A regent, from the Latinregens "who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state (ruling or not) because the ruler is a minor, not present or debilitated.[1]
Thus, the common use is for an acting deputy governor.
In a monarchy, a regent usually governs due to one of these reasons, but may also be elected to rule during the interregnum when the royal line has died out. This was the case in Finland and Hungary, where the royal line was considered extinct in the aftermath of World War I. In Iceland, the regent represented the King of Denmark as sovereign of Iceland until the country became a republic in 1944.
It should be noted that those who held a regency briefly, for example during surgery, are not necessarily listed, particularly if they performed no official acts; this list is also not complete, presumably not even for all monarchies included. The list includes some figures who acted as regent, even if they did not themselves hold the title of regent.
Prince Nayeff bin Abdullah from the 20th July to 5th September 1951, due to the schizophrenia of King Talal, who was in a Swiss mental hospital.
A regency council (Ibrahim Hashim, Suleiman Toukan, Abdul Rahman Rusheidat and chairing Queen-mother Zein al-Sharaf) took over after the king's forced abdication and remained in office from 4 June 1952 to 2 May 1953, until the heir King Hussein came of age.
Crown Prince Hassan, from 4th July 1998 to 19th January 1999 while his brother King Hussein was undergoing cancer treatments.
Tengku Muhammad Ismail (eight-years of age) co-reigns with the three-member Regency Advisory Council (Majlis Penasihat Pemangku Raja). His father, Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin the Sultan of Terengganu was elected as 13thKing of Malaysia. The Malaysian constitution does not allow a simultaneous reign as both the King of Malaysia and as Monarch of the King's native state (deemed absent on the State throne). Sultan Mizan was crowned as King on 13 December2006 and the prince as the Regent (Pemangku Raja) of Terengganu effective on the same date.
for the minor HamiSa`id (II) ibn Sultan (b. 1790 - succeeded 20 November 1804 - d. 19 Oct 1856) : 20 November 1804 - 31 July 1806 Badr ibn Sayf (d. 1806)
the Caudillo general Francisco Franco, became de facto regent for life in 1947 to 1975, after reinstating the monarchy with a vacant royal throne ultimately filled by Juan Carlos.
Sweden
Karl Knutsson (Bonde) (1438–1440), during the interrgnum following the deposition of king Eric XIII; later became king as Charles VIII
Bengt Jönsson Oxenstierna (1448; together with his brother Nils Jönsson Oxenstierna), during the interregnum between the death of Christopher of Bavaria and the election of Karl Knutsson (Bonde) as king.
Nils Jönsson Oxenstierna (1448; together with his brother Bengt Jönsson Oxenstierna), during the interregnum between the death of Christopher of Bavaria and the election of Karl Knutsson (Bonde) as king.
Jöns Bengtsson Oxenstierna (1457; together with Erik Axelsson Tott), during the interregnum following the first deposition of King Charles VIII, and again (1465–1466), following his second deposition.
for Prajadhipok (Rama VII) (26 November 1925 - 2 March 1935; in self-imposed exile from 12 Jan 1934) : 12 January 1934 - 2 March 1935 Prince Naritsaranuwatiwong Chitchalerm
for Ananda Mahidol (Rama VIII) (2 March 1935 - 9 June 1946; in Switzerland to 5 December 1945) :
2 March 1935 - 12 August 1935 Prince Oscar Anuvatana (president of Council of Regency)
12 August 1935 - 1944 Prince Aditya Dibabha (president of Council of Regency)
The same notes apply; inclusion in this list reflects the political reality, regardless of claims to the throne.
Afghan monarchies
Before the 1881 unification, there were essentially four rulers' capitals: Kabul, Herat, Qandahar and Peshawar (the last now in Pakistan); all their rulers belonged to the Abdali tribal group, whose name was changed to Dorrani with Ahmad Shah Abdali. They belong either to the Saddozay segment of the Popalzay clan (typically styled padshah, king) or to the Mohammadzay segment of the Barakzay clan (typically with the style Amir, in full Amir al-Mo´menin "Leader of the Faithful"). The Mohammadzay also furnished the Saddozay kings frequently with top counselors, who served occasionally as (Minister-)regents, identified with the epithet Mohammadzay.
Brazil
There were several regencies, all during the reign of Emperor Pedro II:
Stefan Stambolov, during the absence of Prince Alexander Battenberg from the Bulgarian throne between 28 August 1886 and 3 September 1886 and the vacancy of the throne between 7 September 1886 and 14 August 1887.
