There have been 13
British monarchs since the
political union
A political union is a type of political entity which is composed of, or created from, smaller polities, or the process which achieves this. These smaller polities are usually called federated states and federal territories in a federal govern ...
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 ...
and the
Kingdom of Scotland
The Kingdom of Scotland (; , ) was a sovereign state in northwest Europe traditionally said to have been founded in 843. Its territories expanded and shrank, but it came to occupy the northern third of the island of Great Britain, sharing a l ...
on
1 May 1707. England and Scotland had been 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 ...
since 24 March 1603. On 1 January 1801, the
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 ...
and the
Kingdom of Ireland merged, which resulted in the creation of the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was a sovereign state in the British Isles that existed between 1801 and 1922, when it included all of Ireland. It was established by the Acts of Union 1800, which merged the Kingdom of Grea ...
, which became the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and No ...
on the secession of
southern Ireland in the 1920s.
List
Queen Anne became monarch of the
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 ...
after the
political union
A political union is a type of political entity which is composed of, or created from, smaller polities, or the process which achieves this. These smaller polities are usually called federated states and federal territories in a federal govern ...
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 ...
and the
Kingdom of Scotland
The Kingdom of Scotland (; , ) was a sovereign state in northwest Europe traditionally said to have been founded in 843. Its territories expanded and shrank, but it came to occupy the northern third of the island of Great Britain, sharing a l ...
on
1 May 1707. She had ruled England, Scotland, and the
Kingdom of Ireland since 8 March 1702. She continued as queen of Great Britain and Ireland until her death. Her total reign lasted 12 years and 147 days.
During the reign of Queen Anne, Parliament settled the rules of succession in the
Act of Settlement 1701
The Act of Settlement is an Act of the Parliament of England that settled the succession to the English and Irish crowns to only Protestants, which passed in 1701. More specifically, anyone who became a Roman Catholic, or who married one, be ...
, defining
Sophia of Hanover
Sophia of Hanover (born Princess Sophia of the Palatinate; 14 October 1630 – 8 June 1714) was the Electress of Hanover by marriage to Elector Ernest Augustus and later the heiress presumptive to the thrones of England and Scotland (later Gre ...
(granddaughter of
James VI and I
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 ...
) and her non-Catholic descendants as the future royal heirs. The Crown passed from Queen Anne to Sophia's son
King George I as Sophia had already died. Queen Anne and
King George I were second cousins as both were great-grandchildren of
James VI and I
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 ...
. For a family tree that shows George I's relationship to Anne, see .
, -
! colspan=8 style="background-color:#ccccff" ,
House of Stuart
, -
,
Anne–
''()''
,
,
,
St James's Palace
St James's Palace is the most senior royal palace in London, the capital of the United Kingdom. The palace gives its name to the Court of St James's, which is the monarch's royal court, and is located in the City of Westminster in London. Alt ...
Daughter of
James VII and IIand
Anne Hyde
Anne Hyde (12 March 163731 March 1671) was Duchess of York and Albany as the first wife of James, Duke of York, who later became King James II and VII.
Anne was the daughter of a member of the English gentry – Edward Hyde (later created ...
,
George of DenmarkSt James's Palace
5 children
28 October 1708
,
Kensington Palace
Kensington Palace is a royal residence set in Kensington Gardens, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, England. It has been a residence of the British royal family since the 17th century, and is currently the official L ...
Aged 49
, Daughter of James VII and II
Bill of Rights 1689
, -
! colspan=8 style="background-color: #ccccff" ,
House of Hanover
The House of Hanover (german: Haus Hannover), whose members are known as Hanoverians, is a European royal house of German origin that ruled Hanover, Great Britain, and Ireland at various times during the 17th to 20th centuries. The house or ...
, -
,
George I''George Louis''
–
11 June 1727
''()''
,
,
,
Leineschloss
The Leineschloss (English: Leine Palace), situated on the Leine in Hanover, Germany, is the former residence of the Hanoverian dukes, electors and kings. Currently it is the seat of the Landtag of Lower Saxony.
The first building on the site w ...
