Puyi

Born into a life of unimaginable privilege, Aisin-Gioro Puyi was crowned emperor at the tender age of two. His reign, however, was less "Mandate of Heaven" and more "Mandate of... well, whatever the grown-ups decided." He spent his youth largely confined to the Forbidden City, presumably perfecting the art of looking regal while having absolutely no real power. Not exactly the grand imperial career one might envision.

His various turns as a puppet for warlords, the Japanese, and eventually the Communist Party, paint a picture of a man consistently on the wrong side of history, or at least the side where he wasn't actually in charge. One might say he had a talent for being deposed, or perhaps, for being a very impressive figurehead for anyone who could seize control.

After a stint as Emperor of Manchukuo, a Japanese puppet state, he was imprisoned by the Soviets and later by the Chinese Communists, eventually ending up as a gardener. From the Son of Heaven to a man who literally tended plants, it's quite the career trajectory. He did, however, write an autobiography, which is more than most deposed monarchs manage, so there