This list of kings and reigning queens of the

Kingdom of England The Kingdom of England was a sovereign state on the island of Great Britain from the late 9th century, when it was unified from various Heptarchy, Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, until 1 May 1707, when it united with Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland to f ...

begins with

Alfred the Great Alfred the Great ( ; – 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 both died when Alfr ...

, who initially ruled

Wessex The Kingdom of the West Saxons, also known as the Kingdom of Wessex, was an Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy, kingdom in the south of Great Britain, from around 519 until Alfred the Great declared himself as King of the Anglo-Saxons in 886. The Anglo-Sa ...

, one of the seven Anglo-Saxon kingdoms which later made up modern England. Alfred styled himself king of the

Anglo-Saxons The Anglo-Saxons, in some contexts simply called Saxons or the English, were a Cultural identity, cultural group who spoke Old English and inhabited much of what is now England and south-eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. They traced t ...

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: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

, 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 House of Cerdic, the House of the West Saxons, the House of the Gewisse, the Cerdicings and the West Saxon dynasty, refers to the family, traditionally founded by Cerdic of the Gewisse, that ruled Wessex in ...

. 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 ( 29 July 796 AD) was King of Mercia, a kingdom of Anglo-Saxon England, from 757 until his death in 796. The son of Thingfrith and a descendant of Eowa, Offa came to the throne after a period of civil war following the assassination of ...

and

Egbert of Wessex Ecgberht (died 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 Charlemagne's court i ...

are sometimes described as kings of England by popular writers, but it is no longer the majority view of historians that their wide dominions were part of a process leading to a unified England. The historian

Simon Keynes Simon Douglas Keynes ( ; born 23 September 1952) is a British historian who is Elrington and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon emeritus in the Department of Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic at the University of Cambridge, and a fellow of Trini ...

states, for example, "Offa was driven by a lust for power, not a vision of English unity; and what he left was a reputation, not a legacy." That refers to a period in the late 8th century, when Offa achieved a dominance over many of the kingdoms of southern England, but it did not survive his death in 796. Likewise, in 829 Egbert of Wessex conquered

Mercia Mercia (, was one of the principal kingdoms founded at the end of Sub-Roman Britain; the area was settled by Anglo-Saxons in an era called the Heptarchy. It was centred on the River Trent and its tributaries, in a region now known as the Midlan ...

, 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 the overlord of western Mercia and used the title ''King of the Angles and Saxons'' though he never ruled eastern and northern England, which was then known as the

Danelaw The Danelaw (, ; ; ) was the part of History of Anglo-Saxon England, England between the late ninth century and the Norman Conquest under Anglo-Saxon rule in which Danes (tribe), Danish laws applied. The Danelaw originated in the conquest and oc ...

and had been conquered by the

Danes Danes (, ), or Danish people, are an ethnic group and nationality native to Denmark and a modern nation identified with the country of Denmark. This connection may be ancestral, legal, historical, or cultural. History Early history Denmark ...

, from southern Scandinavia. Alfred's son

Edward the Elder Edward the Elder (870s?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 cousi ...

conquered the eastern Danelaw. Edward's son

Æthelstan Æthelstan or Athelstan (; ; ; ; – 27 October 939) was King of the Anglo-Saxons from 924 to 927 and King of the English from 927 to his death in 939. He was the son of King Edward the Elder and his first wife, Ecgwynn. Modern histori ...

became the first king to rule the whole of England when he conquered

Northumbria Northumbria () was an early medieval Heptarchy, kingdom in what is now Northern England and Scottish Lowlands, South Scotland. The name derives from the Old English meaning "the people or province north of the Humber", as opposed to the Sout ...

in 927. Æthelstan 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 John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

was "King of the English". In 1016,

Cnut the Great Cnut ( ; ; – 12 November 1035), also known as Canute and with the epithet the Great, was King of England from 1016, King of Denmark from 1018, and King of Norway from 1028 until his death in 1035. The three kingdoms united under Cnut's rul ...

, 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 () 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 conquest of Wales by Edwa ...

was incorporated into the

under the

Statute of Rhuddlan The Statute of Rhuddlan (), also known as the Statutes of Wales ( or ''Valliae'') or as the Statute of Wales ( or ''Valliae''), was a royal ordinance by Edward I of England, which gave the constitutional basis for the government of the Principal ...

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 (Latin: Malleus Scotorum), was King of England from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he was Lord of Ireland, and from 1254 ...

invested his eldest son, the future

King Edward II Edward II (25 April 1284 – 21 September 1327), also known as Edward of Caernarfon or Caernarvon, was King of England from 1307 until he was deposed in January 1327. The fourth son of Edward I, Edward became the heir to the throne follo ...

, as

Prince of Wales Prince of Wales (, ; ) is a title traditionally given to the male heir apparent to the History of the English monarchy, English, and later, the British throne. The title originated with the Welsh rulers of Kingdom of Gwynedd, Gwynedd who, from ...

. 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 from January 1327 until his death in 1377. He is noted for his military success and for restoring royal authority after t ...

, have borne this title. After the death of

Queen Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. She was the last and longest reigning monarch of the House of Tudor. Her eventful reign, and its effect on history ...

in 1603, her cousin

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 King of Ireland, Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 M ...

inherited the English crown as James I of England, joining the crowns of England and Scotland in

personal union A personal union is a combination of two or more monarchical states that have the same monarch while their boundaries, laws, and interests remain distinct. A real union, by contrast, involves the constituent states being to some extent in ...

. By royal proclamation, James styled himself "King of Great Britain", but no such kingdom was created until 1707, when England and Scotland

united United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two f ...

during the reign of Queen Anne to form the new

Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain, also known as the Kingdom of Great Britain, was a sovereign state in Western Europe from 1707 to the end of 1800. The state was created by the 1706 Treaty of Union and ratified by the Acts of Union 1707, which united the Kingd ...

, with a single

British parliament The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, and may also legislate for the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace of ...

sitting at

Westminster Westminster is the main settlement of the City of Westminster in Central London, Central London, England. It extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street and has many famous landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Buckingham Palace, ...

. That marked the end of the Kingdom of England as a sovereign state.

House of Wessex (886–1013)

, - ,

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 (Interlu ...

Alfred the Great

–
26 October 899
''(13 years)'' , Alfred - MS Royal 14 B VI

, 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 agreement between King Alfred the Great of Wessex and the Viking king Guthrum the Old. The only contemporary reference to the treaty is that of a Welsh monk, Asser, in his biography of Alfred, known as '' ...

