This is the family tree of the British royal family, from James I (who united the crowns of England and Scotland) to the present monarch, Charles III.
For a simplified view, see: Family tree of British monarchs.
House of Stuart | Scottish monarchs | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Henry Stuart 1545–1567 | Mary, Queen of Scots 1542–1587 | Frederick II King of Denmark 1534–1588 | Henry IV King of France 1553–1610 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
King James VI and I [a] 1566–1625 r. 1567–1625(Scotland) r. 1603–1625(England) | Anne of Denmark 1574–1619 Queen of England and Ireland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
John IV 1604–1656 King of Portugal | Henry Frederick 1594–1612 Prince of Wales | Elizabeth Stuart 1596–1662 Queen of Bohemia | Frederick V 1596–1632 Elector Palatine King of Bohemia | Margaret Stuart 1598–1600 | King Charles I 1600–1649 King of England r. 1625–1649 | Henrietta Maria of France 1609–1669 | Robert Stuart 1602 Duke of Kintyre and Lorne | Mary Stuart 1605–1607 | Sophia Stuart 1606 of England | Louis XIII 1601–1643 King of France | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
House of Hanover | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Charles Duke of Cornwall 1629 | King Charles II 1630–1685 r. 1649–1651 r. 1660–1685(Scotland) r. 1660–1685(England) | Catherine of Braganza 1638–1705 Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland | William II 1626–1650 Prince of Orange | Mary Princess Royal 1631–1660 Princess of Orange | Anne Hyde 1637–1671 Duchess of York | King James II [a] 1633–1701 r. 1685–1688 | Mary of Modena 1658–1718 Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland | Elizabeth Stuart 1635–1650 | Anne Stuart 1637–1640 | Henry Stuart Duke of Gloucester 1640–1660 | Henrietta Anne of England 1644–1670 Duchess of Orléans | Philippe I 1640–1701 Duke of Orléans | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
illegitimate children | Frederick III 1609–1670 King of Denmark | House of Orléans | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Charles Stuart Duke of Cambridge 1660–1661 | Queen Mary II 1662–1694 r. 1689–1694 | King William III [a] 1650–1702 r. 1689–1702 | James Stuart 1663–1667 Duke of Cambridge | Queen Anne 1665–1714 r. 1702–1714 | Prince George 1653–1708 of Denmark | Charles Stuart 1666–1667 Duke of Kendal | Edgar Stuart 1667–1671 Duke of Cambridge | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Prince William 1689–1700 Duke of Gloucester | Catherine Stuart 1675–1676 | Isabel Stuart 1676–1681 | Charles Stuart 1677 Duke of Cambridge | Elizabeth Stuart 1678 | Charlotte Stuart 1682 | Maria Clementina Sobieska 1702–1735 | James Francis Edward Stuart The Old Pretender 1688–1766 Prince of Wales | Louisa Maria Stuart 1692–1712 Princess Royal | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Princess Louise of Stolberg-Gedern 1752–1824 Countess of Albany | Charles Edward Stuart Bonnie Prince Charlie; 1720–1788 The Young Pretender | Henry Benedict Stuart 1725–1807 Cardinal Duke of York | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Elizabeth Stuart 1596–1662 House of Stuart Queen of Bohemia | Frederick V of the Palatinate King of Bohemia 1596–1632 House of Wittelsbach-Palatinate | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sophia Princess Sophia of the Palatinate 1630–1714 Electress of Hanover | Ernest Augustus Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg 1629–1698 House of Hanover | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sophia Dorothea of Brunswick-Lüneburg-Celle 1666–1726 Electoral Princess of Hanover & Duchess of Ahlden | King George I 1660–1727 r. 1714–1727 | Frederick Augustus 1661–1690 | Maximilian William of Brunswick-Lüneburg 1666–1726 | Sophia Charlotte of Hanover 1668–1705 Queen in Prussia | Charles Philip of Brunswick-Lüneburg 1669–1690 | Christian Henry of Brunswick-Lüneburg 1671–1703 | Ernest Augustus Duke of York and Albany 1674–1728 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Caroline of Ansbach 1683–1737 Queen consort of Great Britain | King George II King of Great Britain 1683–1760 r. 1727–1760 | Sophia Dorothea of Hanover 1687–1757 Queen consort of Prussia, Electress & consort of Brandenburg | Frederick William I 1688–1740 King of Prussia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg 1719–1772 Princess of Wales | Frederick 1707–1751 Prince of Wales | William IV 1711–1751 Prince of Orange | Anne Princess Royal 1709–1759 Princess of Orange | Princess Amelia Sophia Eleonore 1711–1786 of Great Britain | Princess Caroline Elizabeth 1713–1757 of Great Britain | Prince George William 1717–1718 