complete list of English and Scottish and British monarchs (with reliable birthdates), bringing a total of 25 monarchs who started their reigns at 18 years of age or younger.