, - ,

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. She was the mother of King Edward the Elder who succeeded King Alfred to the Anglo-Saxon throne. Her father was a Mercian nobleman, Æthelred Mucel, Ealdorman ...

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 daughte ...

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 Edwa ...

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, List of British monarchs, King of Wessex. Family background Eadgifu was the daughter of Sigehelm, Ealdorman of Kent, who died ...

4 children , 17 July 924
Aged about 50 , Son of

Disputed claimant

There is some evidence that

Ælfweard of Wessex Ælfweard (; – ) was the second son of Edward the Elder, the eldest born to his second wife Ælfflæd. Kingship and death The '' Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'' simply states that Ælfweard died soon after his father's death on 17 July 924 a ...

may have been king in 924, between his father Edward the Elder and his half-brother Æthelstan, although he was not crowned. A 12th-century list of kings gives him a reign length of four weeks, though one manuscript of the ''Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'' says he died only 16 days after his father. However, the claim that he ruled is not accepted by all historians. Also, it is unclear whether—if Ælfweard was declared king—it was over the whole kingdom or of Wessex only. One interpretation of the ambiguous evidence is that when Edward died, Ælfweard was declared king in Wessex and Æthelstan in Mercia. , - ,

Ælfweard Ælfweard is the name of: *Ælfweard of Wessex Ælfweard (; – ) was the second son of Edward the Elder, the eldest born to his second wife Ælfflæd. Kingship and death The '' Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'' simply states that Ælfweard die ...

cited by Yorke.;

–
2 August 924
''()'' , No image

Son of

and

,
No children , 2 August 924
Aged about 23 , Son of

, - ,

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 I or Eadmund I (920/921 – 26 May 946) was King of the English from 27 October 939 until his death in 946. He was the elder son of King Edward the Elder and his third wife, Queen Eadgifu, and a grandson of King Alfred the Great. Af ...

Edmund the Magnificent
27 October 939
–
26 May 946
''()'' , Edmund I - MS Royal 14 B VI

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, Eadwi ...

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 r ...

944
No children , 26 May 946

Pucklechurch Pucklechurch is a civil parish in South Gloucestershire, England, the main settlement of which is the large village of Pucklechurch. The parish also incorporates the hamlet of Shortwood to the west of Pucklechurch village, and Parkfield to the ...

Killed in a brawl aged about 25 , Son of Edward the Elder , - ,

Eadred Eadred (also Edred, – 23 November 955) was King of the English from 26 May 946 until his death in 955. He was the younger son of Edward the Elder and his third wife Eadgifu of Kent, Eadgifu, and a grandson of Alfred the Great. His elder b ...

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 Frome ( ) is a town and civil parish in Somerset, England, on uneven high ground at the eastern end of the Mendip Hills and on the River Frome, south of Bath. The population of the parish was 28,559 in 2021. Frome was one of the largest tow ...

Aged about 32 , Son of Edward the Elder , - ,

Eadwig Eadwig (also Edwy or Eadwig All-Fair, 1 October 959) was King of England from 23 November 955 until his death in 959. He was the elder son of Edmund I and his first wife Ælfgifu, who died in 944. Eadwig and his brother Edgar were you ...

Eadwig All-Fair
23 November 955
–
1 October 959
''()'' , Eadwig - MS Royal 14 B VI

Son of

and

Ælfgifu Ælfgifu (also ''Ælfgyfu''; ''Elfgifa, Elfgiva, Elgiva'') is an Anglo-Saxon name, 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 Engla ...

No verified children , 1 October 959
Aged about 19 , Son of

, - ,

Edgar the Peaceful Edgar (or Eadgar; 8 July 975), known sometimes as Edgar the Peacemaker or the Peaceable, was King of the English from 959 until his death in 975. He became king of all England on his brother Eadwig's death. He was the younger son of King Edm ...

1 October 959
–
8 July 975
''()'' , Edgar - MS Royal 14 B VI

,
Wessex

Son of Edmund I
and Ælfgifu of Shaftesbury ,

Æthelflæd Æthelflæd ( – 12 June 918) ruled as Lady of the Mercians in the English Midlands from 911 until her death in 918. She was the eldest child of Alfred the Great, king of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Wessex, and his wife Ealhswith. Æthelflæd ...

1 son

Ælfthryth

2 sons , 8 July 975

Winchester Winchester (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs N ...

Aged 31 , Son of Edmund I , - ,

Edward the Martyr Edward the Martyr ( – 18 March 978) was King of the English from 8 July 975 until he was killed in 978. He was the eldest son of King Edgar (r. 959–975). On Edgar's death, the succession to the throne was contested between Edward's sup ...

8 July 975
–
18 March 978
''()'' , Edward the Martyr - MS Royal 14 B V

Son of

and Æthelflæd , Unmarried , 18 March 978

Corfe Castle Corfe Castle is a fortification standing above the Corfe Castle (village), 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 ...

Murdered aged about 16 , Son of

, - , ''(1st reign)''

Æthelred the Unready Æthelred II (,Different spellings of this king's name most commonly found in modern texts are "Ethelred" and "Æthelred" (or "Aethelred"), the latter being closer to the original Old English form . Compare the modern dialect word . ; ; 966 � ...

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, includi ...

991
9 children

Emma of Normandy
1002
3 children , 23 April 1016

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

Aged about 48 , Son of Edgar the Peaceful

House of Denmark (1013–1014)

England came under the control of

Sweyn Forkbeard Sweyn Forkbeard ( ; ; 17 April 963 – 3 February 1014) was King of Denmark from 986 until his death, King of England for five weeks from December 1013 until his death, and King of Norway from 999/1000 until 1014. He was the father of King Ha ...

, a

Danish king This is a list of Danish monarchs, that is, the kings and queen regnants 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 Æthelred (; ) 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 princes of Kent * � ...

abandoned the throne and went into exile in

Normandy Normandy (; or ) is a geographical and cultural region in northwestern Europe, roughly coextensive with the historical Duchy of Normandy. Normandy comprises Normandy (administrative region), mainland Normandy (a part of France) and insular N ...

. , - ,

Sweyn Sweyn is a Scandinavian masculine given name. Notable people with the surname include: 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 * S ...

