ist of English monarchs

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This article is about English monarchs until 1707. For British monarchs since the Union of England and Scotland in 1707, see List of British monarchs.

Coat of arms of the Kingdom of England, 1558–1603

The monarchy of the Kingdom of England began with Alfred the Great and ended with Queen Anne, who became Queen of Great Britain when England merged with Scotland to form a union in 1707. For monarchs after Queen Anne, see List of British monarchs.

Arguments are made for a few different kings deemed to control enough of the ancient kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxons to be deemed the first King of England. For example Offa, king of Mercia, and Egbert, king of Wessex, are sometimes described as kings of England by popular writers, but not by all historians. In the late eighth century Offa achieved a dominance over southern England which did not survive his death in 796. In 829 Egbert conquered Mercia, but he soon lost control of it. By the late ninth century Wessex was the dominant Anglo-Saxon kingdom. Its king, Alfred the Great, was overlord of western Mercia and used the title King of the Angles and Saxons (and starts the list below), but he never ruled eastern and northern England, which was then the Danelaw. His son Edward the Elder conquered the eastern Danelaw, but Edward's son Æthelstan became the first king to rule the whole of England when he conquered Northumbria in 927, and he is regarded by some modern historians as the first king of England.^[1]^[2]

The Principality of Wales was incorporated into the Kingdom of England under the Statute of Rhuddlan in 1284, and in 1301 King Edward I invested his eldest son, the future King Edward II, as Prince of Wales. Since that time, with the exception of King Edward III, the eldest sons of all English monarchs have borne this title. After the death of Queen Elizabeth I without issue, in 1603, the crowns of England and Scotland were joined in personal union under King James VI of Scotland, who became James I of England. By royal proclamation, James titled himself "King of Great Britain", but no such kingdom was created until 1707, when England underwent legislative union with Scotland to form the new Kingdom of Great Britain, during the reign of Queen Anne.^[3]

House of Wessex[edit]

For earlier monarchs of Wessex, see List of monarchs of Wessex.

Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death
Alfred the Great (Ælfrēd; Ælfrǣd) 880s–899^[4]		849 Son of Æthelwulf (king of Wessex) andOsburh	Ealhswith 868 five children	26 October 899 Aged about 50
Edward the Elder Eadweard cyning 26 October 899–924		c. 874–877 Son of Alfred and Ealhswith	(1) Ecgwynn two children (2) Ælfflæd eight children (3) Eadgifu four children	17 July 924 Aged about 46–50

Disputed claimant

There is some evidence that Ælfweard of Wessex may have been king for four weeks in 924, between his father Edward the Elder and his brother Athelstan, although he was not crowned.^[5] However this is not accepted by all historians. Also it is unclear whether Ælfweard was declared king of the whole kingdom or of Wessex only: there is evidence that when Edward died, Ælfweard was declared king in Wessex and Æthelstan in Mercia.^[6]

Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death
Ælfweard July–August 924^[7]		c. 901^[8] Son of Edward the Elder and Ælfflæd^[8]	Unmarried? No children	3 August 924^[6] Aged about 23 Buried at Winchester^[9]

Name	Birth	Marriages	Death
Æthelstan (Æþelstan) 924–939^[10] King of the Anglo-Saxons 924-927 King of the English 927-939	895 Son of Edward the Elder and Ecgwynn	Unmarried^[10]	27 October 939 Aged about 44^[10]
Edmund I (Eadmund) 28 October 939–946^[11]	c. 921 Son of Edward the Elder and Eadgifu of Kent^[11]	(1) Ælfgifu of Shaftesbury two children (2) Æthelflæd of Damerham no children^[12]	26 May 946 Pucklechurch Aged about 25 (Killed in a brawl)^[11]
Eadred (Eadred) 27 May 946–955^[13]	c. 923 Son of Edward the Elder and Eadgifu of Kent	Unmarried	23 November 955 Frome Aged about 32^[14]
Eadwig (Eadwig) 24 November 955–959^[15]	c. 940 Son of Edmund I and Ælfgifu of Shaftesbury^[16]	Ælfgifu^[15]	1 October 959 Aged about 19^[15]
Edgar the Peaceful (Eadgar) 2 October 959–975^[17]	c. 943 Wessex Son of Edmund I and Ælfgifu of Shaftesbury	(1) Æthelflæd c. 960 1 son (2) Ælfthryth c. 964 2 sons	8 July 975 Winchester Aged about 32^[18]
Edward the Martyr (Eadweard) 9 July 975–978^[19]	c. 962 Son of Edgar the Peaceful and Æthelflæd	Unmarried	18 March 978 Corfe Castle Aged about 16 (Assassinated)^[19]
Æthelred the Unready (Æþelræd Unræd) 19 March 978–1013 (first reign)^[20]	c. 968 Son of Edgar the Peaceful and Ælfthryth	(1) Ælfgifu of York 991 nine children (2) Emma of Normandy 1002 three children^[21]	23 April 1016 London Aged about 48^[20]

House of Denmark[edit]

Main article: House of Knýtlinga

England came under the rule of Danish kings during and following the reign of Æthelred the Unready.

Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death
Sweyn Forkbeard (Svend Tveskæg) 25 December^[22] 1013–1014^[23]		c. 960 Denmark Son of Harald Bluetooth and Gyrid Olafsdottir	(1) Gunhild of Wenden c. 990 seven children (2) Sigrid the Haughty c. 1000 1 daughter	3 February 1014 Gainsborough Aged about 54

House of Wessex (restored, first time)[edit]

Following the death of Sweyn Forkbeard, Æthelred the Unready returned from exile and was again proclaimed king on 3 February 1014. His son succeeded him after being chosen king by the citizens of London and a part of the Witan,^[24] despite ongoing Danish efforts in wresting the crown from the West Saxons.

Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death
Æthelred the Unready (Æþelræd Unræd) 3 February 1014–1016 (second reign)^[20]		c. 968 Son of Edgar the Peaceful and Ælfthryth	(1) Aelgifu 991 nine children (2) Emma of Normandy 1002 three children^[21]	23 April 1016 London Aged about 48^[20]
Edmund Ironside (Eadmund) 24 April – 30 November 1016^[24]		c. 990 Son of Æthelred the Unready and Ælfgifu of York^[24]	Edith of East Anglia two children^[25]	30 November 1016 Glastonbury Aged 26^[24]^[25]

House of Denmark (restored)[edit]

Following the decisive Battle of Assandun on 18 October 1016, King Edmund signed a treaty with Cnut in which all of England except for Wessex would be controlled by Cnut.^[26]Upon Edmund's death on 30 November, Cnut ruled the whole kingdom as its sole king.

Name	Birth	Marriages	Death
Cnut (Knútr) 18 October 1016 – 12 November 1035^[27]	c. 995 Son of Sweyn Forkbeard and Gunhilda of Poland^[27]	(1) Aelfgifu of Northampton two children (2) Emma of Normandy 1017^[27] two children	12 November 1035 Shaftesbury Aged about 40^[27]
Harold Harefoot (Harald) 13 November 1035 – 17 March 1040^[28]	c. 1016/7 Son of Cnut and Ælfgifu of Northampton^[28]	Ælfgifu? 1 son?^[29]	17 March 1040 Oxford Aged about 23 or 24^[28]
Harthacnut (Hardeknud) 17 March 1040 – 8 June 1042^[30]	1018 Son of Cnut and Emma of Normandy^[31]	Unmarried	8 June 1042 Lambeth Aged about 24^[31]

House of Wessex (restored, second time)[edit]

After Harthacanute, there was a brief Saxon Restoration between 1042 and 1066. After the Battle of Hastings, a decisive point in English history, William I, Duke of Normandybecame king of England.

Name	Birth	Marriages	Children	Death
Edward the Confessor (Eadweard) 9 June 1042 – 1066	c. 1002 Islip, Oxfordshire Son of Æthelred the Unready andEmma of Normandy	Edith of Wessex 23 January 1045	None	5 January 1066 Westminster Palace Aged 64
Harold Godwinson (Harold Godƿinson) 6 January – 14 October 1066	c. 1022 Son of Godwin, Earl of Wessexand Gytha Thorkelsdóttir	Edith Swannesha	Godwine, Edmund, Magnus,Gunhild, Gytha	14 October 1066 Hastings Aged 44 (Died in battle)
		Ealdgyth c. 1064	Harold, Ulf	14 October 1066 Hastings Aged 44 (Died in battle)
Edgar the Ætheling (Eadgar Æþeling) 15 October – 17 December 1066 Proclaimed, but never crowned^[32]	c. 1053 Hungary Son of Edward the Exile andAgatha	Unmarried	None	c. 1126 Aged about 73^[32]

House of Normandy[edit]

Main article: House of Normandy

In 1066 William II, Duke of Normandy, a vassal to the King of France and first-cousin once-removed of Edward the Confessor, invaded and conquered England in the Norman conquest of England, and made permanent the recent removal of the capital from Winchester to London. Following the death of King Harold II in the decisive Battle of Hastings on 14 October, the Anglo-Saxon Witenagemot elected Edgar the Ætheling king in Harold's place, but Edgar was unable to resist the invaders and was never crowned. William was crowned King William I of England on Christmas Day 1066, in Westminster Abbey, and is today known as William the Conqueror, William the Bastard or William I.

It was only from the reign of William and his descendants that monarchs took regnal numbers in the French fashion, though the earlier custom of distinguishing monarchs by nicknames did not die out by consequence.

Name	Birth	Marriages	Death	Claim
William I William the Bastard William the Conqueror (Guillaume le Bâtard) (Guillaume le Conquérant) 25 December 1066–1087	c. 1028 Falaise Castle son of Robert I, Duke of Normandy, and Herleva	Matilda of Flanders Chapel Notre Dame of the castle in Eu, Normandy 1053 ten children	9 September 1087 Rouen aged 59 after wounding himself on the saddle when his horse stumbled. Buried at Saint Etienne Abbey (Abbaye aux Hommes) of Caen	Supposedly named heir byEdward the Confessor in 1052 (de facto right of conquest)
William II William Rufus (Guillaume le Roux) 26 September 1087–1100	c. 1058 Normandy son of William the Conqueror andMatilda of Flanders	unmarried	2 August 1100 New Forest aged 42 when shot with an arrow, events still unclear.	son of William I (appointment)
Henry I Henry Beauclerc (Henri Beauclerc) 5 August 1100–1135	September 1068 Selby son of William the Conqueror andMatilda of Flanders	(1) Edith otherwise Matilda of Scotland Westminster Abbey 11 November 1100 four children (2) Adeliza of Louvain Windsor Castle 29 January 1121 no children	1 December 1135 Castle of Lyons-la-Forêt (Saint-Denis-en-Lyons) aged 67 apparently from eating a surfeit of lampreys. Buried atReading Abbey	son of William I (seizure of the crown)

House of Blois[edit]

Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death	Claim
Stephen Stephen of Blois (Estienne de Blois) 22 December 1135–1154^[33]		c. 1096 Blois son of Stephen, Count of Blois, and Adela of Normandy	Matilda of Boulogne Westminster 1125 five children	25 October 1154 Dover Castle aged about 58 from dysentery	grandson of William I (appointment/ usurpation)

Disputed claimants

Empress Matilda was declared heir presumptive by her father, Henry I, after the death of her brother on the White Ship, and acknowledged as such by the barons. However, upon Henry I's death, the throne was seized by Matilda's cousin, Stephen of Blois. The Anarchy ensued, with Matilda being a de facto ruler for a few months in 1141—the first woman so to be—but she was never crowned and is rarely listed as a monarch of England.

Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death	Claim
Matilda Empress Matilda (Mathilde l'emperesse) 7 April 1141– 1 November 1141 Title disputed		7 February 1102 Sutton Courtenay daughter of Henry I and Edith of Scotland^[34]	(1) Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor Mainz 6 January 1114 no children (2) Geoffrey V, Count of Anjou Le Mans Cathedral 22 May 1128 three children	10 September 1167 Notre Dame du Pré in Rouen aged 65	daughter of Henry I (seizure of the crown)

Count Eustace IV of Boulogne (c. 1130 – 17 August 1153) was appointed co-king of England by his father, King Stephen, on 6 April 1152, in order to guarantee his succession to the throne (as was the custom in France, but not in England). However, the Pope and the Church would not agree to this, and Eustace was not crowned. Eustace died the next year aged 22, during his father's lifetime, and so never became king in his own right.^[35]

House of Anjou[edit]

Main article: Angevins

Stephen came to an agreement with Matilda in November 1153 with the signing of the Treaty of Wallingford, where Stephen recognised Henry, son of Matilda, as the heir-apparent to the throne in lieu of his own son, who had died that August.

Rather than ruling among the Normans, the Angevins ruled from Aquitaine — lands which were acquired through Henry II's marriage to Eleanor of Aquitaine, but did not regard England as their primary home until after most of their French possessions were lost by King John. Though the Angevin Dynasty was short-lived, their male line descendants included the House of Plantagenet, the House of Lancaster and the House of York.

The Angevins formulated England's royal coat of arms, which usually showed other kingdoms held or claimed by them or their successors, although without representation of Ireland for quite some time.

Name	Birth	Marriages	Death	Claim
Henry II Henry Curtmantle (Henri Court-manteau) 19 December 1154–1189	5 March 1133 Le Mans son of Geoffrey V of Anjou andMatilda, daughter of Henry I	Eleanor of Aquitaine Bordeaux Cathedral 18 May 1152 eight children	6 July 1189 Chinon aged 56. Buried at Fontevraud Abbey	grandson of Henry I (Treaty of Wallingford)
Henry the Young King (Henri le Jeune Roy) (co-ruler with his father) 14 June 1170–1183	28 February 1155 son of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine	Margaret of France Winchester Cathedral 27 August 1172 one child	11 June 1183 Martel, Limoges aged 28. Buried at Rouen Cathedral (Notre-Dame)	son of Henry II (coronation as junior king)
Richard I Richard the Lionheart (Richard Cœur de Lion) 3 September 1189–1199	8 September 1157 Beaumont Palace son of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine	Berengaria of Navarre Limassol 12 May 1191 no children	6 April 1199 Chalus aged 41 from an arrow wound in the shoulder that became infected. Buried: Heart at Rouen Cathedral. Body at Fontevraud Abbey	son of Henry II (primogeniture)
John Lackland (Jean sans Terre) 27 May 1199–1216	24 December 1166 Beaumont Palace son of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine	(1) Isabel of Gloucester Marlborough Castle 29 August 1189 no children (2) Isabella of Angoulême Bordeaux Cathedral 24 August 1200 five children	19 October 1216 Newark-on-Trent aged 49, probably from dysentery brought on by eating peaches and drinking wine. Buried at Worcester Cathedral	brother of Richard I (appointment)

Disputed claimant

Louis VIII of France briefly ruled about half of England from 1216 to 1217 at the conclusion of the First Barons' War against King John. On marching into London he was openly received by the rebel barons and citizens of London and proclaimed (though not crowned) king at St Paul's cathedral. Many nobles, including Alexander II of Scotland for his English possessions, gathered to give homage to him. However, in signing the Treaty of Lambeth in 1217, Louis conceded that he had never been the legitimate king of England.

Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death	Claim
Louis The Lion 1216– 22 September 1217 Title disputed		5 September 1187 Paris son of Philip II of France, andIsabella of Hainault	Blanche of Castile Portmont 23 May 1200 13 children	8 November 1226 Montpensier aged 39	Right of conquest

House of Plantagenet[edit]

Main article: House of Plantagenet

The House of Plantagenet effectively started under Henry II of England, though today historians generally refer to Henry II and his sons as the Angevins due to their vast continental Empire. Historians instead begin the Plantagenet line from Henry III when the Plantagenet kings became more English in nature. The Houses of Lancaster and York arecadet branches of the House of Plantagenet.

