This list of kings and reigning queens of the Kingdom of England 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 b ...

, who initially ruled Wessex, 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 wit ...

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 af ...

. 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 Æt ...

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 Charlema ...

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 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= , ye ...

, 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, having earlier been conquered by the Danes 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 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 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 was "King of the English". Cnut the Great, 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 con ...

was incorporated into the Kingdom of England 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, 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 ruler ...

. 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 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 h ...

inherited the English crown as James I of England, joining the crowns of England and Scotland in personal union. By royal proclamation, James styled himself "King of Great Britain", but no such kingdom was actually created until 1707, when England and Scotland united during the reign of Queen Anne to form the new Kingdom of Great Britain, 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 supremacy ...

sitting at Westminster. 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 Osburh or Osburga (also Osburga Oslacsdotter) was the first wife of King Æthelwulf of Wessex and mother of King Alfred the Great. Alfred's biographer, Asser, described her as "a most religious woman, noble in character and noble by birth". S ...

, 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
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 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
Killed in a brawl aged about 25 , Son of Edward the Elder , - , Eadred
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
Aged about 32 , Son of Edward the Elder , - , Eadwig
Eadwig All-Fair
23 November 955
–
1 October 959
''()'' , Eadwig - MS Royal 14 B VI

Son of Edmund I
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 Edmund I , - , Edgar the Peaceful
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
Aged 31 , Son of Edmund I , - , Edward the Martyr
8 July 975
–
18 March 978
''()'' , Edward the Martyr - MS Royal 14 B VI

Son of Edgar the Peaceful
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 Edgar the Peaceful , - , ''(1st reign)''
Æthelred the Unready
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
1002
3 children , 23 April 1016
London
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. , - ,

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 ( ...

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

, 17 April 963
Denmark

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 ...

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 Wor ...

House of Wessex (restored, first time)

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

Son of Edgar the Peaceful
and Ælfthryth ,

991
9 children

Emma of Normandy
1002
3 children , 23 April 1016
London
Aged about 48 , Son of Edgar the Peaceful , - ,

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 b ...

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
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 ,

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 b ...

2 sons

Emma of Normandy
1017
2 children , 12 November 1035
Shaftesbury
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
12 November 1035
–
17 March 1040
''()'' ,

Son of Cnut the Great
and

, , 17 March 1040
Oxford
Aged about 24 , Son of Cnut the Great , - , Harthacnut
17 March 1040
–
8 June 1042
''()'' , Hardeknut

, 1018

Son of Cnut the Great
and Emma of Normandy , 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 expe ...

Aged about 24 , Son of Cnut the Great

House of Wessex (restored, second time)

After Harthacnut, 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 Æthe ...

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

,
Islip

Son of

and Emma of Normandy , Edith of Wessex
23 January 1045
No children , 5 January 1066
Westminster Palace
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 ,

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

2 sons , 14 October 1066
Hastings
Died in the Battle of Hastings aged 44 , Supposedly named heir by

Elected by the Witenagemot

House of Normandy

In 1066, several rival claimants to the English throne emerged. Among them were Harold Godwinson (recognised as king by the Witenagemot after the death of

), Harald Hardrada (King of Norway 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. 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 Conquest ...

on 14 October 1066, William the Conqueror made permanent the recent removal of the capital from Winchester to London. Following the death of Harold Godwinson at Hastings, the Anglo-Saxon Witenagemot elected as king Edgar Ætheling, the son of Edward the Exile 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, and is today known as William the Conqueror, William the Bastard or William I. , - , William I
William the Conqueror
25 December 1066
–
9 September 1087
''()'' , Vilem1

,
Falaise Castle

Son of

Robert the Magnificent Robert the Magnificent (french: le Magnifique;He was also, although erroneously, said to have been called 'Robert the Devil' (french: le Diable). Robert I was never known by the nickname 'the devil' in his lifetime. 'Robert the Devil' was a fic ...

and Herleva ,

Matilda of Flanders Matilda of Flanders (french: link=no, Mathilde; nl, Machteld) ( 1031 – 2 November 1083) was Queen of England and Duchess of Normandy by marriage to William the Conqueror, and regent of Normandy during his absences from the duchy. She was t ...

