- See also: List of British consorts.
This is a list of the monarchs of Great Britain and the United Kingdom. The Kingdom of Great Britain was formed on 1 May 1707 with the merger of the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland, which had been in personal union under the House of Stuart since 24 March 1603. On 1 January 1801 Great Britain merged with the Kingdom of Ireland to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. After most of Ireland left the union on 6 December 1922, on 12 April 1927 its name was amended to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Contents |
British monarchs
House of Stuart
England and Scotland entered into legislative and governmental union on 1 May 1707 under the Acts of Union 1707.
| Monarch | Portrait | Birth | Marriages | Death |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anne 1 May 1707–1714 England and Scotland 8 March 1702-1707 |
 |
6 February 1665 St James's Palace daughter of James II and Anne Hyde1 |
George of Denmark St James's Palace 28 July 1683 17 children1 |
1 August 1714 Kensington aged 491 |
House of Hanover
The Hanoverian succession came about as a result of the Act of Settlement 1701, passed by the English Parliament. In return for access to the English plantations in North America, the Hanoverian succession and the Union were ratified by the Scottish Parliament in 1707.
| Monarch | Portrait | Birth | Marriages | Death |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| George I 1 August 1714–1727 |
 |
28 May 1660 Leineschloss son of Ernest Augustus, Elector of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Sophia of Hanover2 |
Sophia Dorothea of Celle 21 November 1682 2 children3 |
11 June 1727 Osnabrück aged 673 |
| George II 11 June 1727–1760 |
 |
30 October 1683 Herrenhausen son of George I and Sophia Dorothea of Celle4 |
Caroline of Ansbach 22 August 1705 8 children4 |
25 October 1760 Kensington Palace aged 764 |
| George III 25 October 1760–1820 |
 |
4 June 1738 Norfolk House son of Frederick, Prince of Wales and Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha5 |
Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz St James's Palace 8 September 1761 15 children5 |
29 January 1820 Windsor Castle aged 815 |
| George IV 29 January 1820–1830 |
 |
12 August 1762 St James's Palace son of George III and Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz6 |
(1) Maria Anne Fitzherbert Park Lane 15 September 1785 (2) Caroline of Brunswick St James's Palace 8 April 1795 1 daughter6 |
26 June 1830 Windsor aged 676 |
| William IV 26 June 1830–1837 |
 |
21 August 1765 Buckingham Palace son of George III and Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz7 |
Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen Kew Palace 13 July 1818 2 children7 |
20 June 1837 Windsor Castle aged 717 |
| Victoria 20 June 1837–1901 |
 |
24 May 1819 Kensington Palace daughter of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn and Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld8 |
Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha St James's Palace 10 February 1840 9 children8 |
22 January 1901 Osborne Castle aged 818 |
House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha
Although he was the son and heir of Victoria, Edward VII inherited his father's names and is therefore counted as inaugurating a new royal house.
| Monarch | Portrait | Birth | Marriages | Death |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edward VII 22 January 1901–1910 |
 |
9 November 1841 Buckingham Palace son of Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha9 |
Alexandra of Denmark St George's Chapel 10 March 1863 6 children9 |
6 May 1910 Buckingham Palace aged 689 |
House of Windsor
The house name Windsor was adopted in 1917, during the First World War. It was changed from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha because of wartime anti-German sentiment. The heirs of Elizabeth II, by her royal proclamation, will remain part of the House of Windsor (barring any future proclamation to the contrary). (See also Mountbatten-Windsor.)
| Monarch | Portrait | Birth | Marriages | Death |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| George V 6 May 1910–1936 |
 |
3 June 1865 Marlborough House son of Edward VII and Alexandra of Denmark10 |
Mary of Teck 6 July 1893 St James's Palace 6 children10 |
20 January 1936 Sandringham House aged 7010 |
| Edward VIII 20 January – 11 December 193611 |
 |
23 June 1894 White Lodge son of George V and Mary of Teck11 |
Wallis Warfield Simpson Château de Candé 3 June 1937 no children11 |
28 May 1972 Bois de Boulogne aged 7711 |
| George VI 11 December 1936–6 February 1952 |
 |
14 December 1895 Sandringham son of George V and Mary of Teck11 |
Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon Westminster Abbey 26 April 1923 2 children11 |
6 February 1952 Sandringham House aged 5611 |
| Elizabeth II 6 February 1952–present |
 |
21 April 1926 Mayfair daughter of George VI and Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon12 |
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh Westminster Abbey 20 November 1947 4 children12 |
Regnal numbering
Following the Acts of Union, regnal numbering of subsequent monarchs followed on from those of England. William IV, Edward VII, Edward VIII and Elizabeth II all taking the next number in the English sequence. As a result of Scottish opposition to the use of the style Elizabeth II, it was announced that all future monarchs would take the next number from either the English or Scottish sequence, whichever was higher. This new rule was consistent, in that had it been applied since the Union, it would not have changed the regnal numbers of any previous post-union monarch. For example, should any King James come to the throne in the future, he would be styled James VIII.
Notes and references
- ^ a b c "thePeerage.com - Person Page 10134". thePeerage.com. Retrieved on 2008-09-01.
- ^ "thePeerage.com - Person Page 10099". thePeerage.com. Retrieved on 2008-09-01.
- ^ a b "thePeerage.com - Person Page 10099". thePeerage.com. Retrieved on 2008-09-01.
- ^ a b c "thePeerage.com - Person Page 10097". thePeerage.com. Retrieved on 2008-09-01.
- ^ a b c "thePeerage.com - Person Page 10078". thePeerage.com. Retrieved on 2008-09-01.
- ^ a b c "thePeerage.com - Person Page 10079". thePeerage.com. Retrieved on 2008-09-02.
- ^ a b c "thePeerage.com - Person Page 10085". thePeerage.com. Retrieved on 2008-09-02.
- ^ a b c "thePeerage.com - Person Page 10065". thePeerage.com. Retrieved on 2008-09-02.
- ^ a b c "thePeerage.com - Person Page 10066". thePeerage.com. Retrieved on 2008-09-03.
- ^ a b c "thePeerage.com - Person Page 10067". thePeerage.com. Retrieved on 2008-09-03.
- ^ a b c d e f g "thePeerage.com - Person Page 10068". thePeerage.com. Retrieved on 2008-09-03.
- ^ a b "thePeerage.com - Person Page 10070". thePeerage.com. Retrieved on 2008-09-03.
See also
- List of monarchs in the British Isles
- Line of Succession to the British Throne (a list of people)
- Succession to the British Throne (historical overview and current rules)
- Alternate successions of the English crown
- List of monarchs of the British Isles by cause of death
- Demise of the Crown
- Mnemonic verse of monarchs in England
External links
- English Monarchs - A complete history of the Kings and Queens of England
- Britannia: Monarchs of Britain
- Archontology
- Kings of England
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