kings of England

Kings of England List 🤴🏼

Kings of England Timeline 🤴🏼👑 List from 924-2024

Chronological list of all the Kings of England since 924 AD including the house (family) for each English king. There have been 52 different kings of England [*] since 924 AD. King Charles III coronation will take place at Westminster Abbey on 6 May 2023.

  • Kings of England timeline list compiled by Joe Connor, last updated Dec 12, 2022 @ 11:41 pm

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🤴🏼Kings of England [*] Ruled Born – Died # Where born Pedigree Demise Title/s[*] 🤴🏼English Kings: Facts, Events and Trivia
The Anglo-Saxons 924 – 1066 The House of Wessex House of Wessex Anglo Saxon Kings
Athelstan / Æthelstan
(Athelstan the Good)
924 – 939 c. 894 – 27 Oct 939 1st Wessex
  • Father: Edward the Elder
  • Mother: Ecgwynn.
King of the English Athelstan was Edward the Elder’s son and a wise ruler “Athelstan the Good”. In 927 Athelstan conquered York, the last remaining Viking kingdom, to become the first Anglo-Saxon ruler of the whole of England, effectively the first King of England. By his wish he was buried at Malmesbury Abbey.
Ælfweard
[DISPUTED]
924 904 – 924 2nd Wessex
  • Father:
  • Mother:
  • Spouse: .
King of the English Ælfweard died aged 20.
Edmund I the Elder 939 – 946 921 – 946 3rd Pucklechurch, Gloucestershire, England.
  • Father: Edward the Elder
  • Mother: Eadgifu
  • Spouses: Ælfgifu, Æthelflæd.
Killed in a brawl. King of the English Edmund I the Elder died aged 25 and was buried at Glastonbury Abbey.
Eadred (Edred) 946 – 955 923 – 955 4th Wessex
  • Father: Edward the Elder
  • Mother: Eadgifu
Long-running stomach ailment. King of the English In 954 Eadred defeated Eric Bloodaxe, the last Scandanavian king of York. Eadred died of a long-running stomach ailment aged 32.
Eadwig
(Eadwig the all fair / Edwy)
955 – 959 941 – 959 5th Wessex
  • Father: Edmund I
  • Mother: Ælfgifu
  • Spouse: Ælfgifu (annulled).
King of the English Eadwig the all fair died aged 19 and was buried at New Minster, Winchester, Hampshire.
Edgar
(Edgar the Peaceful)
959 – 975 953 – 975 6th England
  • Father: Edmund I of England
  • Mother: Ælfgifu of Shaftesbury
  • Spouses: Æthelflæd, Wulfthryth, Ælfthryth.
King of the English Edgar the Peaceful died aged 36 and was was buried at Glastonbury Abbey.
Edward the Martyr 975 – 978 962 – 978 7th Wessex
  • Father: Edgar, King of the English
  • Mother: Æthelflæd or Wulfthryth.
Murdered at Corfe Castle. King of the English Edward the Martyr’s crown was disputed by his younger half-brother Æthelred which led to his murder in 978 aged 15-16 at Corfe Castle, Dorset, England.
Æthelred II / Æthelred the Unready
(Ethelred II)
978 – 1013 966 – 1016 8th England
  • Father: Edgar, King of the English
  • Mother: Ælfthryth
  • Spouses: Ælfgifu of York, Emma of Normandy.
King of the English Æthelred the Unready (meaning “Ill-advised”). When Sweyn Forkbeard invaded England in 1013 Æthelred II fled to Normandy. He returned after the death of Sweyn Forkbeard just 40 days later.
Sweyn I / Sweyn Forkbeard 1013 – 1014 960 – 1014 9th Denmark
  • Father: Knut Danaást or Harald Bluetooth
  • Mother: Tove or Gunhild
  • Spouses: Świętosława, Sigrid, Gunhild.
King of the English, King of Denmark Sweyn I, also known as Sweyn Forkbeard, seized the throne from his father King Harald Bluetooth and was declared king of England on 25 December 1013. He died just 40 days later on 3 February 1014, aged 54, and was buried either at Roskilde Cathedral or St. Trinity, Lund, Norway.
Æthelred II / Æthelred the Unready
(Ethelred II)AGAIN
1014 – 1016 968 – 1016 10th Wessex
  • Father: Edgar, King of the English
  • Mother: Ælfthryth
  • Spouses: Ælfgifu of York, Emma of Normandy.
King of the English Æthelred the Unready (meaning “Ill-advised”). Æthelred II died aged 48 and was buried in Old St Paul’s Cathedral, London which is now lost.
Edmund Ironside / Edmund II 1016 989 – 1016 11th England
  • Father: Æthelred the Unready
  • Mother: Ælfgifu of York
  • Spouse: Ealdgyth.
King of the English Edmund Ironside fought 5 battles against the Danes who finally defeated him at the Battle of Assandun on 18th October 1016. Edmund Ironside struck a deal with Canute to divide the kingdom. Edmund Ironside died aged 25-27 and was buried at Glastonbury Abbey.
The Danes 1016 – 1042 House Jelling House Jelling Danish Kings
