list of British monarchs
{{Short description|none}}
{{For-multi|legendary sovereigns|List of legendary kings of Britain|ancient monarchs|King of the Britons|medieval sovereigns|List of English monarchs|and|List of Scottish monarchs|the current British king|Charles III}}
{{Infobox
| style = width: auto;
| above = United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Northern Ireland
| image = File:Coat of arms of the United Kingdom (2022, both variants).svg
| below = Royal coat of arms (common version on the left; Scottish version on the right){{Efn|There are two versions of the current Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom. The common version is on the left, while the Scottish version is on the right. In the shield of the common version, England is represented in the first and fourth quarters, Scotland is represented in the second quarter, and Northern Ireland is represented in the third quarter. In the shield of the Scottish version, the Royal Arms of England and the Royal Arms of Scotland are exchanged.{{cite web|url=http://www.royal.gov.uk/MonarchUK/Symbols/Coatsofarms.aspx |title=Coats of arms |website=royal.gov.uk |access-date=9 May 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090304201929/http://www.royal.gov.uk/MonarchUK/Symbols/Coatsofarms.aspx |archive-date=4 March 2009}}}}
}}
There have been 13 British monarchs since the political union of the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland on 1 May 1707. England and Scotland had been in personal union since 24 March 1603; while the style, "King of Great Britain" first arose at that time, legislatively the title came into force in 1707.
On 1 January 1801, the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland merged, creating first the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and later the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland upon the secession of southern Ireland in the 1920s.
Union and succession
Queen Anne became monarch of the Kingdom of Great Britain after the political union of the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland on 1 May 1707. She had ruled England, Scotland, and the Kingdom of Ireland since 8 March 1702. She continued as queen of Great Britain and Ireland until her death. Her total reign lasted 12 years and 147 days. Although Anne's great-grandfather, James VI and I ({{Reign|1603|1625}}), the monarch of the Union of the Crowns, proclaimed himself "King of Great Britain", and used it on coinage, stamps and elsewhere, the Parliament of England had refused to use that style in statutory law or address.{{Citation |last=Croft |first=Pauline |title=King James |url=https://archive.org/details/kingjames00crof |pages= 52–54, 61|date=2003 |place=Basingstoke and New York |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |isbn=978-0-3336-1395-5 |author-link=Pauline Croft}}{{Citation |last=Willson |first=David Harris |title=King James VI & I |pages= 249–253|date=1963 |place=London |publisher=Jonathan Cape |isbn=978-0-2246-0572-4 |author-link=David Harris Willson |orig-date=1956}}
All of Anne's children died young, so during her reign, Parliament settled the rules of succession in the Act of Settlement 1701, by defining Sophia of Hanover (granddaughter of James VI and I) and her non-Catholic descendants as the future royal heirs. The Crown passed from Queen Anne to Sophia's son, King George I, as Sophia had already died. Queen Anne and King George I were second cousins, as both were great-grandchildren of James VI and I. For a family tree that shows George I's relationship to Anne, see {{Slink|George I of Great Britain|Family tree}}.
List
{{Sticky header}}
{{Nobility table header
| arms=yes
| extra column=Claim}}
|-
! colspan=8 style="background-color:#ccf" | House of Stuart
|-
| Anne{{Cite news |date=30 December 2015 |title=Anne (r. 1702–1714) |url=https://www.royal.uk/anne-r-1702-1714 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180125020033/https://www.royal.uk/anne-r-1702-1714 |archive-date=25 January 2018 |access-date=16 January 2018 |newspaper=The Royal Family|last1=Oram |first1=Kirsty }}
{{nowrap|1 May 1707{{Efn|name=OS|Old Style date}}}}{{Efn|Anne was crowned on 23 April 1702.}}
–
{{nowrap|1 August 1714{{Efn|name=OS}}}}
({{Age in years and days|1 May 1707|1 August 1714|duration=yes}})
{{Small|(Queen of England and Scotland from 8 March 1702){{Efn|see List of English monarchs}}
({{Age in years and days|8 March 1702|1 August 1714|duration=yes}})}}
| 100px
| 75px
| {{nowrap|6 February 1665{{Efn|name=OS}}}}
St James's Palace
Daughter of James VII and II
and Anne Hyde
| George of Denmark
St James's Palace
{{nowrap|28 July 1683{{Efn|name=OS}}}}
5 children
{{Abbr|until|Spouse's death}} 28 October 1708
| {{nowrap|1 August 1714{{Efn|name=OS}}}}
Kensington Palace
Aged 49
| Daughter of James VII and II
Bill of Rights 1689
|-
! colspan=8 style="background-color:#ccf" | House of Hanover
|-
| George I{{Cite news|url=https://www.royal.uk/george-i-r-1714-1727|title=George I (r. 1714–1727)|newspaper=The Royal Family|date=30 December 2015 |access-date=12 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160507210904/https://www.royal.uk/george-i-r-1714-1727|archive-date=7 May 2016|url-status=live|last1=Oram |first1=Kirsty }}
George Louis
{{nowrap|1 August 1714{{Efn|name=OS}}}}{{Efn|George I was crowned on 20 October 1714.}}
–
11 June 1727{{nowrap|{{Efn|name=OS}}}}
({{Age in years and days|1 August 1714|11 June 1727|duration=yes}})
| 100px
| rowspan=2 | 75px
| {{nowrap|28 May 1660{{Efn|name=OS}}}}
Leineschloss
Son of Ernest Augustus, Elector of Hanover,
and Sophia of the Palatinate
| Sophia Dorothea of Brunswick-Lüneburg-Celle
Celle Castle
{{nowrap|21 November 1682{{Efn|name=OS}}}}
2 children
{{Abbr|div.|Divorced}} 28 December 1694
| {{nowrap|11 June 1727{{Efn|name=OS}}}}
Osnabrück Castle
Aged 67
| Great-grandson of James VI and I
Act of Settlement 1701
|-
| George II{{Cite news|url=https://www.royal.uk/george-ii-r-1727-1760|title=George II (r. 1727–1760)|newspaper=The Royal Family|date=31 December 2015 |access-date=12 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160507222248/https://www.royal.uk/george-ii-r-1727-1760|archive-date=7 May 2016|url-status=live|last1=Oram |first1=Kirsty }}
George Augustus
{{nowrap|11 June 1727{{Efn|Date of start of reign given in Old Style calendar; date of death in New Style. (Duration of reign takes this into account.)}}}}{{Efn|George II was crowned on 11 October 1727 O.S.}}
–
25 October 1760
({{Age in years and days|22 June 1727|25 October 1760|duration=yes}})
| 100px
| {{nowrap|30 October 1683{{Efn|name=OS}}}}
Herrenhausen Palace
Son of George I
and Sophia Dorothea of Brunswick-Lüneburg-Celle
| Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach
Herrenhausen Gardens
{{nowrap|22 August 1705{{Efn|name=OS}}}}
8 children
{{Abbr|until|Spouse's death}} 20 November 1737
| 25 October 1760
Kensington Palace
Aged 76
| Son of George I
|-
| George III{{Cite news|url=https://www.royal.uk/george-iii-r-1760-1820|title=George III (r. 1760–1820)|newspaper=The Royal Family|date=31 December 2015 |access-date=12 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180520150812/https://www.royal.uk/george-iii-r-1760-1820|archive-date=20 May 2018|url-status=live|last1=Oram |first1=Kirsty }}
George William Frederick
25 October 1760{{Efn|George III was crowned on 22 September 1761 N.S.}}
–
29 January 1820
({{Age in years and days|25 October 1760|29 January 1820|duration=yes}})
| 100px
| {{Small|Until 1801:}}
75px
{{Small|1801–1816:}}
75px
{{Small|From 1816:}}
75px
| {{nowrap|24 May 1738{{Efn|name=OS}}}}
Norfolk House
Son of Frederick, Prince of Wales,
and Augusta of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg
| Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
St James's Palace
8 September 1761
15 children
{{Abbr|until|Spouse's death}} 17 November 1818
| 29 January 1820
Windsor Castle
Aged 81
| Grandson of George II
|-
| George IV{{Cite news|url=https://www.royal.uk/king-george-iv-r-1820-1830|title=King George IV (r. 1820–1830)|newspaper=The Royal Family|date=31 December 2015 |access-date=12 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170819063405/https://www.royal.uk/king-george-iv-r-1820-1830|archive-date=19 August 2017|url-status=live|last1=Oram |first1=Kirsty }}
George Augustus Frederick
29 January 1820{{Efn|George IV was crowned on 19 July 1821.}}
—
26 June 1830
({{Age in years and days|29 January 1820|26 June 1830|duration=yes}})
| 100px
| rowspan=2 | 75px
| 12 August 1762
St James's Palace
Son of George III
and Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
| Caroline of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel
St James's Palace
8 April 1795
1 daughter
{{Abbr|until|Spouse's death}} 7 August 1821
| 26 June 1830
Windsor Castle
Aged 67
| Son of George III
|-
| William IV{{Cite news|url=https://www.royal.uk/william-iv-r-1830-1837|title=William IV (r. 1830–1837)|newspaper=The Royal Family|date=15 January 2016 |access-date=12 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170921001850/https://www.royal.uk/william-iv-r-1830-1837|archive-date=21 September 2017|url-status=live|last1=Berry |first1=Ciara }}