Son of
Ernest Augustus of Brunswick-Lüneburgand
Sophia of the Palatinate
,
Sophia Dorothea of Brunswick-Lüneburg-Celle2 children
28 December 1694
,
OsnabrückAged 67
, Great-grandson of
James VI and I
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 ...
Act of Settlement 1701
The Act of Settlement is an Act of the Parliament of England that settled the succession to the English and Irish crowns to only Protestants, which passed in 1701. More specifically, anyone who became a Roman Catholic, or who married one, be ...
, -
,
George II''George Augustus''
–
25 October 1760
''()''
,
,
,
Herrenhausen Palace
Son of George I
and
Sophia Dorothea of Brunswick-Lüneburg-Celle
,
Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach Herrenhausen Gardens8 children
20 November 1737
, 25 October 1760
Kensington Palace
Aged 76
, Son of George I
, -
,
George III
George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of the two kingdoms on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Br ...
''George William Frederick''
25 October 1760
–
29 January 1820
''()''
,
,
,
Norfolk House
Son of
Prince Frederickand
Augusta of Saxe-Gotha
Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg ( – 8 February 1772) was Princess of Wales by marriage to Frederick, Prince of Wales, eldest son and heir apparent of King George II. She never became queen consort, as Frederick predeceased his father ...
,
Charlotte of Mecklenburg-StrelitzSt James's Palace
8 September 1761
15 children
17 November 1818
, 29 January 1820
Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle is a royal residence at Windsor in the English county of Berkshire. It is strongly associated with the English and succeeding British royal family, and embodies almost a millennium of architectural history.
The original c ...
Aged 81
, Grandson of George II
, -
,
George IV
George IV (George Augustus Frederick; 12 August 1762 – 26 June 1830) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from the death of his father, King George III, on 29 January 1820, until his own death ten y ...
''George Augustus Frederick''
29 January 1820
—
26 June 1830
''()''
,
,
, 12 August 1762
St James's Palace
Son of George III
and
Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
,
Caroline of Brunswick-WolfenbüttelSt James's Palace
8 April 1795
1 daughter
7 August 1821
, 26 June 1830
Windsor Castle
Aged 67
, rowspan=2 , Sons of George III
, -
,
William IV''William Henry''
26 June 1830
—
20 June 1837
''()''
,
,
, 21 August 1765
Buckingham Palace
Son of George III
and
Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
,
Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen Kew Palace13 July 1818
2 daughters
, 20 June 1837
Windsor Castle
Aged 71
, -
,
Victoria''Alexandrina Victoria''
20 June 1837
—
22 January 1901
''()''
,
,
, 24 May 1819
Kensington Palace
Daughter of
Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearnand
Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld
, house =
, father = Francis, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld
, mother = Countess Augusta of Reuss-Ebersdorf
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Coburg, Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, Holy Roman Empire
, death_date =
, death_p ...
,
Albert of Saxe-Coburg and GothaSt James's Palace
10 February 18409 children
14 December 1861
,
22 January 1901 Osborne HouseAged 81
, Granddaughter of George III
, -
! colspan=8 style="background-color: #ccccff" ,
House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
, -
,
Edward VII
Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until Death and state funeral of Edward VII, his death in 1910.
The second chil ...
''Albert Edward''
22 January 1901
—
6 May 1910
''()''
,
,
, 9 November 1841
Buckingham Palace
Son of Victoria
and
Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha
,
Alexandra of Denmark St George's Chapel 10 March 18636 children
,
6 May 1910Buckingham Palace
Aged 68
, Son of Victoria
, -
! colspan=8 style="background-color: #ccccff" ,
House of Windsor
, -
,
George V
George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936.
Born during the reign of his grandmother ...
''George Frederick Ernest Albert''
6 May 1910
—
20 January 1936
''()''
,
,
, 3 June 1865
Marlborough House
Son of Edward VII
and
Alexandra of Denmark
,
Mary of Teck
Mary of Teck (Victoria Mary Augusta Louise Olga Pauline Claudine Agnes; 26 May 186724 March 1953) was Queen of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, from 6 May 1910 until 20 January 1936 as the wife of King- ...
