List of heads of state 1556

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Africa

Adal
- Sultan: Barakat ibn Umar Din (1555–1559)

Ethiopia
- Emperor (Negus Negest) : Claudius (1540–1559)

Bornu (in present-day Niger ) Sefuwa dynasty
- King / May: Dunama VI. (1539–1557)

Ifriqiya (East Algeria, Tunisia) ( Hafsiden )
- Caliph : Ahmad III. (1543–1570)

Jolof (in what is now Senegal )
- Buur-ba Jolof : al-Buri Penda (1549–1566)

Kano
- Emir: Muhammad Kisoki (1509–1565)

Congo
- Mani-Congo : Diogo I (1545–1561)

Morocco ( Saadier )
- Sultan : Muhammad II ash-Shayh (1540–1557)

Munhumutapa Empire
- Ruler : Chivere Nyasoro (around 1550–1560)

Sultanate of Sannar (in what is now Sudan )
- Sultan : Abd al-Qadir I (1550 / 51–1557 / 58)

Songhaeich (in West Africa)
- Ruler : Daoud (1549–1582)

America

Governorate of Brazil
- Governor: Duarte da Costa (1553–1558)

Inca Empire
- Inca : Sayri Túpac (1544–1561)

Viceroyalty of New Spain
- Viceroy : Luis de Velasco (1550–1564)

Viceroyalty of Peru
- President of the Audiencia : Melchor Bravo de Saravia (1552–1556)
- Viceroy: Andrés Hurtado de Mendoza (1556–1561)

Asia

China ( Ming Dynasty )
- Emperor : Jiajing (1521–1567)

Japan
- Emperor : Go-Nara (1526–1557)
- Shogun Ashikaga : Ashikaga Yoshiteru (1546-1565)

Korea ( Joseon Dynasty )
- King : Myeongjong (1545–1567)

Mughal Empire
- Great Mughal : Humayun (1555–1556)
- Great Mughal: Akbar I. (1556–1605)

Persia ( Safavid dynasty)
- Shah : Tahmasp I (1524–1576)

Thailand
- King : Maha Chakrapat (1548–1568)

Vietnam
- North ( Mạc dynasty )
  - King: Mạc Tuyên Tông (1546–1561)
- South ( Hậu Lê Dynasty )
  - King: Lê Trung Tông (1548–1556)
  - King: Lê Anh Tông (1556–1573)

Europe

Andorra
- Co-princes :
  - Queen of Navarre : Joan III. (1555–1572)
  - King of Navarre: Antoine de Bourbon (1555–1562)
  - Bishop of Urgell : Miquel Despuig (1552–1556)
  - Bishop of Urgell: Joan Pérez García de Oliván (1556–1560)

Denmark and Norway
- King : Christian III. (1534–1559)

England and Ireland
- Queen : Maria Tudor (1553–1558)

France
- King : Heinrich II. (1547–1559)