William Henry
26 June 1830{{Efn|William IV was crowned on 8 September 1831.}}
—
20 June 1837
({{Age in years and days|26 June 1830|20 June 1837|duration=yes}})
| 100px
| 21 August 1765
Buckingham Palace
Son of George III
and Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
| Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen
Kew Palace
13 July 1818
2 daughters
| 20 June 1837
Windsor Castle
Aged 71
| Son of George III
|-
| Victoria{{Cite news|url=https://www.royal.uk/victoria-r-1837-1901|title=Victoria (r. 1837–1901)|newspaper=The Royal Family|date=31 December 2015 |access-date=12 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180125015954/https://www.royal.uk/victoria-r-1837-1901|archive-date=25 January 2018|url-status=live|last1=Oram |first1=Kirsty }}
Alexandrina Victoria
20 June 1837{{Efn|Victoria was crowned on 28 June 1838.}}
—
22 January 1901
({{Age in years and days|20 June 1837|22 January 1901|duration=yes}})
| 100px
| 75px
| 24 May 1819
Kensington Palace
Daughter of Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn,
and Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld
| Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
St James's Palace
10 February 1840
9 children
{{Abbr|until|Spouse's death}} 14 December 1861
| 22 January 1901
Osborne House
Aged 81
| Granddaughter of George III
|-
! colspan=8 style="background-color:#ccf" | House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
|-
| Edward VII{{Cite news|url=https://www.royal.uk/edward-vii-r1901-1910|title=Edward VII (r. 1901–1910)|newspaper=The Royal Family|date=11 January 2016 |access-date=12 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180125015924/https://www.royal.uk/edward-vii-r1901-1910|archive-date=25 January 2018|url-status=live|last1=Berry |first1=Ciara }}
Albert Edward
22 January 1901{{Efn|Edward VII was crowned on 9 August 1902.}}
—
6 May 1910
({{Age in years and days|22 January 1901|6 May 1910|duration=yes}})
| 100px
| 75px
| 9 November 1841
Buckingham Palace
Son of Victoria
and Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
| Alexandra of Denmark
St George's Chapel
10 March 1863
6 children
| 6 May 1910
Buckingham Palace
Aged 68
| Son of Victoria
|-
! colspan=8 style="background-color:#ccf" | House of Windsor{{Efn|George V changed the name of the British royal house from Saxe-Coburg and Gotha to Windsor on 17 July 1917.{{London Gazette|issue=30186|page=7119|date=17 July 1917}} This change was made in response to anti-German sentiment in the British Empire during World War I. Descendants of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and Queen Elizabeth II belong to the House of Windsor by Royal Command (9 April 1952 Declaration by Queen Elizabeth II to her Privy Council) although under the usual rules of genealogy they are, by paternal descent, also members of the Glücksburg branch of the House of Oldenburg (the ruling House of Denmark and of the former Kingdom of Greece). Accordingly, King Charles III is the first monarch of the House of Windsor who is a patrilineal descendant of the Glücksburg dynasty, instead of descending from Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in the male line as was the case with the previous monarchs of the House of Windsor.}}
|-
| George V{{Cite news |url=https://www.royal.uk/george-v-r-1910-1936 |title=George V (r. 1910–1936) |newspaper=The Royal Family |date=12 January 2016 |access-date=12 January 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180125020319/https://www.royal.uk/george-v-r-1910-1936 |archive-date=25 January 2018 |url-status=live |last1=Berry |first1=Ciara }}
George Frederick Ernest Albert
6 May 1910{{Efn|George V was crowned on 22 June 1911.}}
—
20 January 1936
({{Age in years and days|6 May 1910|20 January 1936|duration=yes}})
| 100px
| rowspan=3 | 75px
| 3 June 1865
Marlborough House
Son of Edward VII
and Alexandra of Denmark
| Mary of Teck
St James's Palace
6 July 1893
6 children
|20 January 1936
Sandringham House
Aged 70
| Son of Edward VII
|-
| Edward VIII{{Cite web |url=https://www.royal.uk/edward-viii-jan-dec-1936 |title=Edward VIII (Jan–Dec 1936) |website=royal.gov.uk |access-date=3 August 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160507221901/https://www.royal.uk/edward-viii-jan-dec-1936 |archive-date=7 May 2016 |url-status=live }}
Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David
20 January 1936{{Efn|Edward VIII was not crowned.}}
—
11 December 1936
(abdicated)
({{Age in years and days|20 January 1936|11 December 1936|duration=yes}})
