This list of kings and reigning queens of the

Kingdom of England The Kingdom of England (, ) was a sovereign state on the island of Great Britain from 12 July 927, when it emerged from various Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, until 1 May 1707, when it united with Scotland to form the Kingdom of Great Britain. On ...

begins with

Alfred the Great Alfred the Great (alt. Ælfred 848/849 – 26 October 899) was King of the West Saxons from 871 to 886, and King of the Anglo-Saxons from 886 until his death in 899. He was the youngest son of King Æthelwulf and his first wife Osburh, who bo ...

, who initially ruled

Wessex la, Regnum Occidentalium Saxonum , conventional_long_name = Kingdom of the West Saxons , common_name = Wessex , image_map = Southern British Isles 9th century.svg , map_caption = S ...

, one of the seven Anglo-Saxon kingdoms which later made up modern England. Alfred styled himself King of the

Anglo-Saxons The Anglo-Saxons were a cultural group who inhabited England in the Early Middle Ages. They traced their origins to settlers who came to Britain from mainland Europe in the 5th century. However, the ethnogenesis of the Anglo-Saxons happened ...

from about 886, and while he was not the first king to claim to rule all of the

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...

, his rule represents the start of the first unbroken line of kings to rule the whole of England, the

House of Wessex The House of Wessex, also known as the Cerdicings and the West Saxon dynasty, refers to the family, traditionally founded by Cerdic, that ruled Wessex in Southern England from the early 6th century. The house became dominant in southern England aft ...

. Arguments are made for a few different kings thought to have controlled enough Anglo-Saxon kingdoms to be deemed the first king of England. For example,

Offa of Mercia Offa (died 29 July 796 AD) was King of Mercia, a kingdom of Anglo-Saxon England, from 757 until his death. The son of Thingfrith and a descendant of Eowa, Offa came to the throne after a period of civil war following the assassination of Æth ...

and

Egbert of Wessex Ecgberht (770/775 – 839), also spelled Egbert, Ecgbert, Ecgbriht, Ecgbeorht, and Ecbert, was King of Wessex from 802 until his death in 839. His father was King Ealhmund of Kent. In the 780s, Ecgberht was forced into exile to Charlem ...

are sometimes described as kings of England by popular writers, but it is no longer the majority view of historians that their wide dominions are part of a process leading to a unified England. Historian

Simon Keynes Simon Douglas Keynes, ( ; born 23 September 1952) is a British author who is Elrington and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon emeritus in the Department of Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic at Cambridge University, and a Fellow of Trinity College ...

states, for example, that "Offa was driven by a lust for power, not a vision of English unity; and what he left was a reputation, not a legacy." This refers to a period in the late 8th century when Offa achieved a dominance over many of the kingdoms of southern England, but this did not survive his death in 796. Likewise, in 829 Egbert of Wessex conquered

Mercia la, Merciorum regnum , conventional_long_name=Kingdom of Mercia , common_name=Mercia , status=Kingdom , status_text=Independent kingdom (527–879)Client state of Wessex () , life_span=527–918 , era=Heptarchy , event_start= , date_start= , y ...

, but he soon lost control of it. It was not until the late 9th century that one kingdom, Wessex, had become 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'', but he never ruled eastern and northern England, which was then known as the

Danelaw The Danelaw (, also known as the Danelagh; ang, Dena lagu; da, Danelagen) was the part of England in which the laws of the Danes held sway and dominated those of the Anglo-Saxons. The Danelaw contrasts with the West Saxon law and the Mercian ...

, having earlier been conquered by the

Danes Danes ( da, danskere, ) are a North Germanic ethnic group and nationality native to Denmark and a modern nation identified with the country of Denmark. This connection may be ancestral, legal, historical, or cultural. Danes generally regard t ...

from southern Scandinavia. His son

Edward the Elder Edward the Elder (17 July 924) was King of the Anglo-Saxons from 899 until his death in 924. He was the elder son of Alfred the Great and his wife Ealhswith. When Edward succeeded to the throne, he had to defeat a challenge from his cousin ...

conquered the eastern Danelaw, but Edward's son

Æthelstan Æthelstan or Athelstan (; ang, Æðelstān ; on, Aðalsteinn; ; – 27 October 939) was King of the Anglo-Saxons from 924 to 927 and King of the English from 927 to his death in 939. He was the son of King Edward the Elder and his fir ...

became the first king to rule the whole of England when he conquered

Northumbria la, Regnum Northanhymbrorum , conventional_long_name = Kingdom of Northumbria , common_name = Northumbria , status = State , status_text = Unified Anglian kingdom (before 876)North: Anglian kingdom (af ...

in 927, and he is regarded by some modern historians as the first true king of England. The title "King of the English" or in Latin, was first used to describe Æthelstan in one of his charters in 928. The standard title for monarchs from Æthelstan until

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Secon ...

was "King of the English".

Cnut the Great Cnut (; ang, Cnut cyning; non, Knútr inn ríki ; or , no, Knut den mektige, sv, Knut den Store. died 12 November 1035), also known as Cnut the Great and Canute, was King of England from 1016, King of Denmark from 1018, and King of Norw ...

, a Dane, was the first to call himself "King of England". In the Norman period "King of the English" remained standard, with occasional use of "King of England" or . From John's reign onwards all other titles were eschewed in favour of "King" or "Queen of England". The

Principality of Wales The Principality of Wales ( cy, Tywysogaeth Cymru) was originally the territory of the native Welsh princes of the House of Aberffraw from 1216 to 1283, encompassing two-thirds of modern Wales during its height of 1267–1277. Following the co ...

was incorporated into the

under the

Statute of Rhuddlan The Statute of Rhuddlan (12 Edw 1 cc.1–14; cy, Statud Rhuddlan ), also known as the Statutes of Wales ( la, Statuta Valliae) or as the Statute of Wales ( la, Statutum Valliae, links=no), provided the constitutional basis for the government of ...

in 1284, and in 1301

King Edward I Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he ruled the duchies of Aquitaine and Gascony as a vassal o ...

invested his eldest son, the future

King Edward II Edward II (25 April 1284 – 21 September 1327), also called Edward of Caernarfon, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1307 until he was deposed in January 1327. The fourth son of Edward I, Edward became the heir apparent to the ...

, as

Prince of Wales Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rule ...

. Since that time, the eldest sons of all English monarchs, except for

King Edward III Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377), also known as Edward of Windsor before his accession, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from January 1327 until his death in 1377. He is noted for his military success and for restoring r ...

, have borne this title. After the death of

Queen Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is sometimes referred to as the "Virgin Queen". Eli ...

without issue in 1603,

King James VI of Scotland James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 until hi ...

inherited the English crown as James I of England, joining the crowns of England and Scotland in

personal union A personal union is the combination of two or more states that have the same monarch while their boundaries, laws, and interests remain distinct. A real union, by contrast, would involve the constituent states being to some extent interli ...

