Rulers of England and Great Britain

Updated September 9, 2022 | Logan Chamberlain

"I know the Kings of England and I quote the fights historical"

The Kingdom of England has existed in many forms since the early Middle Ages, and early on there were many kingdoms in what is now England. Traditionally, England considers itself the successor state of the Kingdom of Wessex, a Saxon kingdom in southern Britain; for that reason, we've begun our list with the first kings of Wessex. By that logic, the first king of England is the Saxon ruler Egbert, although most would probably argue that the current Kingdom of England was created on Christmas Day in 1066, when William the Conqueror was crowned the King of England. 

Here is the full list from Egbert on, broken down by royal house. Find the name, birth date, and the number of years each monarch ruled England and Great Britain.

Name Born Ruled1
SAXONS2
Egbert3 c. 775 802–839
Ethelwulf ? 839–858
Ethelbald ? 858–860
Ethelbert ? 860–865
Ethelred I ? 865–871
Alfred the Great 849 871–899
Edward the Elder c. 870 899–924
Athelstan 895 924–939
Edmund I the Deed-doer 921 939–946
Edred c. 925 946–955
Edwy the Fair c. 943 955–959
Edgar the Peaceful 943 959–975
Edward the Martyr c. 962 975–978
Ethelred II the Unready 968 978–1016
Edmund II Ironside c. 993 1016
DANES
Canute 995 1016–1035
Harold I Harefoot c.1016 1035–1040
Hardecanute c.1018 1040–1042
SAXONS
Edward the Confessor c.1004 1042–1066
Harold II c.1020 1066
HOUSE OF NORMANDY
William I the Conqueror 1027 1066–1087
William II Rufus c.1056 1087–1100
Henry I Beauclerc 1068 1100–1135
Stephen of Boulogne c.1100 1135–1154
HOUSE OF PLANTAGENET
Henry II 1133 1154–1189
Richard I Coeur de Lion 1157 1189–1199
John Lackland 1167 1199–1216
Henry III 1207 1216–1272
Edward I Longshanks 1239 1272–1307
Edward II 1284 1307–1327
Edward III 1312 1327–1377
Richard II 1367 1377–13994
HOUSE OF LANCASTER
Henry IV Bolingbroke 1367 1399–1413
Henry V 1387 1413–1422
Henry VI 1421 1422–14615
HOUSE OF YORK
Edward IV 1442 1461–14835
Edward V 1470 1483–1483
Richard III 1452 1483–1485
HOUSE OF TUDOR
Henry VII 1457 1485–1509
Henry VIII 1491 1509–1547
Edward VI 1537 1547–1553
Jane (Lady Jane Grey)6 1537 1553–1553
Mary I (“Bloody Mary”) 1516 1553–1558
Elizabeth I 1533 1558–1603
HOUSE OF STUART
James I7 1566 1603–1625
Charles I 1600 1625–1649
COMMONWEALTH
Council of State — 1649–1653
Oliver Cromwell8 1599 1653–1658
Richard Cromwell8 1626 1658–16599
RESTORATION OF HOUSE OF STUART
Charles II 1630 1660–1685
James II 1633 1685–168810
William III11 1650 1689–1702
Mary II11 1662 1689–1694
Anne 1665 1702–1714
HOUSE OF HANOVER
George I 1660 1714–1727
George II 1683 1727–1760
George III 1738 1760–1820
George IV 1762 1820–1830
William IV 1765 1830–1837
Victoria 1819 1837–1901
HOUSE OF SAXE-COBURG12
Edward VII 1841 1901–1910
HOUSE OF WINDSOR12
George V 1865 1910–1936
Edward VIII 1894 193613
George VI 1895 1936–1952
Elizabeth II 1926 1952–2022
Charles III 1948 2022–
1. Year of end of rule is also that of death, unless otherwise indicated.
2. Dates for Saxon kings are still controversial.
3. Became king of West Saxons in 802; considered (from 828) first king of all England.
4. Died 1400.
5. Henry VI reigned again briefly 1470–1471.
6. Nominal queen for 9 days; not counted as queen by some authorities. She was beheaded in 1554.
7. Ruled in Scotland as James VI (1567–1625).
8. Lord Protector.
9. Died 1712.
10. Died 1701.
11. Joint rulers (1689–1694).
12. Name changed from Saxe-Coburg to Windsor in 1917.
13. Was known after his abdication as the Duke of Windsor, died 1972.

 

Ruler United Kingdom British Prime Ministers Since 1770
Sources +
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