Holy Roman Empire
- King and Emperor : Charles V (1519–1556) (Emperor from 1520, King of Spain 1516–1556, Archduke of Austria 1519–1521)
- King and Emperor: Ferdinand I (1556–1564) (1526–1564 King of Bohemia, 1526–1564 King of Hungary, 1521–1564 Archduke of Austria)
- Electorates
  - Archbishopric of Cologne
    - Archbishop : Adolf III. von Schaumburg (1547–1556)
  - Archbishopric Mainz
    - Archbishop : Daniel Brendel von Homburg (1555–1582)
  - Archbishopric Trier
    - Archbishop : Johann V. von Isenburg (1547–1556)
    - Archbishop: John VI. von der Leyen (1556–1567)
  - Bohemia
    - King : Ferdinand I (1526–1564)
  - Brandenburg
    - Elector : Joachim II. Hector (1535–1571)
  - Electoral Palatinate
    - Elector : Frederick II the Wise (1544–1556)
    - Elector: Ottheinrich (1556–1559)
  - Saxony ( Albertiner )
    - Elector : August (1553–1586)
- spiritual principalities
  - Hochstift Augsburg
    - Bishop : Otto von Waldburg (1543–1573) (1553–1573 Provost von Ellwangen)
  - Bamberg Monastery
    - Bishop : Weigand von Redwitz (1522–1556)
    - Bishop: Georg IV. Fuchs von Rügheim (1555–1561)
  - Hochstift Basel
    - Bishop : Melchior von Lichtenfels (1554–1575)
  - Brandenburg Monastery (Protestant from 1544)
    - Bishop : Joachim II von Münsterberg-Oels (1545–1560)
  - Archbishopric Bremen
    - Archbishop : Christoph von Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel (1511–1558) (1502–1558 Bishop of Verden)
  - Brixen monastery
    - Bishop : Cristoforo Madruzzo (1542–1578) (1539–1567 Bishop of Trento)
  - Archbishopric of Cambrai
    - Bishop : Robert III. de Croÿ (1519–1556)
    - Bishop: Maximilian de Berghes (1556–1570) (archbishop from 1559)
  - Cammin Monastery (Protestant bishops since 1545)
    - Bishop : Martin Weiher (1549–1556)
    - Bishop: Johann Friedrich von Pommern (1556–1574) (1567–1569 Duke of Pommern-Wolgast, 1569–1600 Duke of Pomerania-Stettin)
  - Chiemsee Abbey
    - Bishop : Hieronymus Meitting (1536–1557)
  - Chur Monastery
    - Bishop : Thomas Planta (1550–1565)
  - Eichstätt Monastery
    - Bishop : Eberhard II of Hirnheim (1553–1560)
- secular principalities
  - to bathe
    - Baden-Baden
      - Margrave : Philibert (1536–1569) (until 1554 under guardianship)
    - Baden-Durlach
      - Margrave: Charles II (1553–1577)
  - Bavaria
    - Duke : Albrecht V (1550–1579)
  - Brandenburg-Ansbach
    - Margrave : Georg Friedrich I (1543–1603)
  - Brandenburg-Kulmbach
    - Margrave : Interregnum (1554–1557)
  - Duchy of Brunswick-Lueneburg
    - Principality of Calenberg (-Göttingen)
      - Duke: Erich II. (1540–1584) (until 1546 under the tutelage of his mother)
    - Principality of Grubenhagen
      - Duke: Ernst III. (IV.) (1551-1567)
    - Principality of Lüneburg
      - Duke : Franz Otto (1555–1559)
    - Principality of Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel
      - Duke : Heinrich II. (1514–1568)
  - Hanau
    - Hanau-Lichtenberg
      - Count : Philip IV (1538–1590)
    - Hanau-Munzenberg
      - Count : Philip III. (1529–1561)
  - Hesse
    - Landgrave : Philip I the Magnanimous (1509–1567)
  - Hohenzollern
    - Count : Charles I (1525–1576)
  - Jülich-Kleve-Berg
    - Duke : Wilhelm V the Rich (1539–1592)
  - lip
    - Count : Bernhard VIII. (1536–1563)
  - Lorraine
    - Duke : Charles III. (1545–1608) (until 1559 under guardianship)
      - Regent: Nikolaus Graf von Vaudémont (1552–1559)
  - Mecklenburg
    - Mecklenburg-Guestrow
      - Duke : Johann Albrecht I (1547–1556)
      - Duke: Ulrich (1555–1603) (co-regent until 1556)
    - Mecklenburg-Schwerin
      - Duke : Johann Albrecht I (1552–1576)
  - Nassau
    - Ottonian line
      - Nassau-Beilstein
        Count : Johann III. (1513–1561)
      - Nassau-Breda and Orange
        Prince : Wilhelm the Silent (1544–1584)
      - Nassau-Dillenburg
        Count : William the Rich (1516–1559)
    - walramic line
      - Nassau-Saarbrücken
        Count : Johann III. (1554–1574)
      - Nassau-Weilburg
        Count : Philip III. (1523–1559)
      - Nassau-Wiesbaden
        Count : Philipp, the Elder (1511–1558)
  - Ortenburg
    - Count : Joachim I (1551–1600)
  - Ostfriesland
    - Regent : Anna (1540–1561) (regency for her underage sons)
  - Palatinate (Kurlinie see under Electorates)
    - Pfalz-Neuburg
      - Count Palatine : Ottheinrich (1505–1557) (until 1522 under guardianship)
    - Palatinate-Simmern
      - Count Palatine : Johann II the Younger (1509–1557)
    - Palatinate-Veldenz
      - Count Palatine : Georg Johann I (1544–1592)
    - Pfalz-Zweibrücken
      - Count Palatine : Wolfgang (1532–1569)
  - Pomerania
    - Pomerania-Szczecin
      - Duke : Barnim IX. (1532–1569)
    - Pomerania-Wolgast
      - Duke : Philip I (1532-1560)
  - Saxony ( Ernestiner ) (1554–1565) shared rule
    - Duke : Johann Friedrich II. The Middle (1554–1565 / 66)
    - Duke: Johann Wilhelm (1554–1565 / 73)
    - Duke: Johann Friedrich III. the younger (1554–1565)
  - Saxony-Lauenburg ( Askanier )
    - Duke : Franz I (1543–1581)
  - Württemberg
    - Duke : Christoph (1550–1568)

