MONARCH 1
William I
1066–1087 · Norman
William the Conqueror seized the English throne in 1066 and transformed the kingdom’s aristocracy, landholding, and government.
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English and British Monarchs Timeline
Explore the English and British monarchs timeline from William the Conqueror in 1066 to Charles III today. Follow the kings and queens in order, grouped by dynasty, reign, and royal house.
Kings and Queens Timeline from 1066 to Present
MONARCH 2
William II
1087–1100 · Norman
William Rufus ruled with energy and controversy, consolidating royal authority but dying suddenly in the New Forest.
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MONARCH 3
Henry I
1100–1135 · Norman
Henry I strengthened royal administration and legal order, but his death without a clear male heir triggered succession conflict.
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MONARCH 4
Stephen
1135–1154 · Blois
Stephen’s contested accession led to civil war, remembered as the Anarchy, before the succession passed to the future Henry II.
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MONARCH 5
Henry II
1154–1189 · Plantagenet
Henry II founded the Angevin empire and reshaped royal justice, though conflict with Thomas Becket shadowed his reign.
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MONARCH 6
Richard I
1189–1199 · Plantagenet
Richard the Lionheart became famous for crusading and warfare, spending comparatively little of his reign in England.
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MONARCH 7
John
1199–1216 · Plantagenet
John lost major continental lands and faced rebellion that forced him to seal Magna Carta in 1215.
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MONARCH 8
Henry III
1216–1272 · Plantagenet
Henry III ruled for over half a century, facing baronial unrest and setting the stage for stronger parliamentary traditions.
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MONARCH 9
Edward I of England
1272–1307 · Plantagenet
Edward I expanded English power into Wales, campaigned in Scotland, and left a major mark on law and government.
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MONARCH 10
Edward II of England
1307–1327 · Plantagenet
Edward II’s troubled reign included military defeat, factional politics, and eventual deposition.
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MONARCH 11
Edward III of England
1327–1377 · Plantagenet
Edward III revived royal authority and launched the Hundred Years’ War, shaping England’s medieval military identity.
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MONARCH 12
Richard II
1377–1399 · Plantagenet
Richard II’s artistic court and increasingly autocratic rule ended when he was deposed by Henry Bolingbroke.
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MONARCH 13
Henry IV
1399–1413 · Lancaster
Henry IV founded the Lancastrian line after seizing the throne, but his reign was challenged by rebellion and instability.
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MONARCH 14
Henry V
1413–1422 · Lancaster
Henry V became England’s warrior king, winning the Battle of Agincourt and renewing English claims in France.
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MONARCH 15
Henry VI
1422–1461, 1470–1471 · Lancaster
Henry VI’s weak rule and mental illness helped drive the Wars of the Roses between Lancaster and York.
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MONARCH 16
Edward IV
1461–1470, 1471–1483 · York
Edward IV restored Yorkist power through battlefield success and firmer kingship after years of civil war.
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MONARCH 17
Edward V
1483 · York
Edward V’s reign was brief and uncrowned; he is remembered as one of the Princes in the Tower.
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MONARCH 18
Richard III
1483–1485 · York
Richard III’s short reign ended at Bosworth Field, where the Tudor era began.
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MONARCH 19
Henry VII
1485–1509 · Tudor
Henry VII founded the Tudor dynasty, stabilised the crown, and ended the Wars of the Roses.
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MONARCH 20
Henry VIII
1509–1547 · Tudor
Henry VIII broke with Rome, transformed the English church, and remains one of the best-known monarchs in British history.
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MONARCH 21
Edward VI
1547–1553 · Tudor
Edward VI’s reign advanced Protestant reform, though he died before reaching adulthood.
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MONARCH 22
Mary I
1553–1558 · Tudor
Mary I attempted to restore Catholicism and became known to later Protestant memory as ‘Bloody Mary’.
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MONARCH 23
Elizabeth I
1558–1603 · Tudor
Elizabeth I presided over a powerful and culturally influential reign, balancing religion, politics, and international rivalry.
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MONARCH 24
James I
1603–1625 · Stuart
James VI of Scotland became James I of England, uniting the crowns and beginning the Stuart era in England.
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MONARCH 25
Charles I
1625–1649 · Stuart
Charles I’s clashes with Parliament led to civil war, defeat, and his execution in 1649.
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MONARCH 26
Charles II
1660–1685 · Stuart
After the Interregnum, Charles II restored the monarchy and presided over a politically agile Restoration court.
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MONARCH 27
James II
1685–1688 · Stuart
James II’s Catholicism and centralising instincts helped provoke the Glorious Revolution.
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MONARCH 28
Mary II
1689–1694 · Stuart / Orange
William and Mary ruled jointly after the Glorious Revolution, establishing a stronger constitutional balance between crown and Parliament.
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MONARCH 29
William III
1694–1702 · Orange
After Mary’s death, William III continued alone, focusing heavily on European war and the balance of power.
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MONARCH 30
Anne
1702–1714 · Stuart
Anne became the first monarch of Great Britain after the 1707 union of England and Scotland.
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MONARCH 31
George I
1714–1727 · Hanover
George I began the Hanoverian era and ruled in partnership with an increasingly powerful parliamentary system.
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MONARCH 32
George II
1727–1760 · Hanover
George II was the last British monarch to lead troops in battle and reigned during Britain’s expanding imperial power.
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MONARCH 33
George III
1760–1820 · Hanover
George III ruled through the American Revolution, the Napoleonic Wars, and major constitutional strain.
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MONARCH 34
George IV
1820–1830 · Hanover
George IV is remembered for extravagance, patronage of the arts, and the culture of the Regency period.
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MONARCH 35
William IV
1830–1837 · Hanover
William IV’s reign saw the Great Reform Act and a changing relationship between monarchy and Parliament.
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MONARCH 36
Victoria
1837–1901 · Hanover / Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Queen Victoria’s long reign became synonymous with industrial growth, empire, and the social tone of the Victorian age.
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MONARCH 37
Edward VII
1901–1910 · Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Edward VII ushered in the Edwardian era and played a visible diplomatic role in pre-war Europe.
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MONARCH 38
George V
1910–1936 · Windsor
George V guided the monarchy through the First World War and renamed the royal house Windsor.
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MONARCH 39
Edward VIII
1936 · Windsor
Edward VIII abdicated in 1936, producing one of the most dramatic constitutional crises of the modern monarchy.
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MONARCH 40
George VI
1936–1952 · Windsor
George VI restored stability to the crown and became a central wartime figure during the Second World War.
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MONARCH 41
Elizabeth II
1952–2022 · Windsor
Elizabeth II reigned through decolonisation, constitutional evolution, and profound social change over seven decades.
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MONARCH 42
Charles III
2022–present · Windsor
Charles III became king in 2022, inheriting a modern constitutional monarchy shaped by continuity, scrutiny, and change.
View profileFrequently asked questions
Who was the first British monarch?
Queen Anne is usually counted as the first monarch of Great Britain after the 1707 union of England and Scotland. The longer royal sequence often begins with William I in 1066, when the Norman Conquest reshaped the English crown.
Who was the first English monarch in this timeline?
This timeline begins with William I, who became king after the Norman Conquest in 1066.
What is the difference between English and British monarchs?
English monarchs ruled before the 1707 Act of Union. British monarchs formally begin with Queen Anne after England and Scotland united as Great Britain.
Why are some reigns disputed or interrupted?
Some reigns are complicated by civil war, deposition, joint monarchy, or rival claims to the throne. Henry VI, Edward IV, and William III and Mary II are examples of monarchs whose reigns reflect those political breaks.