of Great Britain | Prince William Augustus 1721–1765 Duke of Cumberland | Mary 1723–1772 of Great Britain | Frederick II 1720–1785 Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel | Louise of Great Britain 1724–1751 Queen of Denmark and Norway | Frederick V 1723–1766 King of Denmark | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Princess Augusta 1737–1813 of Great Britain | Charles William Ferdinand 1735–1806 Prince of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel and Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg | King George III 1738–1820 r. 1760–1820 | Charlotte 1744–1818 of Mecklenburg-Strelitz | Frederick William II of Prussia 1744–1797 King of Prussia | Prince Edward 1739–1767 Duke of York and Albany | Princess Elizabeth Caroline 1741–1759 of Great Britain | Prince William Henry 1743–1805 Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh | Prince Henry 1745–1790 Duke of Cumberland and Strathearn | Princess Louisa Anne 1749–1768 of Great Britain | Prince Frederick William 1750–1765 of Great Britain | Princess Caroline Matilda 1751–1775 of Great Britain | Christian VII 1749–1808 King of Denmark | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Caroline 1768–1821 of Brunswick | King George IV 1762–1830 (regent 1811–1820) r. 1820–1830 | Prince Frederick Duke of York and Albany 1763–1827 | Princess Frederica Charlotte 1767–1820 of Prussia | Adelaide 1792–1849 of Saxe-Meiningen | King William IV 1765–1837 r. 1830–1837 | Charlotte, Princess Royal 1766–1828 Queen of Württemberg | Frederick I King of Württemberg 1754–1816 | Prince Edward Duke of Kent and Strathearn 1767–1820 | Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld 1786–1861 | Princess Augusta Sophia 1768–1840 of the United Kingdom | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Princess Elizabeth of the United Kingdom 1770–1840 | Frederick VI Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg 1769–1829 | Ernest Augustus King of Hanover 1771–1851 | Frederica of Mecklenburg-Strelitz 1778–1841 | Augustus Frederick Duke of Sussex 1773–1843 | Adolphus Duke of Cambridge 1774–1850 | Augusta of Hesse-Kassel 1797–1889 | Princess Mary, Duchess of Gloucester and Edinburgh 1776–1857 | William Frederick Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh 1776–1834 | Princess Sophia of the United Kingdom 1777–1848 | Prince Octavius of Great Britain 1779–1783 | Prince Alfred of Great Britain 1780–1782 | Princess Amelia of the United Kingdom 1783–1810 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Leopold I King of the Belgians 1790–1865 | Princess Charlotte 1796–1817 of Wales | George V King of Hanover 1819–1878 | Marie of Saxe-Altenburg 1818–1907 | Princess Charlotte of Clarence 1819 | Princess Elizabeth of Clarence 1820–1821 | Prince George Duke of Cambridge 1819–1904 | Augusta of Cambridge 1822–1916 | Frederick William Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz 1819–1904 | Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge 1833–1897 | Francis Duke of Teck 1837–1900 | Queen Victoria 1819–1901 r. 1837–1901 | Albert Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha 1819–1861 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ernest Augustus Crown Prince of Hanover, Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale 1845–1923 | Thyra of Denmark 1853–1933 | Frederica of Hanover 1848–1926 | Baron Alphons von Pawel-Rammingen 1843–1932 | Marie of Hanover 1849–1904 | Mary of Teck 1867–1953 | House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha ↓ House of Windsor | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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, became disqualified to inherit the throne. This had the effect of deposing the remaining descendants of Charles I, other than his Protestant granddaughter Anne, as the next Protestant in line to the throne was Sophia of Hanover. Born into the House of Wittelsbach, she was a granddaughter of James VI and I from his most junior surviving line, with the crowns descending only to her non-Catholic heirs. Sophia died less than two months before Queen Anne, and Sophia's son succeeded to the throne as King George I, starting the Hanoverian dynasty in Britain.
The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the form of government used by the United Kingdom by which a hereditary monarch reigns as the head of state, with their powers regulated by the British Constitution. The term may also refer to the role of the royal family within the UK's broader political structure. The monarch since 8 September 2022 is King Charles III, who ascended the throne on the death of Queen Elizabeth II, his mother.