St James's Palace
6 July 18936 children
,
20 January 1936 Sandringham HouseAged 70
, Son of Edward VII
, -
,
Edward VIII
Edward VIII (Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David; 23 June 1894 – 28 May 1972), later known as the Duke of Windsor, was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Empire and Emperor of India from 20 January 1 ...
''Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David''
20 January 1936
—
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 ...
11 December 1936
''()''
,
,
, 23 June 1894
White Lodge
White Lodge is a Grade I listed Georgian house situated in Richmond Park, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. Formerly a royal residence, it now houses the Royal Ballet Lower School, instructing students aged 11–16.
Early histor ...
Son of George V
and
Mary of Teck
Mary of Teck (Victoria Mary Augusta Louise Olga Pauline Claudine Agnes; 26 May 186724 March 1953) was Queen of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, from 6 May 1910 until 20 January 1936 as the wife of King- ...
,
Wallis SimpsonChâteau de Candé
The Château de Candé is a château located in the commune of Monts, Indre-et-Loire, France. It is situated 10 km (6 mi) to the south of Tours on the north bank of the river Indre.
History
The first known Lord of Candé was Macé de La ...
3 June 1937
, 28 May 1972
Neuilly-sur-SeineAged 77
, rowspan=2, Sons of George V
, -
,
George VI
George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of I ...
''Albert Frederick Arthur George''
11 December 1936
—
6 February 1952
''()''
,
,
, 14 December 1895
Sandringham House
Son of George V
and
Mary of Teck
Mary of Teck (Victoria Mary Augusta Louise Olga Pauline Claudine Agnes; 26 May 186724 March 1953) was Queen of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, from 6 May 1910 until 20 January 1936 as the wife of King- ...
,
Elizabeth Bowes-LyonWestminster 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 ...
26 April 19232 daughters
,
6 February 1952Sandringham House
Aged 56
, -
,
Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states durin ...
''Elizabeth Alexandra Mary''
6 February 1952
—
8 September 2022
''()''
,
,
, 21 April 1926
Mayfair
Mayfair is an affluent area in the West End of London towards the eastern edge of Hyde Park, in the City of Westminster, between Oxford Street, Regent Street, Piccadilly and Park Lane. It is one of the most expensive districts in the world ...
Daughter of
George VI
George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of I ...
and
Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
,
Philip MountbattenWestminster Abbey
20 November 19474 children
9 April 2021
,
8 September 2022 Balmoral CastleAged 96
, Daughter of George VI
, -
,
Charles III
Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person ...
''Charles Philip Arthur George''
since 8 September 2022
''()''
,
,
, 14 November 1948
Buckingham Palace
Son of Elizabeth II
and
Philip Mountbatten
,
Diana SpencerSt Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral is an Anglicanism, Anglican cathedral in London and is the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London. It is on Ludgate Hill at the highest point of the City of London ...
29 July 19812 sons
28 August 1996
Camilla Parker Bowles
Camilla (born Camilla Rosemary Shand, later Parker Bowles, 17 July 1947) is Queen Consort of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms as the wife of King Charles III. She became queen consort on 8 September 2022, upon the ac ...
Windsor Guildhall
The Windsor Guildhall is the town hall of Windsor, Berkshire, England. It is situated in the High Street, about from Castle Hill, which leads to the main public entrance to Windsor Castle. It is a Grade I listed building.
History
A deed of ...
9 April 2005
, ''Living''
Age
, Son of Elizabeth II
Timeline
See also
*
List of monarchs in Britain by length of reign
*
Lists of monarchs in the British Isles
Lists of monarchs in the British Isles are lists of monarchs that have reigned over the various kingdoms and other states that have existed in the British Isles throughout recorded history. They include monarchs of Britain as a whole, and monarchs ...
*
List of British royal consorts
*
Family tree of the British royal family
*
Succession to the British throne
Succession to the British throne is determined by descent, gender, legitimacy and religion. Under common law, the Crown is inherited by a sovereign's children or by a childless sovereign's nearest collateral line. The Bill of Rights 1689 a ...
Notes
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:British Monarchs
*
British