European Monarchies at the Start of World War I in 1914

german empire map

Europe in 1914; Photo Credit – www.clas.ufl.edu

All photos of monarchs are from Wikipedia. Current monarchies are noted. For comparison, see Unofficial Royalty: European Monarchies at the End of World War I in 1918

· Principality of Albania

WilhelmPrinceAlbania
Wilhelm of Wied, Sovereign Prince of Albania (reigned 1914)
Wikipedia: Prince Wilhelm of Wied, Prince of Albania

·  Austrian-Hungarian Empire

Emperor_Franz_Josef_I_-_ca_1885
Franz Joseph, Emperor of Austria and King of Hungary (reigned 1848–1916)
Unofficial Royalty: Franz Joseph I, Emperor of Austria

·  Kingdom of Belgium (current monarchy)

Albert_I_Koning_der_Belgen
Albert I, King of the Belgians (reigned 1909–1934)
Unofficial Royalty: Albert I, King of Belgians

·  Kingdom of Bulgaria

Ferdinand_Bulgarien
Ferdinand I, Tsar of Bulgaria (reigned 1887–1918)
Unofficial Royalty: Ferdinand I, Tsar of Bulgaria

·  Kingdom of Denmark (current monarchy)

Christian_X_of_Denmark
Christian X, King of Denmark (reigned 1912–1947)
Unofficial Royalty: Christian X, King of Denmark

·  German Empire

Kaiser_Wilhelm_Ii_
Wilhelm II, German Emperor, King of Prussia (reigned 1888–1918)
Unofficial Royalty: Wilhelm II, German Emperor

The German Empire consisted of 27 constituent states, most of them ruled by royal families. The constituent states retained their own governments, but had limited sovereignty. For example, both postage stamps and currency were issued for the German Empire as a whole. While the constituent states issued their own medals and decorations, and some had their own armies, the military forces of the smaller ones were put under Prussian control. In wartime, armies of all the constituent states would be controlled by the Prussian Army and the combined forces were known as the Imperial German Army. Listed below are the constituent states of the German Empire ruled by royal families in 1914.

germany-1870

Photo Credit – http://www.atsnotes.com

German Kingdoms

Wilhelm_II_of_Germany
Prussia – Wilhelm II, German Emperor, King of Prussia (reigned 1888–1918)
Unofficial Royalty: Wilhelm II, German Emperor, King of Prussia

Kingludwig3bavaria
Bavaria – Ludwig III, King of Bavaria (reigned 1913–1918)
Unofficial Royalty: Ludwig III, King of Bavaria

FA3_of_Saxony
Saxony – Friedrich Augustus III, King of Saxony (reigned 1904–1918)
Unofficial Royalty: Friedrich Augustus III, King of Saxony

Wilhelm_II_of_Wurtt
Württemberg – Wilhelm II, King of Württemberg (reigned 1891–1918)
Unofficial Royalty: Wilhelm II, King of Württemberg

German Grand Duchies

GrandDukeFriedrichII
Baden – Friedrich II, Grand Duke of Baden (reigned 1907-1918)
Unofficial Royalty: Friedrich II, Grand Duke of Baden

Ernest_Ludwig_de_Hesse_1920
Hesse and by Rhine – Ernst Ludwig, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine (reigned 1892-1918)
Unofficial Royalty: Ernst Ludwig, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine

Frederick_Francis_IV,_Grand_Duke_of_Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Mecklenburg-Schwerin – Friedrich Franz IV, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (reigned 1897-1918)
Unofficial Royalty: Friedrich Franz IV, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

AdolfFriedrichVI
Mecklenburg-Strelitz – Adolf Friedrich VI, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (reigned 1914-1918)
Unofficial Royalty: Adolf Friedrich VI, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

August_II_von_Oldenburg_1902
Oldenburg – Friedrich Augustus II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg (reigned 1900-1918)
Unofficial Royalty: Friedrich Augustus II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg

GrandDukeWILHELM
Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach – Wilhelm Ernst, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach (reigned 1901-1918)
Unofficial Royalty: Wilhelm Ernst, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach

German Duchies

FriedrichDukeAnhalt2
Anhalt – Friedrich II, Duke of Anhalt (reigned 1904-1918)
Unofficial Royalty: Friedrich II, Duke of Anhalt

Ernstaugusthannover
Brunswick – Ernst Augustus III, Duke of Brunswick (reigned 1913-1918)
Unofficial Royalty: Ernst Augustus III, Duke of Brunswick

Ernstii
Saxe-Altenburg – Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg (reigned 1908-1918)
Unofficial Royalty: Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg

Carl_Eduard_Sachsen_Coburg_und_Gotha
Saxe-Coburg and Gotha – Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (reigned 1900-1918)
Unofficial Royalty: Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

