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The Royal Arms of England, as introduced by King Richard the Lionheart in 1198, and before its later quarterings with other shields, additions of supporters and other embellishments.

The Kings of Wessex, who conquered Kent and Sussex from Mercia in 825, became increasingly dominant over the other kingdoms of England during the 9th century. The conquest of Northumbria, East Anglia and half of Mercia by the Danes left Alfred the Great of Wessex as the only surviving English king. He successfully resisted a series of Danish invasions and brought the remaining half of Mercia under the sovereignty of Wessex.

The continuous list of English monarchs traditionally begins with Egbert of Wessex in 829. The English kingdom was not permanently unified until 927, under Athelstan. The Principality of Wales was incorporated into the Kingdom of England under the Statute of Rhuddlan in 1284 and, in 1301, Edward invested his eldest son, Edward of Caernarfon, as Prince of Wales. Since that time, with the exception of Edward III, the eldest sons of all English monarchs have borne this title. After the death of Elizabeth I of England in 1603, the kingdoms of England and Scotland were united under James I and VI. By royal proclamation James titled himself 'King of Great Britain'. England underwent political union with Scotland in 1707 to form the Kingdom of Great Britain. Since that date the title King or Queen of England is incorrect, though has remained in usage to the present day. In 1801 Great Britain incorporated the Kingdom of Ireland which had been under English rule since Henry II.

English monarchs

House of Mercia

According to some sources the first ruler to assume the title King of the English is said to have been Offa in 774, who had been King of Mercia since 757, but this claim is based on charters apparently forged in the 10th century.¹ However, on some of his coins Offa describes himself as Of Rx A, believed to stand for Offa Rex Anglorum.²

Monarch	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death
Offa (+OFFA•REX+) 774-796		son of Thingfrith	Cynethryth five children	26 or 29 July 796

House of Wessex

The continuous list traditionally starts with Egbert, King of Wessex from 802, the first King of Wessex to have overlordship over much of England.³ He defeated the Mercians in 825 and became Bretwalda in 829. However, permanent unity was not achieved until 927, under Athelstan.

Monarch	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death
Egbert (Ecgberht) 829-8394		c.7755 son of Ealhmund of Kent4	Redburga three children4	4 February 839 aged about 644
Ethelwulf (Æþelwulf) 5 February 839-856		Aachen son of Egbert and Redburga	(1) Osburga six children (2) Judith of Flanders 1 October 853 no children	13 January 858 62 or 636
Ethelbald (Æþelbald) 856-860		c.831 son of Ethelwulf and Osburga	Judith of Flanders no children	20 December 860 aged about 297
Ethelbert (Æþelberht) 21 December 860-865		c.835 son of Ethelwulf and Osburga	unknown two children	865 aged about 308
Ethelred (Æþelræd) 865-871		c.837 son of Ethelwulf and Osburga	Wulfrida 868 two children	23 April 871 aged about 349
Alfred the Great (Ælfræd) 24 April 871–89910		c.849 Wantage son of Ethelwulf and Osburga11	Ealhswith Winchester 868 six children12	26 October 899 aged about 5010
Edward the Elder (Eadweard) 27 October 899–92413		c.871-877 son of Alfred the Great and Ealhswith14	(1) Ecgwynn 893 three children (2) Aelffaed c.902 ten children (3) Edgiva of Kent 905 four children15	17 July 924 Farndon, Cheshire aged about 5013
Elfward (Ælfweard) 18 July - 2 August 924	No image available	c.902 son of Edward the Elder and Aelffaed	unmarried	2 August 924 aged about 22
Athelstan the Glorious (Æþelstan) 3 August 924–93916		895 son of Edward the Elder and Ecgwynn17	unmarried16	27 October 939 aged about 4416
Edmund the Magnificent (Eadmund) 28 October 939–94618		c.921 son of Edward the Elder and Edgiva of Kent18	(1) Elgiva three children (2) Æthelflæd of Damerham 944 no children19	26 May 946 Pucklechurch aged about 25 (murdered)18
Eadred (Eadred) 27 May 946–95520		c.923 son of Edward the Elder and Edgiva of Kent21	unmarried21	23 November 955 Frome aged about 3222
Eadwig (Eadwig) 24 November 955–95923		c.940 son of Edmund the Magnificent and Elgiva24	Elgiva23	1 October 959 aged about 1923
Edgar the Peaceable (Eadgar) 2 October 959–97525		c.943 Wessex son of Edmund the Magnificent and Elgiva26	(1) Ethelflaed c.960 1 son (2) Ælfthryth c.96426 2 sons	8 July 975 Winchester aged about 3227
Saint Edward the Martyr (Eadweard) 9 July 975–97828		c.962 son of Edgar the Peaceable and Ethelflaed29	unmarried	18 March 978 Corfe Castle aged about 16 (assassinated)28
Ethelred the Unready (Æþelræd Unræd) 19 March 978–101630		c.968 son of Edgar the Peaceable and Ælfthryth31	(1) Ælflaed of Northumbria four children (2) Aelgifu 991 six children (3) Emma of Normandy 1002 three children32	23 April 1016 London aged about 4830
Edmund Ironside (Eadmund) 24 April – 30 November 101633		c.993 son of Ethelred the Unready and Ælflaed of Northumbria33	Edith of East Anglia two children34	30 November 1016 Glastonbury aged about 233334