Name	Birth	Marriages	Death	Claim
Henry III Henry of Winchester 28 October 1216–1272	1 October 1207 Winchester Castle son of King John and Isabella of Angoulême	Eleanor of Provence Canterbury Cathedral 14 January 1236 nine children	16 November 1272 Westminster Palace aged 65	son of King John (primogeniture)
Edward I Longshanks 20 November 1272–1307	17 June 1239 Westminster Palace son of Henry III and Eleanor of Provence	(1) Eleanor of Castile Abbey of Santa Maria la Real de Huelgas 18 October 1254 16 children (2) Margaret of France 10 September 1299 three children	7 July 1307 Burgh by Sands aged 68	son of Henry III (primogeniture)
Edward II Edward of Caernarfon 7 July 1307 – 25 January 1327	25 April 1284 Caernarfon Castle son of Edward I and Eleanor of Castile	Isabella of France Boulogne Cathedral 25 January 1308 five children	21 September 1327 Berkeley Castle aged 43 (murdered)^[36]	son of Edward I (primogeniture)
Edward III 25 January 1327–1377	13 November 1312 Windsor Castle son of Edward II and Isabella of France	Philippa of Hainault York Minster 24 January 1328 14 children	21 June 1377 Sheen Palace aged 64	son of Edward II (primogeniture)
Richard II 21 June 1377 – 29 September 1399	6 January 1367 Bordeaux son of Edward, the Black Princeand Joan of Kent	(1) Anne of Bohemia 14 January 1382 no children (2) Isabella of Valois Calais 4 November 1396 no children	14 February 1400 Pontefract Castle aged 33 probably from starvation	grandson of Edward III (primogeniture)

House of Lancaster[edit]

Main article: House of Lancaster

This house descended from Edward III's third surviving son, John of Gaunt. Henry IV seized power from Richard II (and also displaced the next in line to the throne, Edmund Mortimer, a descendant of Edward III's second son, Lionel of Antwerp).

Name	Birth	Marriages	Death	Claim
Henry IV Bolingbroke 30 September 1399–1413	3 April 1366/7 Bolingbroke Castle son of John of Gaunt and Blanche of Lancaster	(1) Mary de Bohun Arundel Castle 27 July 1380 seven children (2) Joanna of Navarre Winchester Cathedral 7 February 1403 no children	20 March 1413 Westminster Abbey aged 45 or 46^[37]	grandson and heir male of Edward III (usurpation/ agnatic primogeniture)
Henry V The Star of England 20 March 1413–1422	16 September 1386 or 9 August 1387^[38] Monmouth Castle son of Henry IV and Mary de Bohun	Catherine of Valois Troyes Cathedral 2 June 1420 one son	31 August 1422 Château de Vincennes aged 35	son of Henry IV (agnatic primogeniture)
Henry VI 31 August 1422 – 4 March 1461	6 December 1421 Windsor Castle son of Henry V and Catherine of Valois	Margaret of Anjou Titchfield Abbey 22 April 1445 1 son	21 May 1471 Tower of London aged 49	son of Henry V (agnatic primogeniture)

House of York[edit]

Main article: House of York

The House of York inherited its name from the fourth surviving son of Edward III, Edmund, 1st Duke of York, but claimed the right to the throne through Edward III's second surviving son, Lionel of Antwerp.

The Wars of the Roses (1455–1485) saw the throne pass back and forth between the rival houses of Lancaster and York.

Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death	Claim
Edward IV 4 March 1461 – 2 October 1470		28 April 1442 Rouen son of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, and Cecily Neville	Elizabeth Woodville Grafton Regis 1 May 1464 ten children	9 April 1483 Westminster Palace aged 40 (probably died of a stroke after catching a chillduring a fishing trip)	great-great-grandson andheir general of Edward III (seizure of the crown/cognatic primogeniture)

House of Lancaster (restored)[edit]

Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death	Claim
Henry VI 30 October 1470 – 11 April 1471		6 December 1421 Windsor Castle son of Henry V and Catherine of Valois	Margaret of Anjou Titchfield Abbey 22 April 1445 1 son	21 May 1471 Tower of London aged 49 (murdered by the York brothers).	son of Henry V (seizure of the crown)

House of York (restored)[edit]

Name	Birth	Marriages	Death	Claim
Edward IV (second reign) 11 April 1471 – 9 April 1483	28 April 1442 Rouen son of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, and Cecily Neville	Elizabeth Woodville Grafton Regis 1 May 1464 ten children	9 April 1483 Westminster Palace aged 40 (probably died of a stroke after catching a chillduring a fishing trip)	great-great-grandson andheir general of Edward III (seizure of the crown/cognatic primogeniture)
Edward V 9 April – 25 June 1483^[39]	2 November 1470 Westminster son of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville^[39]	unmarried	c. 1483 London aged about 12 (cause of death unknown)	son of Edward IV (cognatic primogeniture)
Richard III 26 June 1483–1485^[40]	2 October 1452 Fotheringhay Castle son of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, and Cecily Neville	Anne Neville Westminster Abbey 12 July 1472 1 son	22 August 1485 Bosworth Field aged 32 (killed in battle)	great-great-grandson ofEdward III (Titulus Regius) brother of Edward IV

House of Tudor[edit]

Main article: Tudor dynasty

The Tudors descended matrilineally from John Beaufort, one of the illegitimate children of John of Gaunt (third surviving son of Edward III), by Gaunt's long-term mistressKatherine Swynford. Those descended from English monarchs only through an illegitimate child would normally have no claim on the throne, but the situation was complicated when Gaunt and Swynford eventually married in 1396 (25 years after John Beaufort's birth). In view of the marriage, the church retroactively declared the Beauforts legitimate via a papal bull the same year (also enshrined in an Act of Parliament in 1397). A subsequent proclamation by John of Gaunt's legitimate son, King Henry IV, also recognised the Beauforts' legitimacy, but declared them ineligible ever to inherit the throne. Nevertheless, the Beauforts remained closely allied with Gaunt's other descendants, the Royal House of Lancaster.