. By royal proclamation, James styled himself "King of Great Britain", but no such kingdom was actually created until 1707, when England and Scotland

united United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two f ...

during the reign of Queen Anne to form the new

Kingdom of Great Britain The Kingdom of Great Britain (officially Great Britain) was a sovereign country in Western Europe from 1 May 1707 to the end of 31 December 1800. The state was created by the 1706 Treaty of Union and ratified by the Acts of Union 1707, wh ...

, with a single

British parliament The Parliament of the United Kingdom is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace of Westminster, London. It alone possesses legislative suprem ...

sitting at

Westminster Westminster is an area of Central London, part of the wider City of Westminster. The area, which extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street, has many visitor attractions and historic landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, B ...

. This marked the end of the Kingdom of England as a sovereign state.

House of Wessex

, - ,

Alfred Alfred may refer to: Arts and entertainment *'' Alfred J. Kwak'', Dutch-German-Japanese anime television series * ''Alfred'' (Arne opera), a 1740 masque by Thomas Arne * ''Alfred'' (Dvořák), an 1870 opera by Antonín Dvořák *"Alfred (Interl ...

Alfred the Great

c. 886
–
26 October 899
''(13 years)'' , Statue d'Alfred le Grand à Winchester

, 849

Son of Æthelwulf of Wessex
and Osburh , Ealhswith of Gainsborough
868
5 children , 26 October 899
Aged about 50 , Son of Æthelwulf of Wessex

Treaty of Wedmore The Treaty of Wedmore is a 9th-century accord between Alfred the Great of Wessex and the Viking king Guthrum the Old. The only contemporary reference to this treaty, is that of a Welsh monk Asser in his biography of Alfred, (known as ''Vita Ælf ...

, - ,

26 October 899
–
17 July 924
''()'' , Edward the Elder - MS Royal 14 B VI

Son of

and

Ealhswith Ealhswith or Ealswitha (died 5 December 902) was the wife of King Alfred the Great. Her father was a Mercian nobleman, Æthelred Mucel, Ealdorman of the Gaini, which is thought to be an old Mercian tribal group. Her mother was Eadburh, a member o ...

Ecgwynn Ecgwynn or Ecgwynna (Old English ''Eċġwynn'', lit. "sword joy"; ''fl''. 890s), was the first consort of Edward the Elder, later King of the English (reigned 899–924), by whom she bore the future King Æthelstan (r. 924–939), and a daughter ...

2 children

Ælfflæd Ælfflæd is a name of Anglo-Saxon England meaning Ælf (Elf) and flæd (beauty). It may refer to: * Saint Ælfflæd of Whitby (654–714) * Ælfflæd of Mercia, daughter of Offa, wife of King Æthelred I of Northumbria * Ælfflæd, wife of Edward ...

8 children

Eadgifu of Kent Eadgifu of Kent (also Edgiva or Ediva) (in or before 903 – in or after 966) was the third wife of Edward the Elder, King of Wessex. Biography Eadgifu was the daughter of Sigehelm, Ealdorman of Kent, who died at the Battle of the Holme in 902. ...

4 children , 17 July 924
Aged about 50 , Son of

, - ,

Æthelstan the Glorious
924

–
27 October 939
''(14–15 years)'' , Aethelstan1 of England

, 894

Son of

and

, Unmarried , 27 October 939
Aged about 45 , Son of

, - ,

Edmund I Edmund I or Eadmund I (920/921 – 26 May 946) was King of the English from 27 October 939 until his death in 946. He was the elder son of King Edward the Elder and his third wife, Queen Eadgifu, and a grandson of King Alfred the Great. Afte ...

Edmund the Magnificent
27 October 939
–
26 May 946
''()'' , Edmund I - MS Royal 14 B V

Son of Edward the Elder
and

Ælfgifu of Shaftesbury Ælfgifu of Shaftesbury (died 944) was the first wife of King Edmund I (r. 939–946). She was Queen of the English from her marriage in around 939 until her death in 944. Ælfgifu and Edmund were the parents of two future English kings, Eadw ...

2 sons

Æthelflæd of Damerham Æthelflæd of Damerham was Queen of the English as the second wife of King Edmund I from their marriage 944 until Edmund died in 946. Æthelflæd was a daughter of ealdorman Ælfgar, probably the ealdorman of Essex. Her mother's name is not ...

944
No children , 26 May 946

Pucklechurch Pucklechurch is a large village and civil parish in South Gloucestershire, England. It has a current population of about 3000. The village dates back over a thousand years and was once the site of a royal hunting lodge, as it adjoined a large fo ...

Killed in a brawl aged about 25 , Son of Edward the Elder , - ,

Eadred Eadred (c. 923 – 23 November 955) was King of the English from 26 May 946 until his death. He was the younger son of Edward the Elder and his third wife Eadgifu, and a grandson of Alfred the Great. His elder brother, Edmund, was killed try ...

26 May 946
–
23 November 955
''()'' , Eadred - MS Royal 14 B VI

Son of Edward the Elder
and Eadgifu of Kent , Unmarried , 23 November 955

Frome Frome ( ) is a town and civil parish in eastern Somerset, England. The town is built on uneven high ground at the eastern end of the Mendip Hills, and centres on the River Frome. The town, about south of Bath, is the largest in the Mendip d ...

Aged about 32 , Son of Edward the Elder , - ,

Eadwig Eadwig (also Edwy or Eadwig All-Fair, 1 October 959) was King of England from 23 November 955 until his death in 959. He was the elder son of Edmund I and his first wife Ælfgifu, who died in 944. Eadwig and his brother Edgar were young ...

Eadwig All-Fair
23 November 955
–
1 October 959
''()'' , Eadwig - MS Royal 14 B VI

Son of

and

Ælfgifu Ælfgifu (also ''Ælfgyfu''; ''Elfgifa, Elfgiva, Elgiva'') is an Anglo-Saxon feminine personal name, from ''ælf'' " elf" and ''gifu'' "gift". When Emma of Normandy, the later mother of Edward the Confessor, became queen of England in 1002, she ...

No verified children , 1 October 959
Aged about 19 , Son of

, - ,

Edgar the Peaceful Edgar ( ang, Ēadgār ; 8 July 975), known as the Peaceful or the Peaceable, was King of the English from 959 until his death in 975. The younger son of King Edmund I and Ælfgifu of Shaftesbury, he came to the throne as a teenager followin ...

1 October 959
–
8 July 975
''()'' , New Minster Charter 966 detail Edgar

,
Wessex

Son of Edmund I
and Ælfgifu of Shaftesbury , Æthelflæd

1 son

Ælfthryth

2 sons , 8 July 975

Winchester Winchester is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs Nation ...

