List of British monarchs

Last updated
United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Northern Ireland
Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (both variants).svg
Royal coat of arms (common version on the left; Scottish version on the right) [lower-alpha 1]

There have been 13 British monarchs since the political union of the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland on 1 May 1707. England and Scotland had been in personal union since 24 March 1603; while the style, "King of Great Britain" first arose at that time, legislatively the title came into force in 1707.

Contents

On 1 January 1801, the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland merged, creating first the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and later the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland upon the secession of southern Ireland in the 1920s.

Union and succession

Queen Anne became monarch of the Kingdom of Great Britain after the political union of the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland on 1 May 1707. She had ruled England, Scotland, and the Kingdom of Ireland since 8 March 1702. She continued as queen of Great Britain and Ireland until her death. Her total reign lasted 12 years and 147 days. Although Anne's great-grandfather, James VI and I (r.1603–1625), the monarch of the Union of the Crowns, proclaimed himself "King of Great Britain", and used it on coinage, stamps and elsewhere, the Parliament of England had refused to use that style in statutory law or address. [2] [3]

Anne's only children died young, so during her reign, Parliament settled the rules of succession in the Act of Settlement 1701, by defining Sophia of Hanover (granddaughter of James VI and I) and her non-Catholic descendants as the future royal heirs. The Crown passed from Queen Anne to Sophia's son, King George I, as Sophia had already died. Queen Anne and King George I were second cousins, as both were great-grandchildren of James VI and I. For a family tree that shows George I's relationship to Anne, see George I of Great Britain § Family tree.

List

NamePortraitArmsBirthMarriage(s)DeathClaim
House of Stuart
Anne [4]
1 May 1707 [lower-alpha 2] [lower-alpha 3]

1 August 1714 [lower-alpha 2]
(7 years, 93 days)
(Queen of England and Scotland from 8 March 1702) [lower-alpha 4]
(12 years, 147 days)
Dahl, Michael - Queen Anne - NPG 6187.jpg Royal Arms of Great Britain (1707-1714).svg 6 February 1665 [lower-alpha 2]
St James's Palace
Daughter of James VII and II
and Anne Hyde
George of Denmark
St James's Palace
28 July 1683 [lower-alpha 2]
5 children
until 28 October 1708
1 August 1714 [lower-alpha 2]
Kensington Palace
Aged 49
Daughter of James VII and II
Bill of Rights 1689
House of Hanover
George I [5]
George Louis
1 August 1714 [lower-alpha 2] [lower-alpha 5]

11 June 1727 [lower-alpha 2]
(12 years, 315 days)
King George I by Sir Godfrey Kneller, Bt (3).jpg Royal Arms of Great Britain (1714-1801).svg 28 May 1660 [lower-alpha 2]
Leineschloss
Son of Ernest Augustus, Elector of Hanover,
and Sophia of the Palatinate
Sophia Dorothea of Brunswick-Lüneburg-Celle
Celle Castle
21 November 1682 [lower-alpha 2]
2 children
div. 28 December 1694
11 June 1727 [lower-alpha 2]
Osnabrück Castle
Aged 67
Great-grandson of James VI and I
Act of Settlement 1701
George II [6]
George Augustus
11 June 1727 [lower-alpha 6] [lower-alpha 7]

25 October 1760
(33 years, 126 days)
George II by Thomas Hudson.jpg 30 October 1683 [lower-alpha 2]
Herrenhausen Palace
Son of George I
and Sophia Dorothea of Brunswick-Lüneburg-Celle
Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach
Herrenhausen Gardens
22 August 1705 [lower-alpha 2]
8 children
until 20 November 1737
25 October 1760
Kensington Palace
Aged 76
Son of George I
George III [7]
George William Frederick
25 October 1760 [lower-alpha 8]

29 January 1820
(59 years, 97 days)
Allan Ramsay - King George III in coronation robes - Google Art Project.jpg Until 1801:
Royal Arms of Great Britain (1714-1801).svg
1801–1816:
Royal Arms of United Kingdom (1801-1816).svg
From 1816:
Royal Arms of United Kingdom (1816-1837).svg
24 May 1738 [lower-alpha 2]
Norfolk House
Son of Frederick, Prince of Wales,
and Augusta of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg
Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
St James's Palace
8 September 1761
15 children
until 17 November 1818
29 January 1820
Windsor Castle
Aged 81
Grandson of George II
George IV [8]
George Augustus Frederick
29 January 1820 [lower-alpha 9]

