This is a list of monarchs who have reigned over the Pacific island of

Niue Niue (, ; niu, Niuē) is an island country in the South Pacific Ocean, northeast of New Zealand. Niue's land area is about and its population, predominantly Polynesian, was about 1,600 in 2016. Niue is located in a triangle between Tong ...

. The island today is a self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand, and recognises the Sovereign in Right of New Zealand as the head of state. Before this, however, the island previously had an indigenous monarchy, established around the beginning of the 18th century. Before that time, there appears to have been no national government or national leader in Niue. Chiefs and heads of family exercised authority over segments of the population. Around 1700, the concept and practice of

kingship King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

appears to have been introduced through contact with

Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands (Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands (Manono Island, Manono an ...

Tonga Tonga (, ; ), officially the Kingdom of Tonga ( to, Puleʻanga Fakatuʻi ʻo Tonga), is a Polynesian country and archipelago. The country has 171 islands – of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in ...

. From then on, a succession of ''

patu-iki Patu-iki ("chief of chiefs") is the title that was given to the leader of the Pacific Ocean island of Niue. The position was not hereditary, and was elected by the people from among the heads of influential families. John Macmillan Brown reported i ...

'' (kings) ruled the island, the first of whom was Puni-mata. The monarch was non-hereditary; ''patu-iki'' were reportedly elected by the Niuean population, with the candidates being issued from influential families. As described by Percy Smith in 1903, Niue appears therefore to have been a democratic

elective monarchy An elective monarchy is a monarchy ruled by an elected monarch, in contrast to a hereditary monarchy in which the office is automatically passed down as a family inheritance. The manner of election, the nature of candidate qualifications, and the ...

List of ''patu-iki''

Imperial rule and free association

From 1900 to 1901, Niue was ruled by the United Kingdom. In 1901, the island was annexed by New Zealand, which administered it in the name of the British Empire. On 26 September 1907, New Zealand attained the status of

dominion The term ''Dominion'' is used to refer to one of several self-governing nations of the British Empire. "Dominion status" was first accorded to Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Newfoundland, South Africa, and the Irish Free State at the 1926 ...

, becoming the

Dominion of New Zealand The Dominion of New Zealand was the historical successor to the Colony of New Zealand. It was a constitutional monarchy with a high level of self-government within the British Empire. New Zealand became a separate British Crown colony in 184 ...

, and the British monarch from then on reigned over Niue in his or her capacity as monarch of New Zealand.

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...

was the first monarch to be explicitly titled Queen of New Zealand, however, in 1952. Today, Niue is part of the Realm of New Zealand, the successor political entity to the dominion.

List of British monarchs reigning over Niue

List of New Zealand monarchs reigning over Niue

Sources

*S. Percy Smith
''Niuē-fekai (or Savage) Island and its People''
1903, pp. 36–44 {{DEFAULTSORT:List Of Niuean Monarchs History of Niue Monarchy in New Zealand Politics of Niue Monarchs

*List