Aged 31 , Son of Edmund I , - ,

Edward the Martyr Edward ( ang, Eadweard, ; 18 March 978), often called the Martyr, was King of the English from 975 until he was murdered in 978. Edward was the eldest son of King Edgar, but was not his father's acknowledged heir. On Edgar's death, the leader ...

8 July 975
–
18 March 978
''()'' , Edward the Martyr - MS Royal 14 B VI

Son of

and Æthelflæd , Unmarried , 18 March 978

Corfe Castle Corfe Castle is a fortification standing above the village of the same name on the Isle of Purbeck peninsula in the English county of Dorset. Built by William the Conqueror, the castle dates to the 11th century and commands a gap in the P ...

Murdered aged about 16 , Son of

, - , ''(1st reign)''

Æthelred the Unready Æthelred II ( ang, Æþelræd, ;Different spellings of this king’s name most commonly found in modern texts are "Ethelred" and "Æthelred" (or "Aethelred"), the latter being closer to the original Old English form . Compare the modern diale ...

18 March 978
–
1013
''(34–35 years)'' , EthelUn

Son of Edgar the Peaceful
and Ælfthryth ,

Ælfgifu of York Ælfgifu of York (fl. c. 970 – 1002) was the first wife of Æthelred the Unready, King of the English; as such, she was Queen of the English from their marriage in the 980s until her death in 1002. They had many children together, includin ...

991
9 children

Emma of Normandy Emma of Normandy (referred to as Ælfgifu in royal documents; c. 984 – 6 March 1052) was a Norman-born noblewoman who became the English, Danish, and Norwegian queen through her marriages to the Anglo-Saxon king Æthelred the Unready and the ...

1002
3 children , 23 April 1016

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

Aged about 48 , Son of Edgar the Peaceful

House of Denmark

England came under the control of Sweyn Forkbeard, a

Danish king This is a list of Danish monarchs, that is, the kings and queens regnant of Denmark. This includes: * The Kingdom of Denmark (up to 1397) ** Personal union of Denmark and Norway (1380–1397) * The Kalmar Union (1397–1536) ** Union of Denmark, ...

, after an invasion in 1013, during which Æthelred abandoned the throne and went into exile in

Normandy Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...

. , - ,

Sweyn Sweyn is a Scandinavian masculine given name which may refer to: Kings: * Sweyn Forkbeard (960–1014), King of Denmark, England, and Norway as Sweyn I * Sweyn or Svein Knutsson (c. 1016–1035), King of Norway as Sweyn II * Sweyn II of Denmark (10 ...

Sweyn Forkbeard
25 December 1013
–
3 February 1014
''()'' ,

, 17 April 963

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establish ...

Son of

Harald Bluetooth Harald "Bluetooth" Gormsson ( non, Haraldr Blátǫnn Gormsson; da, Harald Blåtand Gormsen, died c. 985/86) was a king of Denmark and Norway. He was the son of King Gorm the Old and of Thyra Dannebod. Harald ruled as king of Denmark from c. 958 ...

and either Tove or Gunhild ,

Gunhild of Wenden Gunhilda of Wenden was a Polish princess, daughter of Mieszko I of Poland according to Chronicles of Thietmar of Merserburg, Adam von Bremen and Acta Cnutonis regis princess and Danish Viking Age queen consort, the supposed spouse of 10th-centur ...

7 children

Sigrid the Haughty Sigrid the Haughty (Old Norse:''Sigríðr (hin) stórráða''), also known as ''Sigrid Storråda'' ( Swedish), is a Scandinavian queen appearing in Norse sagas. Sigrid is named in several late and sometimes contradictory Icelandic sagas composed g ...

1 daughter , 3 February 1014

Gainsborough Gainsborough or Gainsboro may refer to: Places * Gainsborough, Ipswich, Suffolk, England ** Gainsborough Ward, Ipswich * Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, a town in England ** Gainsborough (UK Parliament constituency) * Gainsborough, New South Wales, ...

Aged 50 ,

Right of conquest The right of conquest is a right of ownership to land after immediate possession via force of arms. It was recognized as a principle of international law that gradually deteriorated in significance until its proscription in the aftermath of Worl ...

House of Wessex (restored, first time)

Following the death of Sweyn Forkbeard,

returned from

exile Exile is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons and peoples suf ...

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 The Witan () was the king's council in Anglo-Saxon England from before the seventh century until the 11th century. It was composed of the leading magnates, both ecclesiastic and secular, and meetings of the council were sometimes called the Wit ...

, despite ongoing Danish efforts to wrest the crown from the

West Saxons la, Regnum Occidentalium Saxonum , conventional_long_name = Kingdom of the West Saxons , common_name = Wessex , image_map = Southern British Isles 9th century.svg , map_caption = S ...

. , - , ''(2nd reign)''

3 February 1014
–
23 April 1016
''()'' , EthelUn

Son of

and Ælfthryth ,

991
9 children

1002
3 children , 23 April 1016

Aged about 48 , Son of

, - ,

Edmund Ironside Edmund Ironside (30 November 1016; , ; sometimes also known as Edmund II) was King of the English from 23 April to 30 November 1016. He was the son of King Æthelred the Unready and his first wife, Ælfgifu of York. Edmund's reign was marred by ...

23 April 1016
–
30 November 1016
''()'' , Edmund Ironside - MS Royal 14 B V

Son of

Æthelred Æthelred (; ang, Æþelræd ) or Ethelred () is an Old English personal name (a compound of '' æþele'' and '' ræd'', meaning "noble counsel" or "well-advised") and may refer to: Anglo-Saxon England * Æthelred and Æthelberht, legendary pri ...

and

, Edith of East Anglia
2 children , 30 November 1016

Glastonbury Glastonbury (, ) is a town and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated at a dry point on the low-lying Somerset Levels, south of Bristol. The town, which is in the Mendip district, had a population of 8,932 in the 2011 census. Glastonbur ...

Aged 26 , Son of

House of Denmark (restored)

Following the decisive

Battle of Assandun The Battle of Assandun (or Essendune) was fought between Danish and English armies on 18 October 1016. There is disagreement whether Assandun may be Ashdon near Saffron Walden in north Essex, England, or, as long supposed and better evidenced, ...

on 18 October 1016, King Edmund signed a treaty with

Cnut Cnut (; ang, Cnut cyning; non, Knútr inn ríki ; or , no, Knut den mektige, sv, Knut den Store. died 12 November 1035), also known as Cnut the Great and Canute, was King of England from 1016, King of Denmark from 1018, and King of Norway ...

