period in which a sovereign rules From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A reign is the period of time that a monarch (a king, queen, emperor, etc.) rules over a country.[1] It can also be the period of time that a spiritual leader rules in a particular office. For example, the reign of a pope, dalai lama, patriarch etc. A reign can also be used for an office or championship.[1] In many cases a reign lasts until the monarch (or leader) resigns, dies, or is removed. A monarch's reign was sometimes used to mark time officially. In Anglo-Saxon England for example, many royal documents were dated by the regnal year of the king.[2] This lasted until about the 10th century.[2]
Some of the longest reigning current monarchs are:
Some of the longest reigning monarchs of all time are:
Some of the shortest reigns in history are: