The British king George III dies after 59 years on the throne – a longer reign than any of his predecessors

On the death of his father, George III, the Prince Regent succeeds to the British throne as George IV

The 22-year-old Portuguese prince, Dom Pedro, is made regent of Brazil

Napoleon dies on St Helena, after six years of captivity

During his coronation George IV has the doors of Westminster Abbey closed against his queen, Caroline

The Portuguese regent, Dom Pedro, proclaims the independence of Brazil and three months later is crowned emperor, as Pedro I

With the help of an army from France, the Spanish king Ferdinand VII is freed from confinement and restored to his throne

The Portuguese prince Dom Miguel briefly topples his father, John VI, from the throne

The reactionary Charles X succeeds to the throne of France on the death of his brother Louis XVIII

Pedro I, emperor of Brazil, inherits the throne of Portugal (as Pedro IV) but continues to rule from Brazil

Dom Miguel swears allegiance to his brother, the Portuguese king Pedro IV, and becomes regent

Shaka is murdered by his half-brother Dingaan, who becomes leader of the Zulu in his place

Dom Miguel betrays his allegiance to his brother Pedro IV and usurps the Portuguese throne in a bloodless coup

William IV succeeds his brother George IV as the British king

The death of the last infant cousin senior to her in the royal succession makes Victoria heir to the British throne

Louis-Philippe, the Citizen King, is welcomed in Paris in a new role – as 'king of the French, by the will of the people'

Milosh Obrenovich wins recognition for an autonomous Serbia, with himself as prince

Pedro I abdicates in Brazil and returns to Europe to recover his Portuguese throne (as Pedro IV)

Greece wins independence, with the 17-year-old Otto of Bavaria as king

Civil war breaks out in Spain between supporters of Ferdinand VII's three-year-old daughter, Isabella II, and of his brother Don Carlos

Pedro IV removes his usurping brother Dom Miguel from the Portuguese throne and restores it to his daughter, Maria II

The 18-year-old Victoria comes to the throne in Britain, beginning the long Victorian era

Zanzibar becomes the main place of residence of the sultan of Oman

In the Bedchamber Crisis, Queen Victoria shows steely determination in refusing to dismiss politically committed ladies of her bedchamber

With Boer help, Mpande removes his brother Dingaan from the Zulu throne and takes his place