(Canute) under which all of England except for Wessex would be controlled by Cnut. Upon Edmund's death just over a month later on 30 November, Cnut ruled the whole kingdom as its sole king for nineteen years. ,

Cnut the Great
18 October 1016
–
12 November 1035
''()'' , Knut der Große cropped

Son of

Sweyn Forkbeard Sweyn Forkbeard ( non, Sveinn Haraldsson tjúguskegg ; da, Svend Tveskæg; 17 April 963 – 3 February 1014) was King of Denmark from 986 to 1014, also at times King of the English and King of Norway. He was the father of King Harald II of ...

and

Gunhilda of Poland Gunhilda of Wenden was a Polish princess, daughter of Mieszko I of Poland according to Chronicles of Thietmar of Merserburg, Adam von Bremen and Acta Cnutonis regis princess and Danish Viking Age queen consort, the supposed spouse of 10th-centu ...

Ælfgifu of Northampton Ælfgifu of Northampton ( non, Álfífa, 990 – after 1036) was the first wife of Cnut the Great, King of England and Denmark, and mother of Harold Harefoot, King of England. She was regent of Norway from 1030 to 1035. Biography Family ...

2 sons

1017
2 children , 12 November 1035

Shaftesbury Shaftesbury () is a town and civil parish in Dorset, England. It is situated on the A30 road, west of Salisbury, near the border with Wiltshire. It is the only significant hilltop settlement in Dorset, being built about above sea level on a ...

Aged about 40 , Son of

Treaty of Deerhurst Cnut (; ang, Cnut cyning; non, Knútr inn ríki ; or , no, Knut den mektige, sv, Knut den Store. died 12 November 1035), also known as Cnut the Great and Canute, was King of England from 1016, King of Denmark from 1018, and King of Norway ...

, - ,

Harold Harefoot Harold I (died 17 March 1040), also known as Harold Harefoot, was King of the English from 1035 to 1040. Harold's nickname "Harefoot" is first recorded as "Harefoh" or "Harefah" in the twelfth century in the history of Ely Abbey, and according ...

12 November 1035
–
17 March 1040
''()'' , Harold H

Son of

and

, , 17 March 1040

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

Aged about 24 , Son of

, - ,

Harthacnut Harthacnut ( da, Hardeknud; "Tough-knot"; – 8 June 1042), traditionally Hardicanute, sometimes referred to as Canute III, was King of Denmark from 1035 to 1042 and King of the English from 1040 to 1042. Harthacnut was the son of King ...

17 March 1040
–
8 June 1042
''()'' , Hardeknut

, 1018

Son of Cnut the Great
and

, Unmarried , 8 June 1042

Lambeth Lambeth () is a district in South London, England, in the London Borough of Lambeth, historically in the County of Surrey. It is situated south of Charing Cross. The population of the London Borough of Lambeth was 303,086 in 2011. The area e ...

Aged about 24 , Son of Cnut the Great

House of Wessex (restored, second time)

After

, there was a Saxon Restoration between 1042 and 1066. , - ,

Edward the Confessor Edward the Confessor ; la, Eduardus Confessor , ; ( 1003 – 5 January 1066) was one of the last Anglo-Saxon English kings. Usually considered the last king of the House of Wessex, he ruled from 1042 to 1066. Edward was the son of Æt ...

8 June 1042
–
5 January 1066
''()'' , Edward Confessor

,
Islip

Son of

and

Edith of Wessex Edith of Wessex ( 1025 – 18 December 1075) was Queen of England from her marriage to Edward the Confessor in 1045 until Edward died in 1066. Unlike most English queens in the 10th and 11th centuries, she was crowned. The principal source on h ...

23 January 1045
No children , 5 January 1066

Westminster Palace The Palace of Westminster serves as the meeting place for both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Informally known as the Houses of Parliament, the Palace lies on the north b ...

Aged about 63 , Son of

House of Godwin

, - ,

Harold II Harold Godwinson ( – 14 October 1066), also called Harold II, was the last crowned Anglo-Saxon English king. Harold reigned from 6 January 1066 until his death at the Battle of Hastings, fighting the Norman invaders led by William the Co ...

Harold Godwinson
6 January 1066
–
14 October 1066
''()'' , BayeuxTapestryScene13(crop2)

Son of

Godwin of Wessex Godwin of Wessex ( ang, Godwine; – 15 April 1053) was an English nobleman who became one of the most powerful earls in England under the Danish king Cnut the Great (King of England from 1016 to 1035) and his successors. Cnut made Godwin the ...

and

Gytha Thorkelsdóttir Gytha Thorkelsdóttir ( ang, Gȳða Þorkelsdōttir, 997 – c. 1069), also called Githa, was a Danish noblewoman. She was the wife of Godwin, Earl of Wessex and the mother of King Harold Godwinson and of Edith of Wessex, who was the queen con ...

Edith Swannesha Edith the Fair ( ang, Ealdgȳð Swann hnesce, "Edyth the Gentle Swan"; c. 1025 – c. 1066), also known as Edith Swanneck,Her first name is also spelled Ealdgyth, Aldgyth, ''Edeva'' or Eddeva, and sometimes appears as ''Ēadgȳð'' and ''Ēadgif ...

5 children

Ealdgyth The name Ealdgyth ( ang, Ealdgȳð; sometimes modernized to Aldith, may refer to * Ealdgyth, daughter of Uhtred the Bold, Earl of Northumbria (died 1016) and Ælfgifu who is a daughter of Æthelred II * Ealdgyth (floruit 1015–1016) (born c. 9 ...

2 sons , 14 October 1066

Hastings Hastings () is a large seaside town and borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England, east to the county town of Lewes and south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place to the north-west ...

Died in the Battle of Hastings aged 44 , Supposedly named heir by

Elected by the

Witenagemot The Witan () was the king's council in Anglo-Saxon England from before the seventh century until the 11th century. It was composed of the leading magnates, both ecclesiastic and secular, and meetings of the council were sometimes called the Wi ...

House of Normandy

In 1066, several rival claimants to the English throne emerged. Among them were

Harold Godwinson Harold Godwinson ( – 14 October 1066), also called Harold II, was the last crowned Anglo-Saxon English king. Harold reigned from 6 January 1066 until his death at the Battle of Hastings, fighting the Norman invaders led by William the ...

(recognised as king by the

after the death of

Harald Hardrada Harald Sigurdsson (; – 25 September 1066), also known as Harald III of Norway and given the epithet ''Hardrada'' (; modern no, Hardråde, roughly translated as "stern counsel" or "hard ruler") in the sagas, was King of Norway from 1046 t ...

(King of

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of ...

who claimed to be the rightful heir of Harthacnut) and Duke William II of Normandy (vassal to the King of France, and first cousin once-removed of Edward the Confessor). Harald and William both invaded separately in 1066. Godwinson successfully repelled the invasion by Hardrada, but ultimately lost the throne of England in the

Norman conquest of England The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Norman, Breton, Flemish, and French troops, all led by the Duke of Normandy, later styled William the Conqu ...

. After the

Battle of Hastings The Battle of Hastings nrf, Batâle dé Hastings was fought on 14 October 1066 between the Norman-French army of William, the Duke of Normandy, and an English army under the Anglo-Saxon King Harold Godwinson, beginning the Norman Conque ...

on 14 October 1066, William the Conqueror made permanent the recent removal of the capital from

. Following the death of Harold Godwinson at Hastings, the Anglo-Saxon Witenagemot elected as king

Edgar Ætheling Edgar Ætheling or Edgar II (c. 1052 – 1125 or after) was the last male member of the royal house of Cerdic of Wessex. He was elected King of England by the Witenagemot in 1066, but never crowned. Family and early life Edgar was born ...

, the son of

Edward the Exile Edward the Exile (1016 – 19 April 1057), also called Edward Ætheling, was the son of King Edmund Ironside and of Ealdgyth. He spent most of his life in exile in the Kingdom of Hungary following the defeat of his father by Cnut the Great. Ex ...

and grandson of Edmund Ironside. The young monarch 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 Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the United ...

, and is today known as William the Conqueror, William the Bastard or William I. , - ,

William I William I; ang, WillelmI (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England, reigning from 1066 until his death in 10 ...

William the Conqueror
25 December 1066
–
9 September 1087
''()'' , Vilem1

Falaise Castle Falaise may refer to: Places * Falaise, Ardennes, France * Falaise, Calvados, France ** The Falaise pocket was the site of a battle in the Second World War * La Falaise, in the Yvelines ''département'', France * The Falaise escarpment in Quebec ...

Son of Robert the Magnificent
and Herleva , Matilda of Flanders

1053
9 children , 9 September 1087
Rouen
Aged about 59 , Supposedly named heir in 1052 by

First cousin once removed of Edward the Confessor

, - , William II of England, William II
William Rufus
26 September 1087
–
2 August 1100
''()'' ,

Son of William the Conqueror
and Matilda of Flanders , Unmarried , 2 August 1100
New Forest
Shot with an arrow aged 44 , Son of

Granted the

over elder brother Robert Curthose , - , Henry I of England, Henry I
Henry Beauclerc
5 August 1100
–
1 December 1135
''()'' , Henry1

, September 1068
Selby

Son of William the Conqueror
and Matilda of Flanders , Matilda of Scotland

11 November 1100
2 children

Adeliza of Louvain
Windsor Castle
29 January 1121
No children , 1 December 1135
Lyons-la-Forêt, Saint-Denis-en-Lyons
Aged 67 , Son of William I

Seizure of the Crown (from Robert Curthose)

House of Blois

Henry I of England, Henry I left no legitimate male heirs, his son William Adelin having died in the ''White Ship'' disaster of 1120. This ended the direct Norman line of kings in England. Henry named his eldest daughter, Empress Matilda, Matilda (Countess of Anjou by her second marriage to Geoffrey Plantagenet, Count of Anjou, as well as widow of her first husband, Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor), as his heir. Before naming Matilda as heir, he had been in negotiations to name his nephew Stephen of Blois as his heir. When Henry died, Stephen travelled to England, and in a coup d'etat had himself crowned instead of Matilda. The period which followed is known as The Anarchy, as parties supporting each side fought in open warfare both in Britain and on the continent for the better part of two decades. , - , Stephen, King of England, Stephen
Stephen of Blois
22 December 1135
–
25 October 1154
''()'' , Stepan Blois

,
Blois

Son of Stephen, Count of Blois, Stephen II of Blois
and Adela of Normandy , Matilda of Boulogne

1125
6 children , 25 October 1154
Dover Castle
Aged about 58 , Grandson of

Appointmentusurpation Count Eustace IV of Boulogne (c. 1130 – 17 August 1153) was Stephen, King of England#Argument with the church (1145–52), appointed co-king of England by his father, Stephen, King of England, 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). The Pope and the Church would not agree to this, and Eustace was not crowned. Eustace died the next year aged 23, during his father's lifetime, and so never became king in his own right.

House of Anjou/Plantagenet

King Stephen came to an agreement with Matilda in November 1153 with the signing of the Treaty of Wallingford, in which Stephen recognised Henry II of England, Henry, son of Matilda and her second husband Geoffrey Plantagenet, Count of Anjou, as the designated heir. The royal house descended from Matilda and Geoffrey is widely known by two names, the Angevin kings of England, House of Anjou (after Geoffrey's title as Count of Anjou) or the House of Plantagenet, after his sobriquet. Some historians prefer to group the subsequent kings into two groups, before and after the loss of the bulk of their French possessions, although they are not different royal houses. The Angevins (from the French term meaning "from Anjou") ruled over the Angevin Empire during the 12th and 13th centuries, an area stretching from the Pyrenees to Ireland. They did not regard England as their primary home until most of their continental domains were lost by John, King of England, King John. The direct, eldest male line from Henry II includes monarchs commonly grouped together as the House of Plantagenet, which was the name given to the dynasty after the loss of most of their continental possessions, while cadet branches of this line became known as the House of Lancaster and the House of York during the War of the Roses. The Angevins formulated coat of arms of England, England's royal coat of arms, which usually showed other kingdoms held or claimed by them or their successors, although without Lordship of Ireland, representation of Ireland for quite some time. ''Dieu et mon droit'' was first used as a battle cry by Richard I of England, Richard I in 1198 at the Battle of Gisors, when he defeated the forces of Philip II of France. It has generally been used as the motto of English monarchs since being adopted by Edward III. , - , Henry II of England, Henry II
Henry Curtmantle
19 December 1154
–
6 July 1189
''()'' ,

, 5 March 1133
Le Mans

Son of Geoffrey Plantagenet, Count of Anjou, Geoffrey V of Anjou
and Empress Matilda, Matilda , Eleanor of Aquitaine
Bordeaux Cathedral
18 May 1152
8 children , 6 July 1189
Chinon
Aged 56 , Grandson of Henry I of England, Henry I

Treaty of Wallingford , - , colspan=99 , Henry II named his son, Henry the Young King (1155–1183), as co-ruler with him but this was a Norman custom of designating an heir, and the younger Henry did not outlive his father and rule in his own right, so he is not counted as a monarch on lists of kings. , - , Richard I of England, Richard I
Richard the Lionheart
3 September 1189
–
6 April 1199
''()'' , Richard coeurdelion g

, rowspan=2 , Royal Arms of England (1198-1340)

, 8 September 1157
Beaumont Palace

Son of Henry II of England, Henry II
and Eleanor of Aquitaine , Berengaria of Navarre
Limassol
12 May 1191
No children , 6 April 1199
Château de Châlus-Chabrol, Châlus
Shot by a crossbow bolt, quarrel aged 41 , Son of Henry II of England, Henry II

Primogeniture , - ,

John Lackland
27 May 1199
–
19 October 1216
''()'' , John of England (John Lackland)