Sweyn Forkbeard
Autumn/winter 1013
–
3 February 1014 ,

, 17 April 963

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

Son of

Harald Bluetooth Harald "Bluetooth" Gormsson (; , died c. 985/86) was a king of Denmark and Norway. The son of King Gorm the Old and Thyra Dannebod, Harald ruled as king of Denmark from c. 958 – c. 986, introduced Christianization of Denmark, Christianity to D ...

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-century ...

7 children

Sigrid the Haughty Sigrid the Haughty (; ) is a Scandinavian queen appearing in Norse sagas. Sigrid is named in several late and sometimes contradictory Icelandic sagas composed generations after the events the stories describe, but there is no reliable, historical ...

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, Saskatchewan, Ca ...

Aged 50 ,

Right of conquest The right of conquest was historically 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 af ...

House of Wessex (restored, first time) (1014–1016)

Following the death of Sweyn Forkbeard,

returned from

exile Exile or banishment is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons ...

and was again proclaimed king. His son succeeded him after being chosen king by the citizens of London and a part of the

Witan The witan () was the king's council in the Anglo-Saxon government of England from before the 7th century until the 11th century. It comprised important noblemen, including ealdormen, thegns, and bishops. Meetings of the witan were sometimes c ...

, despite ongoing Danish efforts to wrest the crown from the

West Saxons The Kingdom of the West Saxons, also known as the Kingdom of Wessex, was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom in the south of Great Britain, from around 519 until Alfred the Great declared himself as King of the Anglo-Saxons in 886. The Anglo-Saxons beli ...

. , - , ''(2nd reign)''

early 1014
–
23 April 1016 , EthelUn

Son of

and Ælfthryth ,

991
9 children

Emma of Normandy
1002
3 children , 23 April 1016

Aged about 50 , Son of

, - ,

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 marre ...

after 23 April 1016
–
30 November 1016 , Edmund Ironside - MS Royal 14 B VI

Son of

and

, Edith of East Anglia
2 children , 30 November 1016

Glastonbury Glastonbury ( , ) is a town and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated at a dry point on the low-lying Somerset Levels, south of Bristol. The town had a population of 8,932 in the 2011 census. Glastonbury is less than across the River ...

Aged 26 , Son of

House of Denmark (restored) (1016–1042)

Following the decisive

Battle of Assandun The Battle of Assandun (or Ashingdon) 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, Ashingdon near R ...

on 18 October 1016, King Edmund signed a treaty with

Cnut Cnut ( ; ; – 12 November 1035), also known as Canute and with the epithet the Great, was King of England from 1016, King of Denmark from 1018, and King of Norway from 1028 until his death in 1035. The three kingdoms united under Cnut's rul ...

(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
after 23 Apr 1016
–
12 November 1035 , Cnut the Great - MS Royal 14 B VI

Son of

and Gunhilda of Poland ,

Ælfgifu of Northampton Ælfgifu of Northampton (; 990 – after 1036) was the first wife of Cnut the Great, King of List of English monarchs, England and List of Danish monarchs, Denmark, and mother of Harold Harefoot, King of England. She was regent of Norway f ...

2 sons

Emma of Normandy
1017
2 children , 12 November 1035

Shaftesbury Shaftesbury () is a town and civil parish in Dorset, England. It is on the A30 road, west of Salisbury, Wiltshire, Salisbury and north-northeast of Dorchester, Dorset, Dorchester, near the border with Wiltshire. It is the only significant hi ...

Aged about 40 , Son of

Treaty of Deerhurst , - ,

Harold Harefoot Harold Harefoot or Harold I (died 17 March 1040) was regent of Kingdom of England, England from 1035 to 1037 and King of the English from 1037 to 1040. Harold's nickname "Harefoot" is first recorded as "Harefoh" or "Harefah" in the twelfth cen ...

after 12 November 1035
–
17 March 1040 , Harold Harefoot - MS Royal 14 B VI

Son of

and

, , 17 March 1040

Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...

Aged about 24 , Son of

, - ,

Harthacnut Harthacnut (; "Tough-knot"; – 8 June 1042), traditionally Hardicanute, sometimes referred to as Canute III, was King of Denmark from 1035 to 1042 and King of England from 1040 to 1042. Harthacnut was the son of King Cnut the Great (wh ...

after 17 March 1040
–
8 June 1042 , Harthacnut - MS Royal 14 B VI

, 1018

Son of Cnut the Great
and Emma of Normandy , Unmarried , 8 June 1042

Lambeth Lambeth () is a district in South London, England, which today also gives its name to the (much larger) London Borough of Lambeth. Lambeth itself was an ancient parish in the county of Surrey. It is situated 1 mile (1.6 km) south of Charin ...

Aged about 24 , Son of Cnut the Great

House of Wessex (restored, second time) (1042–1066)

After

, there was a Saxon Restoration between 1042 and 1066. , - ,

Edward the Confessor Edward the Confessor ( 1003 – 5 January 1066) was King of England from 1042 until his death in 1066. He was the last reigning monarch of the House of Wessex. Edward was the son of Æthelred the Unready and Emma of Normandy. He succeede ...

8 June 1042
–
5 January 1066
''()'' , Edward the Confessor - MS Royal 14 B VI

Islip Islip may refer to: Places England * Islip, Northamptonshire *Islip, Oxfordshire * Islip Manor Meadows United States *Islip, New York, a town in Suffolk County ** Islip (hamlet), New York, located in the above town **Central Islip, New York ...

Son of

and Emma of Normandy ,

Edith of Wessex Edith of Wessex (; 1025 – 18 December 1075) was Queen of England through her marriage to Edward the Confessor from 1045 until Edward's death in 1066. Unlike most English queens in the 10th and 11th centuries, she was crowned. The principal ...

23 January 1045
No children , 5 January 1066

Westminster Palace The Palace of Westminster is the meeting place of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and is located in London, England. It is commonly called the Houses of Parliament after the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons and the ...

Aged about 63 , Son of

Step-son of

Half-brother of

House of Godwin (1066)

, - ,

Harold II Harold Godwinson ( – 14 October 1066), also called Harold II, was the last crowned Anglo-Saxon King of England. Harold reigned from 6 January 1066 until his death at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, the decisive battle of the Norman ...