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

,
Normandy

Son of William the Conqueror
and

, Unmarried , 2 August 1100
New Forest
Shot with an arrow aged 44 , Son of William I

Granted the Kingdom of England over elder brother

Robert Curthose Robert Curthose, or Robert II of Normandy ( 1051 – 3 February 1134, french: Robert Courteheuse / Robert II de Normandie), was the eldest son of William the Conqueror and succeeded his father as Duke of Normandy in 1087, reigning until 1106. ...

, - ,

Henry I Henry I may refer to: 876–1366 * Henry I the Fowler, King of Germany (876–936) * Henry I, Duke of Bavaria (died 955) * Henry I of Austria, Margrave of Austria (died 1018) * Henry I of France (1008–1060) * Henry I the Long, Margrave of the N ...

Henry Beauclerc
5 August 1100
–
1 December 1135
''()'' , Henry1

, September 1068

Selby Selby is a market town and civil parish in the Selby District of North Yorkshire, England, south of York on the River Ouse, with a population at the 2011 census of 14,731. The town was historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire until ...

Son of William the Conqueror
and Matilda of Flanders , Matilda of Scotland
Westminster Abbey
11 November 1100
2 children

Adeliza of Louvain Adeliza of Louvain, sometimes known in England as Adelicia of Louvain, also called Adela and Aleidis; (c. 1103 – March/April 1151) was Queen of England from 1121 to 1135, as the second wife of King Henry I. She was the daughter of Godfrey I, ...

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

Seizure of the Crown (from Robert Curthose)

House of Blois

left no legitimate male heirs, his son William Adelin having died in the ''

White Ship The ''White Ship'' (french: la Blanche-Nef; Medieval Latin: ''Candida navis'') was a vessel transporting many nobles, including the heir to the English throne, that sank in the Channel during a trip from France to England near the Normandy ...

'' disaster of 1120. This ended the direct Norman line of kings in England. Henry named his eldest daughter,

Matilda Matilda or Mathilda may refer to: Animals * Matilda (chicken) (1990–2006), World's Oldest Living Chicken record holder * Matilda (horse) (1824–1846), British Thoroughbred racehorse * Matilda, a dog of the professional wrestling tag-team The ...

(Countess of Anjou by her second marriage to

Geoffrey Plantagenet, Count of Anjou Geoffrey V (24 August 1113 – 7 September 1151), called the Handsome, the Fair (french: link=no, le Bel) or Plantagenet, was the count of Anjou, Touraine and Maine by inheritance from 1129, and also Duke of Normandy by conquest from 1144. His ...

, 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 Stephen (1092 or 1096 – 25 October 1154), often referred to as Stephen of Blois, was King of England from 22 December 1135 to his death in 1154. He was Count of Boulogne ''jure uxoris'' from 1125 until 1147 and Duke of Normandy from 1135 unti ...

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
Stephen of Blois
22 December 1135
–
25 October 1154
''()'' , Stepan Blois

Blois Blois ( ; ) is a commune and the capital city of Loir-et-Cher department, in Centre-Val de Loire, France, on the banks of the lower Loire river between Orléans and Tours. With 45,898 inhabitants by 2019, Blois is the most populated city of the d ...

Son of Stephen II of Blois
and

Adela of Normandy Adela of Normandy, of Blois, or of England (c. 1067 – 8 March 1137),LoPrete, Kimberly. "Adela of Blois." ''Women and Gender in Medieval Europe: An Encyclopedia.'' Ed. Margaret Schaus. New York: Routledge, 2006. 6–7. also known as in Roman ...

Matilda of Boulogne Matilda (c.1105 – 3 May 1152) was Countess of Boulogne in her own right from 1125 and Queen of England from the accession of her husband, Stephen, in 1136 until her death in 1152. She supported Stephen in his struggle for the English throne ...

Westminster
1125
6 children , 25 October 1154

Dover Castle Dover Castle is a medieval castle in Dover, Kent, England and is Grade I listed. It was founded in the 11th century and has been described as the "Key to England" due to its defensive significance throughout history. Some sources say it is th ...

