UK Constitution and Government/British Monarchs
Appearance
Name | Reign | Notes |
---|---|---|
Alfred the Great | 878-899 | |
Edward the Elder | 899-924 | Alfred's son |
Ethelweard | 924 | Edward's son |
Athelstan | 925-940 | Edward's son |
Edmund I | 939-946 | Edward's son |
Edred | 946-955 | Edward's son |
Edwy | 955-959 | Edmund's son |
Edgar the Peaceful | 959-975 | Edmund's son |
St Edward the Martyr | 975-978 | Edgar's son |
Ethelred II | 978-1013 1014-1016 |
Edgar's son |
Edmund II | 1016 | Ethelred II's son |
For a period of time, both the Saxons and the Danish claimed the English throne. | ||
Sweyn Forkbeard | 1013-1014 | |
Canute the Great | 1016-1035 | Sweyn's son |
Harold I | 1035-1040 | Canute's illegitimate son |
Harthacanute | 1040-1042 | Canute's son |
St Edward the Confessor | 1042-1066 | Ethelred II's son |
Harold II | 1066 | Edward the Confessor's brother-in-law |
After the Norman Conquest in 1066, numbering of kings (a French tradition applied to the Saxons only by historians) begins anew, although this affects only the Edwards. | ||
William I | 1066-1087 | |
William II | 1087-1100 | William I's son |
Henry I | 1100-1135 | William I's son |
Stephen | 1135-1154 | William I's grandson |
The Royal House name changed to reflect Matilda's marriage to Geoffrey Plantagenet. | ||
Matilda (Empress Maud) | 1141 | Henry I's daughter |
Henry II | 1154-1189 | Matilda's son |
Richard I | 1189-1199 | Henry II's son |
John | 1199-1216 | Henry II's son |
Henry III | 1216-1272 | John's son |
Edward I | 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 |
Henry Bolingbroke deposed Richard II, and the Royal House name came to reflect Henry's father's title, Duke of Lancaste. | ||
Henry IV | 1399-1413 | Edward III's grandson |
Henry V | 1413-1422 | Henry IV's son |
Henry VI | 1422-1461 | Henry V's son |
The Houses of Lancaster and York had fought the War of the Roses, and the Yorkists took the throne. | ||
Edward IV | 1461-1483 | Edward III's great-great-grandson |
Edward V | 1483 | Edward IV's son |
Richard III | 1483-1485 | Edward IV's brother |
The Lancastrian Henry Tudor reclaimed the throne from the Yorkists. | ||
Henry VII | 1485-1509 | Edward III's great-great-grandson |
Henry VIII | 1509-1547 | Henry VII's son |
Edward VI | 1547-1553 | Henry VIII's son |
Lady Jane Grey | 1553 | Henry VII's great-granddaughter |
Mary I | 1553-1558 | Henry VIII's daughter |
Elizabeth I | 1558-1603 | Henry VIII's daughter |
Name | Reign | Notes |
---|---|---|
Kenneth I | 843-858 | |
Donald I | 858-862 | Kenneth I's brother |
Constantine I | 862-877 | Kenneth I's son |
Aedh | 877-878 | Kenneth I's son |
Eochaid | 878-889 | Aedh's nephew Jointly with Giric |
Giric | 878-889 | Aedh's first cousin Jointly with Eochaid |
Donald II | 889-900 | Constantine I's son |
Constantine II | 900-943 | Aedh's son |
Malcolm I | 943-954 | Donald II's son |
Indulf | 954-962 | Constantine II's son |
Dubh | 962-966 | Malcolm I's son |
Culen | 966-971 | Indulf's son |
Kenneth II | 971-995 | Malcolm I's son |
Constantine III | 995-997 | Culen's son |
Kenneth III | 997-1005 | Dubh's son |
Malcolm II | 1005-1034 | Kenneth II's son |
Duncan I | 1034-1040 | Malcolm II's grandson |
Macbeth | 1040-1057 | Malcolm II's grandson |
Lulach | 1057-1058 | Kenneth III's grandson |
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 |
When Margaret died, there was no clear heir. King Edward I of England took over and installed a puppet, John Balliol. | ||
John Balliol | 1292-1296 | David I's great-great-great-grandson |
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 |
For a period of time, both Edward Balliol and David II claimed the throne. | ||
Edward Ballioll | 1332-1338 | John Balliol's son |
When Robert Stewart took over, the Royal House name was changed to Stuart (the French spelling of Stewart). | ||
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 |
In 1603, James VI of Scotland inherited the English throne upon the death of Elizabeth I. From then until 1707, England and Scotland had shared monarchs. |
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Name | Reign | Notes |
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James I (England) James VI (Scotland) |
1603-1625 | Henry VII of England's great-great-grandson Mary of Scotland's son |
Charles I | 1625-1649 | James I's son |
There was no King between Charles I's execution in 1649 and the Restoration in 1660. The nation's rulers were known as Lords Protector. |
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Name | Reign | Notes |
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Oliver Cromwell | 1653-1658 | |
Richard Cromwell | 1658-1659 | Oliver Cromwell's son |
In 1659, Richard Cromwell abdicated. Anarchy existed until the Stuart Restoration in 1660. |
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Name | Reign | Notes |
---|---|---|
Charles II | 1660-1685 | Charles I's son |
James II (England) James VII (Scotland) |
1685-1689 | Charles I's son |
Mary II | 1689-1694 | James II's daughter Jointly with William III |
William III (England) William II (Scotland) |
1689-1702 | Mary II's husband Jointly with his wife |
Anne | 1702-1707 | James II's daughter |
In 1707, the Act of Union combined the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain. |
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Name | Reign | Notes |
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Anne | 1707-1714 | James II's daughter |
Under the Act of Settlement, descendants of Sophia, Electress of Hanover, as the closest Protestant relatives of Anne, became entitled to the throne, and the Royal House name was changed when George, Elector of Hanover became King. |
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George I | 1714-1727 | James I's great-grandson |
George II | 1727-1760 | George I's son |
George III | 1760-1801 | George II's grandson |
In 1801, the Act of Union combined the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland into the United Kingdom. |
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Name | Reign | Notes |
---|---|---|
George III | 1801-1820 | 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 Royal House name was changed to reflect Victoria's marriage to Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. |
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Victoria | 1837-1901 | George III's granddaughter |
Edward VII | 1901-1910 | Victoria's son |
George V | 1910-1936 | Edward VII's son |
The name of the Royal House changed from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to Windsor due to anti-German sentiments during World War I. |
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George V | 1910-1936 | Edward VII's son |
In 1922, the Irish Free State left the United Kingdom. The name of the Kingdom was amended in 1927 to reflect the change. |
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Name | Reign | Notes |
---|---|---|
George V | 1910-1936 | Edward VII's son |
Edward VIII | 1936 | George V's son |
George VI | 1936-1952 | George V's son |
Elizabeth II | 1952-2022 | George VI's daughter |
Charles III | 2022- | Elizabeth II's son |