John Beaufort's granddaughter Lady Margaret Beaufort was married to Edmund Tudor. Tudor was the son of Welsh courtier Owain Tewdwr or Tudur (anglicised to Owen Tudor) and Catherine of Valois, the widowed queen consort of the Lancastrian King Henry V. Edmund Tudor and his siblings were either illegitimate, or the product of a secret marriage, and owed their fortunes to the goodwill of their legitimate half-brother King Henry VI. When the House of Lancaster fell from power, the Tudors followed. By the late 15th century, the Tudors were the last hope for the Lancaster supporters. Edmund Tudor's son became king as Henry VII after defeating Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485, ending the Wars of the Roses.

With Henry VIII's break from the Roman Catholic Church, the monarch became the Supreme Head of the Church of England and of the Church of Ireland. Elizabeth I's title became the Supreme Governor of the Church of England.

Name	Birth	Marriages	Death	Claim
Henry VII 22 August 1485–1509	28 January 1457 Pembroke Castle son of Edmund Tudor and Lady Margaret Beaufort	Elizabeth of York Westminster Abbey 18 January 1486 eight children	21 April 1509 Richmond Palace aged 52	great-great-great-grandson of Edward III (right of conquest)
Henry VIII 21 April 1509–1547	28 June 1491 Greenwich Palace son of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York	Catherine of Aragon Greenwich 11 June 1509 one daughter	28 January 1547 Whitehall Palace aged 55	son of Henry VII (primogeniture)
		Anne Boleyn Westminster Palace 25 January 1533 one daughter
		Jane Seymour Whitehall Palace 30 May 1536 one son
		Anne of Cleves Greenwich Palace 6 January 1540
		Catherine Howard Hampton Court Palace 28 July 1540
		Catherine Parr Hampton Court Palace 12 July 1543
Edward VI 28 January 1547–1553	12 October 1537 Hampton Court Palace son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour	unmarried	6 July 1553 Greenwich Palace aged 15	son of Henry VIII (primogeniture)

Disputed claimant

Edward VI named Lady Jane Grey as his heir presumptive, overruling the order of succession laid down by Parliament in the Third Succession Act. Four days after his death on 6 July 1553, Jane was proclaimed queen—the first of three Tudor women to be proclaimed queen regnant. Nine days after the proclamation, on 19 July, the Privy Council switched allegiance and proclaimed Edward VI's Catholic half-sister Mary. Jane was executed in 1554, aged 16. Many historians do not consider her to have been a legitimate monarch.

Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death	Claim
Jane 10–19 July 1553 Title disputed		October 1537 Bradgate Park daughter of Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Suffolk, and Lady Frances Brandon	Lord Guildford Dudley The Strand 21 May 1553 no children^[41]	12 February 1554 Tower of London aged 16 (beheaded)	great-granddaughter of Henry VII (Devise for the succession)

Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death	Claim
Mary I 19 July 1553–1558		18 February 1516 Greenwich Palace daughter of Henry VIII andCatherine of Aragon	Philip II of Spain Winchester Cathedral 25 July 1554 no children	17 November 1558 St. James's Palace aged 42	daughter of Henry VIII (Third Succession Act)
Philip^[42] 25 July 1554 – 17 November 1558 (jure uxoris)		21 May 1527 Valladolid, Spain son of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, and Isabella of Portugal	(2) Mary I of England Winchester Cathedral 25 July 1554 no children three other marriages and seven children	13 September 1598 El Escorial, Spain aged 71	husband of Mary I (Act for the Marriage of Queen Mary to Philip of Spain)

Under the terms of the marriage treaty between Philip I of Naples (Philip II of Spain from 15 January 1556) and Queen Mary I, Philip was to enjoy Mary's titles and honours for as long as their marriage should last. All official documents, including Acts of Parliament, were to be dated with both their names, and Parliament was to be called under the joint authority of the couple. An Act of Parliament gave him the title of king and stated that he "shall aid her Highness ... in the happy administration of her Grace's realms and dominions"^[43] (although elsewhere the Act stated that Mary was to be "sole queen"). Nonetheless, Philip was to co-reign with his wife.^[44] As the new King of England could not read English, it was ordered that a note of all matters of state should be made in Latin or Spanish.^[44]^[45]^[46] Coins were minted showing the heads of both Mary and Philip, and the coat of arms of England(right) was impaled with Philip's to denote their joint reign.^[47]^[48] Acts which made it high treason to deny Philip's royal authority were passed in England^[49] and Ireland.^[50] In 1555, Pope Paul IV issued a papal bull recognising Philip and Mary as rightful King and Queen of Ireland.

Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death	Claim
Elizabeth I 17 November 1558–1603		7 September 1533 Greenwich Palace daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn	unmarried	24 March 1603 Richmond Palace aged 69	daughter of Henry VIII (Third Succession Act)

House of Stuart[edit]

Main article: House of Stuart

Following the death of Elizabeth I in 1603 without issue, the Scottish king, James VI, succeeded to the English throne as James I in the Union of the Crowns. James was descended from the Tudors through his great-grandmother, Margaret Tudor, the eldest daughter of Henry VII. In 1604 he adopted the title King of Great Britain. However the two parliaments remained separate.

Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death	Claim
James I 24 March 1603–1625		19 June 1566 Edinburgh Castle son of Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, and Mary I, Queen of Scots	Anne of Denmark Oslo 23 November 1589 seven children	27 March 1625 Theobalds House Aged 58	great-great-grandson andheir general of Henry VII
Charles I 27 March 1625–1649		19 November 1600 Dunfermline Palace son of James I and Anne of Denmark	Henrietta Maria of France St Augustine's Abbey 13 June 1625 nine children	30 January 1649 Whitehall Palace aged 48 (beheaded)	son of James I (cognatic primogeniture)

Commonwealth[edit]

Main article: Commonwealth of England

There was no reigning monarch between the execution of Charles I in 1649 and the Restoration of Charles II in 1660. Instead, from 1653 the following individuals held power asLords Protector, during the period known as the Protectorate, when the monarchy was overthrown.

Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death
Oliver Cromwell Old Ironsides 16 December 1653–1658^[51]		25 April 1599 Huntingdon^[51] son of Robert Cromwell and Elizabeth Steward^[52]	Elizabeth Bourchier in St Giles^[53] 22 August 1620 nine children^[51]	3 September 1658 Whitehall aged 59^[51]
Richard Cromwell Tumbledown Dick 3 September 1658 – 7 May 1659^[54]		4 October 1626 Huntingdon son of Oliver Cromwell and Elizabeth Bourchier^[54]	Dorothy Maijor May 1649 nine children^[54]	12 July 1712 Cheshunt aged 85^[55]

House of Stuart (restored)[edit]

Although the monarchy was restored in 1660, no stable settlement proved possible until the Glorious Revolution of 1688, when Parliament passed legislation prohibiting Roman Catholics from succeeding to the throne.

Name	Birth	Marriages	Death	Claim
Charles II 1660–1685^[56] Recognised by Royalists in 1649	29 May 1630 St. James' Palace son of Charles I and Henrietta Maria of France	Catherine of Braganza Portsmouth 21 May 1662 no children	6 February 1685 Whitehall Palace aged 54	son of Charles I (cognatic primogeniture; English Restoration)
James II 6 February 1685 – 23 December 1688 (deposed)	14 October 1633 St. James' Palace son of Charles I and Henrietta Maria of France	(1) Anne Hyde The Strand 3 September 1660 eight children (2) Mary of Modena Dover 21 November 1673 seven children	16 September 1701 Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye aged 67	son of Charles I (cognatic primogeniture)
Mary II 13 February 1689–1694	30 April 1662 St. James' Palace daughter of James II and Anne Hyde	St. James' Palace 4 November 1677 no children	28 December 1694 Kensington Palace aged 32	grandchildren of Charles I (offered the crown by Parliament)
William III William of Orange 13 February 1689–1702	4 November 1650 The Hague son of William II, Prince of Orange, and Mary, Princess Royal^[57]	St. James' Palace 4 November 1677 no children	8 March 1702 Kensington Palace aged 51 after breaking his collarbone from falling off his horse
Anne 8 March 1702–1 May 1707^[58] Queen of Great Britain and Ireland 1 May 1707–1 August 1714	6 February 1665 St. James' Palace daughter of James II and Anne Hyde	George of Denmark St. James' Palace 28 July 1683 5 children	1 August 1714 Kensington Palace aged 49	daughter of James II (cognatic primogeniture; Bill of Rights 1689)
Monarchs after 1707	See List of British monarchs

Acts of Union[edit]

The Acts of Union 1707 were a pair of Parliamentary Acts passed during 1706 and 1707 by the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland to put into effect the Treaty of Union agreed on 22 July 1706. The Acts joined the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland (previously separate sovereign states, with separate legislatures but with the same monarch) into the United Kingdom of Great Britain.^[59]

The two countries had shared a monarch for about 100 years (since the Union of the Crowns in 1603, when King James VI of Scotland inherited the English throne from his first cousin twice removed, Queen Elizabeth I). Although described as a Union of Crowns, until 1707 there were in fact two separate Crowns resting on the same head. There had been three attempts in 1606, 1667, and 1689 to unite the two countries by Acts of Parliament, but it was not until the early eighteenth century that the idea had the will of both political establishments behind them, albeit for rather different reasons.

For monarchs after 1707, see List of British monarchs.

Timeline of English Monarchs[edit]

Titles[edit]

Main article: Style of the British sovereign

The standard title for all monarchs from Æthelstan until the time of King John was Rex Anglorum ("King of the English"). In addition, many of the pre-Norman kings assumed extra titles, as follows:

Æthelstan: Rex totius Britanniae ("King of the Whole of Britain")
Edmund the Magnificent: Rex Britanniæ ("King of Britain") and Rex Anglorum cæterarumque gentium gobernator et rector ("King of the English and of other peoples governor and director")
Eadred: Regis qui regimina regnorum Angulsaxna, Norþhymbra, Paganorum, Brettonumque ("Reigning over the governments of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxons, Northumbrians, Pagans, and British")
Eadwig the Fair: Rex nutu Dei Angulsæxna et Northanhumbrorum imperator paganorum gubernator Breotonumque propugnator ("King by the will of God, Emperor of the Anglo-Saxons and Northumbrians, governor of the pagans, commander of the British")
Edgar the Peaceful: Totius Albionis finitimorumque regum basileus ("Autocrat of all Albion and its neighbouring realms")
Canute: Rex Anglorum totiusque Brittannice orbis gubernator et rector ("King of the English and of all the British sphere governor and director") and Brytannie totius Anglorum monarchus ("Monarch of all the English of Britain")

In the Norman period Rex Anglorum remained standard, with occasional use of Rex Anglie ("King of England"). The Empress Matilda styled herself Domina Anglorum ("Lady of the English").

From the time of King John onwards all other titles were eschewed in favour of Rex or Regina Anglie.