, 24 December 1166
Beaumont Palace

Son of Henry II
and Eleanor of Aquitaine , Isabella, Countess of Gloucester, Isabel of Gloucester
Marlborough Castle
29 August 1189
No children

Isabella of Angoulême
Bordeaux Cathedral
24 August 1200
5 children , 19 October 1216
Newark-on-Trent
Aged 49 , Son of Henry II

Nomination

Proximity of blood

House of Plantagenet

The House of Plantagenet takes its name from Geoffrey Plantagenet, Count of Anjou, husband of Empress Matilda and father of Henry II. The name Plantagenet itself was unknown as a family name ''per se'' until Richard of York, 3rd Duke of York, Richard of York adopted it as his family name in the 15th century. It has since been retroactively applied to English monarchs from Henry II onward. It is common among modern historians to refer to Henry II and his sons as the "Angevins" due to their vast continental empire, and most of the Angevin kings before John spent more time in their continental possessions than in England. It is from the time of Henry III, after the loss of most of the family's continental possessions, that the Plantagenet kings became more English in nature. The Houses of House of Lancaster, Lancaster and House of York, York are cadet branches of the House of Plantagenet. , - , Henry III of England, Henry III
Henry of Winchester
28 October 1216
–
16 November 1272
''()'' , HenryIII

, rowspan=3 , Royal Arms of England (1198-1340)

, 1 October 1207
Winchester Castle

Son of

and Isabella of Angoulême , Eleanor of Provence
Canterbury Cathedral
14 January 1236
5 children , 16 November 1272

Aged 65 , Son of

Primogeniture , - , Edward I of England, Edward I
Edward Longshanks
20 November 1272
–
7 July 1307
''()'' , Edward I - Westminster Abbey Sedilia

, 17 June 1239
Palace of Westminster

Son of Henry III of England, Henry III
and Eleanor of Provence , Eleanor of Castile
Abbey of Santa María la Real de Las Huelgas
18 October 1254
16 children

Margaret of France, Queen of England, Margaret of France
Canterbury
10 September 1299
3 children , 7 July 1307
Burgh by Sands
Aged 68 , Son of Henry III of England, Henry III

Primogeniture , - , Edward II of England, Edward II
Edward of Caernarfon
8 July 1307
–
Parliament of 1327, Abdicated 20 January 1327
''()'' , Edward II, King of England (Bodleian Library MS Rawlinson C 292, folio 105r)

Edward II, King of England (Bodleian Library MS Rawlinson C 292, folio 105r)

, 25 April 1284
Caernarfon Castle

Son of Edward I of England, Edward I
and Eleanor of Castile , Isabella of France
Basilica of Notre-Dame de Boulogne, Boulogne Cathedral
24 January 1308
4 children , 21 September 1327
Berkeley Castle
Murdered aged 43 , Son of Edward I of England, Edward I

Primogeniture , - , Edward III of England, Edward III
Edward of Windsor
25 January 1327
–
21 June 1377
''()'' , Edward III of England (Order of the Garter)

, 13 November 1312
Windsor Castle

Son of Edward II of England, Edward II
and Isabella of France , Philippa of Hainault
York Minster
25 January 1328
14 children , 21 June 1377
Sheen Palace
Aged 64 , Son of Edward II of England, Edward II

Primogeniture , - , Richard II of England, Richard II
Richard of Bordeaux
22 June 1377
–
29 September 1399
''()'' , Richard II King of England

, 6 January 1367
Bordeaux

Son of Edward the Black Prince
and Joan of Kent , Anne of Bohemia
14 January 1382
No children

Isabella of Valois
Calais
4 November 1396
No children , 14 February 1400
Pontefract Castle
Aged 33 , Grandson of Edward III of England, Edward III

Primogeniture

House of Lancaster

This house descended from Edward III's third surviving son, John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster, John of Gaunt. Henry IV seized power from Richard II (and also displaced the next in line to the throne, Edmund Mortimer, 5th Earl of March, Edmund Mortimer (then aged 7), a descendant of Edward III's second son, Lionel of Antwerp, 1st Duke of Clarence, Lionel of Antwerp). , - , Henry IV of England, Henry IV
Henry of Bolingbroke
30 September 1399
–
20 March 1413
''()'' , Illumination of Henry IV (cropped)

, April 1367
Bolingbroke Castle

Son of John of Gaunt
and Blanche of Lancaster , Mary de Bohun
Arundel Castle
27 July 1380
6 children

Joan of Navarre, Queen of England, Joanna of Navarre
Winchester Cathedral
7 February 1403
No children , 20 March 1413

Aged 45 , Grandsonheir male of Edward III of England, Edward III

Usurper, Usurpation , - , Henry V of England, Henry V
Henry of Monmouth
21 March 1413
–
31 August 1422
''()'' , Henry5

, 16 September 1386
Monmouth Castle

Son of Henry IV of England, Henry IV
and Mary de Bohun , Catherine of Valois
Troyes Cathedral
2 June 1420
1 son , 31 August 1422
Château de Vincennes
Aged 35 , Son of Henry IV of England, Henry IV

Agnatic primogeniture , - , ''(1st reign)''
Henry VI of England, Henry VI
1 September 1422
–
4 March 1461
''()'' , King Henry VI

, 6 December 1421
Windsor Castle

Son of Henry V of England, Henry V
and Catherine of Valois , Margaret of Anjou
Titchfield Abbey
22 April 1445
1 son , 21 May 1471
Tower of London
Allegedly murdered aged 49 , Son of Henry V of England, Henry V

Agnatic primogeniture

House of York

The House of York claimed the right to the throne through Edward III's second surviving son, Lionel of Antwerp, 1st Duke of Clarence, Lionel of Antwerp, but it inherited its name from Edward's fourth surviving son, Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York, Edmund of Langley, first Duke of York. The Wars of the Roses (1455–1485) saw the throne pass back and forth between the rival houses of Lancaster and York. , - , ''(1st reign)''
Edward IV of England, Edward IV
4 March 1461
–
3 October 1470
''()'' , EdwardIVofEngland-Yorkist

, 28 April 1442
Rouen

Son of Richard of York, 3rd Duke of York, Richard of York
and Cecily Neville, Duchess of York, Cecily Neville , Elizabeth Woodville
Grafton Regis
1 May 1464
10 children , 9 April 1483

Aged 40 , Great-great-grandsonheir general of Edward III of England, Edward III

Wars of the Roses, Seizure of the Crown

Act of Accord

House of Lancaster (restored)

, - , ''(Readeption of Henry VI, 2nd reign)''
Henry VI of England, Henry VI
3 October 1470
–
11 April 1471
''()'' , King Henry VI

, 6 December 1421
Windsor Castle

Wars of the Roses, Seizure of the Crown

House of York (restored)

, - , ''(2nd reign)''
Edward IV of England, Edward IV
11 April 1471
–
9 April 1483
''()'' , EdwardIVofEngland-Yorkist