Canute the Great (Cnut the Great) 1016 – 1035 995 – 1035 12th Denmark
  • Father: Sweyn Forkbeard
  • Mother: Unknown
  • Spouses: Ælfgifu of Northampton, Emma of Normandy.
King of the English Canute the Great proved he was not a god but just a king by ordering the tide not to come in which, of course, it did. Cnut the great died aged 40 and was buried in the Old Minster in Winchester, England. his bones were later moved to Winchester Cathedral, Winchester, England.
Harold Harefoot / Harold I 1035 – 1040 1015 – 1040 13th Denmark
  • Father: Father: Cnut the Great
  • Mother: Ælfgifu of Northampton
  • Spouse: Ælfgifu (maybe)
“divine judgement” King of the English Harold Harefoot was an illegitimate son of Canute the Great. He was called Harefoot because he was “fleet of foot”. Harold I died at Oxford on 17 March 1040, aged 25, and was probably buried in St. Clement Danes church in London – but there are many stories.
Harthacanute / Harthacnut 1040 – 1042 1018 – 1042 14th Denmark
  • Father: Cnut the Great
  • Mother: Emma of Normandy.
Dropped dead at a wedding after excessive alcohol. Either a stroke or poisoning. King of the English Harthacanute / Harthacnut died aged 24.
The Anglo-Saxons 1042 – 1066 The House of Wessex House of Wessex Anglo Saxon Kings
Edward the Confessor 1042 – 1066 1002 – 1066 15th Islip, Oxfordshire, England
  • Father: Æthelred the Unready
  • Mother: Emma of Normandy
  • Spouse: Edith of Wessex.
A series of strokes. King of the English Edward the Confessor was deeply religious. He presided over the Westminster Abbey restoration where he was buried when he died, aged 64, childless without a natural successor.
Harold II 1066 Jan-Oct 1022 – 1066 16th Wessex, England but House Godwin
  • House Godwin
  • Father: Godwin, Earl of Wessex
  • Mother: Gytha Thorkelsdóttir
  • Spouses: Edith the Fair, Edith of Mercia.
Died at the Battle of Hastings. King of the English Harold II was the last Anglo-Saxon king of England. Harold Godwinson died at the Battle of Hastings aged 44. His first injury was likely an arrow in his eye but his body was cut down by four knights. The Bayeux Tapestry depicts a body in pieces under the horse – make up your own mind.
Edgar Ætheling
[King but not crowned]
1066 Oct-Dec 1051 – 1126 17th Kingdom of Hungary but House Wessex
  • House Wessex
  • Father: Edward the Exile
  • Mother: Agatha.
Aspirant King of the English Edgar Ætheling ruled as king for up to 41 days, but he was not crowned. Edgar Ætheling died aged 75.
The Normans 1066 – 1154 The House of Normandy Between 1066 and 1154 there were 4 Norman kings of England.
King William I
(William the Conqueror / William the Bastard)
1066 – 1087 1028 – 9 Sep 1087 18th Château de Falaise, France
  • Father: Robert the Magnificent
  • Mother: Herleva of Falaise
  • Spouse: Matilda of Flanders.
Illness King of the English William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy and son of Robert I, invaded England and killed King Harold at the Battle of Hastings on 14 Oct 1066. William I was the first medieval king of England. King William the first was responsible for the Doomsday Book, which was effectively the first national census.
King William II
(William Rufus / William the Red)
1087 – 1100 1056 – 2 Aug 1100 19th Normandy, France
  • Father: William the Conqueror
  • Mother: Matilda of Flanders.
Killed by an arrow in the New Forest. King of the English King William II was also known as William the Red because of his reddish hair and also William Rufus. The Rufus Stone, in the New Forest, marks the place where he fell. Whether his death was deliberate or accidental remains unclear.
King Henry I
(Henry Beauclerc)
1100 – 1135 Sep 1058 – 1 Dec 1135 20th Selby, England
  • Father: William the Conqueror
  • Mother: Matilda of Flanders.
Illness King of the English
(Duke of the Normans)
King Henry I was the fourth and youngest son of William the Conqueror. Henry I named his daughter Matilda as his successor which caused a crisis after his death and led to civil war.
King Stephen of Blois 1135 – 1154 1092 – 25 Oct 1154 21st Blois, France
  • Father: Stephen, Count of Blois
  • Mother: Adela of Normandy
  • Spouse: Matilda I, Countess of Boulogne
  • Nephew of Henry I.
Stomach illness King of the English
(Duke of the Normans)