In 1604 James I, who had inherited the English throne the previous year, adopted the title (now usually rendered in English rather than Latin) King of Great Britain. The English and Scottish parliaments, however, did not recognise this title until the Acts of Union of 1707 under Queen Anne (who was of course Queen of Great Britain rather than king).^[60]

Notes[edit]

Jump up^ E. B. Fryde et al, ed. (1996). Handbook of British Chronology (3rd ed.). Royal Historical Society. p. 25.ISBN 0-521-56350-X.
Jump up^ Keynes, Simon (2001). "Rulers of the English, c.450–1066". In Michael Lapidge, John Blair, Simon Keynes and Donald Scragg. The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Anglo-Saxon England. Blackwell Publishing. p. 514.ISBN 978-0-631-22492-1.
Jump up^ In 1801, the Kingdom of Ireland, which had been under English rule since King Henry II, became part of theUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland following theAct of Union, which lasted until the secession of Irelandin 1922 and the subsequent renaming of the state to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Jump up^ Pratt, David (2007). "The political thought of King Alfred the Great". Cambridge Studies in Medieval Life and Thought: Fourth Series 67. Cambridge University Press, p. 106. ISBN 978-0-521-80350-2.
Jump up^ Yorke, Barbara. Bishop Æthelwold: His Career and Influence. Woodbridge, 1988. p. 71
^ Jump up to:^a ^b Simon Keynes, 'Rulers of the English, c 450–1066', in Michael Lapidge et al ed., The Blackwell Encyclopaedia of Anglo-Saxon England, 2001, p. 514
Jump up^ Sean Miller, Æthelstan, in Michael Lapidge et al ed.,The Blackwell Encyclopaedia of Anglo-Saxon England, 2001, p. 16
^ Jump up to:^a ^b Simon Keynes, 'Edward, King of the Anglo-Saxons', in N. J. Higham & D. H. Hill eds., Edward the Elder, Routledge, 2001, pp. 50–51
Jump up^ Alan Thacker, 'Dynastic Monasteries and Family Cults', in N. J. Higham & D. H. Hill eds., Edward the Elder, Routledge, 2001, p. 253
^ Jump up to:^a ^b ^c Aethelstan @ Archontology.org. Retrieved 15 March 2007.
^ Jump up to:^a ^b ^c EADMUND (Edmund) @ Archontology.org. Retrieved 17 March 2007.
Jump up^ English Monarchs – Kings and Queens of England – Edmund the Elder. Retrieved 17 March 2007.
Jump up^ EADRED (Edred) @ Archontology.org. Retrieved 17 March 2007.
Jump up^ BritRoyals – King Edred. Retrieved 17 March 2007.
^ Jump up to:^a ^b ^c EADWIG (Edwy) @ Archontology.org. Retrieved 17 March 2007.
Jump up^ Catholic Encyclopedia: Edwy. Retrieved 17 March 2007.
Jump up^ EADGAR (Edgar the Peacemaker) @ Archontology.org. Retrieved 17 March 2007.
Jump up^ The Ætheling. Retrieved 17 March 2007.
^ Jump up to:^a ^b EADWEARD (Edward the Martyr) @ Archontology.org. Retrieved 17 March 2007.
^ Jump up to:^a ^b ^c ^d Æthelred the Unready was forced to go into exile in the summer of 1013, following Danish attacks, but was invited back following Sweyn Forkbeard's death.AETHELRED (the Unready) @ Archontology.org. Retrieved 17 March 2007.
^ Jump up to:^a ^b English Monarchs – Kings and Queens of England – Ethelred II, the Redeless. Retrieved 17 March 2007.
Jump up^ "English Monarchs". Retrieved 27 October 2007.
Jump up^ "Sweyn (Forkbeard) - Archontology.org". Retrieved 27 October 2007.
^ Jump up to:^a ^b ^c ^d EADMUND (Edmund the Ironside) @ Archontology.org. Retrieved 17 March 2007.
^ Jump up to:^a ^b English Monarchs – Kings and Queens of England – Edmund Ironside. Retrieved 17 March 2007.
Jump up^ Edmund II (king of England) @ Britannica.com. Retrieved 25 March 2010.
^ Jump up to:^a ^b ^c ^d CNUT (Canute) @ Archontology.org. Retrieved 21 March 2007.
^ Jump up to:^a ^b ^c Harold was only recognised as regent until 1037, when was recognised as king. "Harold (Harefoot) - Archontology.org". Retrieved 27 October 2007.
Jump up^ "Harold I". Oxford Online Dictionary of National Biography. Retrieved 20 February 2012.
Jump up^ "Harthacnut - Archontology.org". Retrieved 28 October 2007.
^ Jump up to:^a ^b "Harthacnut". Oxford Online Dictionary of National Biography. Retrieved 20 February 2012.
^ Jump up to:^a ^b After reigning for approximately 9 weeks, Edgar the Atheling submitted to William the Conqueror, who had gained control of the area to the south and immediate west of London ("Eadgar (the Ætheling) - Archontology.org". Retrieved 26 October 2007.).
Jump up^ "STEPHEN (of Blois) - Archontology.org". Retrieved 25 October 2007.
Jump up^ "MATILDA (the Empress) - Archontology.org". Retrieved 27 October 2007.
Jump up^ Ashley, Mike (1999). The Mammoth Book of British Kings and Queens, London: Robinson Publishing Ltd. p. 516. ISBN 1-84119-096-9
Jump up^ The date of Edward II's death is disputed by Ian Mortimer in his book "The Perfect King: The Life of Edward III, Father of the English Nation," which argues that he may not have been murdered, but held imprisoned in Europe for several more years: ISBN 0-09-952709-X
Jump up^ "HENRY IV - Archontology.org". Retrieved 25 October 2007.
Jump up^ Biography of HENRY V – Archontology.org. Retrieved 28 November 2009
^ Jump up to:^a ^b Edward V was deposed by Richard III, who usurped the throne on the grounds that Edward was illegitimate. "EDWARD V - Archontology.org". Retrieved 25 October 2007.
Jump up^ "RICHARD III - Archontology.org". Retrieved 25 October 2007.
Jump up^ "Lady Jane Grey: Marriage". Retrieved 25 October 2007.
Jump up^ Philip was not meant to be a mere consort; rather, the status of Mary I's husband was envisioned as that of a co-monarch during her reign. See Act for the Marriage of Queen Mary to Philip of Spain. However the extent of his authority and his status are ambiguous. The Act says that Philip shall have the title of king and "shall aid her Highness ... in the happy administration of her Grace's realms and dominions," but elsewhere says that Mary shall be the sole Queen.
Jump up^ 1 Mar stat. 2 c. 2
^ Jump up to:^a ^b Louis Adrian Montrose, The subject of Elizabeth: authority, gender, and representation, University of Chicago Press, 2006
Jump up^ A. F. Pollard, The History of England – From the Accession of Edward VI. to the Death of Elizabeth (1547–1603), READ BOOKS, 2007
Jump up^ Wim de Groot, The Seventh Window: The King's Window Donated by Philip II and Mary Tudor to Sint Janskerk in Gouda (1557), Uitgeverij Verloren, 2005
Jump up^ Richard Marks, Ann Payne, British Museum, British Library; British heraldry from its origins to c. 1800; British Museum Publications Ltd., 1978
Jump up^ American Numismatic Association, The Numismatist, American Numismatic Association, 1971
Jump up^ Treason Act 1554
Jump up^ Robert Dudley Edwards, Ireland in the age of the Tudors: the destruction of Hiberno-Norman civilisation, Taylor & Francis, 1977
^ Jump up to:^a ^b ^c ^d "Oliver Cromwell 1599–1658". Retrieved 25 October 2007.
Jump up^ "Oliver Cromwell – Faq 1". Retrieved 25 October 2007.
Jump up^ "New Page 1". Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 25 October 2007.
^ Jump up to:^a ^b ^c "Richard Cromwell, Lord Protector, 1626–1712". Retrieved 25 October 2007.
Jump up^ "CROMWELL, Richard - Archontology.org". Retrieved 25 October 2007.
Jump up^ Britannia: Monarchs of Britain
Jump up^ "WILLIAM III - Archontology.org". Retrieved 25 October 2007.
Jump up^ "Anne (England) - Archontology.org". Retrieved 25 October 2007.
Jump up^ Welcome parliament.uk. Retrieved 7 October 2008.
Jump up^ After the personal union of the crowns, James was the first to style himself King of Great Britain, but the title was rejected by the English Parliament and had no basis in law. The Parliament of Scotland also opposed it. Croft, p67; Wilson, pp249–252. See also the early history of the Union Flag.

