List of regnal numerals of future British monarchs

This is a list of the regnal numerals which may in time be used by future British monarchs.

Background

During the reign of the current monarch of the United Kingdom, Elizabeth II, there was some controversy in Scotland over whether it was appropriate to refer to her as "the Second of that name" since no Elizabeth had previously reigned in Scotland. Most supporters of Scottish independence, and many other pro-union Scots, believed the title to be an example of establishment bias favouring England. But affirming the queen's intention to continue as "the Second" throughout the UK, a policy was announced that all future UK monarchs would be reckoned according to the number of either their English or Scottish predecessors, whichever number was higher.

Accordingly, when assigning a regnal numeral to any future UK monarch, it will be necessary to consult the list of monarchs of Scotland and the list of monarchs of England, as well as the list of British monarchs for monarchs since the 1707 Acts of Union. (Checking back at all regnal names since that event, incidentally, we find that none of them violates this policy.)

Note: for the purposes of this table, it is assumed that the reckoning of English monarchs started with a blank slate from the Norman Conquest of 1066. This approach is undeniably conventional with respect to the name "Edward": although there had been three Edwards (Edward the Elder, Edward the Martyr, and Edward the Confessor) prior to the Conquest, the thirteenth-century Plantagenet is always referred to as Edward I, and other Edwards are always reckoned from him. However, while the Edward precedent is by now set in stone, it is possible that a future Harold or Alfred might choose to number himself the III or II, respectively, to take into account pre-Norman kings of those names, and that a future Arthur might choose to number himself the II although the historical King Arthur may not have ruled all England and may not even have been a king.

-Winston Churchill, House of Commons Official Report cols 199-201, 15 April 1953

List

Names which have been used multiple times

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"

!width="100"|Name!!Scottish
uses !!English
uses!!which is
greater?!!UK uses since
1707 union!!regnal numeral
when next used Alexander 3 0 S 0 IV Charles 2 2 = 0 III Constantine 3 0 S 0 IV David 2 0 S 0 III Donald 3 0 S 0 IV Duncan 2 0 S 0 III Edward 2 6 E 2 IX Elizabeth 0 1 E 1 III George 0 0 = 6 VII Henry 0 8 E 0 IX James 7 2 S 0 VIII Kenneth 3 0 S 0 IV Malcolm 4 0 S 0 V Mary 2 2 = 0 III Richard 0 3 E 0 IV Robert 3 0 S 0 IV William 2 3 E 1 V

Names which have been used once in both England and Scotland

Anne (same person, Queen of pre-unification Kingdom of England and Kingdom of Scotland)
John (different people, John of England and John of Scotland)
Victoria (same person, Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland)

Names which have been used once in Scotland but not in England (post-1066)

*Note: prior to the Norman Conquest of 1066, England did have one Edgar (two if the uncrowned reign of Edward's son Edgar in 1066 is counted, as sometimes is the case).

Names which have been used once in England (post-1066) but not in Scotland

Jane, perhaps (it is unclear whether Jane Grey would be counted in the numbering of a future Jane)
Matilda / Maud, perhaps (it is unclear whether Empress Matilda would be counted in the numbering of a future Matilda or Maud)
Stephen