Harold Godwinson
6 January 1066
–
14 October 1066
''()'' , Harold Godwinson - MS Royal 14 B VI

Son of Godwin of Wessex
and

Gytha Thorkelsdóttir Gytha Thorkelsdóttir ( 997 – c. 1069), also called Githa, was a Danish noblewoman. She was the wife of Godwin, Earl of Wessex, and the mother of King Harold Godwinson and Edith of Wessex, the latter of whom was the queen consort of King Edwa ...

, Edith Swannesha
5 children

Ealdgyth

2 sons , 14 October 1066

Hastings Hastings ( ) is a seaside town and Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England, east of Lewes and south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place to th ...

Died in the Battle of Hastings aged 44 , Named heir by

Brother-in-law of Edward the Confessor

Elected by the

Witenagemot The witan () was the king's council in the Anglo-Saxon government of England from before the 7th century until the 11th century. It comprised important noblemen, including ealdormen, thegns, and bishops. Meetings of the witan were sometimes ...

Disputed claimant (House of Wessex)

After King Harold was killed at the

Battle of Hastings The Battle of Hastings was fought on 14 October 1066 between the Norman-French army of William, Duke of Normandy, and an English army under the Anglo-Saxon King Harold Godwinson, beginning the Norman Conquest of England. It took place appr ...

, the

elected Edgar Ætheling as king, but by then the Normans controlled the country and Edgar never ruled. He submitted to King William the Conqueror. , - , ''(Title disputed)''
''

Edgar Ætheling Edgar Ætheling or Edgar II ( – 1125 or after) was the last male member of the royal house of Cerdic of Wessex. He was elected King of England by the Witan in 1066 but never crowned. Family and early life Edgar was probably born in Hu ...

''
15 October 1066
–
17 December 1066
''()'' , ,

Son of

Edward the Exile Edward the Exile (c. 1016 – 19 April 1057), also called Edward Ætheling, was the son of King Edmund Ironside and of Ealdgyth. He spent most of his life in exile in the Kingdom of Hungary following the defeat of his father by Cnut. Exile Af ...

and Agatha , No known marriage , 1125 or 1126
Aged about 75 , Grandson of

Elected by the Witenagemot

House of Normandy (1066–1135)

In 1066, several rival claimants to the English throne emerged. Among them were

Harold Godwinson Harold Godwinson ( – 14 October 1066), also called Harold II, was the last crowned Anglo-Saxon King of England. Harold reigned from 6 January 1066 until his death at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, the decisive battle of the Norman ...

(recognised as king by the

after the death of

Harald Hardrada Harald Sigurdsson (; – 25 September 1066), also known as Harald III of Norway and given the epithet ''Hardrada'' in the sagas, was List of Norwegian monarchs, King of Norway from 1046 to 1066. He unsuccessfully claimed the Monarchy of Denma ...

(King of

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...

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 Hardrada and William both invaded separately in 1066. Godwinson successfully repelled the invasion by Harald Hardrada, but ultimately lost the throne of England in the

Norman conquest of England The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Normans, Norman, French people, French, Flemish people, Flemish, and Bretons, Breton troops, all led by the Du ...

. After the

on 14 October 1066, William the Conqueror made permanent the recent removal of the capital from

. Following the death of Harold Godwinson at Hastings, the Anglo-Saxon Witenagemot elected as king

, the son of

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 Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an Anglican church in the City of Westminster, London, England. Since 1066, it has been the location of the coronations of 40 English and British m ...

, and is today known as William the Conqueror, William the Bastard or William I. , - ,

William I William I may refer to: Kings * William the Conqueror (–1087), also known as William I, King of England * William I of Sicily (died 1166) * William I of Scotland (died 1214), known as William the Lion * William I of the Netherlands and Luxembour ...

William the Conqueror
25 December 1066
–
9 September 1087
''()'' , William the Conqueror in the Brief Abridgement of the Chronicles of England

,
Falaise Castle

Son of

Robert the Magnificent Robert I of Normandy (22 June 1000– July 1035), also known as Robert the Magnificent and by other names, was a Norman noble of the House of Normandy who ruled as duke of Normandy from 1027 until his death in 1035. He was the son of Duke Ric ...

and

Herleva Herleva () was an 11th-century Norman people, Norman woman known for having been the mother of William the Conqueror, born to an extramarital relationship with Robert I, Duke of Normandy, and also of William's prominent half-brothers Odo of Baye ...

Matilda of Flanders Matilda of Flanders (; ; German: ''Mechtild)'' ( 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 the mother of ni ...

1053
9 children , 9 September 1087

Rouen Rouen (, ; or ) is a city on the River Seine, in northwestern France. It is in the prefecture of Regions of France, region of Normandy (administrative region), Normandy and the Departments of France, department of Seine-Maritime. Formerly one ...

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

Son of

William the Conqueror William the Conqueror (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), sometimes called William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England (as William I), reigning from 1066 until his death. A descendant of Rollo, he was D ...

and

, Unmarried , 2 August 1100

New Forest The New Forest is one of the largest remaining tracts of unenclosed pasture land, heathland and forest in Southern England, covering southwest Hampshire and southeast Wiltshire. It was proclaimed a royal forest by William the Conqueror, featu ...

Shot with an arrow aged 44 , Son of

Granted the

over elder brother

Robert Curthose Robert Curthose ( – February 1134, ), the eldest son of William the Conqueror, was Duke of Normandy as Robert II from 1087 to 1106. Robert was also an unsuccessful pretender to the throne of the Kingdom of England. The epithet "Curthose" ...

(who remained the

Duke of Normandy In the Middle Ages, the duke of Normandy was the ruler of the Duchy of Normandy in north-western France. The duchy arose out of a grant of land to the Viking leader Rollo by the French king Charles the Simple in 911. In 924 and again in 933, N ...

) , - ,

Henry I Henry I or Henri I may refer to: :''In chronological order'' * 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 ...

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

, September 1068

Selby Selby is a market town and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England, south of York on the River Ouse. At the 2021 Census, it had a population of 17,193. The town was historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire; from 1974 until 2023, ...

Son of William the Conqueror
and Matilda of Flanders ,

Matilda of Scotland Matilda of Scotland (originally christened Edith, 1080 – 1 May 1118), also known as Good Queen Maud, was Queen consort of England and Duchess of Normandy as the first wife of King Henry I. She acted as regent of England on several occasions ...

11 November 1100
2 children

Adeliza of Louvain Adeliza of Louvain (also Adelicia, Adela, Adelais, and Aleidis; c. 1103 – March/April 1151) was Queen of England from 1121 to 1135 as the second wife of King Henry I. Adeliza was the eldest child of Godfrey I, Count of Louvain, and Ida ...

