List of usurpers
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The following is a list of usurpers – illegitimate or controversial claimants to the throne in a monarchy. The word usurper is a derogatory term, and as such not easily definable, as the person seizing power normally will try to legitimise his position, while denigrating that of his predecessor. For the sake of this list, however, the term is defined as anyone who forcefully takes power from an established ruler, without consideration to that ruler’s legitimacy.
Contents |
[edit] Afghanistan
| Usurper | Predecessor | Reign | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Habibullah Ghazi | Inayatullah Shah | 1929 – 1929 |
[edit] Kingdom of Cyprus
| Usurper | Predecessor | Reign | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amalric, Prince of Tyre | Henry II | 1306 – 1310 | Placed his brother Henry under house arrest and ruled Cyprus until his murder in 1310. |
[edit] England
| Usurper | Predecessor | Reign | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| William I | Harold Godwinson | 1066 – 1087 | |
| Roger Mortimer | Edward II | 1327 – 1330 | Did not take the crown. Acted as regent for the young Edward III after deposing Edward II. Was himself deposed by Edward III. |
| Henry IV | Richard II | 1399 – 1413 | |
| Edward IV | Henry VI | 1461 – 1470 & 1471 – 1483 |
Was himself deposed, but shortly regained power. |
| Richard, Earl of Warwick | Edward IV | 1470 – 1471 | Did not take the crown. Deposed Edward IV on behalf of the incapacitated Henry VI. |
| Richard III | Edward V | 1483 – 1485 | |
| Henry VII | Richard III | 1485 – 1509 |
[edit] France
| Usurper | Predecessor | Reign | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pippin the Younger | Childeric III | 751 – 768 | |
| Napoleon I | Louis XVIII | 1815 – 1815 |
[edit] Norway
| Usurper | Predecessor | Reign | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sverre Sigurdsson | Magnus Erlingsson | 1184 – 1202 |
[edit] Portugal
| Usurper | Predecessor | Reign | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miguel | Maria II | 1828 – 1834 | Was himself deposed by Pedro I of Brazil, Maria's father. |
[edit] Sweden
| Usurper | Predecessor | Reign | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eric the Saint | Sverker the Elder | 1156 – 1160 | Involvement in Sverker's murder is uncertain. |
| Magnus Henriksen | Eric the Saint | 1160 – 1161 | |
| Charles Sverkerson | Magnus Henriksen | 1161 – 1168 | |
| Canute Ericson | Boleslas Sverkerson | 1168 – 1195 | |
| Erik Knutsson | Sverker the Younger | 1208 – 1216 | |
| Canute the Tall | Eric the Lisp and Lame | 1229 – 1234 | |
| Charles IX | Sigismund III Vasa | 1599 – 1611 | As regent from 1599 – 1611. |
