List of Maltese monarchs
The Mediterranean islands of Malta and Gozo had been ruled by Phoenician, Byzantine and Roman aristocrats, before passing to various European monarchies and eventually a republican government. Foreign monarchical rule over Malta lasted a total of 874 years. The Crown of Malta was patriated from that of the British for the first time in 1964 with the achievement of independence and abolished in 1974 with the establishment of the Republic of Malta.
The history, languages and culture of Malta and Sicily share many key events, including occupation by the Fatimids and an invasion by Roger I of Sicily in 1091. The islands parted ways in a decisive and permanent manner in 1799, when Malta became a British Crown colony. British colonial rule over Malta lasted 165 years. For an additional 10 years, Malta retained the British monarch as its independent head of state. Malta adopted a republican constitution on 13 December 1974, ending the monarchy altogether, and joined the European Union on 1 May 2004.
Kingdom of Sicily and County of Malta
From the years 1090 and 1530, the Maltese Islands were a non-autonomous part of the Kingdom of Sicily and thus had the same sovereign. At this time the Nobility of Malta resided in or around Mdina. A strong cultural connection to Sicily survived from 1530 to 1798 throughout the 268-year rule over Malta by the Knights Hospitaller.In terms of the regional divisions of the islands, Malta Island was part the Valle di Mazzara province, Gozo was part of the Valle di Demona province and Comino was part of the Valle di Noto province.
Counts of Malta
- Roger I of Sicily, conqueror of Malta
- Simon of Sicily
- Roger II of Sicily
- William I of Sicily
- William II of Sicily
- Tancred of Sicily
- Margaritus of Brindisi
- Guglielmo Grasso
- Enrico "Pescatore"
- Nicoloso
- Charles I of Naples, usurper during the Sicilian vespers; with Nicoloso as claimant
- Andreolo da Genova, with Roger de Flor as claimant
- Roger of Lauria
- Lukina de Malta and her husband Guglielmo Raimondo I
- Guglielmo II
- Alfonso Federigo d'Aragona
- Pietro Federigo d'Aragona
- Louis of Sicily
- Frederick the Simple, with Niccolo Acciaioli as claimant
- Guido Ventimiglia
- Frederick the Simple
- Manfredo III Chiaramonte
- Guglielmo III d'Aragona
- Luigi Federigo d'Aragona
- Manfredo III Chiaramonte
- Elizabetta Peralta Chiaramonte
- Guglielmo Raimondo III Moncada
- Artale II Alagona
- Guglielmo Raimondo III Moncada
- Maria of Sicily with her husband Martin I of Sicily
- Martin of Aragon
- Ferdinand I of Aragon
- Alfonso V of Aragon
- Antonio de Cardona
- Gonsalvo Monroy,
- Alfonso V of Aragon
- John II of Aragon
- Ferdinand II of Aragon
- Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
[Knights Hospitaller] (1530–1798)
- See: List of grand masters of the Knights Hospitaller
France
- Occupied by French First Republic
British Crown">Monarchy of the United Kingdom">British Crown (1799–1964)
House of Hanover
House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha
House of Windsor
The house name Windsor was adopted in 1917, during the First World War. It was changed from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha because of wartime anti-German sentiment. The heirs of Elizabeth II, by royal proclamation, will remain part of the House of Windsor.aged 96