English monarchs
This article is a simple list of the regnal dates (the dates that they actually reigned) of the kings and queens of England before the Union of the Crowns in 1603. The kingdoms were not fully united until the Act of Union 1707, but the King that follows those in this list (James VI and I) was "KING OF GREAT BRITTAINE"
Most monarchs in the list have links to articles on their names. AWE is not an historical website: these will be of no use to those writing history essays. They are intended to give a description of each monarch in one or two sentences, for the convenience of those (mostly non-historians) who come across a date or other reference and wish to find an answer to "Who's this?" quickly. For this reason, the articles on names used by more than one monarch, such as Henry I and Henry VIII etc, contain enough material to distinguish between the different holders. There are also articles that group the members of the various dynasties, or royal families, that have ruled in England.
- There is a flippant mnemonic rhyme to help schoolchildren remember the list of monarchs in order at Willy Willy Harry Stee. The second part of the rhyme applies to Monarchs of the United Kingdom.
For monarchs of the UK after the Union of the Crowns (1603), see Monarchs of the United Kingdom. For monarchs of Scotland before 1603, see Scottish monarchs.
| Name (and number) of monarch | year of accession | year of death or deposition | Name of dynasty | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Æthelstan | 925 | 939 | W. Saxon | According to Handbook of British Chronology (3rd edn, 1986), cited ODNB, "the first ruler of a kingdom of England". No consort recorded. | |
| Edmund I | 939 | 946 | W. Saxon | Son of Edward the Elder & Eadgifu | |
| Eadred | 946 | 955 | W. Saxon | Never married | Son of Edward the Elder & Eadgifu |
| Eadwig | 955 | 959 | W. Saxon | Son of King Edmund | |
| Edgar Pacificus | 973 | 975 | W. Saxon | Son of King Edmund | |
| Edward 'the Martyr', St Edward | 975 | 978 | W. Saxon | Son of King Edgar | |
| Ethelred II 'the Unready' | 978 | deposed 1013 | W. Saxon | Son of King Edgar; brother of Edward the Martyr see below for 2nd reign Two Ethelred Is are known, one of Northumbria, one of West Saxons |
|
| Swein | 1013 | 1014 | Danish | ||
| Ethelred II 'the Unready' | 1014 | 1016 | W. Saxon | 2nd reign; see above | |
| Edmund II (Edmund Ironside) | 1016 | 1016 | W. Saxon | ||
| Cnut (Canute) | 1016 | 1035 | Danish | 'The Great' - king of England, Denmark & Norway | |
| Harold I ('Harefoot') | c.1035 | 1040 | Danish | Son of Cnut & Ælfgifu | |
| Harthacnut (~'Tough-knot') | 1040 | 1042 | Danish | Son of Cnut & Emma of Normandy King of Denmark 1035-1042 | |
| Edward 'the Confessor' | 1042 | 1066 | W. Saxon | ||
| Harold II | 1066 | 1066 | W. Saxon | ||
| William I, 'The Conqueror'; 'the Bastard | 1066 | 1087 | Norman | Ancestor of all English monarchs since Battle of Hastings (1066) & British since 1603. | |
| William II 'Rufus' | 1087 | 1100 | Norman | ||
| Henry I ' Beauclerc' | 1100 | 1135 | Norman | ||
| Stephen | 1135 | 1154 | Norman | Reign disputed with Matilda (better claimant, but female)
Period from c1138 to c1153 best called 'Civil War' Contemporaries called it 'the Anarchy' | |
| Matilda (Empress of Germany) | 1141 'Lady of England' | loses power 1141-2 | Norman | Legitimate heir of Henry I, but a woman.
Never fully Queen | |
| Henry II | 1154 | 1189 | Angevin | son of Matilda & Geoffrey Plantagenet, count of Anjou | |
| Richard I | 1189 | 1199 | Angevin | 'Lion Heart'. coeur de lion | |
| John | 1199 | 1216 | Angevin | ||
| Henry III | 1216 | 1272 | Angevin | ||
| Edward I | 1272 | 1307 | Angevin | ||
| Edward II | 1307 | 1327 | Angevin | ||
| Edward III | 1327 | 1377 | Angevin | ||
| Richard II | 1377 | 1399 | Angevin | ||
| Henry IV | 1399 | 1413 | Lancastrian | ||
| Henry V | 1413 | 1422 | Lancastrian | ||
| Henry VI | 1421 | 1471 | Lancastrian | Reign interrupted by Wars of the Roses
and alternation with Edward IV | |
| Edward IV (1) | 1461 | 1470 | Yorkist | struggle with Henry VI | |
| Edward IV (2) | 1471 | 1483 | Yorkist | struggle with Henry VI | |
| Edward V | 1483 | 1483 | Yorkist | Never effectively reigned;
one of the 'Princes in the Tower' | |
| Richard III | 1483 | 1485 | Yorkist | ||
| Henry VII | 1485 | 1509 | Tudor | ||
| Henry VIII | 1509 | 1547 | Tudor | ||
| Edward VI | 1547 | 1553 | Tudor | ||
| Lady Jane Grey '9-day Queen' | 1553 | 1553 (executed) | Tudor | Protestant heir to Edward VI, deposed by Henry VIII's nominated heir, Mary | |
| Mary I ('Bloody Mary') | 1553 | 1558 | Tudor | ||
| Philip ('of Spain') | 1554 | 1558 | Philip (II of Spain); King of England, was married to Mary, and ruled with her as equal until her death, though not popular - and little recognized today. | ||
| Elizabeth I | 1558 | 1603 | Tudor | succeeded by James VI of Scotland, ruling England as James I. |
Monarchs that ruled in England after the death of Elizabeth and consequent accession of James VI and I are listed in Monarchs of the United Kingdom.