Aged about 58 , Grandson of William I

Appointmentusurpation Count

Eustace IV of Boulogne Eustace IV (c. 1129/1131 17 August 1153) ruled the County of Boulogne from 1146 until his death. He was the eldest son of King Stephen of England and Countess Matilda I of Boulogne. When his father seized the English throne on Henry I's death in ...

(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). 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 The Treaty of Wallingford, also known as the Treaty of Winchester or the Treaty of Westminster, was an agreement reached in England in the summer of 1153. It effectively ended a civil war known as ''the Anarchy'' (1135–54), caused by a dispute ...

, in which Stephen recognised Henry, son of Matilda and her second husband

, as the designated heir. The royal house descended from Matilda and Geoffrey is widely known by two names, the

House of Anjou Angevin or House of Anjou may refer to: *County of Anjou or Duchy of Anjou, a historical county, and later Duchy, in France ** Angevin (language), the traditional langue d'oïl spoken in Anjou **Counts and Dukes of Anjou *House of Ingelger, a Frank ...

(after Geoffrey's title as Count of Anjou) or the

House of Plantagenet The House of Plantagenet () was a royal house which originated from the lands of Anjou in France. The family held the English throne from 1154 (with the accession of Henry II at the end of the Anarchy) to 1485, when Richard III died in b ...

, 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 The Angevin Empire (; french: Empire Plantagenêt) describes the possessions of the House of Plantagenet during the 12th and 13th centuries, when they ruled over an area covering roughly half of France, all of England, and parts of Ireland and W ...

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 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 branch In history and heraldry, a cadet branch consists of the male-line descendants of a monarch's or patriarch's younger sons ( cadets). In the ruling dynasties and noble families of much of Europe and Asia, the family's major assets—realm, titles ...

es of this line became known as the

House of Lancaster The House of Lancaster was a cadet branch of the royal House of Plantagenet. The first house was created when King Henry III of England created the Earldom of Lancasterfrom which the house was namedfor his second son Edmund Crouchback in ...

and the

House of York The House of York was a cadet branch of the English royal House of Plantagenet. Three of its members became kings of England in the late 15th century. The House of York descended in the male line from Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York ...

during the War of the Roses. 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. '' Dieu et mon droit'' was first used as a

battle cry A battle cry or war cry is a yell or chant taken up in battle, usually by members of the same combatant group. Battle cries are not necessarily articulate (e.g. "Eulaliaaaa!", "Alala"..), although they often aim to invoke patriotic or religiou ...

by Richard I in 1198 at the

Battle of Gisors The Battle of Gisors (27 September 1198) was a skirmish fought in Courcelles-lès-Gisors, Oise, Picardy, part of the ongoing fighting between Richard I of England and Philip Augustus of France that lasted from 1194 to Richard's death in April 1 ...

, when he defeated the forces of

Philip II of France Philip II (21 August 1165 – 14 July 1223), byname Philip Augustus (french: Philippe Auguste), was King of France from 1180 to 1223. His predecessors had been known as kings of the Franks, but from 1190 onward, Philip became the first French ...

. It has generally been used as the motto of English monarchs since being adopted by Edward III. , - , Henry II
Henry Curtmantle
19 December 1154
–
6 July 1189
''()'' , Henry II of England

, 5 March 1133

Le Mans Le Mans (, ) is a city in northwestern France on the Sarthe River where it meets the Huisne. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le ...

Son of

Geoffrey V of Anjou Geoffrey V (24 August 1113 – 7 September 1151), called the Handsome, the Fair (french: link=no, le Bel) or Plantagenet, was the count of Anjou, Touraine and Maine by inheritance from 1129, and also Duke of Normandy by conquest from 1144. H ...

and

Eleanor of Aquitaine Eleanor ( – 1 April 1204; french: Aliénor d'Aquitaine, ) was Queen of France from 1137 to 1152 as the wife of King Louis VII, Queen of England from 1154 to 1189 as the wife of King Henry II, and Duchess of Aquitaine in her own right from ...