Italian states
- Ferrara , Modena and Reggio
  - Duke : Ercole II. D'Este (1534–1559)
- Genoa
  - Doge : Agostino Pinello Ardimenti (1555–1557)
- Papal States
  - Pope : Paul IV (1555–1559)
- Milan (1535–1706 to Spain )
  - Duke : Philip II of Spain (1540–1598)
    - Governor : Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, Duke of Alba (1555–1556)
    - Governor: Cristoforo Madruzzo (1556–1558)
- Mantua and Montferrat ( Gonzaga )
  - Duke : Guglielmo Gonzaga (1550–1587)
- Massa and Carrara
  - Margrave : Alberico I. Cybo-Malaspina (1553–1623)
- Naples (1503–1707 / 14 to Aragon or Spain )
  - King: Charles I of Spain (1516–1556)
  - King: Philip II of Spain (1556–1598)
    - Viceroy : Bernardino de Mendoza (1555–1556)
    - Viceroy: Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, Duke of Alba (1556–1558)
- Parma and Piacenza
  - Duke : Ottavio Farnese (1547–1586)
- Savoy
  - Duke : Emanuel Philibert (1553–1580)
- Sicily (1412–1713 to Aragon or Spain )
  - King: Charles I of Spain (1516–1556)
  - King: Philip II of Spain (1556–1598)
    - Viceroy : Juan de Vega (1547–1557)
- Tuscany
  - Duke : Cosimo I de 'Medici (1537–1574) (from 1569 Grand Duke)
- Urbino
  - Duke : Guidobaldo II. Della Rovere (1538–1574)
- Venice
  - Doge : Francesco Venier (1554–1556)
  - Doge: Lorenzo Priuli (1556–1559)

Order of St. John in Malta
- Grand Master : Claude de la Sengle (1553–1557)

Livonia
- Landmeister : Heinrich von Galen (1551–1557)

Moldova
- Prince : Alexandru Lăpușneanu (1552–1561) (1564–1568)

Monaco
- Seigneur : Honoré I (1532–1581)

Navarre
- Queen : Johanna III. (1555–1572)

Ottoman Empire
- Sultan : Suleyman I the Magnificent (1520–1566)

Poland
- King : Sigismund II August (1548–1572)

Portugal
- King : Johann III. (1521–1557)

Prussia
- Duke : Albrecht (1525–1568) (1511–1525 Grand Master of the Teutonic Order)

Russia
- Tsar : Ivan IV (1533–1584) (Grand Duke until 1547)

Scotland
- Queen : Maria Stuart (1542–1567)

Sweden
- King : Gustav I. Wasa (1523–1560)

Spain
- King : Karl I (1516–1556) (1520–1556 emperor, 1519–1556 Roman-German king, 1519–1521 Archduke of Austria)
- King: Philip II (1556–1598) (1580–1598 King of Portugal)

Hungary (rule disputed)
- King : Ferdinand I (1526–1564) (1556–1564 Emperor, 1526–1564 King of Bohemia, 1521–1564 Archduke of Austria)
- King: Johann Sigismund Zápolya (1540–1570) (1570–1571 Prince of Transylvania)

Wallachia (under Ottoman rule)
- Voivode : Patrascu cel Bun (1554–1558)