List of rulers of Iceland

Coat of arms of the Kingdom of Iceland

This is a list of rulers of Iceland, ruling from 1262 to 1944.

Iceland was settled in the late 9th and early 10th centuries, principally by people of Norwegian and other Scandinavian origin. In 930, the ruling chiefs established a republican constitution and an assembly called the Althing - the oldest parliament in the world. Iceland remained independent until 1262, when it entered into a treaty which established a union with the Norwegian monarchy. In the late 14th century Norway and Denmark entered into a union. The union between Denmark and Norway, ignoring some shorter periods, lasted until 1814, when Norway briefly gained independence, and Iceland became an integral part of Denmark until 1918, when Iceland was recognised as a fully sovereign state united with Denmark under a common monarch, on 1 December that same year.

Following a constitutional referendum between 20 and 23 May 1944, Iceland formally became an independent republic on 17 June 1944. Since Denmark was still occupied by Germany, many Danes felt offended that the step should have been taken at the time. Still, the King of Denmark, Christian X, sent a message of congratulations to the Icelandic people.

Possession of Norway (1262–1814)

Name	Lifespan	Reign start	Reign end	Notes	Family	Image
Haakon IV the Old	1 April 1204 – 16 December 1263 (aged 59)	1262	16 December 1263	Son of Haakon III	Fairhair
Magnus VI the Law-mender	1 May 1238 – 9 May 1280 (aged 42)	16 December 1263	9 May 1280	Son of Haakon IV	Fairhair
Eric II	1268 – 15 July 1299	9 May 1280	15 July 1299	Son of Magnus VI	Fairhair
Haakon V	1270 – 8 May 1319	15 July 1299	8 May 1319	Son of Magnus VI	Fairhair
Magnus VII	1316 – 1 December 1374	1319	15 August 1343	Grandson of Haakon V	Bjelbo
Haakon VI	1340 – 11 September 1380	15 August 1343	11 September 1380	Son of Magnus VII	Bjelbo
Olaf IV	1370 – 23 August 1387	29 July 1380	23 August 1387	Son of Haakon VI	Bjelbo
Margaret I	c. 1353 – 28 October 1412	1388	28 October 1412	Mother of Olaf IV	Estridsen
Eric III	c. 1381 – 3 May 1459	28 October 1412	1442	Son of Wartislaw VII, Duke of Pomerania	Griffins
Christopher I	26 February 1416 – 5 January 1448 (aged 31)	1442	5 January 1448	Son of John, Count Palatine of Neumarkt	Palatinate-Neumarkt
Charles I	5 October 1409 – 14 May 1470 (aged 60)	20 November 1449	1450	Son of Knut Tordsson Bonde	Bonde
Christian I	1426 – 21 May 1481	1450	21 May 1481	Son of Dietrich, Count of Oldenburg	Oldenburg
John I	2 February 1455 – 20 February 1513 (aged 58)	1483	20 February 1513	Son of Christian I	Oldenburg
Christian II	1 July 1481 – 25 January 1559 (aged 77)	22 July 1513	20 January 1523	Son of John I	Oldenburg
Frederick I	7 October 1471 – 10 April 1533 (aged 61)	1523	10 April 1533	Son of Christian I	Oldenburg
Christian III	12 August 1503 – 1 January 1559 (aged 55)	1537	1 January 1559	Son of Frederick I	Oldenburg
Frederick II	1 July 1534 – 4 April 1588 (aged 53)	1 January 1559	4 April 1588	Son of Christian III	Oldenburg
Christian IV	12 April 1577 – 28 February 1648 (aged 70)	4 April 1588	28 February 1648	Son of Frederick II	Oldenburg
Frederick III	18 March 1609 – 9 February 1670 (aged 60)	1 May 1648	9 February 1670	Son of Christian IV	Oldenburg
Christian V	15 April 1646 – 25 August 1699 (aged 53)	9 February 1670	25 August 1699	Son of Frederick III	Oldenburg
Frederick IV	11 October 1671 – 12 October 1730 (aged 59)	25 August 1699	12 October 1730	Son of Christian V	Oldenburg
Christian VI	30 November 1699 – 6 August 1746 (aged 46)	12 October 1730	6 August 1746	Son of Frederick IV	Oldenburg
Frederick V	31 March 1723 – 14 January 1766 (aged 42)	6 August 1746	14 January 1766	Son of Christian VI	Oldenburg
Christian VII	29 January 1749 – 13 March 1808 (aged 59)	14 January 1766	13 March 1808	Son of Frederick V	Oldenburg
Frederick VI	28 January 1768 – 3 December 1839 (aged 71)	13 March 1808	7 February 1814	Son of Christian VII	Oldenburg

Possession of Denmark (1814–1918)

Name	Lifespan	Reign start	Reign end	Notes	Family	Image
Frederick VI	28 January 1768 – 3 December 1839 (aged 71)	7 February 1814	3 December 1839	Son of Christian VII	Oldenburg
Christian VIII	18 September 1786 – 20 January 1848 (aged 61)	3 December 1839	20 January 1848	Son of Frederick, Hereditary Prince of Denmark and grandson of Frederick V	Oldenburg
Frederick VII	6 October 1808 – 15 November 1863 (aged 55)	20 January 1848	15 November 1863	Son of Christian VIII	Oldenburg
Christian IX	8 April 1818 – 29 January 1906 (aged 87)	15 November 1863	29 January 1906	Son of Friedrich Wilhelm, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg and great-grandson of Frederick V	Glücksburg
Frederick VIII	3 June 1843 – 14 May 1912 (aged 68)	29 January 1906	14 May 1912	Son of Christian IX	Glücksburg
Christian X	26 September 1870 – 20 April 1947 (aged 76)	14 May 1912	1 December 1918	Son of Frederick VIII	Glücksburg

Kingdom of Iceland (1918–1944)

Name	Lifespan	Reign start	Reign end	Notes	Family	Image
Christian X [1]	26 September 1870 – 20 April 1947 (aged 76)	1 December 1918	17 June 1944	Son of Frederick VIII	Glücksburg

Republic of Iceland (1944—)

See also

• Jørgen Jørgensen, Jörundur hundadagakonungur ("Jørgen the dog-days King" in Icelandic), a Danish adventurer that proclaimed himself temporary king during some months of 1809.
• List of Norwegian monarchs
• List of Danish monarchs
• List of Swedish monarchs
• List of Finnish monarchs
• List of Greenlandic rulers

Notes

1. Sveinn Björnsson, ruled as Regent from 1941 to 1944.