This is a list of the monarchs of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, that is, the monarchs on the thrones of some of the various kingdoms that have existed in the British Isles, namely:
- The Kingdom of Scotland, from 843 up to 1707;
- The Kingdom of England, from 871 (including Wales from the Act of Union 1536- 1543) up to 1707;
- The Lordship of Ireland, from 1199 up to 1541;
- The Kingdom of Ireland, from 1541 up to 1801;
- The Kingdom of Great Britain, from the Acts of Union, 1707, between England and Scotland, up to 1801;
- The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, from the Act of Union, 1801, between Great Britain and Ireland, up to 1927;
- The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (The UK after the Irish Free State was formed and became a separate state).
To see the rulers of the small kingdoms which existed before the formation of England, Scotland or Wales, see:
- Kings of the Britons
- Mythical British Kings
- Rulers of Wales
- Kings of the Picts
- Kings of Dál Riata
- Kings of Strathclyde
- Kings of the Isle of Man and the Isles
- Kings of the Isle of Man
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- Kings of East Anglia
- Kings of Essex
- Kings of Kent
- Kings of Sussex
- Kings of Wessex
- Kings of Mercia
- Kings of Northumbria
- High Kings of Ireland
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Complications over title and style
James VI of Scotland and I of England, united the Crowns of England, Scotland and Ireland in a personal union, later merged into a single Kingdom of Great Britain by the Act of Union 1707.
Royal titles are complicated because in some cases names of kingdoms are used that did not officially come into existence until later, or came into existence earlier without immediate adoption of the royal title.
- In 1328, on the death of the French king, Charles IV, Edward III (nephew of Charles IV) claimed the French throne. English monarchs, and subsequently British monarchs, then styled themselves King of France or Queen of France until the Act of Union 1800, which led to the creation of the United Kingdom in 1801. By then France had been a republic for ten years. (See English claims to the French throne.)
- Since 1559 English monarchs, and subsequently British monarchs, have also had the title Supreme Governor of the Church of England.
- Note that the numbering of English monarchs starts afresh after 1066 (although this affects only the Edwards).
- All Scottish monarchs held the title King of Scots or Queen of Scots, with the exception of the last three: Mary II, William III and Anne I used the style "of Scotland" rather than "of Scots".
- In October 1604, one year after James VI of Scotland had become King of England, he decreed that the Royal Title would use the term Great Brittaine to refer to the "one Imperiall Crowne" made up of England and Scotland . However using that title is problematic because the 'state' of Great Britain was not created until the Act of Union 1707. Nor was the united crown generally referred to as 'imperial'. To avoid confusion, historians in general thus refer to all monarchs up to 1707 as monarchs of England and Scotland. Thus James II of England was also James VII of Scotland; and William III of England was also William II of Scotland. Many English and British monarchs also claimed France as part of their official title, though this had no substance in reality. After the Union, the ordinal has been the English number (for "George", "Edward" and "Elizabeth") and, until recently, there was no formal rule (see List of regnal numerals of future British monarchs).
- In different documents, the terms Kingdom of Great Britain and United Kingdom of Great Britain feature, even documents as official as the Act of Union 1707. Most historians presume the United was meant to be descriptive, indicating a union as a form of unity by marriage rather than coercion. For clarity and because the United is far more strongly associated with the later name United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland produced in the Act of Union 1800, the 1707 Kingdom is generally referred to as the Kingdom of Great Britain.
- Similarly, though most of Ireland ceased to be part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland when it became the Irish Free State in 1922, neither the full name of the United Kingdom nor the royal title were changed until the Royal and Parliamentary Titles Act 1927. In this instance historians generally retrospectively date the coming into being of the modern United Kingdom to December 1922, even though in this case the formal change did not occur for another five years.
Monarchs
Succession to the many thrones often did not pass smoothly from parent to child; lack of heirs, civil wars, murders and invasions affected the inheritance in ways that a simple list does not show. The relationships that formed the basis for claims to throne are noted where we know them, and the dates of reign indicated.