Monarchical systems of government have existed in Ireland from ancient times. This continued in all of Ireland until 1949, when the Republic of Ireland Act removed most of Ireland's residual ties to the British monarch. Northern Ireland, as part of the United Kingdom, remains under a monarchical system of government.
The Kingdom of Great Britain, officially known as 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 kingdoms of England and Scotland to form a single kingdom encompassing the whole island of Great Britain and its outlying islands, with the exception of the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. The unitary state was governed by a single parliament at the Palace of Westminster, but distinct legal systems—English law and Scots law—remained in use.
The House of Windsor is the reigning house of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms. The house's name was inspired by the historic Windsor Castle estate. Since it was founded on 17 July 1917, there have been five British monarchs of the House of Windsor: George V, Edward VIII, George VI, Elizabeth II, and Charles III. The children and male-line descendants of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, also genealogically belong to the House of Oldenburg since Philip was by birth a member of the Glücksburg branch of that house.
A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family, usually in the context of a monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A dynasty may also be referred to as a "house", "family" or "clan", among others.
The Kingdom of England was a sovereign state on the island of Great Britain from the early tenth century, when it was unified from various Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, until 1 May 1707, when it united with Scotland to form the Kingdom of Great Britain, which would later become the United Kingdom. The Kingdom of England was among the most powerful states in Europe during the medieval and early modern periods.
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 interlinked, such as by sharing some limited governmental institutions. Unlike a personal union, in a federation or a unitary state, a central (federal) government spanning all member states exists, with the degree of self-governance distinguishing the two. The ruler in a personal union does not need to be a hereditary monarch.
This is a family tree for the kings and queens of Scotland, since the unification under the House of Alpin in 834, to the personal union with England in 1603 under James VI of Scotland. It includes also the Houses of Dunkeld, Balliol, Bruce, and Stewart.
The Union of the Crowns was the accession of James VI of Scotland to the throne of the Kingdom of England as James I and the practical unification of some functions of the two separate realms under a single individual on 24 March 1603. It followed the death of James's cousin, Elizabeth I of England, the last monarch of the Tudor dynasty.
Succession to the British throne is determined by descent, sex, 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 and the Act of Settlement 1701 restrict succession to the throne to the legitimate Protestant descendants of Sophia of Hanover who are in "communion with the Church of England". Spouses of Catholics were disqualified from 1689 until the law was amended in 2015. Protestant descendants of those excluded for being Roman Catholics are eligible.
Early modern Britain is the history of the island of Great Britain roughly corresponding to the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. Major historical events in early modern British history include numerous wars, especially with France, along with the English Renaissance, the English Reformation and Scottish Reformation, the English Civil War, the Restoration of Charles II, the Glorious Revolution, the Treaty of Union, the Scottish Enlightenment and the formation and the collapse of the First British Empire.
This is the family tree for monarchs of England from Alfred the Great to Elizabeth I of England. The House of Wessex family tree precedes this family tree and the family tree of the British royal family follows it.
The coat of arms of Scotland, colloquially called the Lion Rampant, is the coat of arms historically used as arms of dominion by the monarchs of the Kingdom of Scotland, and later used within the coat of arms of Great Britain and the present coat of arms of the United Kingdom. The arms consist of a red lion surrounded by a red double border decorated with fleurs-de-lis, all on a gold background. The blazon, or heraldic description, is: Or a lion rampant Gules armed and langued Azure within a double tressure flory-counter-flory of the second.
The following is a simplified family tree of the English, Scottish, and British monarchs.
The Neo-Jacobite Revival was a political movement active during the 25 years before the First World War in the United Kingdom. The movement was monarchist, and had the specific aim of replacing British parliamentary democracy with a restored monarch from the deposed House of Stuart.
The history of the monarchy of the United Kingdom and its evolution into a constitutional and ceremonial monarchy is a major theme in the historical development of the British constitution. The British monarchy traces its origins to the petty kingdoms of Anglo-Saxon England and early medieval Scotland, which consolidated into the kingdoms of England and Scotland by the 10th century. The Norman and Plantagenet dynasties expanded their authority throughout the British Isles, creating the Lordship of Ireland in 1177 and conquering Wales in 1283. In 1215, King John agreed to limit his own powers over his subjects according to the terms of Magna Carta. To gain the consent of the political community, English kings began summoning Parliaments to approve taxation and to enact statutes. Gradually, Parliament's authority expanded at the expense of royal power.