Before King Stephen the Scots and Welsh repeatedly raided England. Norman barons looted and extorted money across town and country. In 1139 Matilda invaded from Anjou and a decade of civil war “The Anarchy” ensued. An agreed compromise eventually ended the war. Matilda’s son Henry Plantagenet succeeded to the throne after Stephen died.
House of Plantagenet 1154 – 1485 The House of Plantagenet spanned four separate royal houses; the Angevins, the main Plantagenets, the House of Lancaster and House of York. There were more Plantagenet kings of England than any other family and they were powerful throughout Europe.
Angevins 1154 – 1216 The Angevins 3 Angevin kings of England were also counts of Anjou in France.
King Henry II 1154 – 1189 5 Mar 1133 – 6 Jul 1189 22nd Le Mans, France
  • Father: Geoffrey V, Count of Anjou
  • Mother: Empress Matilda
  • Spouse: Eleanor of Aquitaine.
  • Grandson of Henry I.
Bleeding ulcer King of the English King Henry II appointed Thomas A Becket as Chancellor and then Archbishop of Canterbury. Henry II may have ordered Becket’s assassination in Canterbury Cathedral on 29 December 1170.
King Richard I
(Richard the Lionheart / Richard Coeur de Lion)
1189 – 1199 8 Sep 1157 – 6 Apr 1199 23rd Fotheringhay Castle, Fotheringhay, England
  • Father: Henry II of England
  • Mother: Eleanor of Aquitaine
  • Spouse: Berengaria of Navarre
  • Richard I was the third son of Henry II.
Arrow wound which became gangrenous. King of the English King Richard I was only in England for ten months. He spent most of his life as a warrior king fighting The Crusades in the Holy Land to liberate them from Islamic rule.
King John 1199 – 1216 24 Dec 1166 – 19 Oct 1216 24th Beaumont Palace, Oxford, England
  • Father: Henry II of England
  • Mother: Eleanor, Duchess of Aquitaine
  • Spouse: Isabella, Countess of Gloucester, Isabella, Countess of Angoulême
  • John was the fifth son of Henry II.
Dysentery King of England, (Lord of Ireland, Duke of Normandy and Aquitaine, Count of the Angevins) King John was an illegitimate son of Henry II. John approved the Magna Carta at Runnymede in 1215 using his seal.
The Plantagenets 1216 – 1399 House of  Plantagenet The Plantagenets produced 8 kings of England, more than any other family.
King Henry III
(Henry of Winchester)
1216 – 1272 1 Oct 1207 -16 Nov 1272 25th Winchester Castle, England
  • Father: John, King of England
  • Mother: Isabella, Countess of Angoulême
  • Consort: Eleanor of Provence.
Illness King of England, (Lord of Ireland, Duke of Normandy and Aquitaine, Count of the Angevins) Longest reign of any English monarch. Was crowned twice. The first on 28th October 1216 in his mother’s chaplet then on 17th May 1220 at Westminster Abbey, which he had rebuilt during his reign in Gothic style.
King Edward I
(Edward Longshanks / The Hammer of the Scots)
1272 – 1307 17 Jun 1239 – 7 Jul 1307 26th Westminster, London, England
  • Father: Henry III of England
  • Mother: Eleanor of Provence
  • Spouses: Eleanor of Castile, Margaret of France
Dysentery King of England
(Lord of Ireland and Duke of Aquitaine)
King Edward I was called Edward Longshanks because he was over six foot tall. Edward I formed the “Model Parliament” on 13 November 1295. Edward I fought the Welsh wars from 1274 until the 1284 Statute of Rhuddlan. The statute provided the constitutional basis for the government of the Principality of Wales between 1284 and 1536.
King Edward II
(Edward of Caernarfon)
1307 – deposed Jan 1327 25 Apr 1284 – 21 Sep1327 27th Caernarfon Castle, Caernarfon, Wales
  • Father: Edward I, King of England
  • Mother: Eleanor, Countess of Ponthieu
  • Spouse: Isabella of France.
Murdered King of England
(Lord of Ireland and Duke of Aquitaine)
Deposed by his wife Isabella of France. Probably murdered in prison at Berkeley Castle in Gloucestershire. England.
King Edward III
(Edward of Windsor)
1327 – 1377 13 Nov 1312 – 21 Jun 1377 28th Windsor Castle, Windsor, England
  • Father: Edward II of England
  • Mother: Isabella of France
  • Spouse: Philippa of Hainault.
Stroke King of England
(Lord of Ireland and Duke of Aquitaine)
King Edward III was a popular monarch who restored royal authority and asserted military power in Europe. Founded the Order of the Garter.
Richard II 1377 – 1399 deposed 1399, died around 14 Feb 1400 29th Bordeaux, France
  • Grandfather: Edward III
  • Father: Edward the Black Prince
  • Mother: Joan, 4th Countess of Kent