Bordeaux Cathedral Bordeaux Cathedral, officially known as the Primatial Cathedral of St Andrew of Bordeaux (french: Cathédrale-Primatiale Saint-André de Bordeaux), is a Roman Catholic church dedicated to Saint Andrew and located in Bordeaux, France. It is the se ...

18 May 1152
8 children , 6 July 1189

Chinon Chinon () is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department, Centre-Val de Loire, France. The traditional province around Chinon, Touraine, became a favorite resort of French kings and their nobles beginning in the late 15th and early 16th centurie ...

Aged 56 , Grandson of

, - , 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
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 Beaumont Palace, built outside the north gate of Oxford, was intended by Henry I about 1130 to serve as a royal palace conveniently close to the royal hunting-lodge at Woodstock (now part of the park of Blenheim Palace). Its former presence is ...

Son of Henry II
and

Berengaria of Navarre Berengaria of Navarre ( eu, Berengela, es, Berenguela, french: Bérengère; 1165–1170 – 23 December 1230) was Queen of England as the wife of Richard I of England. She was the eldest daughter of Sancho VI of Navarre and Sancha of C ...

Limassol Limassol (; el, Λεμεσός, Lemesós ; tr, Limasol or ) is a city on the southern coast of Cyprus and capital of the district with the same name. Limassol is the second largest urban area in Cyprus after Nicosia, with an urban population ...

12 May 1191
No children , 6 April 1199

Châlus Châlus (; oc, Chasluç) is a commune in the Haute-Vienne department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in western France. History Richard I, King of England was besieging Châlus in 1199 when Pierre Basile wounded him with a crossbow bol ...

Shot by a

quarrel Quarrel may refer to: * A heated disagreement * Crossbow bolt, a crossbow's projectile also known as a quarrel * Quarrel (James Bond), a ''James Bond'' character ** Quarrel Jr., his son * ''Quarrel'' (video game) * ''The Quarrel ''The Qua ...

aged 41 , Son of Henry II

Primogeniture , - , John
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 ,

Isabel of Gloucester Isabella, Countess of Gloucester (1173/1174 – 14 October 1217), was an English noblewoman who was married to King John prior to his accession. Lineage Isabella was the daughter of William Fitz Robert, 2nd Earl of Gloucester, and his wife Haw ...

Marlborough Castle
29 August 1189
No children

Isabella of Angoulême Isabella (french: Isabelle, ; c. 1186/ 1188 – 4 June 1246) was List of English royal consorts, Queen of England from 1200 to 1216 as the second wife of John, King of England, King John, Countess of Angoulême in her own right from 1202 until ...

Bordeaux Cathedral
24 August 1200
5 children , 19 October 1216

Newark-on-Trent Newark-on-Trent or Newark () is a market town and civil parish in the Newark and Sherwood district in Nottinghamshire Nottinghamshire (; abbreviated Notts.) is a landlocked county in the East Midlands region of England, bordering South Yo ...

Aged 49 , Son of Henry II

Nomination

Proximity of blood

House of Plantagenet

The House of Plantagenet takes its name from

, 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 Richard of York, 3rd Duke of York (21 September 1411 – 30 December 1460), also named Richard Plantagenet, was a leading English magnate and claimant to the throne during the Wars of the Roses. He was a member of the ruling House of Plantage ...

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 Lancaster and York are

es of the House of Plantagenet. , - , 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 Winchester Castle is a medieval building in Winchester, Hampshire, England. It was founded in 1067. Only the Great Hall still stands; it houses a museum of the history of Winchester. History Early history Around AD 70 the Romans constructed a ...

Son of John
and

, Eleanor of Provence

Canterbury Cathedral Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England. It forms part of a World Heritage Site. It is the cathedral of the Archbishop of Canterbury, currently Justin Welby, leader of the C ...

14 January 1236
5 children , 16 November 1272
Westminster Palace
Aged 65 , Son of John

Primogeniture , - ,

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 ...

