List of monarchs in the British Isles

This is a list of the monarchs of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, that is, the monarchs on the thrones of some of the various kingdoms that have existed in the British Isles, namely:

The Kingdom of England, from 871 (including Wales from the Act of Union 1536-1543) up to 1707;
The Kingdom of Scotland, from 843 up to 1707;
The Lordship of Ireland, from 1199 up to 1541;
The Kingdom of Ireland, from 1541 up to 1801;
The Kingdom of Great Britain, from the Acts of Union, 1707, between England and Scotland, up to 1801;
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, from the Act of Union, 1801, between Great Britain and Ireland, up to 1927;
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (The UK after the Irish Free State was formed and became a separate state).

In 1328, on the death of the French king, Charles IV, Edward III (nephew of Charles IV) claimed the French throne. English monarchs, and subsequently British monarchs, then styled themselves King of France or Queen of France until the Act of Union 1800, which led to the creation of the United Kingdom in 1801. By then France had been a republic for ten years. (See English Kings of France.) Since 1559 English monarchs, and subsequently British monarchs, have also had the title Supreme Governor of the Church of England. Note that the numbering of English monarchs starts afresh after 1066 (although this affects only the Edwards).

All Scottish monarchs held the title King of Scots or Queen of Scots, with the exception of the last three: Mary II, William III and Anne I used the style "of Scotland" rather than "of Scots".

To see the rulers of the small kingdoms which existed before the formation of England, Scotland or Wales, see:

See also: Bretwalda

Complications over Title and Style

Royal titles are complicated because in some cases names of kingdoms are used that did not officially come into existence until later, or came into existence earlier without immediate adoption of the royal title.

For example, in October 1604, one year after James VI of Scotland had become King of England, he decreed that the Royal Title would use the term Great Brittaine to refer to the "one Imperiall Crowne" made up of England and Scotland^*. However using that title is problematic because the 'state' of Great Britain was not created until the Act of Union 1707. Nor was the united crown generally referred to as 'imperial'. To avoid confusion, historians in general thus refer to all monarchs up to 1707 as monarchs of England and Scotland. Thus James II of England was also James VII of Scotland; and William III of England was also William II of Scotland. Many English and British monarchs also claimed France as part of their official title, though this had no reality in substance. After the Union, the ordinal has been the English number (for "George", "Edward" and "Elizabeth") and, until recently, there was no formal rule (see List of regnal numerals of future British monarchs).

In different documents, the terms Kingdom of Great Britain and United Kingdom of Great Britain feature, even documents as official as the Act of Union 1707. Most historians presume the United was meant to be descriptive, indicating a union as a form of unity by marriage rather than coercion. For clarity and because the United is far more strongly associated with the later name United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland produced in the Act of Union 1800, the 1707 Kingdom is generally referred to as the Kingdom of Great Britain.

Similarly, though the Irish Free State ceased to be part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in 1922, neither the full name of the United Kingdom nor the royal title were changed until the Royal and Parliamentary Titles Act 1927. In this instance historians generally retrospectively date the coming into being of the modern United Kingdom to December 1922, even though in this case the formal change did not occur for another five years.

The list of monarchs below cannot be exhaustive. Succession to the many thrones often did not pass smoothly from parent to child; lack of heirs, civil wars, murders and invasions affected the inheritance in ways that a simple list does not show. The relationships that formed the basis for claims to throne are noted where we know them, and the dates of reign indicated.

