Before 1603, the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland were independent countries with different monarchs. However, James VI of Scotland inherited the monarchy of England (becoming James VI and I) from his cousin Elizabeth I, meaning that the two independent countries shared a monarch known as the Union of the Crowns. Between November 1606 and July 1607 unification between the two countries was discussed at Westminster. While the English Parliament agreed to certain concessions to the Scots, it refused union.[1]
In October 1604, James VI and I declared himself to be the 'King of Great Britain' rather than the simultaneous monarch of both.[1] The style was used on coins, stamps, and elsewhere, however the Parliament of England refused its official use or him legally becoming the King of a single unified country.[2][3]
Anne ascended the throne on 8 March 1702 upon the death of her brother-in-lawWilliam III, becoming Queen of England and Queen of Scotland.[4][5] In November that year, Anne began negotiations with the Parliament of Scotland about a possible union of the two countries, but by 1704 they had ended without a deal.[5]
In 1706, a new proposal was debated that involved shared unity rather than Scotland joining England under a new country called 'Great Britain', which was more preferable to Scotland. A final version of the proposal was presented to Anne in July that year. In January and March 1707, the Treaty of Union was passed by the Scottish and English parliaments respectively, with the union beginning from May.[5]
Despite having eighteen pregnancies, Anne did not produce an heir that survived her or to adulthood.[6] England had passed the Act of Settlement 1701 which defined Sophia of Hanover and her heirs as the successor to Anne and disqualified Catholics from becoming monarch.[7] However, Scotland had passed its own law, the Act of Security 1704, which allowed its parliament to choose an heir upon Anne's death.[8] On Union, Great Britain adopted the English succession and the Act of Security was repealed. When Anne died in 1714, she was succeeded by George I, Sophia of Hanover's eldest son.[7] However, those who believed Scotland should have chosen the exiled Catholic James Francis Edward Stuart (known as 'The Old Pretender') instead rebelled in the Jacobite rising of 1715, which was quashed by Great Britain.[8]
Statistics
The thirteen monarchs consist of ten kings and three queens.[9] Only two monarchs were born outside of the United Kingdom, George I and George II in Hanover, Germany.[10][11] All but two monarchs died in the United Kingdom; George I died at Schloss Osnabrück[de] on a trip to Hanover whilst he was monarch;[12]Edward VIII (by then Prince Edward, Duke of Windsor) died in Villa Windsor, Paris, while living in exile in France.[13] The longest reigning monarch was Elizabeth II who reigned for 70 years and 214 days between 1952 and 2022;[14] the shortest reigning monarch was Edward VIII, who reigned for 326 days between January and December 1936.[15]
Other titles
Between George I and William IV, all monarchs had the additional office of Elector of Hanover (later King of Hanover). Hanover was a separate Kingdom with its own government and army, which the British government were often forced to help defend;[16] during the 18th century, the French army invaded the territory whenever it declared war with Great Britain. In 1806, George III even declared war on Prussia after King Frederick William III, under heavy pressure from Napoleon, had annexed George III's German possessions.[17] When Victoria acceded to the throne in 1837, she could not become the Queen of Hanover suo jure as it followed Salic law, meaning that it was no longer held in personal union with the British monarchy. Instead, her uncle Ernest Augustus became King of Hanover.[18]
Old Style and New Style dates are used in line with the calendar of the time. George II acceded to the throne during Old Style dates and died during New Style dates, which is taken to account in the 'Reigned for' column.
↑ George V changed the name of the British royal house from Saxe-Coburg and Gotha to Windsor on 17 July 1917.[36] 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.
↑ O’Mahony, Seamus (October 2021). "The death of King George V". Hektoen International Journal. 13 (Special Issue – Fall 2021). Retrieved 8 October 2022.
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