List of English monarchs
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- For the various rulers of the kingdoms within England prior to its formal unification, during the Heptarchy, see Bretwalda. For a comprehensive list of English, Scottish, and British monarchs, see List of monarchs in the British Isles.
The Monarch of England was the head of state of the Kingdom of England, which was unified as a state in a series of stages between the reigns of Alfred the Great of Wessex and his grandson Athelstan, from 878 to 927. The title King (or Queen) of England ceased to exist in 1707 when the Kingdom of England was merged with the Kingdom of Scotland to create the Kingdom of Great Britain. Queen Anne became the last Queen of England and the first Queen of Great Britain. Although technically incorrect, the title remained in popular use, and is often applied to Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom.
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[edit] Titles
The standard title for all monarchs from Alfred until the time of King John was Rex Anglorum ("King of the English"). In addition, many of the pre-Norman kings assumed extra titles, as follows:
- Alfred - Rex Angulsaxonum and Rex Anglorum et Saxonum
- Athelstan - Rex Anglorum per omnipatrantis dexteram totius Bryttaniæ regni solio sublimatus
- Edmund - Rex Britanniae and Rex Anglorum caeterarumque gentium gobernator et rector
- Edred - Regis qui regimina regnorum Angulsaxna, Norþhymbra, Paganorum, Brettonumque
- Edwy - Rex nutu Dei Angulsæxna et Northanhumbrorum imperator paganorum gubernator Breotonumque propugnator
- Edgar - Totius Albionis finitimorumque regum basileus
- Canute - Rex Anglorum totiusque Brittannice orbis gubernator et rector and Brytannie totius Anglorum monarchus
In the Norman period Rex Anglorum remained standard, with occasional use of Rex Anglie ("King of England"). Matilda styled herself Domina Anglorum ("Lady of the English"). From the time of King John onwards all other titles were eschewed in favour of Rex Anglie, or Regina Anglie ("Queen of England") if female. In 1604 James I, who had inherited the English throne the previous year, adopted the title (now usually rendered in English rather than Latin) King of Great Britain, which has been held, along with other titles, by all his successors to the present day[citation needed].
[edit] Monarchs of England
[edit] West Saxons
The following list starts with Alfred, King of Wessex from 871, whose defeat of the Danes in 878 paved the way for the creation of the Kingdom of England. Alfred proclaimed himself King of the English after liberating London from the Danes in 886.
- Alfred the Great 871–899
- Edward the Elder 899–924
- Ælfweard July–August 924 (King of Wessex only)
- Athelstan 924–939 (also styled King of All Britain)
- Edmund the Magnificent 939–946 (also styled King of Britain)
- Edred 946–955 (also styled King of Britain)
- Edwy the Fair 955–959 (also styled Emperor of Britain)
- Edgar the Peaceable 959–975 (also styled Emperor of All Albion)
- Edward the Martyr 975–978
- Ethelred the Unready 978–1013, 1014–1016
- Edmund Ironside 1016
[edit] Danes
England came under the rule of Danish kings following the disastrous reign of Ethelred the Unready. Some, though not all, of these were also kings of Denmark.
- Sweyn Forkbeard (uncrowned) 1013–1014
- Canute 1016–1035 (also styled King of All Britain)
- Harthacanute 1035–1037, 1040–1042
- Harold Harefoot 1037-1040
[edit] West Saxons (restored)
- Edward the Confessor 1042–1066
- Harold Godwinson 1066
- Edgar the Atheling (uncrowned) 1066 (abdicated, died c. 1126)[1]
[edit] Normans
It was only after the Norman Conquest of 1066 that kings took regnal numbers in the French fashion, though the earlier custom of distinguishing monarchs by nicknames did not die out immediately.
- William I, the Conqueror 1066–1087
- William II, Rufus 1087–1100
- Henry I, Beauclerc 1100–1135
- Stephen 1135–1141, 1141–1154
- Matilda (uncrowned) 1141 (deposed, died 1167)[2]
[edit] Plantagenets
The early Plantagenets ruled many territories in France, and did not regard England as their primary home until after most of their French possessions were lost by King John. This long-lived dynasty is usually divided into three houses.
