Kings and Queens Of Britain
The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy, in which the monarch shares power with a constitutionally organized government. The reigning king or queen is the country’s head of state. All political power rests with the prime minister (the head of government) and the cabinet, and the monarch must act on their advice.
The table provides a chronological list of the sovereigns of Britain.
Kings of Wessex (West Saxons)
name
dynasty or house
reign
1Athelstan was king of Wessex and the first king of all England.
2James VI of Scotland became also James I of England in 1603. Upon accession to the English throne, he styled himself "King of Great Britain" and was so proclaimed. Legally, however, he and his successors held separate English and Scottish kingships until the Act of Union of 1707, when the two kingdoms were united as the Kingdom of Great Britain.
3The United Kingdom was formed on January 1, 1801, with the union of Great Britain and Ireland. After 1801 George III was styled "King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland."
4Oliver and Richard Cromwell served as lords protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland during the republican Commonwealth.
5William and Mary, as husband and wife, reigned jointly until Mary's death in 1694. William then reigned alone until his own death in 1702.
6George IV was regent from February 5, 1811.
7In 1917, during World War I, George V changed the name of his house from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to Windsor.
8Edward VIII succeeded upon the death of his father, George V, on January 20, 1936, but abdicated on December 11, 1936, before coronation.
Egbert
Saxon
802–839
Aethelwulf (Ethelwulf)
Saxon
839–856/858
Aethelbald (Ethelbald)
Saxon
855/856–860
Aethelberht (Ethelbert)
Saxon
860–865/866
Aethelred I (Ethelred)
Saxon
865/866–871
Alfred the Great
Saxon
871–899
Edward the Elder
Saxon
899–924
Sovereigns of England
name
dynasty or house
reign
Athelstan1
Saxon
925–939
Edmund I
Saxon
939–946
Eadred (Edred)
Saxon
946–955
Eadwig (Edwy)
Saxon
955–959
Edgar
Saxon
959–975
Edward the Martyr
Saxon
975–978
Ethelred II the Unready (Aethelred)
Saxon
978–1013
Sweyn Forkbeard
Danish
1013–14
Ethelred II the Unready (restored)
Saxon
1014–16
Edmund II Ironside
Saxon
1016
Canute
Danish
1016–35
Harold I Harefoot
Danish
1035–40
Hardecanute
Danish
1040–42
Edward the Confessor
Saxon
1042–66
Harold II
Saxon
1066
William I the Conqueror
Norman
1066–87
William II
Norman
1087–1100
Henry I
Norman
1100–35
Stephen
Blois
1135–54
Henry II
Plantagenet
1154–89
Richard I
Plantagenet
1189–99
John
Plantagenet
1199–1216
Henry III
Plantagenet
1216–72
Edward I
Plantagenet
1272–1307
Edward II
Plantagenet
1307–27
Edward III
Plantagenet
1327–77
Richard II
Plantagenet
1377–99
Henry IV
Plantagenet: Lancaster
1399–1413
Henry V
Plantagenet: Lancaster
1413–22
Henry VI
Plantagenet: Lancaster
1422–61
Edward IV
Plantagenet: York
1461–70
Henry VI (restored)
Plantagenet: Lancaster
1470–71
Edward IV (restored)
Plantagenet: York
1471–83
Edward V
Plantagenet: York
1483
Richard III
Plantagenet: York
1483–85
Henry VII
Tudor
1483–1509
Henry VIII
Tudor
1509–47
Edward VI
Tudor
1547–53
Mary I
Tudor
1553–58
Elizabeth I
Tudor
1558–1603
Sovereigns of Great Britain and the United Kingdom2, 3
name
dynasty or house
reign
James I (VI of Scotland)2
Stuart
1603–25
Charles I
Stuart
1625–49
Commonwealth (1653–59)
Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector4
1653–58
Richard Cromwell, Lord Protector4
1658–59
Charles II
Stuart
1660–85
James II
Stuart
1685–88
William III and Mary II5
Orange/Stuart
1689–1702
Anne
Stuart
1702–14
George I
Hanover
1714–27
George II
Hanover
1727–60
George III3
Hanover
1760–1820
George IV6
Hanover
1820–30
William IV
Hanover
1830–37
Victoria
Hanover
1837–1901
Edward VII
Saxe-Coburg-Gotha
1901–10
George V7
Windsor
1910–36
Edward VIII8
Windsor
1936
George VI
Windsor
1936–52
Elizabeth II
Windsor
1952–2022
Charles III
Windsor
2022–
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