Emperor of the Rising Sun
The world’s oldest continuous hereditary monarchy is in Japan. Emperor Akihito, the reigning emperor, is the 125th ruler to sit on the Chrysanthemum Throne in an unbroken line dating back to 660 BCE.
As he is now 83 years old, and not in particularly strong health, there have been some indications that he may abdicate for his son, the crown prince Naruhito, to ascend to the throne. But at the time of writing, Akihito remains in power.
The Emperor of Japan is the head of state, but as the country has been a constitutional monarchy since 1947, it is largely a ceremonial position. Unlike many other monarchies, the emperor is neither the nominal chief executive nor the commander in chief of the armed forces – these responsibilities fall to the prime minister and the cabinet. Tradition has it, however, that the emperor is descended from the sun goddess Amaterasu, and so he is also a religious authority in the Shinto religion, and must participate in certain sacred rites.
The standing of the royal family in Japan is unusually strong, no doubt in part due to the longevity of the monarchy as an institution, and the political stability it has brought the country. Emperor Akihito has pushed back at attempts by the prime minister to elevate him to the near-god status enjoyed by his ancestors, but he is nevertheless revered by the majority of Japanese people. There is widespread support for his son, Naruhito, to succeed him when he is ready to step down.
“I believe women have played major roles, both tangible or intangible, in the imperial family” – Emperor Akihito
England’s King George III is widely known for his paranoia and madness, but these three historic royals in Asia give him a run for his money. Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon ( 604– 562 BCE In the Old Testament, Babylonian ruler King Nebuchadnezzar famously recounts his descent into madness. According to the story, the conceited royal was punished for his disbelief in the Hebrew god, exiled to the wild to live like an animal, where he descended into howling insanity. This biblical story accounts for the means by which royal insanity was measured in Judeo-christian times.
The Three Mad Kings