For the various rulers of the kingdoms within England prior to its formal unification, during the Heptarchy, see Bretwalda. For British monarchs since the Union of England and Scotland, see List of British monarchs. For monarchs that have reigned over the various kingdoms and other states that have existed in the British Isles throughout recorded history, see List of monarchs in the British Isles.
The Royal Arms of England, as introduced by King Richard the Lionheart in 1198, and before its later quarterings with other shields, additions of supporters and other embellishments
The Kings of Wessex, who conquered Kent and Sussex from Mercia in 825, became increasingly dominant over the other kingdoms of England during the 9th century. The conquest of Northumbria, East Anglia and half of Mercia by the Danes left Alfred the Great of Wessex as the only surviving English king. He successfully resisted a series of Danish invasions and brought the remaining half of Mercia under the sovereignty of Wessex. According to some sources the first ruler to assume the title King of the English is sometimes said to be Offa in 774, who had been King of Mercia since 757, but this claim is based on charters forged in the 10th century.[1]
The continuous list of English monarchs traditionally begins with Egbert of Wessex in 829. The English kingdom was not permanently unified until 927, under Athelstan. The Principality of Wales was incorporated into the Kingdom of England under the Statute of Rhuddlan in 1284 and, in 1301, Edward invested his eldest son, Edward of Caernarfon, as Prince of Wales. Since that time, with the exception of Edward III, the eldest sons of all English monarchs have borne this title. After the death of Elizabeth I of England in 1603, the kingdoms of England and Scotland were united under James I and VI. By royal proclamation James titled himself 'King of Great Britain'. England underwent political union with Scotland in 1707 to form the Kingdom of Great Britain. Since that date the title King or Queen of England is incorrect, though has remained in usage to the present day. In 1801 Great Britain incorporated the Kingdom of Ireland which had been under English rule since Henry II.
English monarchs
House of Mercia
| Monarch |
Portrait |
Birth |
Marriages |
Death |
Offa
(+OFFA•REX+)
774-796 |
 |
son of Thingfrith |
Cynethryth
five children |
26 or 29 July 796 |
House of Wessex
The continuous list traditionally starts with Egbert, King of Wessex from 802, the first King of Wessex to have overlordship over much of England.[2] He defeated the Mercians in 825 and became Bretwalda in 829. However, permanent unity was not achieved until 927, under Athelstan.
House of Denmark
England came under the rule of Danish kings following the reign of Ethelred the Unready. Some, though not all, of these were also kings of Denmark.
House of Wessex (restored)
The old West Saxon line was restored, but Edward the Confessor, who was later canonised, was more Norman than English in his sympathies.
House of Normandy
It was only after the Norman Conquest of 1066 that monarchs took regnal numbers in the French fashion, though the earlier custom of distinguishing monarchs by nicknames did not die out immediately.
House of Plantagenet
The early Plantagenets ruled many territories in France, and did not regard England as their primary home until after most of their French possessions were lost by King John. This long-lived dynasty is usually divided into three houses: the Angevins, the House of Lancaster, and the House of York.
Angevins
House of Lancaster
House of York
House of Tudor
The Tudors were of Welsh ancestry, and in 1536 Wales was fully incorporated into the English state (having been under English control since 1284). With Henry VIII's break from the Roman Catholic Church, the monarch became the Supreme Head of the Church of England. Elizabeth I's title became the Supreme Governor of the Church of England.
House of Stuart
Following the death of Elizabeth I in 1603 without issue, the Scottish king, James VI, succeeded to the English throne as James I in what became known as the Union of the Crowns. In 1604 he adopted the title King of Great Britain, although the two kingdoms remained separate.
Commonwealth
There was no reigning monarch between the execution of Charles I in 1649 and the Restoration of Charles II in 1660. Despite this, from 1653 the following individuals held power as Lords Protector, during the period known as the Protectorate.
House of Stuart (restored)
Although the monarchy was restored in 1660, no stable settlement proved possible until the Glorious Revolution of 1688, when parliament finally asserted the right to choose whomsoever it pleased as monarch.
England and Scotland entered into legislative and governmental union on 1 May 1707 under the Acts of Union 1707, though retained separate legal systems and other attributes thereafter. For the continuation of this list, therefore, go to List of British monarchs.
Titles
The standard title for all monarchs from Alfred the Great until the time of King John was Rex Anglorum ("King of the English"). In addition, many of the pre-Norman kings assumed extra titles, as follows:
- Alfred the Great: Rex Angulsaxonum and Rex Anglorum et Saxonum
- Athelstan: Rex Anglorum per omnipatrantis dexteram totius Bryttaniæ regni solio sublimatus
- Edmund the Magnificent: Rex Britanniae and Rex Anglorum caeterarumque gentium gobernator et rector
- Edred: Regis qui regimina regnorum Angulsaxna, Norþhymbra, Paganorum, Brettonumque
- Edwy the Fair: Rex nutu Dei Angulsæxna et Northanhumbrorum imperator paganorum gubernator Breotonumque propugnator
- Edgar the Peaceable: Totius Albionis finitimorumque regum basileus
- Canute: Rex Anglorum totiusque Brittannice orbis gubernator et rector and Brytannie totius Anglorum monarchus
In the Norman period Rex Anglorum remained standard, with occasional use of Rex Anglie ("King of England"). Matilda styled herself Domina Anglorum ("Lady of the English"). From the time of King John onwards all other titles were eschewed in favour of Rex Anglie, or Regina Anglie ("Queen of England") if female. In 1604 James I, who had inherited the English throne the previous year, adopted the title (now usually rendered in English rather than Latin) King of Great Britain. The English and Scottish parliaments, however, did not recognise this title until the Acts of Union of 1707 under Queen Anne (who was of course Queen of Great Britain rather than king).[82]
Notes
- ^ Keynes, Simon (1999), "Offa", in Lapidge, Michael, The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Anglo-Saxon England, Oxford, pp. 301–341, ISBN 0-631-22492-0 "The notion that Offa claimed to be 'king of the English', or 'king of the whole country of England', has been shown to depend, however, on charters forged in the tenth century. In his own day he was 'king of the Mercians', and proud enough to be so." (p. 341) Wormald, Patrick (1982), "The Age of Offa and Alcuin", in Campbell, James, The Anglo-Saxons, London: Phaidon, pp. 101–128, ISBN 0-14-0143950-5 "Charlemagne, moreover, saw England as if it were ruled by two kings only; Aethelred ruling Northumbria, and Offa everything to the south." (p. 101)
- ^ Burke's Peerage & Gentry URL last accessed 7 September 2007.
