How to play
- Press Start. You have 3 minutes for all 43 countries.
- Type a name. It counts as soon as it matches and turns green on the map; a country without a monarch clears the box, with a note.
- Pause whenever you like. When the time is up, the lists below the map show what you named and what you missed.
About the world’s monarchies
Forty-three countries have a monarch as head of state. In most of them the monarch reigns but doesn’t rule, and an elected government holds power; in a few the monarch still governs. Fifteen of them share the same king, and some choose their monarch by election rather than birth.
More about the monarchies (names some answers)
King Charles III reigns over the United Kingdom and 14 other Commonwealth realms, from Canada and Australia to Tuvalu. Malaysia’s king is elected every five years from nine hereditary rulers, and the Pope, elected for life, is the monarch of Vatican City. Andorra has two co-princes: the President of France and the Bishop of Urgell. Japan has the oldest continuing hereditary monarchy. Saudi Arabia, Oman, Brunei, Eswatini and Vatican City are absolute monarchies.
Which countries count
Every sovereign state whose head of state is a monarch counts, including the 15 Commonwealth realms that share King Charles III, a principality with two co-princes, an elected monarch and a federation of monarchies. Countries that have become republics aren’t answers; typing one says when.
Spelling: capitals, accents, spaces and punctuation don’t matter, and well-known alternative names count.
The accepted alternative names appear here when your quiz ends, so they don’t give any answers away.
| Country | Also accepted |
|---|---|
| Antigua and Barbuda | Antigua |
| Brunei | Brunei Darussalam |
| Eswatini | Swaziland |
| Netherlands | Holland |
| Papua New Guinea | PNG |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | Saint Kitts |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Saint Vincent |
| United Arab Emirates | UAE, Emirates |
| United Kingdom | UK, Great Britain, Britain |
| Vatican City | Vatican, Holy See |
Questions
Why aren’t Barbados and Mauritius on the list?
Both have become republics: Mauritius in 1992 and Barbados in 2021. They remain in the Commonwealth.
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