Windsor Castle Windsor Castle is a List of British royal residences, royal residence at Windsor, Berkshire, Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, about west of central London. It is strongly associated with the Kingdom of England, English and succee ...

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 (1135–1154)

left no legitimate male heirs, his son

William Adelin William Ætheling (, ; 5 August 1103 – 25 November 1120), commonly called Adelin (sometimes ''Adelinus'', ''Adelingus'', ''A(u)delin'' or other Latinised Norman-French variants of '' Ætheling''), was the son of Henry I of England by his wif ...

having died in the ''

White Ship The ''White Ship'' (; Medieval Latin: ''Candida navis'') was a vessel transporting many nobles, including the heir to the English throne, that sank in the English Channel near the Normandy coast off Barfleur during a trip from France to Engla ...

'' 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 * Mathilda (gastropod), ''Mathilda'' (gastropod), a genus of gastropods in the family Mathildidae * Matilda (horse) (1824–1 ...

(Countess of Anjou by her second marriage to

Geoffrey Plantagenet, Count of Anjou Geoffrey V (24 August 1113 – 7 September 1151), called the Fair (), Plantagenet, and of Anjou, was the count of Anjou and Maine by inheritance from 1129, and also duke of Normandy by his marriage claim and conquest, from 1144. Geoffrey m ...

, as well as widow of her first husband,

Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor Henry V (; probably 11 August 1081 or 1086 – 23 May 1125) was King of Germany (from 1099 to 1125) and Holy Roman Emperor (from 1111 to 1125), as the fourth and last ruler of the Salian dynasty. He was made co-ruler by his father, Henry IV, i ...

), 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 un ...

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 The Anarchy was a civil war in England and Duchy of Normandy, Normandy between 1138 and 1153, which resulted in a widespread breakdown in law and order. The conflict was a war of succession precipitated by the accidental death of William Adel ...

, 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 or Steven is an English given name, first name. It is particularly significant to Christianity, Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; he is w ...

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

Blois Blois ( ; ) is a commune and the capital city of Loir-et-Cher Departments of France, 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 mos ...

Son of

Stephen II of Blois Stephen Henry (in French, ''Étienne Henri'', in Old French, ''Estienne Henri''; – 19 May 1102) was the count of Blois and County of Chartres, Chartres. He led an army during the First Crusade, was at the siege of Nicaea, surrender of the ci ...

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 the C ...

Matilda of Boulogne Matilda I of Boulogne ( – 3 May 1152) was Countess of Boulogne in her own right from 1125 and Queen of England from the accession of her husband, King Stephen, in 1135 until her death in 1152. She supported Stephen in his struggle for th ...

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 writers say it is the ...

Aged about 58 , Grandson of

Appointmentusurpation

Disputed claimants

was declared

heir presumptive An heir presumptive is the person entitled to inherit a throne, peerage, or other hereditary honour, but whose position can be displaced by the birth of a person with a better claim to the position in question. This is in contrast to an heir app ...

by her father, Henry I, after the death of her brother on the ''

'', and acknowledged as such by the barons. Upon Henry I's death, the throne was seized by Matilda's cousin,

. During the ensuing Anarchy, Matilda controlled England for a few months in 1141. She was the first woman to do so, but was never crowned and is rarely listed as a monarch of England. , - , ''

''
Empress Matilda
7 April 1141
–
1 November 1141
''()'' , Empress Mathilda

, 7 February 1102
Sutton Courtenay Manor House

Daughter of

and

Edith of Scotland Matilda of Scotland (originally christened Edith, 1080 – 1 May 1118), also known as Good Queen Maud, was Queen consort of England and Duchess of Normandy as the first wife of King Henry I. She acted as regent of England on several occasions d ...

, Henry V of the Holy Roman Empire

Mainz Mainz (; #Names and etymology, see below) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, and with around 223,000 inhabitants, it is List of cities in Germany by population, Germany's 35th-largest city. It lies in ...

6 January 1114
No children

Geoffrey V of Anjou Geoffrey V (24 August 1113 – 7 September 1151), called the Fair (), Plantagenet, and of Anjou, was the count of Anjou and Count of Maine, Maine by inheritance from 1129, and also duke of Normandy by his marriage claim and Right of conquest, ...

Le Mans Cathedral Le Mans Cathedral ( French: ''Cathédrale St-Julien du Mans'') is a Catholic church situated in Le Mans, France. The cathedral is dedicated to Saint Julian of Le Mans, the city's first bishop, who established Christianity in the area around the b ...

22 May 1128
3 sons , 10 September 1167

Aged 65 , Daughter of

Seizure of the Crown Count Eustace IV of Boulogne (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 The pope is the bishop of Rome and the Head of the Church#Catholic Church, visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the po ...

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 Plantagenet (1154–1485)

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 Plantag ...

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.

Angevin kings of England

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 o ...

, in which Stephen recognised

Henry Henry may refer to: People and fictional characters * Henry (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters * Henry (surname) * Henry, a stage name of François-Louis Henry (1786–1855), French baritone Arts and entertainmen ...

, 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 Franki ...

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

House of Plantagenet The House of Plantagenet (Help:IPA/English, /plænˈtædʒənət/ Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''plan-TAJ-ə-nət'') was a royal house which originated from the Medieval France, French county of Anjou. The name Plantagenet is used by mo ...

, after his

sobriquet A sobriquet ( ) is a descriptive nickname, sometimes assumed, but often given by another. A sobriquet is distinct from a pseudonym in that it is typically a familiar name used in place of a real name without the need for explanation; it may beco ...

. 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 (; ) was the collection of territories held by the House of Plantagenet during the 12th and 13th centuries, when they ruled over an area covering roughly all of present-day England, half of France, and parts of Ireland and Wal ...

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 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, fiefs, property and incom ...

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 1267 ...

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

Wars of the Roses The Wars of the Roses, known at the time and in following centuries as the Civil Wars, were a series of armed confrontations, machinations, battles and campaigns fought over control of the English throne from 1455 to 1487. The conflict was fo ...

. 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 (, ), which means , is the motto of the monarch of the United Kingdom. It appears on a scroll beneath the shield of the version of the coat of arms of the United Kingdom used outside Scotland. The motto is said to have first been used by Ri ...

'' 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 religio ...