External links[edit]

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English, Scottish and British monarchs

Monarchs of England before 1603	Monarchs of Scotland before 1603

Alfred the Great Edward the Elder Ælfweard Æthelstan Edmund I Eadred Eadwig Edgar the Peaceful Edward the Martyr Æthelred the Unready Sweyn Forkbeard Edmund Ironside Cnut the Great Harold Harefoot Harthacnut Edward the Confessor Harold Godwinson Edgar the Ætheling William I William II Henry I Stephen Matilda Henry II Henry the Young King Richard I John Henry III Edward I Edward II Edward III Richard II Henry IV Henry V Henry VI Edward IV Edward V Richard III Henry VII Henry VIII Edward VI Jane Mary I and Philip Elizabeth I	Kenneth I MacAlpin Donald I Constantine I Áed Giric Eochaid Donald II Constantine II Malcolm I Indulf Dub Cuilén Amlaíb Kenneth II Constantine III Kenneth III Malcolm II Duncan I Macbeth Lulach Malcolm III Canmore Donald III Duncan II Donald III Edgar Alexander I David I Malcolm IV William I Alexander II Alexander III Margaret First Interregnum John Second Interregnum Robert I David II Edward Robert II Robert III James I James II James III James IV James V Mary I James VI

Monarchs of England and Scotland after the Union of the Crowns in 1603

James I & VI Charles I Commonwealth Charles II James II & VII William III & II and Mary II Anne

British monarchs after the Acts of Union 1707

Anne George I George II George III George IV William IV Victoria Edward VII George V Edward VIII George VI Elizabeth II

Debatable or disputed rulers are in italics.

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mylittlehistorybook

Saturday, 16 August 2014

ist of English monarchs

Contents

House of Wessex[edit]

House of Denmark[edit]

House of Wessex (restored, first time)[edit]

House of Denmark (restored)[edit]

House of Wessex (restored, second time)[edit]

House of Normandy[edit]

House of Blois[edit]

House of Anjou[edit]

House of Plantagenet[edit]

House of Lancaster[edit]

House of York[edit]

House of Lancaster (restored)[edit]

House of York (restored)[edit]

House of Tudor[edit]

House of Stuart[edit]

Commonwealth[edit]

House of Stuart (restored)[edit]

Acts of Union[edit]

Timeline of English Monarchs[edit]

Titles[edit]

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

External links[edit]

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