House of Denmark

England came under the rule of Danish kings following the reign of Ethelred the Unready. Some, though not all, of these were also kings of Denmark.

Monarch	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death
Sweyn Forkbeard (Svend Tveskæg) 25 December35 1013–101436		c.960 Denmark son of Harald Bluetooth and Gyrid Olafsdottir37	(1) Gunhilda of Poland c.990 seven children (2) Sigrid the Haughty c.1000 1 daughter37	3 February 1014 Gainsborough aged about 5437
Canute (Knútr) 1 December 1016–103538		c.995 son of Sweyn Forkbeard38	(1) Aelgifu of Northampton two children (2) Emma of Normandy 101738	12 November 1035 Shaftesbury aged about 4038
Harold Harefoot (Harald) 13 November 1035–104039		c.1016/7 son of Canute and Aelgifu of Northampton39	Aelgifu 1 son40	17 March 1040 Oxford aged about 23 or 2439
Harthacanute (Hardeknud) 18 June 1040–104241		1018 son of Canute and Emma of Normandy40	unknown	8 June 1042 Lambeth aged about 2440

House of Wessex (restored)

The old West Saxon line was restored, but Edward the Confessor, who was later canonised, was more Norman than English in his sympathies.

Monarch	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death
Saint Edward the Confessor (Eadweard) 9 June 1042–106642		c.1003 Islip, Oxfordshire son of Ethelred the Unready and Emma of Normandy42	Edith of Wessex 23 January 1045 no children42	5 January 1066 Westminster Palace aged about 6042
Harold Godwinson (Harold Godwinesson) 6 January – 14 October 106642		c.1020 son of Godwin, Earl of Wessex and Gytha Thorkelsdóttir42	(1) Edith Swannesha six children (2) Ealdgyth of Mercia York c.1064 one son42	14 October 1066 Hastings aged about 46 (died in battle)42
Edgar the Atheling (Eadgar Æþeling) 15 October – 17 December 106643	[1]	c.1053 Hungary son of Edward the Exile and Agatha44	unmarried44	c.1125 aged about 7243

House of Normandy

It was only after the Norman Conquest of 1066 that monarchs took regnal numbers in the French fashion, though the earlier custom of distinguishing monarchs by nicknames did not die out immediately.