Richard I Richard I (8 September 1157 – 6 April 1199), known as Richard the Lionheart or Richard Cœur de Lion () because of his reputation as a great military leader and warrior, was King of England from 1189 until his death in 1199. He also ru ...

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 ...

, when he defeated the forces of

Philip II of France Philip II (21 August 1165 – 14 July 1223), also known as Philip Augustus (), was King of France from 1180 to 1223. His predecessors had been known as kings of the Franks (Latin: ''rex Francorum''), but from 1190 onward, Philip became the firs ...

. It has generally been used as the motto of English monarchs since being adopted by

Edward III Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377), also known as Edward of Windsor before his accession, was King of England from January 1327 until his death in 1377. He is noted for his military success and for restoring royal authority after t ...

. , - ,

Henry II Henry II may refer to: Kings * Saint Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor (972–1024), crowned King of Germany in 1002, of Italy in 1004 and Emperor in 1014 *Henry II of England (1133–89), reigned from 1154 *Henry II of Jerusalem and Cyprus (1271–1 ...

Henry Curtmantle
19 December 1154
–
6 July 1189
''()'' , Henry II Illumination

, , 5 March 1133

Le Mans Le Mans (; ) is a Communes of France, city in Northwestern France on the Sarthe (river), Sarthe River where it meets the Huisne. Traditionally the capital of the Provinces of France, province of Maine (province), Maine, it is now the capital of ...

Son of

and

Eleanor of Aquitaine Eleanor of Aquitaine ( or ; ; , or ; – 1 April 1204) was Duchess of Aquitaine from 1137 to 1204, Queen of France from 1137 to 1152 as the wife of King Louis VII, and Queen of England from 1154 to 1189 as the wife of King Henry II. As ...

Bordeaux Cathedral Bordeaux Cathedral, officially known as the Primatial Cathedral of St Andrew of Bordeaux (), is a Catholic Church, Catholic church dedicated to Saint Andrew and located in Bordeaux, France. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Bordeaux-Bazas, Arch ...

18 May 1152
8 children , 6 July 1189

Chinon Chinon () is a Communes of France, commune in the Indre-et-Loire Departments of France, department, Centre-Val de Loire, France. The traditional province around Chinon, Touraine, became a favorite resort of French kings and their nobles beginn ...

Aged 56 , Grandson of

Great-great-great-grandson of

, -, , colspan=99 , Henry II named his son,

Henry the Young King Henry the Young King (28 February 1155 – 11 June 1183) was the eldest son of Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine to survive childhood. In 1170, he became titular King of England, Duke of Normandy, Count of Anjou and Maine. Henry th ...

(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 the Lionheart
3 September 1189
–
6 April 1199
''()'' , Richard I of England in the Brief Abridgement of the Chronicles of England

, rowspan=2 , , 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 i ...

Son of

and

Berengaria of Navarre Berengaria of Navarre (, , ; 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 Castile. As is the case with many of the medieval ...

Limassol Limassol, also known as Lemesos, is a city on the southern coast of Cyprus and capital of the Limassol district. Limassol is the second-largest urban area in Cyprus after Nicosia, with an urban population of 195,139 and a district population o ...

12 May 1191
No children , 6 April 1199

Châlus Châlus (; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Haute-Vienne Departments of France, department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Regions of France, region in western France. History Richard I of England, Richard I, King of England was siege, bes ...

Shot by a quarrel aged 41 , Son of

Primogeniture Primogeniture () is the right, by law or custom, of the firstborn Legitimacy (family law), legitimate child to inheritance, inherit all or most of their parent's estate (law), estate in preference to shared inheritance among all or some childre ...

, - ,

John Lackland
27 May 1199
–
19 October 1216
''()'' , , 24 December 1166
Beaumont Palace

Son of Henry II
and Eleanor of Aquitaine , Isabel of Gloucester

Marlborough Castle Marlborough Castle, locally known and recorded in historical documents as ''The Mound'', was an 11th-century royal castle located in the civil parish of Marlborough, a market town in the English county of Wiltshire, on the Old Bath Road, the ol ...

29 August 1189
No children

Isabella of Angoulême Isabella (, ; c. 1186/ 1188 – 4 June 1246) was Queen of England from 1200 to 1216 as the second wife of King John, Countess of Angoulême in her own right from 1202 until her death in 1246, and Countess of La Marche from 1220 to 1246 as t ...

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, England. It is on the River Trent, and was historically a major inland port. The A1 road (Great Britain), A1 road bypasses th ...

Aged 49 , Son of Henry II

Nomination

Proximity of blood Proximity of blood, or proximity by degree of kinship, is one of the ways to determine hereditary succession based on genealogy. In effect, the application of this rule is a refusal to recognize the right of representation, a component of primog ...

Disputed claimant (House of Capet)

The future

Louis VIII of France Louis VIII (5 September 1187 8 November 1226), nicknamed The Lion (), was King of France from 1223 to 1226. As a prince, he invaded Kingdom of England, England on 21 May 1216 and was Excommunication in the Catholic Church, excommunicated by a ...

briefly won two-thirds of England over to his side from May 1216 to September 1217 at the conclusion of the

First Barons' War The First Barons' War (1215–1217) was a civil war in the Kingdom of England in which a group of rebellious major landowners (commonly referred to as English feudal barony, barons) led by Robert Fitzwalter waged war against John of England, K ...

against King John. The then-Prince Louis landed on the

Isle of Thanet The Isle of Thanet () is a peninsula forming the easternmost part of Kent, England. While in the past it was separated from the mainland by the Wantsum Channel, it is no longer an island. Archaeological remains testify to its settlement in a ...

, off the north Kent coast, on 21 May 1216, and marched more or less unopposed to London, where the streets were lined with cheering crowds. At a grand ceremony in St. Paul's Cathedral, on 2 June 1216, in the presence of numerous English clergy and nobles, the Mayor of London and Alexander II of Scotland, Prince Louis was proclaimed King Louis of England (though not crowned). In less than a month, "King Louis" controlled more than half of the country and enjoyed the support of two-thirds of the barons. However, he suffered military defeat at the hands of the English fleet. By signing the

Treaty of Lambeth The Treaty of Lambeth of 1217, also known as the Treaty of Kingston to distinguish it from the Treaty of Lambeth of 1212, was a peace treaty signed by Louis of France in September 1217 ending the campaign known as the First Barons' War to uphold ...

in September 1217, Louis gained 10,000 marks and agreed he had never been the legitimate king of England. "King Louis" remains one of the least known kings to have ruled over a substantial part of England. , - , ''

Louis Louis may refer to: People * Louis (given name), origin and several individuals with this name * Louis (surname) * Louis (singer), Serbian singer Other uses * Louis (coin), a French coin * HMS ''Louis'', two ships of the Royal Navy See also ...