Monarchs

Monarchs of England	Monarchs of Scotland

Name	Reign	Notes
The West Saxons
Alfred the Great	871–899	Recognised as leader of all free Englishmen under the Treaty of Wedmore, 878
Edward the Elder	899–924	Alfred's son
Ethelweard	924	Edward's son, king of Wessex only
Athelstan	924–939	Edward's son, the first de facto king of all England
Edmund I	939–946	Edward's son
Edred	946–955	Edward's son
Edwy the Fair	955–959	Edmund's son
Edgar the Peaceable	959–975	Edmund's son
St Edward the Martyr	975–978	Edgar's son
Ethelred the Unready	978–1013 1014–1016	Edgar's son
Edmund Ironside	1016	Ethelred's son
The Danish Kings Both the Saxon and Danish royal houses claimed the English throne, 1013 to 1016. Denmark and England had the same king from 1016 to 1042.
Sweyn Forkbeard	1013–1014
Canute	1016–1035	Sweyn's son
Harold Harefoot	1035–1040	Canute's son
Harthacanute	1040–1042	Canute's son
The West Saxon Restoration
St Edward the Confessor	1042–1066	Ethelred's son
Harold Godwinson	1066	Edward the Confessor's brother-in-law
Edgar the Atheling	1066	Grandson of Edmund Ironside
The Normans After the Norman Conquest in 1066, numbering of kings (a French tradition never used by the English prior to that date) begins.
William I, the Conqueror	1066–1087	Distant kinsman of Alfred the Great
William II, Rufus	1087–1100	William I's son, descendant of Alfred the Great
Henry I	1100–1135	William I's son, descendant of Alfred the Great
Stephen	1135–1154	William I's grandson
The Angevins or Plantagenets The Royal House name changed to reflect Matilda's marriage to Geoffrey Plantagenet.
Matilda (Empress Maud)	1141	Henry I's daughter, Edmund Ironside's great-great-granddaughter
Henry II	1154–1189	Matilda's son
Richard I, the Lionheart	1189–1199	Henry II's son
Monarchs of England and Ireland In 1199, John, already Lord of Ireland, inherited the English throne. The title "Lord of Ireland" was used until it was replaced by "King of Ireland" in 1542.
John "Lackland"	1199–1216	Henry II's son
Henry III	1216–1272	John's son
Edward I "Longshanks"	1272–1307	Henry III's son
Edward II	1307–1327	Edward I's son
Edward III	1327–1377	Edward II's son
Richard II	1377–1399	Edward III's grandson
The House of Lancaster Henry Bolingbroke deposed Richard II, and the Royal House name came to reflect Henry's father's title, Duke of Lancaster.
Henry IV	1399–1413	Edward III's grandson
Henry V	1413–1422	Henry IV's son
Henry VI	1422–1461 1470–1471	Henry V's son
The House of York The Houses of Lancaster and York had fought the Wars of the Roses, and the Yorkists took the throne.
Edward IV	1461–1470 1471–1483	Edward III's great-great-grandson
Edward V	1483	Edward IV's son
Richard III	1483–1485	Edward IV's brother
The House of Tudor The Lancastrian Henry Tudor reclaimed the throne from the Yorkists.
Henry VII	1485–1509	Edward III's great-great-great-grandson
Henry VIII	1509–1547	Henry VII's son, Edward IV's grandson
Edward VI	1547–1553	Henry VIII's son
Jane	1553	Henry VII's great granddaughter. Proclaimed Queen on 10 July 1553 but deposed by Mary I 9 days later.
Mary I	1553–1558	Henry VIII's daughter
Elizabeth I	1558–1603	Henry VIII's daughter

Name	Reign	Notes
The House of Alpin
Cináed I	843–858
Domnall I	858–862	Cináed I's brother
Causantín I	862–877	Cináed I's son
Áed	877–878	Cináed I's son
Eochaid	878–889	Áed's nephew Jointly with Giric ?
Giric	878–889	Áed's first cousin ?
Domnall II	889–900	Causantín I's son
Causantín II	900–943	Áed's son
Maél Coluim I	943–954	Domnall II's son
Idulb	954–962	Causantín II's son
Dub	962–966	Maél Coluim I's son
Cuilén	966–971	Idulb's son
Cináed II	971–?	Maél Coluim I's son
Amlaíb	?–977	Idulb's son
Cináed II	977–995	2nd reign
Causantín III	995–997	Cuilén's son
Cináed III	997–1005	Dub's son
Maél Coluim II	1005–1034	Cináed II's son
Donnchad I	1034–1040	Maél Coluim II's grandson
Mac Bethad	1040–1057	Cináed III's granddaughter's husband
Lulach	1057–1058	Cináed III's great-grandson, Mac Bethad's step-son and cousin
The House of Dunkeld
Maél Coluim III	1058–1093	Donnchad I's son
Domnall III	1093–1094 1094–1097	Donnchad I's son
Donnchad II	1094	Maél Coluim III's son
Edgar	1097–1107	Maél Coluim III's son
Alexander I	1107–1124	Maél Coluim III's son
David I	1124–1153	Maél Coluim III's son
Malcolm IV	1153–1165	David I's grandson
William I	1165–1214	David I's grandson
Alexander II	1214–1249	William I's son
Alexander III	1249–1286	Alexander II's son
The House of Balliol When Margaret of Scotland died in 1290, there was no clear heir. King Edward I of England adjudged the claims of Robert Bruce, 5th Lord of Annandale and John Balliol in Balliol's favour.
John	1292–1296	David I's great-great-great-grandson
The House of Bruce When John Balliol rebelled, the Wars of Scottish Independence commenced, during which Robert the Bruce became King.
Robert I	1306–1329	David I's great-great-great-great-grandson
David II	1329–1371	Robert I's son
The House of Balliol For a period of time, both Edward Balliol and David II claimed the throne.
Edward Balliol	1332–1336	John Balliol's son
The House of Stuart Engaged to the Dauphin at age five, Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots was thus brought up in the French court where she became "Marie Stuart, Reine de l'Écosse," etc., to render the sound of 'Stewart' into French as accurately as possible. Mary kept the French spelling on her return to Scotland in 1560.
Robert II, King of Scots	1371–1390	Robert I's grandson
Robert III, King of Scots	1390–1406	Robert II's son
James I, King of Scots	1406–1437	Robert III's son
James II, King of Scots	1437–1460	James I's son
James III, King of Scots	1460–1488	James II's son
James IV, King of Scots	1488–1513	James III's son
James V, King of Scots	1513–1542	James IV's son
Mary, Queen of Scots	1542–1567	James V's daughter
James VI, King of Scots	1567–1625	Mary I's son

