From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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:
[edit] Complications over title and style
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.
- 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[1]. 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.
[edit] Monarchs
The list of monarchs below can be exhaustive. 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 |
The House of Grey |
Jane |
1553 |
Henry VII's great granddaughter. Proclaimed Queen on 10 July 1553 but deposed by Mary I 9 days later. |
The House of Tudor |
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 |
|
|
- King Louis is included between the reigns of King John and Henry III, although by tradition he usually is not listed.
- A mnemonic verse lists the Kings and Queens of England then Great Britain then the United Kingdom.
[edit] See also
[edit] References