Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

News

The Graphic Truth: The world's other royals

Global map of monarchies
Paige Fusco
Make us preferred on Google

The UK is set to crown King Charles III on Saturday at Westminster Abbey. The Brits know how to draw eyes with all their pomp and circumstance – although the king himself is largely a figurehead.


Indeed, many of the world's other monarchies — whether absolute like Saudi Arabia or constitutional like Thailand — wield significantly more power than the British sovereign.

While more than three-quarters of the world's countries are republics, there are still 43 functioning monarchies today. Among them are the 16 Commonwealth nations, which have been under the rule of King Charles III since Queen Elizabeth II died last year.

In honor of King Charles III’s coronation, we take a look at the state of monarchies around the world.

More For You

​Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te in Taipei, Taiwan, on February 3, 2026.

Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te speaks at a press conference on the latest round of economic talks with the United States, in Taipei, Taiwan, on February 3, 2026.

REUTERS/Ann Wang
While the world has its eyes on the Strait of Hormuz, China’s gaze is fixed farther east: Taiwan. For decades, Beijing’s “One China” policy has asserted that there is only one sovereign Chinese state and that Taiwan is a breakaway province that must return to mainland control – peacefully if possible, but by force if necessary. Now, are the stars [...]
Descendants of Escobar’s hippos live to see another day
Natalie Johnson
With the cocaine trade booming in the 1980s, Escobar decided to create a zoo at his Hacienda Nápoles akin to the one at Hearst Castle in California during the first half of the 20th century. The drug kingpin imported all kinds of animals from Africa, including hippos, zebras, and even an ostrich. However, after Escobar was killed in 1993, the [...]
​Assimi Goita, the leader of Mali's military government, meets with Russian officials, according to Mali's presidency, at Koulouba Palace in Bamako, Mali, in this handout photo released April 28, 2026.

Assimi Goita, the leader of Mali's military government, meets with Russian officials, including Russian ambassador Igor Gromyko, according to Mali's presidency, at Koulouba Palace in Bamako, Mali, in this handout photo released April 28, 2026.

Mali Presidency via Facebook/Handout via REUTERS
Is Russia losing influence in insurgency-hit Mali?The Russian-backed Malian army is starting to regain ground following coordinated attacks by terrorist insurgents and Tuareg secessionists over the weekend. On Wednesday, they wrestled back control of a town along the Niger border from Islamic State-linked insurgents. Calm has also returned to the [...]
The world hedges its bets on America
The prevailing view a few months ago was that Democrats were likely to retake the House of Representatives in November's midterm elections. In recent decades, these cycles have tended to cut against the party in control of the White House, and Republicans held a razor-thin House majority in a political environment that was already tilting blue.The [...]