  • Spouses: Anne of Bohemia, Isabella of Valois.
Murdered King of England and of France
(Lord of Ireland, and Prince of Chester)
Probably murdered in prison by his cousin Henry IV who took over the throne. Richard II was the last of the medieval kings of England.
The House of Lancaster 1399 – 1461 Cadet of the house of  Plantagenet 3 kings of England belonged to the house of Lancaster.
Henry IV
(Henry of Bolingbroke)
1399 – 1413 3 Apr 1366 – 20 Mar 1413 30th Bolingbroke Castle, England
  • Father: John of Gaunt
  • Mother: Blanche of Lancaster
  • Spouses: Mary de Bohun, Joan of Navarre.
Protracted unknown illness. King of England and of France
(Lord of Ireland)
Seized the crown by forcing Richard II to abdicate. His reign experienced many rebellions. His coronation on 13 Oct 1399 was the first time English was spoken since the Norman conquest.
Henry V
(The Warrior King)
1413 – 1422 16 Sep 1386 – 31 Aug 1422 31st Monmouth, Monmouthshire, Wales
  • Father: John of Gaunt
  • Mother: Blanche of Lancaster
  • Spouses: Mary de Bohun, Joan of Navarre.
Dysentery or toxic megacolon. King of England
(Heir and Regent of France and Lord of Ireland)
First English king who could read and write English comfortably. Henry V fought in the Battle of Agincourt (25 Oct 1415), famous for English use of the longbow, one of the greatest victories in the Hundred Years War against France.
Henry VI
(Henry of Windsor)
1422 – deposed 1461 6 Dec 1421 – 21 May 1471 32nd Windsor Castle, Windsor, England
  • Father: Henry V of England
  • Mother: Catherine of Valois
  • Spouse: Margaret of Anjou.
Officially melancholy, more likely murdered. King of England and of France
(Lord of Ireland)
Henry VI succeeded to the English throne aged just nine months – the youngest ever English king. The coronation was on 6 Nov 1429. Henry VI founded Eton College in 1440 and Kings College, Cambridge. Henry VI was crowned King of France (disputed) in Paris at Notre Dame on 16 Dec 1431.
The House of York 1461 – 1485 Cadet of the house of  Plantagenet 3 kings of England belonged to the House of York, a cadet / branch of the house of Plantagenet.
King Edward IV 1461 – deposed 3 Oct 1470 28 Apr 1442 – 9 Apr 1483 33rd Rouen, France
  • Father: Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York
  • Mother: Cecily Neville
  • Spouse: Elizabeth Woodville
  • Great grandson of Edmund of York, Edward III’s youngest son.
King of England and of France
(Lord of Ireland)
Edward IV came to the throne in 1461, aged 19, after defeating Henry VI at the Battle of Towton, in Yorkshire. Edward IV tried to bring peace to the country. Edward IV was on the throne during the Wars of the Roses (civil wars in England between the Yorkist and Lancastrian factions between 1455 and 1487). At 6’4½” (1.94 m) Edward IV is the tallest of all English kings.
Henry VI AGAIN 1470 – 1471 34th Windsor Castle, Windsor, England Son of Henry V. King of England and of France
(Lord of Ireland)
Henry VI and Edward IV, were both kings of England for two separate reigns.
King Edward IV AGAIN 1471 – 1483 11 April 1471 – 9 Apr 1483 35th Rouen, France Great grandson of Edmund of York, Edward III’s youngest son. Illnesses King of England and of France
(Lord of Ireland)
Edward IV along with Henry VI, both served two periods as kings of England. During Edward IV’s second reign the first printing press was established in Westminster by William Caxton in 1475-6.
King Edward V
[King but not crowned]
1483 (9 April to 26 June) 2 Nov 1470 – 26 Jun 1483 36th Westminster, London, England
  • Father: Edward IV of England
  • Mother: Elizabeth Woodville.
Unknown King of England and of France
(Lord of Ireland)
King Edward V reigned for just six weeks and died aged 12. It’s likely Edward V and his brother Richard were murdered in the Tower of London.
King Richard III 1483 – 1485 2 Oct 1452 – 22 Aug 1485 37th Fotheringhay Castle, Fotheringhay, England
  • Father: Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York
  • Mother: Cecily Neville
  • Spouse: Anne Neville
  • Richard III was King Edward IV’s younger brother and Edward V’s uncle.
Killed on the battlefield. King of England and of France
(Lord of Ireland)
Richard III was loyal to his older brother King Edward IV when he became Lord Protector and remained loyal when their middle brother George rebelled and schemed against the king.