Monarchs of England |
Monarchs of Scotland |
Name |
Reign |
Notes |
The West Saxons |
Alfred the Great |
871– 899 |
Recognised as leader of all free Englishmen under the Treaty of Wedmore, 878 |
Edward the Elder |
899– 924 |
Alfred's son |
Ælfweard |
924 |
Edward's son, king of Wessex only |
Athelstan |
924– 939 |
Edward's son, the first de facto king of all England |
Edmund I |
939– 946 |
Edward's son |
Edred |
946– 955 |
Edward's son |
Edwy the Fair |
955– 959 |
Edmund's son |
Edgar the Peaceable |
959– 975 |
Edmund's son |
St Edward the Martyr |
975– 978 |
Edgar's son |
Ethelred the Unready |
978– 1013 1014– 1016 |
Edgar's son |
Edmund Ironside |
1016 |
Ethelred's son |
The Danish Kings Both the Saxon and Danish royal houses claimed the English throne, 1013 to 1016. Denmark and England had the same king from 1016 to 1042. |
Sweyn Forkbeard |
1013– 1014 |
|
Canute |
1016– 1035 |
Sweyn's son |
Harold Harefoot |
1035– 1040 |
Canute's son |
Harthacanute |
1040– 1042 |
Canute's son |
The West Saxon Restoration |
St Edward the Confessor |
1042– 1066 |
Ethelred's son |
Harold Godwinson |
1066 |
Edward the Confessor's brother-in-law |
Edgar the Atheling |
1066 |
Grandson of Edmund Ironside |
The Normans After the Norman Conquest in 1066, numbering of kings (a French tradition never used by the English prior to that date) begins. |
William I, the Conqueror |
1066– 1087 |
Distant kinsman of Alfred the Great |
William II, Rufus |
1087– 1100 |
William I's son, descendant of Alfred the Great |
Henry I |
1100– 1135 |
William I's son, descendant of Alfred the Great |
Stephen |
1135– 1154 |
William I's grandson |
The Angevins or Plantagenets The Royal House name changed to reflect Matilda's marriage to Geoffrey Plantagenet. |
Matilda (Empress Maud) |
1141 |
Henry I's daughter, Edmund Ironside's great-great-granddaughter |
Henry II |
1154– 1189 |
Matilda's son |
Richard I, the Lionheart |
1189– 1199 |
Henry II's son |
Monarchs of England and Ireland In 1199, John, already Lord of Ireland, inherited the English throne. The title "Lord of Ireland" was used until it was replaced by "King of Ireland" in 1542. |
John "Lackland" |
1199– 1216 |
Henry II's son |
Louis of France |
1216– 1217 |
descendant of Alfred the Great; husband of John's niece |
Henry III |
1216– 1272 |
John's son |
Edward I "Longshanks" |
1272– 1307 |
Henry III's son |
Edward II |
1307– 1327 |
Edward I's son |
Edward III |
1327– 1377 |
Edward II's son |
Richard II |
1377– 1399 |
Edward III's grandson |
The House of Lancaster Henry Bolingbroke deposed Richard II, and the Royal House name came to reflect Henry's father's title, Duke of Lancaster. |
Henry IV |
1399– 1413 |
Edward III's grandson |
Henry V |
1413– 1422 |
Henry IV's son |
Henry VI |
1422– 1461 1470– 1471 |
Henry V's son |
The House of York The Houses of Lancaster and York had fought the Wars of the Roses, and the Yorkists took the throne. |
Edward IV |
1461– 1470 1471– 1483 |
Edward III's great-great-grandson |
Edward V |
1483 |
Edward IV's son |
Richard III |
1483– 1485 |
Edward IV's brother |
The House of Tudor The Lancastrian Henry Tudor reclaimed the throne from the Yorkists. |
Henry VII |
1485– 1509 |
Edward III's great-great-great-grandson |
Henry VIII |
1509– 1547 |
Henry VII's son, Edward IV's grandson |
Edward VI |
1547– 1553 |
Henry VIII's son |
Jane |
1553 |
Henry VII's great-granddaughter. Not generally noted as officially queen |
Mary I |
1553– 1558 |
Henry VIII's daughter |
Elizabeth I |
1558– 1603 |
Henry VIII's daughter |