Monarch	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death
William I the Conqueror/the Bastard (Guillaume le Conquérant/le Bâtard) 25 December 1066–108745		c.1028 Falaise Castle son of Robert I, Duke of Normandy and Herleva45	Matilda of Flanders Chapel Notre Dame of the castle in Eu, Normandy 1053 ten children45	9 September 1087 St. Gervais in Rouen aged about 5945. Buried at Saint Etienne Abbey (Abbaye aux Hommes) of Caen
William II Rufus (Guillaume le Roux) 26 September 1087–110045		c.1060 Normandy son of William the Conqueror and Matilda of Flanders45	unmarried	2 August 1100 New Forest aged about 4045
Henry I (Henri Beauclerc) 5 August 1100–113546		September 1068 Selby son of William the Conqueror and Matilda of Flanders46	(1) Edith of Scotland Westminster Abbey 11 November 1100 four children (2) Adeliza of Louvain Windsor Castle 29 January 1121 no children46	1 December 1135 Castle of Lyons-la-Forêt (Saint-Denis-en-Lyons) aged 6746. Buried at Reading Abbey
Stephen (Étienne de Blois) 22 December 1135–115447		c.1096 Blois son of Stephen, Count of Blois and Adela of Normandy46	Matilda of Boulogne Westminster 1125 five children46	25 October 1154 Dover Castle aged about 5846
Matilda/Maud (Mathilde ou Mahaut l'emperesse) 7 April–1 November 114148		7 February 1102 Sutton Courtenay only legitimate daughter of Henry I and Edith of Scotland49	(1) Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor Mainz 6 January 1114 no children (2) Geoffrey V, Count of Anjou Le Mans Cathedral 22 May 1128 four children48	10 September 1167 Notre Dame du Pré in Rouen aged 6548

House of Plantagenet

The early Plantagenets ruled many territories in France, and did not regard England as their primary home until after most of their French possessions were lost by King John. This long-lived dynasty is usually divided into three houses: the Angevins, the House of Lancaster, and the House of York.

Angevins

Monarch	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death
Henry II Curtmantle (Henri Court-mantel) 19 December 1154–118950		5 March 1133 Le Mans son of Geoffrey of Anjou and Matilda50	Eleanor of Aquitaine Bordeaux Cathedral 18 May 1152 eight children50	6 July 1189 Château Chinon aged 5650. Buried at Fontevraud Abbey
Henry the Young King (Henri le Jeune Roy) (coregent with his father) 14 June 1170–1183	[2]	28 February 1155 son of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine	Marguerite of France Winchester Cathedral 27 August 1172 one child	11 June 1183 Martel, Limoges aged 28. Buried at Rouen Cathedral (Notre-Dame)
Richard I the Lionheart (Richard Cœur de Lion) 3 September 1189–119950		8 September 1157 Beaumont Palace son of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine50	Berengaria of Navarre Limassol 12 May 1191 no children50	6 April 1199 Chalus aged 4150. Buried: Heart at Rouen Cathedral. Body at Fontevraud Abbey
John Lackland/Softsword (Jean Sans Terre) 27 May 1199–121651		24 December 1167 Beaumont Palace son of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine51	(1) Isabel of Gloucester Marlborough Castle 29 August 1189 no children (2) Isabella of Angoulême Bordeaux Cathedral 24 August 1200 five children51	19 October 1216 Newark Castle aged 4851 Buried at Worcester Cathedral
Henry III of Winchester 28 October 1216–127252		1 October 1207 Winchester Castle son of John and Isabella of Angoulême52	Eleanor of Provence Canterbury Cathedral 14 January 1236 nine children52	16 November 1272 Westminster Palace aged 6552
Edward I Longshanks 20 November 1272–130753		17 June 1239 Westminster Palace son of Henry III and Eleanor of Provence53	(1) Eleanor of Castile Abbey of Santa Maria la Real de Huelgas 18 October 1254 17 children (2) Marguerite of France 10 September 1299 three children53	7 July 1307 Burgh by Sands aged 6853
Edward II 7 July 1307 – 25 January 132754		25 April 1284 Caernarfon Castle son of Edward I and Eleanor of Castile54	Isabella of France Boulogne Cathedral 25 January 1308 five children54	21 September 1327 Berkeley Castle aged 43 (murdered)54
Edward III 25 January 1327–137755		13 November 1312 Windsor Castle son of Edward II and Isabella of France55	Philippa of Hainault York Minster 24 January 1328 14 children55	21 June 1377 Sheen Palace aged 6455
Richard II 21 June 1377 – 29 September 139956		6 January 1367 Bordeaux son of Edward, the Black Prince and Joan of Kent56	(1) Anne of Bohemia 14 January 1382 no children (2) Isabella of Valois Calais 4 November 1396 no children56	6 January 1400 Pontefract Castle aged 3356