Richard III died during the Battle of Bosworth Field against Henry VII (Henry Tudor) which ended the War of the Roses. Richard III probably had the two princes Edward and Richard killed but there’s no hard evidence.

The Tudors 1485 – 1603 There were 3 Tudor kings of England.
King Henry VII 1485 – 1509 28 Jan 1457 – 21 Apr 1509 38th Pembroke Castle, Pembroke, Wales
  • Father: Edmund Tudor, 1st Earl of Richmond
  • Mother: Lady Margaret Beaufort
  • Spouse: Elizabeth of York
  • Henry VII’s wife Elizabeth was the daughter of Edward IV of England and older sister of the two “the Princes in the Tower”.
Tuberculosis King of England and of France
(Lord of Ireland)
King Henry VII took the throne after killing Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485 which ended the War of the Roses and united the House of Lancaster and House of York.

Henry VII improved the royal finances laying a good foundation for the Tudor dynasty.

King Henry VIII
1509 – 1547 28 June 1491 – 28 Jan 1547 39th Palace of Placentia, Greenwich, London, England
  • Father: Henry VII of England
  • Mother: Elizabeth of York
  • Spouses: Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard and Catherine Parr
  • Henry VIII was Henry VII’s second son.
Obesity King of England, France & Ireland (after 1542) King Henry VIII had six wives (mnemonic to help remember their names and order):
  1. Catherine of Aragon: Married 1509, annulled 1533, died 1536.
  2. Anne Boleyn: Married 1533, annulled then beheaded 1536.
  3. Jane Seymour: Married 1536, died after childbirth 1537.
  4. Anne of Cleves: Married 1540, annulled 1540, died 1557
  5. Catherine Howard: Married 1540, beheaded 1541.
  6. Catherine Parr: Married 1543, survived Henry VIII, remarried Thomas Seymour, died 1548.

Henry VIII was proclaimed King of Ireland in 1542 by the Crown of Ireland Act by the Irish Parliament. Probably the most famous of all  kings of England.

King Edward VI 1547 – 1553 12 Oct 1537 – 6 Jul 1553 40th Hampton Court Palace, Molesey, England
  • Father: Henry VIII of England
  • Mother: Jane Seymour.
Uncertain. Possibly tuberculosis or broncho-pneumonia. King of England, France & Ireland Edward IV, King Henry VIII’s only legitimate son, died aged 15. Jane Seymour, Henry’s third wife, died 12 days after Edward’s birth.
The Stuarts 1603 – 1714 The Stuart family The Stuarts were the first kings of the United Kingdom.
James I of England
James VI of Scotland
1603 – 1625 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625 41st Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh, Scotland
  • Father: Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley
  • Mother: Mary, Queen of Scots
  • Spouse: Anne of Denmark
  • James I was the great-great-grandson of Henry VII.
Dysentery King of England, Scotland, France and Ireland James I, the son of Mary Queen of Scots, was the first monarch to rule both England and Scotland, de-facto the first king of Great Britain – a title first officially given to  George I.