|
Name |
Reign |
Notes |
The House of Alpin |
Kenneth I |
843– 858 |
|
Donald I |
858– 862 |
Kenneth I's brother |
Constantine I |
862– 877 |
Kenneth I's son |
Áed |
877– 878 |
Kenneth I's son |
Eochaid |
878– 889 |
Áed's nephew Jointly with Giric ? |
Giric |
878– 889 |
Áed's first cousin ? |
Donald II |
889– 900 |
Constantine I's son |
Constantine II |
900– 943 |
Áed's son |
Malcolm I |
943– 954 |
Donald II's son |
Indulf |
954– 962 |
Constantine II's son |
Dub |
962– 966 |
Malcolm I's son |
Cuilén |
966– 971 |
Indulf's son |
Kenneth II |
971–? |
Malcolm I's son |
Amlaíb |
?– 977 |
Indulf's son |
Kenneth II |
977– 995 |
2nd reign |
Constantine III |
995– 997 |
Cuilén's son |
Kenneth III |
997– 1005 |
Dub's son |
Malcolm II |
1005– 1034 |
Kenneth II's son |
Duncan I |
1034– 1040 |
Malcolm II's grandson |
Macbeth |
1040– 1057 |
Kenneth III's granddaughter's husband |
Lulach |
1057– 1058 |
Kenneth III's great-grandson, Macbeth's step-son and cousin |
The House of Dunkeld |
Malcolm III |
1058– 1093 |
Duncan I's son |
Donald III |
1093– 1094 1094– 1097 |
Duncan I's son |
Duncan II |
1094 |
Malcolm III's son |
Edgar |
1097– 1107 |
Malcolm III's son |
Alexander I |
1107– 1124 |
Malcolm III's son |
David I |
1124– 1153 |
Malcolm III's son |
Malcolm IV |
1153– 1165 |
David I's grandson |
William I |
1165– 1214 |
David I's grandson |
Alexander II |
1214– 1249 |
William I's son |
Alexander III |
1249– 1286 |
Alexander II's son |
Margaret |
1286- 1290 |
Alexander III's granddaughter, never inaugurated |
The House of Balliol When Margaret died in 1290 there was no clear heir. King Edward I of England adjudged the claims of Robert Bruce, 5th Lord of Annandale and John Balliol in Balliol's favour. |
John |
1292– 1296 |
David I's great-great-great-grandson |
The House of Bruce When John Balliol rebelled, the Wars of Scottish Independence commenced, during which Robert the Bruce became King. |
Robert I |
1306– 1329 |
David I's great-great-great-great-grandson |
David II |
1329– 1371 |
Robert I's son |
The House of Balliol For a period of time, both Edward Balliol and David II claimed the throne. |
Edward Balliol |
1332– 1336 |
John Balliol's son |
The House of Stuart Engaged to the Dauphin at age five, Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots was thus brought up in the French court where she became "Marie Stuart, Reine de l'Écosse," etc., to render the sound of 'Stewart' into French as accurately as possible. Mary kept the French spelling on her return to Scotland in 1560. |
Robert II |
1371– 1390 |
Robert I's grandson |
Robert III |
1390– 1406 |
Robert II's son |
James I |
1406– 1437 |
Robert III's son |
James II |
1437– 1460 |
James I's son |
James III |
1460– 1488 |
James II's son |
James IV |
1488– 1513 |
James III's son |
James V |
1513– 1542 |
James IV's son |
Mary I |
1542– 1567 |
James V's daughter |
James VI |
1567– 1625 |
Mary I's son |
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Monarchs of England, Scotland and Ireland In 1603, James VI of Scotland inherited the English throne upon the death of Elizabeth I in what is known as the Union of the Crowns. From then until 1707, England, Scotland and Ireland had shared monarchs. |
The House of Stuart |
Name |
Reign |
Notes |
James I (England) James VI (Scotland) |
1603– 1625 |
Son of Mary, Queen of Scots; great-great-grandson of Henry VII of England; first to be styled "King of Great Britain" ( 1604)
|
Charles I |
1625– 1649 |
James VI & I's son |
