Ruler

Each country is headed by a ruler. In EU4, rulers are influential in the running of a country, having between 0 and 6 points of administrative, diplomatic and military skill; these skills contribute directly to the nation's monthly generation of monarch power. Rulers may be either a monarch, who as an heir inherits the title from a relative in a monarchy, or an elected leader of a republic or theocracy, chosen by the AI or player at regular intervals.

Monarchy

Monarchs (rulers of countries with a monarchy government type) rule until death, and have an heir to succeed them and inherit the throne. The system is nearly identical to EU3's system of monarchs, heirs and dynasties.

Dynasty

Each monarch belongs to a dynastic house. These are generally represented as surnames in the game. Monarchs can share a dynasty with rulers of other countries, and receive a +15 bilateral bonus to relations with that country. Spreading your dynasty involves luck and good timing with throne claims and royal marriages, with throne claims requiring a royal marriage and same dynasty .

Royal marriage

For the diplomatic effects of royal marriage between countries, see Diplomacy#Royal marriage

Countries ruled by monarchs may arrange royal marriages with others. In certain circumstances, where a ruler dies without an heir, there is a chance ^{[Specification needed]} that the randomly appointed succeeding monarch may belong to a dynasty royally married to that country. This can lead to personal union and inheritance. Each royal marriage gives 0.1 legitimacy per year, but entering into a marriage with a nation with lower prestige causes an immediate drop of 1-5 legitimacy.

Heir

A monarch has an heir, who may represent a son, daughter, cousin or other relative. In cases where no heir exists, upon the death of the monarch a new nobleman takes the throne, dependent on certain factors such as legitimacy, royal marriages and dynasty determining the dynasty of the ruler.

Heir chance

The following modifiers increases the likelihood of a new heir appearing, where a monarchy lacks one:

Religions

• Sunni: +100.0%
• Shiite: +100.0%

National Ideas

• Austrian Ambition +50.0%
• Japan: Shinokosho System +25.0%
• Ethiopia: Negusa Negast +25.0%
• Saxony: Albertine & Ernestine Lines +25.0%
• Assam: The Buranjis +25.0%
• Kongo: Election of Manikongos +25.0%

Governments

• Iqta: +100.0%

Regency

In the event that your ruler dies before his heir reaches the age of 15, the country will be ruled by a regency council. While in regency, a country cannot declare war, but can still become involved indirectly in wars.

If a country is reigned by a regency with no suitable heir, a few years in to the regency a new heir will be generated, of the same dynasty as another kingdom in royal marriage with yours. Or if no royal marriages a new dynasty appears.

Notable rulers

The following rulers have at least 5 in each stat. (Some of these rulers are actually the same person appearing several times; for example, the future Henry IV of France appears as a ruler of Bourbonnais and later of Navarre)

Country	Name	Date				Total			(unrecognized string “leader land maneuver” for Template:Icon)		Total
Albania	Gjergj Skanderbeg	1443.3.4	6	5	6	17	5	5	5	0	15
Bourbonnais	Henri I	1562.11.18	5	5	5	15	4	4	2	0	10
Burgundy	Philippe III	1419.9.11	5	5	5	15	3	3	3	1	10
England	Elizabeth I	1558.11.17	6	6	5	17
England	Oliver	1646.5.5	5	5	6	16	5	5	4	1	15
Ethiopia	Zar'a Quastantînôs III	1434.6.2	6	5	5	16
Fez	Ismâ'îl	1672.3.28	6	5	6	17
France	Henri IV	1589.8.2	6	6	6	18	4	4	2	0	10
France	Louis XIV	1643.5.14	5	5	6	16
Georgia	Irakli II	1762.1.19	5	5	6	16	3	4	5	1	13
Hojo	Ujiyasu	1541.4.15	5	5	5	15
Japan	Nobunaga	1573.7.3	5	5	6	16
Japan	Hideyoshi	1582.6.22	5	6	5	16
Japan	Ieyasu	1603.3.24	6	5	5	16
Khmer	Ang Chan I	1516.1.1	5	6	6	17
Korea	Do	1418.1.1	6	5	5	16
Carnatic	Chennappa	1535.1.1	5	5	5	15
Carnatic	Gangama	1590.1.1	5	6	5	16
LanXang	Sourigna Vongsa	1637.1.1	5	5	5	15
Manchu	Hiowan Yei	1661.2.5	6	5	5	16
Milan	Francesco I	1450.3.27	5	5	5	15
Malwa	Mahmud I	1436.5.3	5	5	6	16
Ming	Di	1402.7.13	5	6	6	17	4	4	4	0	12
Morocco	Ismâ'îl	1672.3.28	6	5	6	17	3	2	3	1	9
Mori	Takachika	1837.2.4	6	6	6	18
Mughal	Bâbur	1494.6.6	5	5	6	16	5	5	3	1	14
Mughal	Akbar I	1556.2.14	6	6	6	18	4	4	2	2	12
Navarra	Enrique III	1572.6.9	5	5	5	15	4	4	2	0	10
Netherlands	Maurice I van Nassau	1585.11.14	5	5	6	16	5	5	5	2	17
Funj	Bâdî II	1644.1.1	5	5	5	15	3	4	3	0	10
Oda	Nobunaga	1551.4.8	5	5	6	16
Oudh	Muhammad Sa'adat Khan	1724.10.9	5	6	5	16
Persia	Ismâ'îl I	1483.1.1	6	5	5	16	4	4	4	0	12
Persia	Abbas I	1587.12.11	6	5	6	17	4	4	4	1	13
Perm	Mikhail I	1451.1.1	6	5	5	16
Prussia	Friedrich II der Große	1740.5.30	6	6	6	18	6	6	6	1	19
Russia	Pyotr I Veliky	1682.4.28	6	6	6	18
Russia	Yekaterina II Velikaya	1762.6.30	6	6	5	17
Shiba	Yoshiaki	1570.1.1	6	5	5	16
Shawnee	Tecumseh	1800.1.1	5	6	5	16	5	2	5	1	13
Sweden	Gustav II Adolf	1611.10.30	6	6	6	18	6	5	6	1	18
Taungu	Alaungpaya	1752.2.28	5	5	5	15
Timurid Empire	Bâbur	1500.4.1	5	5	6	16	5	5	3	1	14
Takeda	Harunobu	1541.6.1	5	5	5	15
Tokugawa	Ieyasu	1575.7.9	6	5	5	16
Ottoman Empire	Mehmet II Fatih	1451.2.3	5	5	6	16	6	4	5	2	17
Ottoman Empire	Süleyman I Kanuni	1520.9.23	6	5	6	17	5	3	4	2	14
Tuscany	Cosimo di Medici	1429.2.20	6	5	5	16
Uesugi	Noriaki	1336.1.1	6	6	6	18
United States	George Washington	1789.4.30	5	5	6	16
Vientiane	Sourigna Vongsa	1637.1.1	5	5	5	15

See also

• List of rulers (Warning: large)
• Dev diary 5 focused on the changes to Rulers in EU4.

Realm