James I was a popular monarch. During his reign:

  • James I authorized the King James bible translation in 1604, which was published in 1611.
  • The Gunpowder Plot was foiled in 1605.
  • Sir Walter Raleigh executed for treason (plotting against the king) and beheaded outside the Palace of Westminster on October 29, 1618.
Charles I 1625 – 1649 19 Nov 1600 – 30 Jan 1649 42nd Dunfermline Palace, Dunfermline, Scotland
  • Father: James I/VI
  • Mother: Anne of Denmark
  • Spouse: Henrietta Maria of France
  • Charles I was the second son of James I.
Execution by  beheading. King of England, Scotland, France and Ireland Charles I was a short quiet man with a stammer. He was an art lover.

Charles I believed in the divine right of kings to rule so he constantly argued with Parliament. He used Royal Prerogative to lock MP’s out of Parliament during the “Eleven Years Tyranny” (1629-1640).

In 1637 Charles I imposed a new prayer book on the Scots. As a result the Scots invaded England. Charles recalled Parliament and reached a deal to finance a war to force the Scots out of England. King and Parliament remained on a collision course. Charles I attempted to arrest his critics in Parliament. Civil war became inevitable which led to his execution on 30 January 1649.

The Commonwealth 1649 – 1660 On 19 May 1649 Oliver Cromwell declared Britain to be a republic called “The Commonwealth”. Cromwell became its Lord Protector until his death in 1658.

Richard Cromwell, his son, took over but lacked authority and he renounced power which led to the restoration of the monarchy.

Charles II 1660 – 1685 29 May 1630 – 6 Feb 1685 43rd St James’s Palace, London, England
  • Father: Charles I of England
  • Mother: Henrietta Maria of France
  • Spouse: Catherine of Braganza
  • Eldest son of Charles I.
Sudden apoplectic fit. King of England, Scotland, France and Ireland When England became a republic in 1649 the Scots crowned Charles I son as King Charles II of Scotland on 1 January 1651. After Cromwell defeated the Scots at the Battle of Worcester on 3 September 1651 Charles II fled to France where he spent nine years in exile. In 1660 he was invited to London and restored to his father’s throne.

Charles II was brilliant and seen as a lovable rogue and merry monarch. He was a patron of the arts and science founding the Royal Observatory, a supporter of the Royal Society (whose members included Sir Isaac Newton) and personal patron of Sir Christopher Wren (who built St. Paul’s Cathedral).

The anniversary of the Restoration (and Charles’s birthday on 29th May) was celebrated in England as Oak Apple Day until it was formally abolished in 1859 but there are still events and celebrations in some parts of England.

James II of England
James VII
of Scotland
1685 – 1688 14 Oct 1633 – 16 Sep 1701 44th St James’s Palace, London, England
  • Father: Charles I of England
  • Mother: Henrietta Maria of France
  • Spouse: Anne Hyde
  • Younger brother of Charles II.
Brain hemorrhage. King of England, Scotland, France and Ireland James II converted to Catholicism and made himself unpopular pursuing religious tolerance policies.

James II put down a rebellion led by the Duke of Monmouth which resulted in savage punishments by Judge Jeffreys in the Bloody Assizes. This led to conflict with parliament which he suspended in 1685.

Protestants led by William of Orange feared a Catholic succession. In 1688 they invaded England with a dutch fleet in “The Glorious Revolution”. James II fled, was captured, then released and received by Louis XIV, his cousin and ally.

In 1689 James II attempted to regain the throne but was defeated at the Battle of the Boyne in Ireland and returned to France where he died in exile.