The Period of Interregnum, ( Commonwealth and Protectorate) England had no king from 1649 to 1660, but was a Republic until 1653. Oliver Cromwell then dissolved Parliament and ruled alone as Lord Protector to his death. |
Name |
Reign |
Notes |
Oliver Cromwell |
1653– 1658 |
|
Richard Cromwell |
1658– 1659 |
Oliver Cromwell's son |
Monarchs of England, Scotland and Ireland In 1659, Richard Cromwell abdicated. Anomie existed until the Stuart Restoration in 1660. |
The House of Stuart (restored) |
Name |
Reign |
Notes |
Charles II |
1660– 1685 England 1649- 1651 and 1660– 1685 Scotland ( 1649– 1685 de jure) |
Charles I's elder son (crowned at Scone, in Scotland, 1651). He officially dated his reign from his father's death |
James II (England) James VII (Scotland) |
1685– 1689 |
Charles I's younger son |
Mary II |
1689– 1694 |
James II's elder daughter Joint sovereign with her husband, William III, II and I |
William III (England) William II (Scotland) William I (Ireland) |
1689– 1702 |
Charles I's grandson Jointly with his wife, Mary II |
Anne |
1702– 1707 (full reign: 1702–1714) |
James II's daughter |
Monarchs of Great Britain and Ireland In 1707, the Act of Union merged the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain. |
The House of Stuart (continued) |
Name |
Reign |
Notes |
Anne |
1707– 1714 (full reign: 1702–1714) |
James II's daughter |
The House of Hanover Under the Act of Settlement 1701, the English (thus, the successor British) throne could only be held by a Protestant. Sophia of Hanover, the nearest such relative, thus became statutorily designated as the next heir. She died shortly before Anne, and her place was taken by her son, who thus founded the House of Hanover (aka Guelph and Brunswick). |
George I |
1714– 1727 |
James I's great-grandson |
George II |
1727– 1760 |
George I's son |
George III |
1760– 1801 (full reign: 1760–1820) |
George II's grandson |
Monarchs of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland In 1801, the Act of Union combined the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland into the United Kingdom. |
The House of Hanover (continued) |
Name |
Reign |
Notes |
George III |
1801– 1820 (full reign: 1760–1820) |
George II's grandson |
George IV |
1820– 1830 |
George III's son |
William IV |
1830– 1837 |
George III's son |
Victoria |
1837– 1901 |
George III's granddaughter |
The House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha The Royal House name was changed to reflect Victoria's marriage to Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, but she herself remained a member of the House of Hanover. |
Edward VII |
1901– 1910 |
Victoria's son |
George V |
1910– 1917 (full reign: 1910–1936) |
Edward VII's son |
The House of Windsor The name of the Royal House changed from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to Windsor in 1917 due to anti-German sentiments during World War I. |
George V |
1917– 1927 (full reign: 1910–1936) |
Edward VII's son |
Monarchs of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland In 1922, the Irish Free State left the United Kingdom. The name of the Kingdom was amended in 1927 to reflect the change. |
The House of Windsor (continued) |
Name |
Reign |
Notes |
George V |
1927– 1936 (full reign: 1910–1936) |
Edward VII's son |
Edward VIII |
1936 |
George V's son; abdicated |
George VI |
1936– 1952 |
George V's son |
Elizabeth II |
6 February 1952- |
George VI's daughter; also queen of 31 other sovereign kingdoms. |
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