House of Lancaster

Monarch	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death
Henry IV Bolingbroke 30 September 1399–141357		3 April 1366/7 Bolingbroke Castle son of John of Gaunt and Blanche of Lancaster57	(1) Mary de Bohun Arundel Castle 27 July 1380 seven children (2) Joanna of Navarre Winchester Cathedral 7 February 1403 no children57	20 March 1413 Westminster Abbey aged 45 or 4658
Henry V 20 March 1413–142257		9 August 1387 Monmouth Castle son of Henry IV and Mary de Bohun57	Catherine of Valois Troyes Cathedral 2 June 1420 one son57	31 August 1422 Château de Vincennes aged 3557
Henry VI 31 August 1422 – 4 March 1461 2 October 1470 – 11 April 147159		6 December 1421 Windsor Castle son of Henry V and Catherine of Valois59	Margaret of Anjou Titchfield Abbey 22 April 1445 1 son59	21 May 1471 Tower of London aged 49 (murdered)59

House of York

Monarch	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death
Edward IV 4 March 1461 – 2 October 1470 11 April 1471 – 9 April 148360		28 April 1442 Rouen son of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York and Cecily Neville60	Elizabeth Woodville Grafton Regis 1 May 1464 ten children60	9 April 1483 Westminster Palace aged 4060
Edward V 9 April–25 June 148361		2 November 1470 Westminster son of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville61	unmarried	c. 1483 London aged about 12 (traditionally murdered)62
Richard III 26 June 1483–148563		2 October 1452 Fotheringhay Castle son of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York and Cecily Neville64	Anne Neville Westminster Abbey 12 July 1472 1 son64	22 August 1485 Bosworth Field aged 32 (killed in battle)64

House of Tudor

The Tudors were of Welsh ancestry, and in 1536 Wales was fully incorporated into the English state (having been under English control since 1284). With Henry VIII's break from the Roman Catholic Church, the monarch became the Supreme Head of the Church of England. Elizabeth I's title became the Supreme Governor of the Church of England.

Monarch	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death
Henry VII 22 August 1485–150965		28 January 1457 Pembroke Castle son of Edmund Tudor and Lady Margaret Beaufort65	Elizabeth of York Westminster Abbey 18 January 1486 eight children65	21 April 1509 Richmond Palace aged 5265
Henry VIII 21 April 1509–154766		28 June 1491 Greenwich Palace son of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York66	Catherine of Aragon Greenwich 11 June 1509 one daughter	28 January 1547
			Anne Boleyn Westminster Palace 25 January 1533 one daughter
			Jane Seymour Whitehall Palace 30 May 1536 one son
			Anne of Cleves Greenwich Palace 6 January 1540
			Catherine Howard Hampton Court Palace 28 July 1540
			Catherine Parr Hampton Court Palace 12 July 1543
Edward VI 28 January 1547–155367		12 October 1537 Hampton Court Palace son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour67	unmarried	6 July 1553 Greenwich Palace aged 1567
Jane ("The Nine Days' Queen") 10 July–19 July 155368		October 1537 Bradgate Park daughter of Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Suffolk and Lady Frances Brandon68	Lord Guildford Dudley The Strand 21 May 1553 no children69	12 February 1554 Tower of London aged 16 (beheaded)68
Mary I ("Bloody Mary") 19 July 1553–155867		18 February 1516 Greenwich Palace daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon67	Philip II of Spain Winchester Cathedral 25 July 1554 no children67	17 November 1558 St. James's Palace aged 4267
Elizabeth I ("The Virgin Queen") 17 November 1558–160367		7 September 1533 Greenwich Palace daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn67	unmarried	24 March 1603 Richmond Palace aged 6967

House of Stuart

Following the death of Elizabeth I in 1603 without issue, the Scottish king, James VI, succeeded to the English throne as James I in what became known as the Union of the Crowns. In 1604 he adopted the title King of Great Britain, although the two kingdoms remained separate.

