Oldest Ruling Family in History

[ALFAJI]

what is the oldest ruling family today in the world?

[CtrlAltDe1337]

The rulers of Luxembourg or Liechtenstein I think? I really don't know.

edit: actually I think its Denmark.

[conon394]

I have no good answer, but I suspect any answers you do get will be beset by caveats and what not... For example do you mean direct male lineage or more distantant connections, interregnums or no do you count survival as figureheads and or nominal head of state, how bout semi mythical or poorly sourced antecedents, or changes in house name or kingdom etc?

[Tiberius Tosi]

Japanese ruling family, the Yamato's, have been around since like 660 BC.

[bushbush]

Japanese ruling family, the Yamato's, have been around since like 660 BC.

date is pretty debatable.

[ALFAJI]

Japanese ruling family, the Yamato's, have been around since like 660 BC.

THANK'S
then who after the Japanese

[Tiberius Tosi]

THANK'S
then who after the Japanese

After Japan I think it is Denmark. Their ruling family has been around since some time in the 900's AD.

EDIT: Yup they've been around since 958 AD

[ALFAJI]

After Japan I think it is Denmark. Their ruling family has been around since some time in the 900's AD.

EDIT: Yup they've been around since 958 AD

after denmark is't england

[Thema'zandaar]

after denmark is't england

Doubtful. England's crown is one of the oldest; however, the ruling house has been changed so many times that it's hard to remember every one of them...House of Wessex, Norman, Plantegart, Tudor, Stuart...

[conon394]

Yes but they are not really ruling now and even before the war it was a limited monarchy - I believe you can follow some of the existing European houses about as far back with sufficient flexibility.

[Monarchist]

One could attempt list the house of His Majesty, Louis XX, House of Bourbon, but his ancestors were kicked out by the revolutionary peasant bums in 1793. His own House, being a cadet branch of Capet and several others, would extend to around A.D. 600. His patrilineal descent from the Mayors of the Palace of Austrasia (eastern part of the Frankish kingdom) extends through the House of Capet to the cadet branches of that House. His royal line goes down through France, then branches into Spain after 1789. Of course, being a legitimist myself, I must nevertheless make a mention of the Orléanist cause, which puts forth another candidate. Naturally, these people are not ruling any more, as much as I wish they were.

One could make a list of the house of Habsburg, extending back to Burgundian Dukes of the 6th century, even older than Bourbon. His Majesty Otto von Habsburg kept the tradition alive from 1922-2007, passing it on to his rather amblivalent son. I suppose that, as has been mentioned, Liechtenstein's house of Princes and is an extension of the Habsburg line, which itself extends, at the least, to 1298 as rulers of the Duchy of Austria. Liechtenstein is just a branch of the whole thing, so I suppose one might say they are one of the longest-ruling, though the patrilineal descent is very mixed in that area.

Britain's monarchy is an interesting case. They are of the House of Windsor, but that is a cadet of Saxe-Coburg (Gotha), and that is a branch of Wettin. All three of those Houses are tied up with Plantagenet blood, being of Viking/Norman/Saxon origins all mixed into a cosy sanguinity! The Normans of 1066-1154, the Plantagenets of 1154-1485, the Tudors of 1485-1603, and the Stuarts from 1603-1688 were of a different line from this, naturally. In terms of rulership in general, however, Windsor/Saxe-Coburg/Wettin extends back to the Duchy of Saxony in the 10th century. It's such a big mess!

[RTW Fan]

One could attempt list the house of His Majesty, Louis XX, House of Bourbon, but his ancestors were kicked out by the revolutionary peasant bums in 1793. His own House, being a cadet branch of Capet and several others, would extend to around A.D. 600. His patrilineal descent from the Mayors of the Palace of Austrasia (eastern part of the Frankish kingdom) extends through the House of Capet to the cadet branches of that House. His royal line goes down through France, then branches into Spain after 1789. Of course, being a legitimist myself, I must nevertheless make a mention of the Orléanist cause, which puts forth another candidate. Naturally, these people are not ruling any more, as much as I wish they were.

One could make a list of the house of Habsburg, extending back to Burgundian Dukes of the 6th century, even older than Bourbon. His Majesty Otto von Habsburg kept the tradition alive from 1922-2007, passing it on to his rather amblivalent son. I suppose that, as has been mentioned, Liechtenstein's house of Princes and is an extension of the Habsburg line, which itself extends, at the least, to 1298 as rulers of the Duchy of Austria. Liechtenstein is just a branch of the whole thing, so I suppose one might say they are one of the longest-ruling, though the patrilineal descent is very mixed in that area.

Britain's monarchy is an interesting case. They are of the House of Windsor, but that is a cadet of Saxe-Coburg (Gotha), and that is a branch of Wettin. All three of those Houses are tied up with Plantagenet blood, being of Viking/Norman/Saxon origins all mixed into a cosy sanguinity! The Normans of 1066-1154, the Plantagenets of 1154-1485, the Tudors of 1485-1603, and the Stuarts from 1603-1688 were of a different line from this, naturally. In terms of rulership in general, however, Windsor/Saxe-Coburg/Wettin extends back to the Duchy of Saxony in the 10th century. It's such a big mess!

I thought they all went back to King Clovis.

Of cause it is a mess, they are all inbred.

They can all claim descent back to the 4th century chieftains many thousands of times.

[Tiberios]

I think it's the Danish.

[razor-]

As much as I would like it to be it is not the Danish, the current House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg have only been in power since 1863. We are the oldest consistent monarchy in Europe though.

[William the Bastard]

Interestingly there is still a direct lineage from William I to Elizabeth II (LINK). IIRC the Conqueror himself, through his Grandmother, was from the old Anglo Saxon line too. Hence why he had as much a claim to the throne as the Godwins.

[Tacitursa]

Queen Elizabeth II is the 32nd great granddaughter of King Alfred the Great

871 to 2009 - 1,138 Years.

You can follow the family tree on this page

http://www.britroyals.com/royaltree.htm

[konny]

As much as I would like it to be it is not the Danish, the current House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg have only been in power since 1863.

ASFAIK, this house can be traced back to Christian III (Denmark & Norway), what would bring them back into the race.

[MaximiIian]

what is the oldest ruling family today in the world?

Japan. The same family has held the throne continuously since the 600's BCE.

[CiviC]

Traditionally a royal house continues only in male line, because only in male line the name of the familly is traditionally transmited. Also a royal house can have many branches (the line is not transmited only from father to son/older son but when the direct line extiguish colateral branches succeed but traditionally the colaterals must descend also in male line from the royal house).

The Royal Danish House has a queen right now so technically the House of Oldenburg is extinguished on the throne. The House of Oldenburg continues however in Norway and will continue in Great Britain after Queen Elizabeth.

Now refering to the OP, it depends what "ruling family" means : ruling continously in the same country or the oldest family ruling in Europe.

Capetians are the oldest family ruling in Europe : they rule in Spain by the branch of Bourbons of Spain and in Luxembourg by the branch of Bourbon-Parma. Bourbons descend directly in male line from Hughes Capet who also can trace back his ancestors a few generations earlier (Robertians).

It seems Lichtenstein has the oldest continously ruling family in Europe, started in 1608.

[Last Roman]

I think the Japanese imperial family is number one (from what I keep on hearing) I think the House of Savoy also ruled for nearly 900 years. The Bourbons (as civic pointed out) also have ruled for quite a while (as a cadet branch at least)