''
''Louis the Lion''
2 June 1216
–
20 September 1217
''(1 year, 111 days)'' , Louis8

, , 5 September 1187

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

Son of

and

Isabella of Hainault Isabella of Hainault (5 April 1170 – 15 March 1190; also spelled: Ysabella de Hainault, Ysabelle de Hainaut or Ysabeau de Hainaut) was a Queen of France as the first wife of King Philip II. She was also formally ruling Countess of Artois ''d ...

, Blanche of Castile
Port-Mort
23 May 1200
13 children , 8 November 1226
Montpensier
Aged 39 , Offered by the Barons

Maternal grandson-in-law of

Main line of Plantagenets

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 Lancaster may refer to: Lands and titles *The County Palatine of Lancaster, a synonym for Lancashire *Duchy of Lancaster, one of only two British royal duchies *Duke of Lancaster *Earl of Lancaster *House of Lancaster, a British royal dynasty ...

and

York York is a cathedral city in North Yorkshire, England, with Roman Britain, Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Foss, Foss. It has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a Yor ...

are

es of the House of Plantagenet. , - , Henry III
Henry of Winchester
28 October 1216
–
16 November 1272
''()'' , HenryIII

, rowspan=3 , , 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

and

Eleanor of Provence Eleanor of Provence ( 1223 – 24/25 June 1291) was a Provence, Provençal noblewoman who became List of English royal consorts, Queen of England as the wife of King Henry III of England, Henry III from 1236 until his death in 1272. She served ...

Canterbury Cathedral Canterbury Cathedral is the cathedral of the archbishop of Canterbury, the spiritual leader of the Church of England and symbolic leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion. Located in Canterbury, Kent, it is one of the oldest Christianity, Ch ...

14 January 1236
5 children , 16 November 1272

Aged 65 , Son of

Primogeniture , - ,

Edward I Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots (Latin: Malleus Scotorum), was King of England from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he was Lord of Ireland, and from 125 ...

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

, 17 June 1239

Palace of Westminster The Palace of Westminster is the meeting place of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and is located in London, England. It is commonly called the Houses of Parliament after the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two legislative ch ...

Son of Henry III
and

Eleanor of Castile Eleanor of Castile (1241 – 28 November 1290) was Queen of England as the first wife of Edward I. She was educated at the Castilian court and also ruled as Countess of Ponthieu in her own right () from 1279. After diplomatic efforts to s ...

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 , which usually refers to "labour strikes" in modern Spanish, refers in this case ...

18 October 1254
16 children

Margaret of France
Canterbury Cathedral
10 September 1299
3 children , 7 July 1307

Burgh by Sands Burgh by Sands () is a village and civil parish in the Cumberland unitary authority area of Cumbria, England, situated near the Solway Firth. The parish includes the village of Burgh by Sands along with Longburgh, Dykesfield, Boustead Hill, Moor ...

Aged 68 , Son of Henry III

Primogeniture , - ,

Edward II Edward II (25 April 1284 – 21 September 1327), also known as Edward of Caernarfon or Caernarvon, was King of England from 1307 until he was deposed in January 1327. The fourth son of Edward I, Edward became the heir to the throne follo ...

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 soci ...

20 January 1327
''()'' , , 25 April 1284

Caernarfon Castle Caernarfon Castle (; ) is a medieval fortress in Gwynedd, north-west Wales. The first fortification on the site was a motte-and-bailey castle built in the late 11th century, which King Edward I of England began to replace with the current st ...

Son of

and

Isabella of France Isabella of France ( – 22 August 1358), sometimes described as the She-Wolf of France (), was List of English royal consorts, Queen of England as the wife of Edward II of England, King Edward II, and ''de facto'' regent of England from 1327 ...

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, England. The castle's origins date back to the 11th century, being designated by English ...

Murdered aged 43 , Son of

Primogeniture , - ,

Edward of Windsor
25 January 1327
–
21 June 1377
''()'' , ,

, 13 November 1312

Son of

and

Philippa of Hainault Philippa of Hainault (sometimes spelled Hainaut; Middle French: ''Philippe de Hainaut''; 24 June 1310 (or 1315) – 15 August 1369) was List of English consorts, Queen of England as the wife and political adviser of King Edward III. She acted a ...

York Minster York Minster, formally the Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of Saint Peter in York, is an Anglicanism, Anglican cathedral in the city of York, North Yorkshire, England. The minster is the seat of the archbishop of York, the second-highest of ...

25 January 1328
14 children , 21 June 1377

Sheen Palace Richmond Palace was a Tudor 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 Westminste ...

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, Prince of Wales (later known as the Black Prince), and Joan, Countess of Kent. R ...

Richard of Bordeaux
22 June 1377
–
29 September 1399
''()'' , , , 6 January 1367
Archbishop's Palace of Bordeaux

Son of

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

and

Joan of Kent Joan, Countess of Kent suo jure ( – August 1385),Barber, R. (2004, 23 September). Joan, suo jure countess of Kent, and princess of Wales and of Aquitaine alled the Fair Maid of Kent(c. 1328–1385). ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biog ...

Anne of Bohemia Anne of Bohemia (11 May 1366 – 7 June 1394), also known as Anne of Luxembourg, was Queen consort of England, Queen of England as the first wife of King Richard II. A member of the House of Luxembourg, she was the daughter of Charles IV, Holy ...

14 January 1382
Westminster Abbey
No children

Isabella of Valois Isabella of Valois (9 November 1389 – 13 September 1409) was Queen of England as the wife of Richard II, King of England, between 1396 and 1399, and Duchess of Orléans as the wife of Charles, Duke of Orléans, from 1406 until her death in ...

Church of St. Nicholas, Calais
4 November 1396
No children , 14 February 1400

Pontefract Castle Pontefract (or Pomfret) Castle is a castle ruin in the town of Pontefract, in West Yorkshire, England. King Richard II of England, Richard II is thought to have died there. It was the site of a series of famous sieges during the 17th-cent ...