26 June 1830
(10 years, 149 days)
George IV 1821 color.jpg Royal Arms of United Kingdom (1816-1837).svg 12 August 1762
St James's Palace
Son of George III
and Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Caroline of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel
St James's Palace
8 April 1795
1 daughter
until 7 August 1821
26 June 1830
Windsor Castle
Aged 67
Son of George III
William IV [9]
William Henry
26 June 1830 [lower-alpha 10]

20 June 1837
(6 years, 360 days)
William IV in 1833 by Shee.jpg 21 August 1765
Buckingham Palace
Son of George III
and Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen
Kew Palace
13 July 1818
2 daughters
20 June 1837
Windsor Castle
Aged 71
Son of George III
Victoria [10]
Alexandrina Victoria
20 June 1837 [lower-alpha 11]

22 January 1901
(63 years, 217 days)
Queen Victoria 1843.jpg Arms of the United Kingdom (Variant 1).svg 24 May 1819
Kensington Palace
Daughter of Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn,
and Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld
Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
St James's Palace
10 February 1840
9 children
until 14 December 1861
22 January 1901
Osborne House
Aged 81
Niece of William IV
House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Edward VII [11]
Albert Edward
22 January 1901 [lower-alpha 12]

6 May 1910
(9 years, 105 days)
King Edward VII by Sir (Samuel) Luke Fildes.jpg Arms of the United Kingdom (Variant 1).svg 9 November 1841
Buckingham Palace
Son of Victoria
and Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Alexandra of Denmark
St George's Chapel
10 March 1863
6 children
6 May 1910
Buckingham Palace
Aged 68
Son of Victoria
House of Windsor [lower-alpha 13]
George V [13]
George Frederick Ernest Albert
6 May 1910 [lower-alpha 14]

20 January 1936
(25 years, 260 days)
King George V 1911.jpg Arms of the United Kingdom (Variant 1).svg 3 June 1865
Marlborough House
Son of Edward VII
and Alexandra of Denmark
Mary of Teck
St James's Palace
6 July 1893
6 children
20 January 1936
Sandringham House
Aged 70
Son of Edward VII
Edward VIII [14]
Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David
20 January 1936 [lower-alpha 15]

11 December 1936
(abdicated)
(327 days)
His Majesty King Edward VIII in Garter Robes (cropped).jpg 23 June 1894
White Lodge
Son of George V
and Mary of Teck
Wallis Simpson
Château de Candé
3 June 1937
28 May 1972
4 route du Champ d'Entraînement
Aged 77
Son of George V
George VI [15]
Albert Frederick Arthur George
11 December 1936 [lower-alpha 16]

6 February 1952
(15 years, 58 days)
George VI.jpg 14 December 1895
York Cottage
Son of George V
and Mary of Teck
Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
Westminster Abbey
26 April 1923
2 daughters
6 February 1952
Sandringham House
Aged 56
Son of George V
His Majesty's Declaration of Abdication Act 1936
Elizabeth II [16]
Elizabeth Alexandra Mary
6 February 1952 [lower-alpha 17]

8 September 2022 [17]
(70 years, 215 days)
Queen Elizabeth II in Coronation Robes.jpg Arms of the United Kingdom.svg 21 April 1926
17 Bruton Street, Mayfair
Daughter of George VI
and Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
Philip of Greece and Denmark
Westminster Abbey
20 November 1947
4 children
until 9 April 2021
8 September 2022
Balmoral Castle
Aged 96
Daughter of George VI
Charles III [18]
Charles Philip Arthur George
8 September 2022 [17] [lower-alpha 18]

present
(2 years, 24 days)
Charles III parliamentary procession 2024 (cropped).jpg 14 November 1948
Buckingham Palace
Son of Elizabeth II
and Philip of Greece and Denmark
(1) Diana Spencer
St Paul's Cathedral
29 July 1981
2 sons
div. 28 August 1996
(2) Camilla Parker Bowles
Windsor Guildhall
9 April 2005
Living
Age 75
Son of Elizabeth II