[edit] Angevins
- Henry II, FitzEmpress 1154–1189
- Richard I, the Lionheart 1189–1199
- John Lackland 1199–1216
- Henry III 1216–1272
- Edward I, Longshanks 1272–1307
- Edward II 1307–1327 (deposed, murdered 1327)
- Edward III 1327–1377
- Richard II 1377–1399 (deposed, murdered 1400)
(After the First Barons' War Prince Louis of France was proclaimed King of England in London in 1216, though he lost his earlier support from his English barons, and relinquished his claim in 1217.)
[edit] Lancastrians
[edit] Yorkists
- Edward IV 1461–1470, 1471–1483
- Edward V (uncrowned) 1483 (deposed, probably murdered 1483)[3]
- Richard III 1483–1485
[edit] Tudors
The Tudors were of partial Welsh ancestry, and in 1536 Wales was fully incorporated into the English state (having been under English control since 1284). With Henry VIII's break from the Roman Catholic Church the monarch became the Supreme Head of the Church of England. Elizabeth I's title became the Supreme Governor of the Church of England.
- Henry VII 1485–1509
- Henry VIII 1509–1547
- Edward VI 1547–1553
- Jane (uncrowned) 1553 (deposed, executed 1554)[4]
- Mary I 1553–1558
- Elizabeth I 1558–1603
(Mary I's husband, Philip II of Spain, was styled "King of England" during their marriage. However, his powers were limited, and he is not generally included in the list of monarchs of England.)
[edit] Stuarts
Following the death of Elizabeth I in 1603 without issue, the Scottish king, James VI, succeeded to the English throne as James I in what became known as the Union of the Crowns. In 1604 he adopted the title King of Great Britain, although the two kingdoms remained independent.
[edit] Commonwealth
There was no reigning monarch between the execution of Charles I in 1649 and the Restoration of Charles II in 1660. Despite this, Oliver Cromwell held monarchical powers 1653–1658 as Lord Protector, succeeded by his son, Richard Cromwell 1658–1659 (resigned, died 1712).
[edit] Stuarts (restored)
- Charles II 1660–1685
- James II 1685–1688 (deposed, died 1701)
- William III 1689–1702, jointly with...
- Mary II 1689–1694, as co-monarch
- Anne 1702–1714 (last Queen of England and first Queen of Great Britain)
[edit] Monarchs of Great Britain and the United Kingdom
England and Scotland entered into legislative and governmental union under the Acts of Union 1707, though retained separate legal systems and other trappings of statehood. From this time on the titles King of England and Queen of England are technically incorrect (though still in wide usage).
[edit] Hanoverians
- George I 1714–1727
- George II 1727–1760
- George III 1760–1820 (first King of the United Kingdom)
- George IV 1820–1830
- William IV 1830–1837
- Victoria 1837–1901
[edit] Saxe-Coburg-Gotha
- Edward VII 1901–1910
[edit] Windsors
The house name Windsor was adopted in 1917, during the First World War. It was changed from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha due to war-time anti-German sentiment.
- George V 1910–1936
- Edward VIII (uncrowned) 1936 (abdicated, died 1972)
- George VI 1936–1952
- Elizabeth II 1952–present
[edit] See also
- British monarchy
- English monarchs family tree
- List of regnal numerals of future British monarchs
- List of monarchs in the British Isles
- British Royal genealogy
- Direct descent from William I to Elizabeth II
- Poem to remember monarchs
[edit] Notes
- ^ Edgar the Atheling was proclaimed king following the death of Harold at Hastings. He submitted to William a few weeks later.
- ^ Matilda, claimed by some to be the rightful heir, was briefly proclaimed Lady of the English during a period of civil war.
- ^ Edward V, one of the Princes in the Tower, was kept a prisoner during his reign of little more than two months.
- ^ Jane (Lady Jane Grey) was proclaimed queen on the death of Edward VI; however, she was deposed after nine days and executed for unlawfully usurping the throne.
