| Period |
Name of Ruler |
Dates of Rule |
History |
| Saxons and Danes |
Egbert |
802-39 |
King of Essex |
| Ethelwulf |
839-58 |
Son of Egbert. King of Wessex, Sussex, Kent, Essex |
| Ethelbald |
858-60 |
Son of Ethelwulf. Displaced his father as King of Wessex |
| Ethelbert |
860-5 |
Second son of Ethelwulf. King of Wessex |
| Ethelred |
865-71 |
Third son of Ethelwulf. King of Wessex |
| Alfred (the Great) |
871-99 |
Fourth son of Ethelwulf. Defeated the Danes |
| Edward (the Elder) |
899-924 |
Son of Alfred. United England and claimed Scotland |
| Athelstan (the Glorious) |
924-39 |
Son of Edward. King of Mercia, Wessex |
| Edmund |
939-46 |
Third son of Edward. King of Wessex, Mercia |
| Edred |
946-55 |
Fourth son of Edward |
| Edwy (the Fair) |
955-9 |
Eldest son of Edmund. King of Wessex |
| Edgar (the Peaceful) |
959-75 |
Younger son of Edmund. Ruled all England |
| Edward (the Martyr) |
975-8 |
Son of Edgar. Murdered by stepmother |
| Ethelred II (the Unready) |
978-1016 |
Second son of Edgar |
| Edmund (Ironside) |
1016 |
Son of Ethelred II. King of London |
| Canute |
1016-35 |
The Dane. Became ruler by conquest |
| Harold I (Harefoot) |
1037-40 |
Illegitimate son of Canute |
| Hardecanute |
1040-2 |
Son of Canute by Emma. King of Denmark |
| Edward (the Confessor) |
1042-66 |
Younger son of Ethelred II |
| Harold II |
1066 |
Brother-in-law of Edward the Confessor. Last Saxon King |
| House of Normandy |
William I (the Conqueror) |
1066-87 |
Became ruler by conquest |
| William II (Rufus) |
1087-1100 |
Third son of William I |
| Henry I |
1100-1135 |
Youngest son of William I |
| House of Blois |
Stephen |
1135-54 |
Grandson of William I |
| House of Plantagenet |
Henry II |
1154-89 |
Grandson of Henry I |
| Richard I (Coeur de Lion) |
1189-1199 |
Third son of Henry II. Crusader |
| John |
1199-1216 |
Youngest son of Henry II. Signed Magna Carta 1215 |
| Henry III |
1216-72 |
Son of John |
| Edward I (Longshanks) |
1272-1307 |
Son of Henry III |
| Edward II |
1307-1327 |
Son of Edward I. Deposed by parliament |
| Edward III |
1327-77 |
Son of Edward II |
| Richard II |
1377-99 |
Grandson of Edward III. Deposed |
| House of Lancaster |
Henry IV |
1399-1413 |
Grandson of Edward III |
| Henry V |
1413-22 |
Son of Henry IV. Victor of Battle of Agincourt 1415 |
| Henry VI |
1422-61 |
Son of Henry V |
| Henry VI |
1470-71 |
Second period of rule |
| House of York |
Edward IV |
1461-70 |
Great-grandson of Edward III |
| Edward IV |
1471-83 |
Second period of rule |
| Edward V |
1483 |
Son of Edward IV. Murdered in Tower of London |
| Richard III (Crookback) |
1483-5 |
Brother of Edward IV. Fell at Bosworth Field |
| House of Tudor |
Henry VII |
1485-1509 |
Descendant of Edawrd III |
| Henry VIII |
1509-47 |
Son of Henry VII. Created Church of England |
| Edward VI |
1547-53 |
Son of Henry VIII (by Jane Seymour) |
| Mary I |
1553-8 |
Daughter of Henry VIII (by Catherine of Aragon) |
| Elizabeth I |
1558-1603 |
Younger daughter of Henry VIII (by Anne Boleyn) |
| House of Stuart |
James I / James VI of Scotland |
1603-25 |
Descendant of Henry VII. First King of Great Britain |
| Charles I |
1625-49 |
Son of James I. Beheaded |
| Commonwealth |
Oliver Cromwell |
1649-60 |
Lord Protector |
| Richard Cromwell (son) |
1658-9 |
Lord Protector |
| House of Stuart |
Charles II |
1660-85 |
Son of Charles I |
| James II |
1685-88 |
Younger son of Charles I. Deposed |
| William III |
1689-1702 |
Grandson of Charles I |
| Mary II |
1689-94 |
Daughter of James II. Ruled together with William III |
| Anne |
1702-14 |
Younger daughter of James II |
| House of Hanover |
George I |
1714-27 |
Great-grandson of James I |
| George II |
1727-60 |
Only son of George I |
| George III |
1760-1820 |
Grandson of George II |
| George IV |
1820-30 |
Eldest son of George III |
| William IV |
1830-7 |
Third son of George III |
| Victoria |
1837-1901 |
Granddaughter of George III |
| House of Saxe-Coburg |
Edward VII |
1901-10 |
Son of Victoria |
| House of Windsor |
George V |
1910-36 |
Son of Edward VII |
| Edward VIII |
1936 |
Eldest son of George V. Abdicated |
| George VI |
1936-52 |
Second son of George V |
| Elizabeth II |
1952-present |
Daughter of George VI |
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