Timeline

Charles IIIElizabeth IIGeorge VIEdward VIIIGeorge VEdward VIIQueen VictoriaWilliam IVGeorge IVGeorge IIIGeorge II of Great BritainGeorge I of Great BritainAnne, Queen of Great BritainHouse of WindsorHouse of Saxe-Coburg and GothaHouse of HanoverHouse of StuartList of British monarchs

See also

Notes

  1. There are two versions of the current Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom. The common version is on the left, while the Scottish version is on the right. In the shield of the common version, England is represented in the first and fourth quarters, Scotland is represented in the second quarter, and Northern Ireland is represented in the third quarter. In the shield of the Scottish version, the Royal Arms of England and the Royal Arms of Scotland are exchanged. [1]
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Old Style date
  3. Anne was crowned on 23 April 1702.
  4. see List of English monarchs
  5. George I was crowned on 20 October 1714.
  6. Date of start of reign given in Old Style calendar; date of death in New Style. (Duration of reign takes this into account.)
  7. George II was crowned on 11 October 1727 O.S.
  8. George III was crowned on 22 September 1761 N.S.
  9. George IV was crowned on 19 July 1821.
  10. William IV was crowned on 8 September 1831.
  11. Victoria was crowned on 28 June 1838.
  12. Edward VII was crowned on 9 August 1902.
  13. George V changed the name of the British royal house from Saxe-Coburg and Gotha to Windsor on 17 July 1917. [12] This change was made in response to anti-German sentiment in the British Empire during World War I. Descendants of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and Queen Elizabeth II belong to the House of Windsor by Royal Command (9 April 1952 Declaration by Queen Elizabeth II to her Privy Council) although under the usual rules of genealogy they are, by paternal descent, also members of the Glücksburg branch of the House of Oldenburg (the ruling House of Denmark and of the former Kingdom of Greece). Accordingly, King Charles III is the first monarch of the House of Windsor who is a patrilineal descendant of the Glücksburg dynasty, instead of descending from Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in the male line as was the case with the previous monarchs of the House of Windsor.
  14. George V was crowned on 22 June 1911.
  15. Edward VIII was not crowned.
  16. George VI was crowned on 12 May 1937.
  17. Elizabeth II was crowned on 2 June 1953.
  18. Charles III was crowned on 6 May 2023

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monarchy of the United Kingdom</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coat of arms of the United Kingdom</span>

The coat of arms of the United Kingdom, also referred to as the royal arms, are the arms of dominion of the British monarch, currently Charles III. They are used by the Government of the United Kingdom and by other Crown institutions, including courts in the United Kingdom and in some parts of the Commonwealth. Differenced versions of the arms are used by members of the British royal family. The monarch's official flag, the Royal Standard, is the coat of arms in flag form.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guinea (coin)</span> British gold coin minted between 1663 and 1814

The guinea was a coin, minted in Great Britain between 1663 and 1814, that contained approximately one-quarter of an ounce of gold. The name came from the Guinea region in West Africa, from where much of the gold used to make the coins was sourced. It was the first English machine-struck gold coin, originally representing a value of 20 shillings in sterling specie, equal to one pound, but rises in the price of gold relative to silver caused the value of the guinea to increase, at times to as high as thirty shillings. From 1717 to 1816, its value was officially fixed at twenty-one shillings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Standard of the United Kingdom</span> Flags used by the British monarchy

The royal standard of the United Kingdom is the banner of arms of the monarch of the United Kingdom, currently Charles III. It consists of the monarch's coat of arms in flag form, and is made up of four quarters containing the arms of the former kingdoms of England, Ireland, and Scotland. There are two versions of the banner, one used in Scotland in which the Scottish quarters take precedence, and one used elsewhere in which the English quarters take precedence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coat of arms of England</span>

The coat of arms of England is the coat of arms historically used as arms of dominion by the monarchs of the Kingdom of England, and now used to symbolise England generally. The arms were adopted c.1200 by the Plantagenet kings and continued to be used by successive English and British monarchs; they are currently quartered with the arms of Scotland and Ireland in the coat of arms of the United Kingdom. Historically they were also quartered with the arms of France, representing the English claim to the French throne, and Hanover.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Accession Council</span> Council proclaiming a new British monarch