Bernhard_III_(Saxe-Meiningen)
Saxe-Meiningen – Bernhard III, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen (reigned 1914-1918)
Unofficial Royalty: Bernhard III, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen

German Principalities

Leopold_IV_Fürst_zur_Lippe
Lippe – Leopold IV, Prince of Lippe (reigned 1905 – 1918)
Unofficial Royalty: Leopold IV, Prince of Lippe

Heinrich_XXIV_RäL
Reuss-Greiz – Heinrich XXIV, Prince Reuss of Greiz (reigned 1902-1918)
Unofficial Royalty: Heinrich XXIV, Prince Reuss of Greiz

HeinrichXXVII
Reuss-Gera – Heinrich XXVII, Prince Reuss Younger Line (reigned 1913-1918)
Unofficial Royalty: Heinrich XXVII, Prince Reuss Younger Line

AdolfSchaumburgLippe
Schaumburg-Lippe – Adolf II, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe (reigned 1911-1918)
Unofficial Royalty: Adolf II, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe

Günther_Victor_von_Schwarzburg
Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Schwarzburg-Sondershausen – Günther Victor, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Schwarzburg-Sondershausen (reigned 1909-1918)
Unofficial Royalty: Günther Victor, Prince of Schwarzburg

220px-PrinceFRIEDRICHPyrmont
Waldeck-Pyrmont – Friedrich, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont (reigned 1893-1918)
Unofficial Royalty: Friedrich, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont

·  Kingdom of Greece

Constantineiofgreece
Constantine I, King of the Hellenes (reigned 1913–1917)
Unofficial Royalty: Constantine I, King of the Hellenes

·  Kingdom of Italy

Vitorioemanuel
Vittorio Emanuele III, King of Italy (reigned 1900–1946)
Unofficial Royalty: Vittorio Emanuele III, King of Italy

·  Principality of Liechtenstein (current monarchy)

Johann_II_v_Liechtenstein
Johann II, Prince of Liechtenstein (reigned 1858–1929)
Unofficial Royalty: Johann II, Prince of Liechtenstein

·  Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (current monarchy)

Marie-Adélaïde,_Grand_Duchess_of_Luxembourg_2
Marie Adélaïde, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg (reigned 1912–1919)
Unofficial Royalty: Marie Adélaïde, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg

·  Principality of Monaco (current monarchy)

Albert I monaco
Albert I, Prince of Monaco (reigned 1889–1922)
Unofficial Royalty: Albert I, Prince of Monaco

·  Kingdom of Montenegro

Nikola_of_Montenegro
Nikola I, King of Montenegro (reigned 1860–1918)
Wikipedia: Nikola I, King of Montenegro

· Kingdom of the Netherlands (current monarchy)

Wilhelmina_of_the_Netherlands,_1909
Wilhelmina, Queen of the Netherlands (reigned 1890–1948)
Unofficial Royalty: Wilhelmina, Queen of the Netherlands

· Kingdom of  Norway (current monarchy)

Haakon7
Haakon VII, King of Norway (reigned 1905–1957)
Unofficial Royalty: Haakon VII, King of Norway

·  Ottoman Empire

Sultan_Mehmed_V_of_the_Ottoman_Empire
Mehmed V, Ottoman Sultan (reigned 1909–1918)
Wikipedia: Mehmed V, Ottoman Sultan

·  Kingdom of Romania

Carol_I_King_of_Romania
Carol I, King of Romania (reigned 1866–1914)
Unofficial Royalty: Carol I, King of Romania

King_Ferdinand_of_Romania
Ferdinand I, King of Romania (reigned 1914–1927)
Unofficial Royalty: Ferdinand I, King of Romania

·  Russian Empire

Nicholas_II
Nicholas II, Emperor of Russia (reigned 1894–1917)
Unofficial Royalty: Nicholas II, Emperor of Russia

·  Kingdom of Serbia

PedroIDeSerbia--excitingpersonal00ever
Peter I, King of Serbia (reigned 1903–1921)
Unofficial Royalty: Peter I, King of Serbia

·  Kingdom of Spain (current monarchy)

Alfonso_XIII_de_España_by_Kaulak
Alfonso XIII, King of Spain (reigned 1886–1931)
Unofficial Royalty: Alfonso XIII, King of Spain

·  Kingdom of Sweden (current monarchy)

CrownPrinceGustav(V)Sweden
Gustaf V, King of Sweden (reigned 1907–1950)
Unofficial Royalty: Gustaf V, King of Sweden

·  United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (current monarchy)

Kinggeorgev1923
George V, King of the United Kingdom (reigned 1910–1936)
Unofficial Royalty: George V, King of the United Kingdom