, rowspan=3 , Royal Arms of England (1399-1603)

, 28 April 1442
Rouen

Son of Richard of York, 3rd Duke of York, Richard of York
and Cecily Neville, Duchess of York, Cecily Neville , Elizabeth Woodville
Grafton Regis
1 May 1464
10 children , 9 April 1483

Aged 40 , Great-great-grandsonheir general of Edward III of England, Edward III

Wars of the Roses, Seizure of the Crown

Act of Accord , - , Edward V of England, Edward V
9 April 1483
–
25 June 1483
''()'' , King Edward V from NPG

, 2 November 1470

Son of Edward IV of England, Edward IV
and Elizabeth Woodville , Unmarried , Disappeared mid-1483

Princes in the Tower, Allegedly murdered aged 12 , Son of Edward IV of England, Edward IV

Primogeniture , - , Richard III of England, Richard III
26 June 1483
–
22 August 1485
''()'' , King Richard III from NPG

, 2 October 1452
Fotheringhay Castle

Son of Richard of York
and Cecily Neville , Anne Neville

12 July 1472
1 son , 22 August 1485
Bosworth Field
Killed in battle aged 32 , Great-great-grandson of Edward III

''Titulus Regius''

House of Tudor

The Tudors descended in the female line from John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset, John Beaufort, one of the illegitimate children of John of Gaunt (third surviving son of Edward III), by Gaunt's long-term mistress Katherine 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.Michael K. Jones and Malcolm G. Underwood, ''The King's Mother: Lady Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond and Derby'', (Cambridge University Press, 1995), 19–20. Parliament did the same in an Act in 1397. A subsequent proclamation by John of Gaunt's legitimate son, Henry IV of England, 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, 1st Earl of Richmond, Edmund Tudor. Tudor was the son of Welsh courtier Owain Tudur (anglicised to Owen Tudor) and Catherine of Valois, the widow of the Lancastrian Henry V of England, 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 Henry VI of England, 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 of England, Henry VII after defeating Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485, winning the Wars of the Roses. King Henry married Elizabeth of York, daughter of Edward IV, thereby uniting the Lancastrian and York lineages. (See House of Tudor#Royal lineage, family tree.) , - , Henry VII of England, Henry VII
22 August 1485
–
21 April 1509
''()'' , Enrique VII de Inglaterra, por un artista anónimo

Enrique VII de Inglaterra, por un artista anónimo

, rowspan=3 , Royal Arms of England (1399-1603)

, 28 January 1457
Pembroke Castle

Son of Edmund Tudor, 1st Earl of Richmond, Edmund Tudor
and Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond and Derby, Margaret Beaufort , Elizabeth of York

18 January 1486
8 children , 21 April 1509
Richmond Palace
Aged 52 , Great-great-great-grandson of Edward III of England, Edward III

Marriage to Elizabeth of York , - , Henry VIII
22 April 1509
–
28 January 1547
''()'' , , 28 June 1491
Palace of Placentia, Greenwich Palace

Son of Henry VII of England, Henry VII
and Elizabeth of York , Catherine of Aragon
Greenwich
11 June 1509
Mary I of England, 1 daughter

Anne Boleyn

25 January 1533
Elizabeth I, 1 daughter

Jane Seymour
Palace of Whitehall, Whitehall Palace
30 May 1536
Edward VI, 1 son

Wives of Henry VIII, ''3 further marriages''
''No more children'' , 28 January 1547
Palace of Whitehall, Whitehall Palace
Aged 55 , Son of Henry VII of England, Henry VII

Primogeniture , - , Edward VI of England, Edward VI
28 January 1547
–
6 July 1553
''()'' , Circle of William Scrots Edward VI of England

, 12 October 1537
Hampton Court Palace

Son of Henry VIII
and Jane Seymour , Unmarried , 6 July 1553
Palace of Placentia, Greenwich Palace
Aged 15 , Son of Henry VIII

Primogeniture , - , Mary I of England, Mary I
Bloody Mary
19 July 1553
–
17 November 1558
''()'' , Anthonis Mor 001

, rowspan=2 , Royal Arms of England (1554-1558)

, 18 February 1516
Palace of Placentia, Greenwich Palace

Daughter of Henry VIII
and Catherine 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 , - , ''(Jure uxoris)''
Philip II of Spain, Philip
Philip the Prudent
25 July 1554
–
17 November 1558
''()'' , , 21 May 1527
Valladolid

Son of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire
and Isabella of Portugal , Mary I of England
Winchester Cathedral
25 July 1554
No children

''3 other marriages
7 children'' , 13 September 1598
El Escorial
Aged 71 , Husband of Mary I of England, Mary I

Act for the Marriage of Queen Mary to Philip of Spain , - , colspan=99 align=left , Under the terms of the marriage treaty between Philip II of Spain, Philip I of Naples (later 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 Act of Parliament, 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" (although elsewhere the Act stated that Mary was to be "sole queen"). Nonetheless, Philip was to co-reign with his wife. , - , Elizabeth I
The Virgin Queen
17 November 1558
–
24 March 1603
''()''
, Elizabeth I Rainbow Portrait3

, 7 September 1533
Palace of Placentia, 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

Elizabeth's cousin,

, 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 and wife of James IV of Scotland. In 1604, he adopted the title ''King of Great Britain''. However, the two parliaments remained separate until the Acts of Union 1707. , - , James VI and I, James I
24 March 1603
–
27 March 1625
''()'' , JamesIEngland

, rowspan=2 , Royal Arms of England (1603-1707)

, 19 June 1566
Edinburgh Castle

Son of Mary, Queen of Scots, and Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley , Anne of Denmark
Oslo
23 November 1589
7 children , 27 March 1625
De Vere Theobalds Estate, Theobalds House
Aged 58 , Great-great-grandsonheir general of Henry VII of England, Henry VII , - , Charles I of England, Charles I
27 March 1625
–
30 January 1649
''()'' , King Charles I after original by van Dyck

King Charles I after original by van Dyck

, 19 November 1600
Dunfermline Palace

Son of James VI and I, James I
and Anne of Denmark , Henrietta Maria of France
St Augustine's Abbey
13 June 1625
9 children , 30 January 1649
Palace of Whitehall, Whitehall Palace
Executed aged 48 , Son of James VI and I, James I

Cognatic primogeniture

First Interregnum

No monarch reigned after the 1649 execution of Charles I. Between 1649 and 1653, there was no single English head of state, as England was ruled directly by the Rump Parliament with the English Council of State acting as executive power during a period known as the Commonwealth of England. After a coup d'etat in 1653, Oliver Cromwell forcibly took control of England from Parliament. He dissolved the Rump Parliament at the head of a military force and England entered The Protectorate period, under Cromwell's direct control with the title Lord Protector. It was within the power of the Lord Protector to choose his heir and Oliver Cromwell chose his eldest son, Richard Cromwell, to succeed him. , - , Oliver Cromwell
16 December 1653
–
3 September 1658
''()'' , Oliver Cromwell by Robert Walker