William III of England
King William II
of Scotland
(“King Billy” in Ireland, William of Orange)
1689 – 1702 14 Nov 1650 – 8 Mar 1702 45th Binnenhof, Netherlands
  • Father: William II, Prince of Orange
  • Mother: Mary, Princess Royal
  • Spouse: Mary II of England
  • Grandson of Charles I.
Pneumonia (a complication of a broken collarbone after falling from a horse. King and Queen of England, Scotland, France and Ireland In 1677 William III married Mary, the Protestant daughter of James II. This made them a good choice to rule England and Scotland after James II was deemed to have abdicated. In 1689 they suceeded to the throne and ruled as joint sovereigns (coregency) until Mary died in 1694. William continued to rule as sole monarch but wasn’t popular.
William and Mary’s reign ended the bitter conflict between Crown and Parliament.
The House of Hanovarians 1714 – 1901 The House of Hanover There were five hanoverian kings of England.
King George I (George Louis / Georg Ludwig) 1714 – 1727 28 May 1660 – 11 June 1727 46th Hanover, Germany
  • Father: Ernest Augustus, Elector of Hanover
  • Mother: Sophia of the Palatinate
    Spouse: Sophia Dorothea of Celle
  • Sophia, James I’s wife, was king James I granddaughter.
Stroke King of Great Britain, France and Ireland George I married his cousin Sophia and they had two children together. His divorce from Sophia and imprisonment in a castle until she died in 1726 which was scandalous.

In the early years of his reign George I was active in British foreign policy helping to forge the Treaty of Hanover in 1718 with Great Britain, France and Prussia to counterbalance an Austro-Spanish Treaty of Vienna.

In 1721 Robert Walpole was appointed first lord of the Treasury, de facto, Britain’s first prime minister.

King George II (George Augustus / Georg August) 1727 – 1760 30 Oct 1683 – 25 Oct 1760 47th Hanover, Germany
  • Father: George I of Great Britain
  • Mother: Sophia Dorothea of Celle
  • Spouse: Caroline of Ansbach.
Aortic aneurysm King of Great Britain, France and Ireland George II was more interested in hunting than politics but he did have a grasp of foreign policy and prevented, or sidelined, the appointment of commanders or ministers he disliked.

George II saw British interests expand around the world and ended the Jacobite challenge to the Hanoverian dynasty.

George II was the last English King to be killed on the battlefield at the Battle of Dettingen against the French in 1743.

King George III (George William Frederick) 1760 – 1820 4 Jun 1738 – 29 Jan 1820 38th London, England
  • Father: Frederick, Prince of Wales
  • Mother: Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha
  • Spouse: Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
  • Grandson of George II.
Dementia United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland King George III married Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz in 1761. They were happily married and had 9 sons and 6 daughters together. George III suffered recurring fits of madness and his son (George IV) acted as regent after 1810.

The American Colonies proclaimed their independence on 4th July 1776. Great Britain and Ireland were united into a single nation, the United Kingdom, by the 1801 Act of Union.

Wars with France continued until Napoleon was defeated at Waterloo in 1815.

King George IV (George Augustus Frederick) 1820 – 1830 12 Aug 1762 – 26Jun 1830 49th St James’s Palace, London, England
  • Father: George III of the United Kingdom
  • Mother: Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
  • Spouse: Caroline of Brunswick.
Heart attack United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland King George VI was an art collector with many works now in the Royal Collection. George IV transformed Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace and built the Royal Pavilion at Brighton. George IV also developed the ceremonial side of monarchy.

George IV became an unpopular monarch, he was obese, indulgent and a heavy drinker and was often ridiculed when he appeared in public.

In 1828 the Duke of Wellington becomes British Prime Minister and in 1829. The Metropolitan Police Force is set up by Robert Peel and The Catholic Relief Act is passed, which allowed Catholics to become Members of Parliament.

King William IV (William Henry)

 

1830 – 1837 21 Aug 1765 – 20 Jun 1837 50th Buckingham House, London, England
  • Father: George III of the United Kingdom
  • Mother: Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
  • Spouse: Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen
  • George IV’s younger brother.
Heart attack United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland William IV was nicknamed the “Sailor King” when he joined the Royal Navy, aged 13. William IV saw service at the Battle of St Vincent in 1780 against the Spanish and in New York during the American War of Independence. Slavery was abolished in the colonies in 1833.

William IV had 10 illegitimate children with Dorothea Jordan who were the all beneficiaries of his will. Notable descendants include ex-UK Prime Minister David Cameron, author Duff Cooper and the TV presenter Adam Hart-Davis.

The House of Saxe – Coburg Gotha 1901 – 1910 The House of Saxe-Coburg Gotha and Windsor together have produced four kings of England.
King Edward VII (Albert Edward)

 

1901 – 1910 9 Nov 1841 – 6 May 1910 51st Buckingham Palace, London, England
  • Father: Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
  • Mother: Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom
  • Spouse: Alexandra of Denmark
  • Edward VII was the son of Victoria and Albert.
Pneumonia United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Edward VII enjoyed a playboy indulgent lifestyle during Queen Victoria’s reign and she had a low opinion of him.