After the abdication of Nicholas II of Russia, the throne of the Grand Duke of Finland was vacant and according to the constitution of 1772, a regent was installed by the Finnish Parliament during the first two years of Finnish independence, before the country was declared a republic.
Philip the Tall (1316), during the interregnum between the death of his brother Louis X and the birth of Louis' posthumous son John I, and during the minority of the short-lived John I.
Philip, Count of Valois and Anjou (1328), from the death of his cousin Charles IV until the birth of a posthumous daughter to the late king brought about Valois' own accession to the throne.
Isabella of Bavaria (1417–1420) and then Henry V of England, during the insanity of her husband and his father-in-law, Charles VI; they were opposed by
Charles, the Dauphin (1417–1422), Charles VI's eldest surviving son, who also claimed the regency.
Philippe II of Orléans (1715–1723), during the minority of Louis XV; often called "the Regent", since he was the last regent of France. **The related era and style are commonly referred to as the Régence (analogous to the British Regency period).
A 136 carat (27.2 g) diamond he acquired in 1717 is known as 'le régent'
Prince Albrecht of Prussia (1885–1906), during the interregnum following the death of Duke Wilhelm in 1884, when the throne could not be filled due to the status of the heir, the Duke of Cumberland, as an enemy of the Reich.
Both before and during the British raj (colonial rule), most of India was ruled by several hundred native princely houses, many of which have known regencies, under the raj subject to British approval
In the short-lived Hashemite kingdom, there were three regencies in the reign of the third and last king Faysal II (b. 1935 - d. 1958; also Head of the 'Arab Union', a federation with the Hashemite sister-kingdom Jordan, from 14 February 1958) :
4 April 1939 - 1 April 1941 Abdul Ilah (1st time) (b. 1913 - d. 1958)
1 April 1941 - 1 June 1941 Sharaf ibn Rajih al-Fawwaz (b. 1880 - d. 1955)
1 June 1941 - 2 May 1953 Abdul Ilah (2nd time)
Italian former principalities
Parma
Louise of Artois (1854–1859), during the minority of her son duke Robert I.
Countess Theresa, during the minority of her son Afonso I (1112-1139). Styled herself Queen of Portugal.
Afonso, Count of Boulogne, after Pope Innocent IV had deposed his brother Sancho II, and before assuming himself the throne, following Sancho's death (1245-1248). Styled himself Regent and Defender of the Kingdom.
Queen Leonor, for her daughter Beatrice I, as Beatrice was also Queen Consort of Castile (1383-1384).
Joăo, Mestre de Avis, during the Dynastic Crisis, and before assuming himself the throne (1384-1385). Styled himself Regent and Defender of the Kingdom.
Prince Peter, for his brother Afonso VI, and before assuming himself the throne, following Afonso's death (1668-1683).
John, Prince Regent, during the incapacity of his mother Mary I, and before assuming himself the throne, following her death (1792-1816).
Princess Isabel Maria, following her father's (John VI) death, and whilst awaiting the arrival of her brother Peter IV to assume the throne (1826-1828).
Prince Michael, for his niece Mary II, and before usurping the throne for himself (1828).
In the ancient independent miniature republic of San Marino, a landlocked enclave within central Italy, the two Captains Regent, or Capitani Reggenti, are elected annually as joint heads of state and of government.
Occasionally, the term regent refers to positions lower than the ruler of a country.
In the Dutch republic of the United Provinces, the members of the ruling class, not formally hereditary but de facto patricians, were known collectively as regenten (the Dutch plural for regent)
In the Dutch East Indies, a regent was a native prince allowed to rule de facto colonized 'state' as a regentschap (see that term). Consequently, in the successor state of Indonesia, the term regent is used in English to mean a bupati (local government official).
Also used in private spheres, for instance, some university managers in North America are called regents, or the members of certain governing bodies of lofty institutions, such as the national banks, in France and (imitating) Belgium.
Again in Belgium and France, but far lower on the social ladder, (Régént in French; or in Dutch) Regent is the official title of a secondary school teacher of the lower years (equivalent to junior high school), who does not require a college degree but is trained solely for education in a specialized écôle normale = normal school.
In the Philippines, specifically, the University of Santo Tomas, the Father Regent, who must be a Dominican priest and is often also a teacher, serves as the College/Faculty/Institute's Spiritual Head and the "owner" of that college, faculty or institution as the Dominican representative. They also form the Council of Regents that serves as the highest administrative council of the university.
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