King of Albania
While the medieval Angevin Kingdom of Albania was a monarchy, it did not fully encompass the entirety of modern Albania. Although discontent among Albanian nobles emerged by 1282 due to the Angevin king's unfulfilled promises, the kingdom did not end at that time. Instead, Albanian nobles sought the support of the Byzantine Emperor in Constantinople, but Angevin rule continued in the region for several more decades. During the Middle Ages their have been many different Albanian nobles who called themselves ruler of Albania, including Dhimitër Progoni (Prince of the Albanians & Prince of Albania), Andrea II Muzaka (Despot of Albania), Karl Thopia (Prince of Albania), and Skanderbeg (Lord of Albania).
King of Albania
– Zog I
(fully recognized until 1939, partially recognized until 1946)
- Vittorio Emanuele III
(Italian occupation from 1939, surrendered in 1943)
7 March 1914
11 January 1946
(creation of People's Republic of Albania)
Hereditary
The modern Albania has been a kingdom on two occasions.
The first occasion was after the Albanian Declaration of Independence in 1912, though a ruler was not chosen until 1914, and was forced into exile that year when World War I led to the occupation of Albania. The country remained unstable until establishing the Albanian Republic in 1924. The second occasion started in 1928, when the president of the republic declared himself the new monarch. The continuity of the second modern kingdom is distorted by the onset of World War II, occupation by Italy until 1943, then occupation by Nazi Germany until 1944, then civil war until 1946, which ended with the establishment of the People's Republic of Albania. After Albania became the last European nation to embrace the Fall of Communism in 1992, it became a unitary parliamentary constitutional republic, though there continue to be hereditary pretenders to the title of King of the Albanians.