In 1904 Edward VII contributed to the Anglo-French “Entente Cordiale” and the Triple Entente between Britain, France and Russia after which became known as “Edward the Peacemaker”.

The House of Windsor 1910 to date House of Windsor The family name was changed to Windsor in 1917 because of general anti-German feeling.
King George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert) 1910 – 1936 3 Jun 1865 – 20 Jan 1936 52nd Marlborough House, London, England
  • Father: Edward VII
  • Mother: Alexandra of Denmark
  • Spouse: Mary of Teck
  • George V was the second son of Edward VII.
Euthanasia Great Britain, Ireland and the British Dominions beyond the Seas George V ruled Britain through world war one (1914-1918).

The 1911 Parliament Act established the supremacy of the elected British House of Commons over the un-elected House of Lords.

The Irish Sinn Fein Easter Rising in 1916 led to an independent Parliament in Ireland in 1918.

The 1918 Representation of the People Acts in 1918 and 1928 extended votes to all women over the age of 21.

In 1924 the first Labour ministry was appointed.

In 1931 the Statute of Westminster recognized the Empire dominions which became separate, independent states within the Commonwealth of Nations.

King Edward VIII (Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David)
[King but not crowned]
1936 (20 Jan – 11 Dec) 23 Jun 1894 – 28 May 1972 53rd White Lodge, London, England
  • Father: George V
  • Mother: Mary of Teck
  • Spouse: Wallis Simpson
  • Eldest son of George V.
Cancer of the larynx. Great Britain, Ireland and the British Dominions beyond the Seas King Edward VIII ruled for just 325 days before abdicating to marry Mrs Wallis Simpson, an American divorcee with two living ex-husbands.

Edward wanted her to be crowned with him at the Coronation which was unacceptable to the church.

King George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George) 1936 – 1952 14 Dec 1895 – 6 Feb 1952 54th Sandringham House, Norfolk, England
  • Father: George V
  • Mother: Mary of Teck
  • Spouse: Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon
  • Second son of George V.
Lung cancer Great Britain, Ireland and the British Dominions beyond the Seas George VI wasn’t expecting to be king. He dreaded public speaking because he had a bad stammer. Australian-born speech therapist, Lionel Logue, helped George improve. As a result George VI was able to open the new Parliament House in Canberra, Australia in 1927.

George VI ruled Britain during world war two (1939 – 1945). King George VI and the Queen Mother remained at Buckingham Palace throughout WWII, their daughters, Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret were send to Windsor Castle for safety. This “blitz spirit” helped restore the popularity of the monarchy.

At his suggestion George VI founded the George Cross for acts of extreme heroism and courage and and the George Medal to recognize acts of exceptional civilian bravery.

King Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George)
[Coronation 6 May 2023]
2022 – present 14 Nov 1948 – present 55th Buckingham Palace, London, England
  • Father: Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
  • Mother: Queen Elizabeth II
  • Spouses: Diana Spencer, Camilla Parker Bowles
  • Eldest son of Elizabeth II.
King of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms Charles acceded to the throne upon the death of his mother, Elizabeth II. Charles was the eldest and the longest-serving heir apparent, the longest-serving Prince of Wales, and is the oldest person to become monarch in British history.

Related Lists: All English Rulers AD 802-2024All Kings & Queens of England… | English Queens Timeline…

[*]Notes: Monarchs of England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Ireland etc.:
The English and Scottish Crowns remained separate until 1603. The last king of England, as a sovereign state, was King William III who died in 1702. Since 1702 all monarchs have ruled over Great Britain (the countries England, Scotland, Wales) or the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland or Northern Ireland, along with any other titles. The exact form of address, the “style” of the sovereign changes periodically. Three of the 52 different Kings of England ruled twice; Æthelred II the Unready (978-1013 then 1014-1016), Henry VI (1422-1461 then 1470-1471 and King Edward IV (1461-1470 then 1471-1483)

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4 responses to “Kings of England List 🤴🏼”

  1. Nigel Adam says:

    Why have you missed out Queen Victoria (1837-1901)?

  2. anonymous says:

    Why start at 1066? England existed long before the French came over. Why make only half a list?

    • Joe Connor says:

      We have several overlapping lists but you’re right so I’ve redone all the lists. This list now starts with the Æthelstan, who most historians agree, was the first King of all England from AD 924.

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