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

, 17 June 1239
Palace of Westminster

Son of Henry III
and Eleanor of Provence ,

Eleanor of Castile Eleanor of Castile (1241 – 28 November 1290) was Queen of England as the first wife of Edward I, whom she married as part of a political deal to affirm English sovereignty over Gascony. The marriage was known to be particularly close, and ...

Abbey of Santa María la Real de Las Huelgas The Abbey of Santa María la Real de Las Huelgas is a monastery of Cistercian nuns located approximately 1.5 km west of the city of Burgos in Spain. The word ''huelgas'', which usually refers to "labour strikes" in modern Spanish, refers i ...

18 October 1254
16 children

Margaret of France

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the primate of the ...

10 September 1299
3 children , 7 July 1307

Burgh by Sands Burgh by Sands () is a village and civil parish in the City of Carlisle district of Cumbria, England, situated near the Solway Firth. The parish includes the village of Burgh by Sands along with Longburgh, Dykesfield, Boustead Hill, Moorhous ...

Aged 68 , Son of Henry III

Primogeniture , - ,

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 ...

Edward of Caernarfon
8 July 1307
–

Abdicated Abdication is the act of formally relinquishing monarchical authority. Abdications have played various roles in the succession procedures of monarchies. While some cultures have viewed abdication as an extreme abandonment of duty, in other societ ...

20 January 1327
''()'' , Edward II, King of England (Bodleian Library MS Rawlinson C 292, folio 105r)

, 25 April 1284

Caernarfon Castle Caernarfon Castle ( cy, Castell Caernarfon ) – often anglicised as Carnarvon Castle or Caernarvon Castle – is a medieval fortress in Caernarfon, Gwynedd, north-west Wales cared for by Cadw, the Welsh Government's historic environ ...

Son of

and

, Isabella of France
Boulogne Cathedral
24 January 1308
4 children , 21 September 1327

Berkeley Castle Berkeley Castle ( ; historically sometimes spelled as ''Berkley Castle'' or ''Barkley Castle'') is a castle in the town of Berkeley, Gloucestershire, United Kingdom. The castle's origins date back to the 11th century, and it has been desi ...

Murdered aged 43 , Son of

Primogeniture , - , 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

and Isabella of France , Philippa of Hainault

York Minster The Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of Saint Peter in York, commonly known as York Minster, is the cathedral of York, North Yorkshire, England, and is one of the largest of its kind in Northern Europe. The minster is the seat of the Arch ...

25 January 1328
14 children , 21 June 1377

Sheen Palace Richmond Palace was a royal residence on the River Thames in England which stood in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Situated in what was then rural Surrey, it lay upstream and on the opposite bank from the Palace of Westminster, which ...

Aged 64 , Son of

Primogeniture , - ,

Richard II Richard II (6 January 1367 – ), also known as Richard of Bordeaux, was King of England from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. He was the son of Edward the Black Prince, Prince of Wales, and Joan, Countess of Kent. Richard's father die ...

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

, 6 January 1367

Bordeaux Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture ...

Son of

Edward the Black Prince Edward of Woodstock, known to history as the Black Prince (15 June 1330 – 8 June 1376), was the eldest son of King Edward III of England, and the heir apparent to the English throne. He died before his father and so his son, Richard II, su ...

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

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
Westminster Abbey
Aged 45 , Grandsonheir male of 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

and Cecily Neville, Duchess of York, Cecily Neville , Elizabeth Woodville
Grafton Regis
1 May 1464
10 children , 9 April 1483
Westminster Palace
Aged 40 , Great-great-grandsonheir general of 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

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
Westminster

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

. 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
Westminster Abbey
18 January 1486
8 children , 21 April 1509
Richmond Palace
Aged 52 , Great-great-great-grandson of 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
Westminster Palace
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 Kingdom of Great Britain, 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 Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland (previously separate sovereign states, with separate legislatures but Personal union, with the same monarch) into the Kingdom of Great Britain. 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 Æthelstan until the time of King John was ("King of the English"). In addition, many of the pre-Norman kings assumed extra titles, as follows: * Æthelstan: ("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") * Eadred: ("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") * Edgar the Peaceful: ("King of all Albion and its neighbouring realms") * Cnut the Great: ("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 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