List of Monarchs of England - Definition and Overview

England was first unified as a state by Alfred the Great of Wessex. It ceased to exist as a separate kingdom following unions with Scotland (1707) and Ireland (1801). Today, England exists as one of the four "Home Nations" of the United Kingdom, alongside Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, "Her (or His) Majesty's Peculiars", and a number of colonial holdings. Thus from 1707, the terms "King of England" and "Queen of England" are incorrect. Hence, this list runs up to 1707; for monarchs after that date, see List of British monarchs.

See also: Kings of England family tree

The Saxon kings

• Ælfred (Alfred) the Great (871-899)
• Edward the Elder (899-924)
• Athelstan (924-939)
• Edmund I (939-946)
• Edred (946-955)
• Edwy (955-959)
• Edgar (959-975)
• Edward the Martyr (975-978)
• Ethelred II (978-1016)
• Edmund II (1016)

The Danelaw

For a period of time, both Danish and Saxon kings claimed the throne of England.

• Svein, also King of Denmark (1013-1014)
• Canute I (1014-1035)
• Harold I (1035-1040)
• Canute II (1040-1042)

The Saxon restoration

• Edward the Confessor (1042-1066)
• Harold II (1066)
• Edgar Ætheling, uncrowned (1066)

The Norman kings

After the Norman Conquest in 1066, numbering of kings began anew; this affected only the Edwards.

• William I (1066-1087)
• William II (1087-1100)
• Henry I (1100-1135)
• Stephen (1135-1154)

The Angevins or Plantagenets

• Henry II (1154-1189)
• Richard I (1189-1199)
• John (1199-1216)
• Henry III (1216-1272)
• Edward I (1272-1307)
• Edward II (1307-1327)
• Edward III (1327-1377)
• Richard II (1377-1399)

The House of Lancaster

• Henry IV (1399-1413)
• Henry V (1413-1422)
• Henry VI (1422-1461 and 1470-1471)

The House of York

• Edward IV (1461-1470 and 1471-1483)
• Edward V, uncrowned (1483)
• Richard III (1483-1485)

The House of Tudor

• Henry VII (1485-1509)
• Henry VIII (1509-1547)
• Edward VI (1547-1553)
• Lady Jane Grey (1553)
• Mary I (1553-1558)
• Elizabeth I (1558-1603)

The House of Stuart

• James I, (1603-1625), also from an earlier date King James VI of Scots
• Charles I (1625-1649), also King of Scots

Interregnum

There was no reigning king between Charles I's execution in 1649 and the restoration in 1660.

The Stuart restoration

• Charles II (1660-1685), also King of Scots
• James II (1685-1688), also King James VII of Scots
• William III and Mary II (1689-1694), as co-monarchs, also King and Queen of Scotland
• William III (1694-1702), continued as single monarch, also King of Scotland
• Anne (1702-1707), also Scotland, then Queen of Great Britain after 1707 until her death in 1714

William III, Mary II and Anne used the styled "of Scotland" rather than "of Scots"