Name	Reign	Notes
Monarchs of England, Scotland and Ireland In 1603, James VI of Scotland inherited the English throne upon the death of Elizabeth I. From then until 1707, England, Scotland and Ireland had shared monarchs.
The House of Stuart
James I (England) James VI (Scotland)	1603–1625	Son of Mary, Queen of Scots; great-great-grandson of Henry VII of England; first to be styled "King of Great Britain" (1604)
Charles I	1625–1649	James VI & I's son
The Period of Interregnum, (Commonwealth and Protectorate) England had no king from 1649 to 1660, but was a Republic until 1653. Oliver Cromwell then dissolved Parliament and ruled alone as Lord Protector to his death.
Name	Reign	Notes
Oliver Cromwell	1653–1658
Richard Cromwell	1658–1659	Oliver Cromwell's son

Name	Reign	Notes
Monarchs of England, Scotland and Ireland In 1659, Richard Cromwell abdicated. Anomie existed until the Stuart Restoration in 1660.
The House of Stuart
Charles II	1660–1685 1649–1685 (de jure)	Charles I's elder son (crowned at Scone, in Scotland, 1651)
James II (England) James VII (Scotland)	1685–1689	Charles I's younger son
Mary II	1689–1694	James II's elder daughter Joint sovereign with her husband, William III, II and I
William III (England) William II (Scotland) William I (Ireland)	1689–1702	Charles I's grandson Jointly with his wife, Mary II
Anne	1702–1707	James II's daughter

Name	Reign	Notes
Monarchs of Great Britain and Ireland In 1707, the Act of Union merged the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain.
The House of Stuart
Anne	1707–1714	James II's daughter
The House of Hanover Under the Act of Settlement 1701, the English (thus, the successor British) throne could only be held by a Protestant. Sophia of Hanover, the nearest such relative, thus became the next heir. She died shortly before Anne, and her place was taken by her son, who thus founded the House of Hanover (aka Guelph and Brunswick).
George I	1714–1727	James I's great-grandson
George II	1727–1760	George I's son
George III	1760–1801	George II's grandson

Name	Reign	Notes
Monarchs of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland In 1801, the Act of Union combined the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland into the United Kingdom.
The House of Hanover
George III	1801–1820	George II's grandson
George IV	1820–1830	George III's son
William IV	1830–1837	George III's son
Victoria	1837–1901	George III's granddaughter
The House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha The Royal House name was changed to reflect Victoria's marriage to Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, but she herself remained a member of the House of Hanover.
Edward VII	1901–1910	Victoria's son
George V	1910–1917	Edward VII's son
The House of Windsor The name of the Royal House changed from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to Windsor in 1917 due to anti-German sentiments during World War I.
George V	1917–1927	Edward VII's son

Name	Reign	Notes
Monarchs of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland In 1922, the Irish Free State left the United Kingdom. The name of the Kingdom was amended in 1927 to reflect the change.
The House of Windsor
George V	1927–1936	Edward VII's son
Edward VIII	1936	George V's son; abdicated
George VI	1936–1952	George V's son
Elizabeth II	6 February 1952-	George VI's daughter; also queen of 31 other sovereign kingdoms.

Notes

King Louis might also be included as reigning 1216–1217 (between the reigns of King John and Henry III). By tradition he usually is not listed.
A mnemonic verse lists the Kings and Queens of England then Great Britain then the United Kingdom.
From October 30, 1683 to February 6, 1685, there were seven British monarchs living simultaneously, more than at any other time: King Charles II, King James II, King William III, Queen Mary II, Queen Anne, King George I and King George II, from the birth of George II until the death of Charles II.

References

British monarchs | British monarchy | lists of British people | Lists of monarchs

Gourt Home::Gourt :: List of monarchs in the British Isles

Complications over Title and Style

Monarchs

Notes

See also

References