Aged 33 , Grandson of

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
''()'' , ,

, 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
Stillborn twins , 20 March 1413

Aged 45 , Grandsonheir male of

Usurper, Usurpation , - , Henry V of England, Henry V
Henry of Monmouth
21 March 1413
–
31 August 1422
''()'' , Henry V Miniature

, , 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

Primogeniture#Agnatic_primogeniture, Agnatic primogeniture , - , ''(1st reign)''
Henry VI of England, Henry VI
1 September 1422
–
4 March 1461
''()'' , , , 6 December 1421

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

(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
''()'' , King Edward IV

, , 28 April 1442
Rouen Castle

Son of

and Cecily Neville, Duchess of York, Cecily Neville , Elizabeth Woodville
Grafton Regis
1 May 1464
10 children , 9 April 1483

Aged 40 , Great-great-grandsonheir general of

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
''()'' , , , 6 December 1421

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
''()'' , King Edward IV

, rowspan=3 , , 28 April 1442
Rouen Castle

Son of

and Cecily Neville, Duchess of York, Cecily Neville , Elizabeth Woodville
Grafton Regis
1 May 1464
10 children , 9 April 1483

Aged 40 , Great-great-grandsonheir general 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

, 2 November 1470
Cheyneygates,

Son of Edward IV of England, Edward IV
and Elizabeth Woodville , Unmarried , Disappeared mid-1483
Tower of 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
''()'' , Richard III portrait

, 2 October 1452
Fotheringhay Castle

Son of Richard of York
and Cecily Neville , Anne Neville

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 (1485–1603)

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 VII 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
''()'' , , rowspan=3 , , 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

18 January 1486
8 children , 21 April 1509
Richmond Palace
Aged 52 , Great-great-great-grandson of

Marriage to Elizabeth of York , - , Henry VIII
22 April 1509
–
28 January 1547
''()'' , After Hans Holbein the Younger - Portrait of Henry VIII - Google Art Project

, 28 June 1491
Palace of Placentia, Greenwich Palace

Son of Henry VII of England, Henry VII
and Elizabeth of York , Catherine of Aragon
Church of the Observant Friars, Greenwich
11 June 1509
Mary I of England, 1 daughter

Anne Boleyn

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

, - , 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

Disputed claimant

Edward VI named Lady Jane Grey as his heir in his will, overruling the order of succession laid down by Parliament in the Third Succession Act. Four days after his death on 6 July 1553, Jane was proclaimed queen—the first of three Tudor women to be proclaimed queen regnant. Nine days after the proclamation, on 19 July, the Privy Council switched allegiance and proclaimed Edward VI's Catholic half-sister Mary I of England, Mary queen. Jane was later executed for treason. , - , ''Lady Jane Grey, Jane''
''Lady Jane Grey''
10 July 1553
–
19 July 1553
''()'' , Streathamladyjayne

, 1536 or 1537
Bradgate Park

Daughter of the Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Suffolk, 1st Duke of Suffolk
and Frances Grey, Duchess of Suffolk, Frances Brandon , Lord Guildford Dudley, Guildford Dudley
Durham House, London, Durham House
21 May 1553
No children , 12 February 1554
Tower Green
Executed aged about 17 , Great-granddaughter of Henry VII of England, Henry VII

Devise for the Succession , - , Mary I of England, Mary I
19 July 1553
–
17 November 1558
''()'' , Anthonis Mor 001

, rowspan=2 , , 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
25 July 1554
–
17 November 1558
''()'' , , 21 May 1527
Palacio de Pimentel

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 Coregency, co-reign with his wife. , - , Elizabeth I
17 November 1558
–
24 March 1603
''()''
, , , 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 (1603–1649)

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 , , 19 June 1566
Edinburgh Castle

Son of Mary, Queen of Scots, and Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley , Anne of Denmark
Old Bishop's Palace in Oslo, Old Bishop's Palace, 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 (1649–1660)

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 Samuel Cooper

, rowspan=2 , , 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
''()'' , , 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) (1660–1707)

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 , , 29 May 1630
St James's Palace

Son of Charles I of England, Charles I
and Henrietta Maria of France , Catherine of Braganza
Domus Dei, Royal Garrison Church
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
Worchester House, Strand, London, The Strand
3 September 1660
8 children

Mary of Modena

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 Coregency, co-regents, in the Glorious Revolution.

Houses of Stuart and Orange

, - , 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 Binnenhof

Son of William II of Orange
and Mary, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange, Mary, Princess Royal 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 of England, Charles I

Bill of Rights 1689, Offered the Crown by Parliament , - , Anne, Queen of Great Britain, Anne
8 March 1702
–
1 May 1707
''()''

' , , , 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 II's son and grandson, James Francis Edward Stuart, James Francis Edward and Bonnie Prince Charlie, Charles respectively) 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

; 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

and the Kingdom of Scotland (previously separate sovereign states, with separate legislatures but Personal union, with the same monarch) into the

. 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.

Timeline

Titles

The standard title for all monarchs from

until the time of King John was ("King of the English"). In addition, many of the pre-Norman kings assumed extra titles, as follows: *

: ("King of All Britain") * Edmund I, Edmund the Magnificent: ("King of Britain") and ("King of the English and of other peoples governor and director") *

: ("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") *

: ("King of all Albion and its neighbouring realms") *

: ("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

Works cited

External links

* {{Kingdom of England English monarchs, English monarchy, * 927 establishments Kingdom of England-related lists, Monarchs Lists of British monarchs, English

House of Wessex (886–1013)

Disputed claimant

House of Denmark (1013–1014)

House of Wessex (restored, first time) (1014–1016)

House of Denmark (restored) (1016–1042)

House of Wessex (restored, second time) (1042–1066)

House of Godwin (1066)

Disputed claimant (House of Wessex)

House of Normandy (1066–1135)

House of Blois (1135–1154)

Disputed claimants

House of Plantagenet (1154–1485)

Angevin kings of England

Disputed claimant (House of Capet)

Main line of Plantagenets

House of Lancaster

House of York

House of Lancaster (restored)

House of York (restored)

House of Tudor (1485–1603)

Disputed claimant

House of Stuart (1603–1649)

First Interregnum (1649–1660)

House of Stuart (restored) (1660–1707)

Second Interregnum 1688–1689

Houses of Stuart and Orange

Acts of Union

Timeline

Titles

See also

Explanatory notes

Coronations

Burials

References

Citations

Works cited

Further reading

External links