List of monarchs in the British Isles

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The Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom.

The Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom, as used in Scotland.

This is a list of the monarchs of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, that is, the monarchs on the thrones of some of the various kingdoms that have existed in the British Isles, namely:

The Kingdom of England, from 871 (including Wales from the Act of Union 1536-1543) up to 1707;
The Kingdom of Scotland, from 843 up to 1707;
The Lordship of Ireland, from 1199 up to 1541;
The Kingdom of Ireland, from 1541 up to 1801;
The Kingdom of Great Britain, from the Acts of Union, 1707, between England and Scotland, up to 1801;
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, from the Act of Union, 1801, between Great Britain and Ireland, up to 1927;
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (The UK after the Irish Free State was formed and became a separate state).

In 1328, on the death of the French king, Charles IV, Edward III (nephew of Charles IV) claimed the French throne. English monarchs, and subsequently British monarchs, then styled themselves King of France or Queen of France until the Act of Union 1800, which led to the creation of the United Kingdom in 1801. By then France had been a republic for ten years. (See English Kings of France.) Since 1559 English monarchs, and subsequently British monarchs, have also had the title Supreme Governor of the Church of England. Note that the numbering of English monarchs starts afresh after 1066 (although this affects only the Edwards).

All Scottish monarchs held the title King of Scots or Queen of Scots, with the exception of the last three: Mary II, William III and Anne I used the style "of Scotland" rather than "of Scots".

To see the rulers of the small kingdoms which existed before the formation of England, Scotland or Wales, see:

See also: Bretwalda

Contents

1 Complications over Title and Style
2 Monarchs
3 Notes
4 See also
5 References

Complications over Title and Style

James VI of Scotland and I of England, united the Crowns of England, Scotland and Ireland in a personal union, later merged into a single Kingdom of Great Britain by the Act of Union 1707.

Royal titles are complicated because in some cases names of kingdoms are used that did not officially come into existence until later, or came into existence earlier without immediate adoption of the royal title.

For example, in October 1604, one year after James VI of Scotland had become King of England, he decreed that the Royal Title would use the term Great Brittaine to refer to the "one Imperiall Crowne" made up of England and Scotland[link]. However using that title is problematic because the 'state' of Great Britain was not created until the Act of Union 1707. Nor was the united crown generally referred to as 'imperial'. To avoid confusion, historians in general thus refer to all monarchs up to 1707 as monarchs of England and Scotland. Thus James II of England was also James VII of Scotland; and William III of England was also William II of Scotland. Many English and British monarchs also claimed France as part of their official title, though this had no reality in substance. After the Union, the ordinal has been the English number (for "George", "Edward" and "Elizabeth") and, until recently, there was no formal rule (see List of regnal numerals of future British monarchs).

In different documents, the terms Kingdom of Great Britain and United Kingdom of Great Britain feature, even documents as official as the Act of Union 1707. Most historians presume the United was meant to be descriptive, indicating a union as a form of unity by marriage rather than coercion. For clarity and because the United is far more strongly associated with the later name United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland produced in the Act of Union 1800, the 1707 Kingdom is generally referred to as the Kingdom of Great Britain.

Similarly, though the Irish Free State ceased to be part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in 1922, neither the full name of the United Kingdom nor the royal title were changed until the Royal and Parliamentary Titles Act 1927. In this instance historians generally retrospectively date the coming into being of the modern United Kingdom to December 1922, even though in this case the formal change did not occur for another five years.

The list of monarchs below cannot be exhaustive. Succession to the many thrones often did not pass smoothly from parent to child; lack of heirs, civil wars, murders and invasions affected the inheritance in ways that a simple list does not show. The relationships that formed the basis for claims to throne are noted where we know them, and the dates of reign indicated.

Monarchs

Notes

King Louis might also be included as reigning 1216–1217 (between the reigns of King John and Henry III). By tradition he usually is not listed.
A mnemonic verse lists the Kings and Queens of England then Great Britain then the United Kingdom.
From October 30, 1683 to February 6, 1685, there were seven British monarchs living simultaneously, more than at any other time: King Charles II, King James II, King William III, Queen Mary II, Queen Anne, King George I and King George II, from the birth of George II until the death of Charles II.

References

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