, rowspan=2 , Arms of the Protectorate (1653–1659)

, 25 April 1599
Huntingdon

Son of Robert Cromwell
and Elizabeth Steward , Elizabeth Cromwell, Elizabeth Bourchier
St Giles-without-Cripplegate, St Giles
22 August 1620
9 children , 3 September 1658
Whitehall
Aged 59 , - , Richard Cromwell
3 September 1658
–
7 May 1659
''()'' , Richard Cromwell (1626-1712), by Gerard Soest

Richard Cromwell (1626-1712), by Gerard Soest

, 4 October 1626
Huntingdon

Son of Oliver Cromwell
and Elizabeth Cromwell, Elizabeth Bourchier , Dorothy Maijor
May 1649
9 children , 12 July 1712
Cheshunt
Aged 85 Richard Cromwell was forcibly removed by the English Committee of Safety in May 1659. England again lacked any single head of state. After almost a year of anarchy, the monarchy was Restoration (England), formally restored when Charles II of England, Charles II returned from France to accept the throne.

House of Stuart (restored)

The Monarchy was restored under the rule of Charles II of England, Charles II. , - , Charles II of England, Charles II
29 May 1660
–
6 February 1685
''()'' , King Charles II by John Michael Wright or studio

King Charles II by John Michael Wright or studio

, rowspan=2 , Royal Arms of England (1603-1707)

, 29 May 1630
St James's Palace

Son of Charles I of England, Charles I
and Henrietta Maria of France , Catherine of Braganza
Portsmouth
21 May 1662
No children , 6 February 1685
Palace of Whitehall, Whitehall Palace
Aged 54 , Son of Charles I of England, Charles I

Cognatic primogeniture

English Restoration , - , James II of England, James II
6 February 1685
–
23 December 1688
''(Glorious Revolution, Overthrown after )'' , James II by Peter Lely

, 14 October 1633
St James's Palace

Son of Charles I
and Henrietta Maria of France , Anne Hyde
Strand, London, The Strand
3 September 1660
8 children

Mary of Modena
Dover
21 November 1673
7 children , 16 September 1701
Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye
Aged 67 , Son of Charles I

Cognatic primogeniture

Second Interregnum 1688-1689

James II was ousted by Parliament less than four years after ascending to the throne, beginning the century's second interregnum. To settle the question of who should replace the deposed monarch, a Convention Parliament (1689), Convention Parliament elected James' daughter Mary II and her husband (also his nephew) William III of England, William III co-monarchs, in the Glorious Revolution.

Houses of Stuart and Orange

, - , Mary II of England, Mary II
13 February 1689
–
28 December 1694
''()'' , Mary II - Kneller 1690

, 30 April 1662
St James's Palace

Daughter of James II of England, James II
and Anne Hyde , William III of England
St James's Palace
4 November 1677
No children , 28 December 1694
Kensington Palace
Aged 32 , Daughter of James II of England, James II

Bill of Rights 1689, Offered the Crown by Parliament , - , William III of England, William III
William of Orange
13 February 1689
–
8 March 1702
''()'' , King William III of England

, 4 November 1650
The Hague

Son of William II of Orange
and Mary, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange, Mary of England , Mary II of England
St James's Palace
4 November 1677
No children , 8 March 1702
Kensington Palace
Aged 51 , Grandson of Charles I

Bill of Rights 1689, Offered the Crown by Parliament , - , Anne, Queen of Great Britain, Anne
8 March 1702
–
1 May 1707
''()''

' , Closterman, John - Queen Anne - NPG 215

, 6 February 1665
St James's Palace

Daughter of James II
and Anne Hyde , Prince George of Denmark, George of Denmark
St James's Palace
28 July 1683
3 children , 1 August 1714
Kensington Palace
Aged 49 , Daughter of James II

Cognatic primogeniture

Bill of Rights 1689 While Jacobitism, James and his descendants continued to claim the throne, all Catholics (such as James and his son Bonnie Prince Charlie, Charles) were barred from the throne by the Act of Settlement 1701, enacted by Anne, Queen of Great Britain, Anne, another of James's Protestant daughters. With the Acts of Union 1707, England as a sovereign state ceased to exist, replaced by the new

, see List of British monarchs.

Acts of Union

The Acts of Union 1707 were a pair of Act of Parliament, 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

and the Kingdom of Scotland (previously separate sovereign states, with separate legislatures but Personal union, with the same monarch) into the

. England, Scotland, and Ireland had shared a monarch for more than a hundred years, since the Union of the Crowns in 1603, when

inherited the English and Irish thrones from his first cousin twice removed, Elizabeth I, 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 attempts in 1606, 1667, and 1689, to unite England and Scotland by Acts of Parliament but it was not until the early 18th century that the idea had the support of both political establishments behind it, albeit for rather different reasons.

Timeline

Titles

The standard title for all monarchs from

until the time of John, King of England, King John was ("King of the English"). In addition, many of the pre-Norman kings assumed extra titles, as follows: *

: ("King of the Whole of Britain") * Edmund I, Edmund the Magnificent: ("King of Britain") and ("King of the English and of other peoples governor and director") *

: ("Reigning over the governments of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxons, Northumbrians, Pagans, and British") * Eadwig, Eadwig the Fair: ("King by the will of God, Emperor of the Anglo-Saxons and Northumbrians, governor of the pagans, commander of the British") *

: ("King of all Albion and its neighbouring realms") *

: ("King of the English and of all the British sphere governor and ruler") and ("Monarch of all the English of Britain") In the Norman conquest of England, Norman period remained standard, with occasional use of ("King of England"). The Empress Matilda styled herself ("Lady of the English"). From the time of John, King of England, King John onwards all other titles were eschewed in favour of or . In 1604 James VI and I, 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 ''Queen of Great Britain'' rather than king).

Explanatory notes

Coronations

Burials

References

Citations

General sources

* *

External links

* {{English, Scottish and British monarchs English monarchs, English monarchy, * 927 establishments Kingdom of England-related lists, Monarchs Lists of British monarchs, English

House of Wessex

House of Denmark

House of Wessex (restored, first time)

House of Denmark (restored)

House of Wessex (restored, second time)

House of Godwin

House of Normandy

House of Blois

House of Anjou/Plantagenet

House of Plantagenet

House of Lancaster

House of York

House of Lancaster (restored)

House of York (restored)

House of Tudor

House of Stuart

First Interregnum

House of Stuart (restored)

Second Interregnum 1688-1689

Houses of Stuart and Orange

Acts of Union

Timeline

Titles

See also

Explanatory notes

Coronations

Burials

References

Citations

General sources

External links