| 100px
| 23 June 1894
White Lodge
Son of George V
and Mary of Teck
| Wallis Simpson
Château de Candé
3 June 1937
| 28 May 1972
4 route du Champ d'Entraînement
Aged 77
| Son of George V
|-
| George VI{{Cite news |url=https://www.royal.uk/george-vi-r1936-1952 |title=George VI (r. 1936–1952) |newspaper=The Royal Family |date=12 January 2016 |access-date=12 January 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201035747/https://www.royal.uk/george-vi-r1936-1952 |archive-date=1 December 2017 |url-status=live|last1=Berry |first1=Ciara }}
Albert Frederick Arthur George
11 December 1936{{Efn|George VI was crowned on 12 May 1937.}}
—
6 February 1952
({{Age in years and days|11 December 1936|6 February 1952|duration=yes}})
| 100px
| 14 December 1895
York Cottage
Son of George V
and Mary of Teck
| Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
Westminster Abbey
26 April 1923
2 daughters
| 6 February 1952
Sandringham House
Aged 56
| Son of George V
His Majesty's Declaration of Abdication Act 1936
|-
| Elizabeth II{{Cite web |url=https://www.royal.uk/queen-elizabeth-iis-life-and-reign |title=Queen Elizabeth II's Life and Reign |website=royal.uk |access-date=17 March 2024}}
Elizabeth Alexandra Mary
6 February 1952{{Efn|Elizabeth II was crowned on 2 June 1953.}}
—
8 September 2022{{cite news |title=Queen Elizabeth II has died, Buckingham Palace announces |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-61585886 |access-date=8 September 2022 |publisher=BBC News |date=8 September 2022 |archive-date=8 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220908173308/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-61585886 |url-status=live }}
({{Age in years and days|6 February 1952|8 September 2022|duration=yes}})
| 100px
| rowspan=2 | 75px
| 21 April 1926
17 Bruton Street, Mayfair
Daughter of George VI
and Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
| Philip of Greece and Denmark
Westminster Abbey
20 November 1947
4 children
{{Abbr|until|Spouse's death}} 9 April 2021
| 8 September 2022
Balmoral Castle
Aged 96
| Daughter of George VI
|-
| Charles III{{Cite news |date=8 September 2022 |title=The King |url=https://www.royal.uk/the-king |access-date=9 September 2022 |website=The Royal Family |archive-date=11 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220911230654/https://www.royal.uk/the-king |url-status=live }}
Charles Philip Arthur George
8 September 2022{{Efn|Charles III was crowned on 6 May 2023}}
—
present
({{Age in years and days|8 September 2022|duration=yes}})
| 100px
| 14 November 1948
Buckingham Palace
Son of Elizabeth II
and Philip of Greece and Denmark
| {{Gray|(1)}} Diana Spencer
St Paul's Cathedral
29 July 1981
2 sons
{{Abbr|div.|Divorced}} 28 August 1996
{{Gray|(2)}} Camilla Parker Bowles
Windsor Guildhall
9 April 2005
| Living
Age {{Age|14 November 1948}}
| Son of Elizabeth II
|}
Timeline
{{center|1=
ImageSize = width:1000 height:auto barincrement:25
PlotArea = top:10 bottom:30 right:70 left:5
AlignBars = justify
DateFormat = yyyy
Period = from:1707 till:2025
TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal
ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:10 start:1710
ScaleMinor = unit:year increment:10 start:1710
Colors =
id:canvas value:rgb(1,1,1)
id:s value:orange
id:h value:blue
id:sx value:red
id:w value:green
id:eon value:blue
Backgroundcolors = canvas:canvas
BarData =
barset:Rulers
bar:eon
PlotData=
align:center textcolor:black fontsize:8 width:25 shift:(0,-5)
bar:eon color:eon
from: 1707 till: 1714 color:s text:Stuart
from: 1714 till: 1901 color:h text:Hanover
from: 1901 till: 1917 color:sx text:Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
from: 1917 till: end color:w text:Windsor
width:5 align:left fontsize:S shift:(5,-4) anchor:till
barset:Rulers
from: 1707 till: 1714 color:s text:"Anne"
from: 1714 till: 1727 color:h text:"George I"
from: 1727 till: 1760 color:h text:"George II"
from: 1760 till: 1820 color:h text:"George III"
from: 1820 till: 1830 color:h text:"George IV"
from: 1830 till: 1837 color:h text:"William IV"
from: 1837 till: 1901 color:h text:"Victoria"
from: 1901 till: 1910 color:sx text:"Edward VII"
from: 1910 till: 1936 color:w text:"George V"
from: 1936 till: 1936 color:w text:"Edward VIII"
from: 1936 till: 1952 color:w text:"George VI"
from: 1952 till: 2022 color:w text:"Elizabeth II"
from: 2022 till: end color:w text:"Charles III"
barset:skip
LineData =
layer:front
from:1910 till:1917 atpos:181 color:sx width: 5 #adds red line (for S-C-G) over George V from 1910–1917
}}
See also
Notes
{{notelist}}