In the United Kingdom, the Accession Council is a ceremonial body which assembles in St James's Palace in London upon the death of a monarch to make formal proclamation of the accession of the successor to the throne. Under the terms of the Act of Settlement 1701, a new monarch succeeds automatically. The proclamation confirms by name the identity of the new monarch, expresses loyalty to the "lawful and rightful Liege Lord", and formally announces the new monarch's regnal name, while the monarch and others, in front of the council, sign and seal several documents concerning the accession. An Accession Council has confirmed every English monarch since James I in 1603.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom</span> British royal regalia

The Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom, originally the Crown Jewels of England, are a collection of royal ceremonial objects kept in the Jewel House at the Tower of London, which include the coronation regalia and vestments worn by British monarchs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Succession to the British throne</span> Law governing who can become British monarch

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.

The precise style of the British sovereign has varied over the years. It is chosen and officially proclaimed by the sovereign. In 2022, King Charles III was proclaimed by the Privy Council to have acceded to the throne with the style:

Charles the Third, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of His other Realms and Territories King, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith

<span class="mw-page-title-main">English claims to the French throne</span> Claims to the French throne by English and British monarchs

From the year 1340 to 1802, excluding two brief intervals in the 1360s and the 1420s, the kings and queens of England and Ireland also claimed the throne of France. The claim dates from Edward III, who claimed the French throne in 1340 as the sororal nephew of the last direct Capetian, Charles IV. Edward and his heirs fought the Hundred Years' War to enforce this claim, and were briefly successful in the 1420s under Henry V and Henry VI, but the House of Valois, a cadet branch of the Capetian dynasty, was ultimately victorious and retained control of France, except for Calais and the Channel Islands. Following the Hundred Years War, English and British monarchs continued to call themselves kings of France, and used the French fleur-de-lis as their coat of arms, quartering the arms of England in positions of secondary honour. This continued until 1802, by which time France no longer had any monarch, having become a republic. The Jacobite claimants, however, did not explicitly relinquish the claim.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Demise of the Crown</span> British and Commonwealth legal term for transfer of Crown

Demise of the Crown is the legal term in the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms for the transfer of the Crown upon the death or abdication of the monarch. The Crown transfers automatically to the monarch's heir. The concept evolved in the kingdom of England, and was continued in Great Britain and then the United Kingdom. The concept also became part of the constitutions of the British colonies, and was continued in the constitutions of the Commonwealth realms, until modified within those realms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coat of arms of Scotland</span>

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 reliable sources of British history do not use the term "British Emperor," nor did the government. The term "British Empire" is an unofficial designation and does not imply there was a person called "emperor." The term "emperor" has sometimes informally been retroactively applied to a few mythical and historical rulers of Great Britain, Ireland or the United Kingdom. It was sometimes used informally to designate either Plantagenet and Tudor caesaropapism. The term "Emperor of India" was officially a title for Queen Victoria and her successors down to 1948. There was never an official entity named "Empire of India." See British Raj for the part of India that Britain controlled.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal cypher</span> Monogram-like device of a countrys reigning sovereign

In modern heraldry, a royal cypher is a monogram or monogram-like device of a country's reigning sovereign, typically consisting of the initials of the monarch's name and title, sometimes interwoven and often surmounted by a crown. Such a cypher as used by an emperor or empress is called an imperial cypher. In the system used by various Commonwealth realms, the title is abbreviated as 'R' for 'rex' or 'regina'. Previously, 'I' stood for 'imperator' or 'imperatrix' of the Indian Empire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of monarchy in the United Kingdom</span>

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.

References

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  12. "No. 30186". The London Gazette . 17 July 1917. p. 7119.
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  15. Berry, Ciara (12 January 2016). "George VI (r. 1936–1952)". The Royal Family. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  16. "Queen Elizabeth II's Life and Reign". royal.uk. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
  17. 1 2 "Queen Elizabeth II has died, Buckingham Palace announces". BBC News. 8 September 2022. Archived from the original on 8 September 2022. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
  18. "The King". The Royal Family. 8 September 2022. Archived from the original on 11 September 2022. Retrieved 9 September 2022.