- ^ a b c d "thePeerage.com - Æthelbald, King of Wessex and others". Retrieved on 2007-10-24.
- ^ "King Egbert". Retrieved on 2007-10-24.
- ^ Burke's Peerage & Gentry URL last accessed 7 September 2007.
- ^ Burke's Peerage & Gentry URL last accessed 7 September 2007.
- ^ Burke's Peerage & Gentry URL last accessed 7 September 2007.
- ^ Burke's Peerage & Gentry URL last accessed 7 September 2007.
- ^ a b Alfred (the Great) @ Archontology.org. URL last accessed 15 March 2007.
- ^ Catholic Encyclopedia: Alfred the Great. URL last accessed 14 March 2007.
- ^ Alfred the Great. URL last accessed 14 March 2007.
- ^ a b EADWEARD (Edward the Elder) @ Archontology.org. URL last accessed on 15 March 2007.
- ^ There are various references listing Edward the Elder's birth as sometime in the 870s, being the second child of a marriage of 868. There are no sources listing his birth as after 877. Anglo-Saxons.net : Edward the Elder. URL last accessed on 15 March 2007.
- ^ English Monarchs - Kings and Queens of England - Edward the Elder. URL last accessed on 21 January 2007.
- ^ a b c Aethelstan @ Archontology.org. URL last accessed 15 March 2007.
- ^ EBK: Aethelstan, King of the English. URL last accessed 15 March 2007.
- ^ a b c EADMUND (Edmund) @ Archontology.org. URL last accessed 17 March 2007.
- ^ English Monarchs - Kings and Queens of England - Edmund the Elder. URL last accessed 17 March2007.
- ^ EADRED (Edred) @ Archontology.org. URL last accessed 17 March 2007.
- ^ a b EBK: Edred, King of England. URL last accessed 17 March 2007.
- ^ BritRoyals - King Edred. URL last accessed 17 March 2007.
- ^ a b c EADWIG (Edwy) @ Archontology.org. URL last accessed 17 March 2007.
- ^ Catholic Encyclopedia: Edwy. URL last accessed 17 March 2007.
- ^ EADGAR (Edgar the Peacemaker) @ Archontology.org. URL last accessed 17 March 2007.
- ^ a b EBK: Edgar the Peacemaker, King of England. URL last accessed 17 March 2007.
- ^ The Atheling. URL last accessed 17 March 2007.
- ^ a b EADWEARD (Edward the Martyr) @ Archontology.org. URL last accessed 17 March 2007.
- ^ EBK: Edward the Martyr, King of England. URL last accessed 17 March 2007.
- ^ a b Ethelred the Unready was forced to go into exile in the summer of 1013, following Danish attacks, but was invited back following Sweyn Forkbeard's death. AETHELRED (the Unready) @ Archontology.org. URL last accessed 17 March 2007
- ^ Schoolnet Spartacus: Ethelred. URL last accessed 17 March 2007
- ^ English Monarchs - Kings and Queens of England - Ethelred II, the Redeless. URL last accessed 17 March 2007
- ^ a b c EADMUND (Edmund the Ironside) @ Archontology.org. URL last accessed 17 March 2007
- ^ a b English Monarchs - Kings and Queens of England - Edmund Ironside. URL last accessed 17 March 2007
- ^ "English Monarchs". Retrieved on 2007-10-27.
- ^ "Sweyn (Forkbeard) - Archontology.org". Retrieved on 2007-10-27.
- ^ a b c "thePeerage.com - Person Page 10242". Retrieved on 2007-10-27.
- ^ a b c d CNUT (Canute) @ Archontology.org. URL last accessed 21 March 2007.
- ^ "Harthacnut - Archontology.org". Retrieved on 2007-10-28.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "thePeerage.com - Person Page 10218". Retrieved on 2007-10-26.
- ^ a b After reigning for approximately 9 weeks, Edgar the Atheling submitted to William the Conqueror, who had gained control of the area to the south and immediate west of London. "Eadgar (the Ætheling) - Archontology.org". Retrieved on 2007-10-26.
- ^ a b "thePeerage.com - Person Page 9". Retrieved on 2007-10-26.
- ^ a b c d e f g "thePeerage.com - Person Page 10203". Retrieved on 2007-10-25.
- ^ a b c d e f g
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