Monarch	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death
James I 24 March 1603–162570		19 June 1566 Edinburgh Castle son of Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley and Mary, Queen of Scots70	Anne of Denmark Oslo 23 November 1589 seven children70	27 March 1625 Theobalds House aged 5870
Charles I ("Saint Charles the Martyr") 27 March 1625–164971		19 November 1600 Dunfermline Palace son of James I and Anne of Denmark71	Henrietta Maria of France St Augustine's Abbey 13 June 1625 nine children71	30 January 1649 Whitehall Palace aged 48 (beheaded)71

Commonwealth

There was no reigning monarch between the execution of Charles I in 1649 and the Restoration of Charles II in 1660. Despite this, from 1653 the following individuals held power as Lords Protector, during the period known as the Protectorate.

Monarch	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death
Oliver Cromwell ("Old Ironsides") 16 December 1653–165872		25 April 1599 Huntingdon72 son of Robert Cromwell and Elizabeth Stewart73	Elizabeth Bourchier St Giles74 22 August 1620 nine children72	3 September 1658 Whitehall aged 5972
Richard Cromwell ("Tumbledown Dick") 3 September 1658 – 7 May 165975		4 October 1626 Huntingdon son of Oliver Cromwell and Elizabeth Bourchier75	Dorothy Maijor May 1649 no children75	12 July 1712 Cheshunt aged 8576

House of Stuart (restored)

Although the monarchy was restored in 1660, no stable settlement proved possible until the Glorious Revolution of 1688, when parliament finally asserted the right to choose whomsoever it pleased as monarch.

Monarch	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death
Charles II 8 May 1660–168577		29 May 1630 St. James's Palace son of Charles I and Henrietta Maria of France77	Catherine of Braganza Portsmouth 21 May 1662 three children (none survived infancy)77	6 February 1685 Whitehall Palace aged 5477
James II 6 February 1685 – 23 December 168878		14 October 1633 St. James's Palace son of Charles I and Henrietta Maria of France78	(1) Anne Hyde The Strand 3 September 1660 eight children (2) Mary of Modena Dover 21 November 1673 seven children78	16 September 1701 Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye aged 6778
William III of Orange (Willem van Oranje) 13 February 1689–170279		4 November 1650 The Hague son of William II, Prince of Orange and Mary Stuart80	St. James's Palace 4 November 1677 three children (none survived infancy)79	8 March 1702 Kensington Palace aged 5179
Mary II 13 February 1689–169478		30 April 1662 St. James's Palace daughter of James II and Anne Hyde78		28 December 1694 Kensington Palace aged 3278
Anne 8 March 1702-170781 Great Britain 1 May 1707-1714		6 February 1665 St. James's Palace daughter of James II and Anne Hyde82	George of Denmark St. James's Palace 28 July 1683 17 children82	1 August 1714 Kensington Palace aged 4982

England and Scotland entered into legislative and governmental union on 1 May 1707 under the Acts of Union 1707, though retained separate legal systems and other attributes thereafter. For the continuation of this list, therefore, go to List of British monarchs.

Titles

The standard title for all monarchs from Alfred the Great until the time of King John was Rex Anglorum ("King of the English"). In addition, many of the pre-Norman kings assumed extra titles, as follows:

• Alfred the Great: Rex Angulsaxonum and Rex Anglorum et Saxonum
• Athelstan: Rex Anglorum per omnipatrantis dexteram totius Bryttaniæ regni solio sublimatus
• Edmund the Magnificent: Rex Britanniae and Rex Anglorum caeterarumque gentium gobernator et rector
• Edred: Regis qui regimina regnorum Angulsaxna, Norþhymbra, Paganorum, Brettonumque
• Edwy the Fair: Rex nutu Dei Angulsæxna et Northanhumbrorum imperator paganorum gubernator Breotonumque propugnator
• Edgar the Peaceable: Totius Albionis finitimorumque regum basileus
• Canute: Rex Anglorum totiusque Brittannice orbis gubernator et rector and Brytannie totius Anglorum monarchus

In the Norman period Rex Anglorum remained standard, with occasional use of Rex Anglie ("King of England"). Matilda styled herself Domina Anglorum ("Lady of the English"). From the time of King John onwards all other titles were eschewed in favour of Rex Anglie, or Regina Anglie ("Queen of England") if female. In 1604 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 of course Queen of Great Britain rather than king).⁸³

Notes