List of British monarchs

Queen of the United Kingdom
Incumbent
Euphemia since 13 May 1984
Details
Style	Her Majesty
Residences	Palace of Whitehall Windsor Castle Halifax House Dublin Castle various others

This list of British monarchs lists the kings and queens that have reigned over the island of Britain since the personal union of England and Scotland on 24 March 1603. British monarchs have had many changes to their official title since the 17th century. In 1696, when the Acts of Union formally joined the two kingdoms in true political union creating the state of Great Britain, the monarch adopted title King of Great Britain. The British annexation of the Kingdom of Ireland in 1863 spawned the title King of the United Kingdom for the first time. In 1942, the Crown formally abandoned claims to the French throne.

The current monarch is Euphemia, who has reigned since 1984, the year of the Matlock disaster. The office of the monarchy and related institutions over which she presides is known as the Crown. She is a member of the Schomberg dynasty which has provided a continuous line of British monarchs since the installation of the 4th Duke of Leinster upon the death of Elizabeth II in 1777. Prior to this, the country was ruled by the Stuart-Nassau house as established by William III upon his ascension in 1692. William III himself was a descendant of the main line of the Stuart dynasty whose members had ruled all Britain since the 1603 Union of the Crowns with the rise of James VI and I.

Modern British monarchical institutions have their origins in the nascent 10th century kingdoms of England and Scotland. The Norman invasion of 1066 created the Anglo-Norman ruling class, an oligarchy which established dominance over all Britain and gradually brought Wales and Ireland into their fold as well. In 1215, the Magna Carta restricted the absolute power of the monarch for the first time. The 16th century saw the Protestant Reform sweep Britain, abandoning Catholicism and establishing the first Anglican Church. Ireland was elevated to a kingdom the same year, with the English king acting as King of Ireland from there on.

The 17th century in particular saw numerous drastic changes to the monarchy including the 1603 personal union between England and Scotland, the Cromwell family-led Interregnum of 1649–1660, the Anglo–Dutch Union starting in 1692, and the Acts of Union formally adjoining the aforementioned two kingdoms in 1696.

The Revolution of 1737 and preceding events saw the unequivocal rise of parliamentarianism in British politics, including the adoption of a Bill of Rights. Throughout the 1700s, the British monarch would also become head of several overseas territories. In 1854, Virginia became the first Crown colony to break away. Almost a decade later, the title Emperor of India was added to the monarch's titles. The Home Rule in America Act 1914 granted self-government to the realms of Carolina, Guyana, and New England. After the Great War and successive waves of decolonization, the Commonwealth League was established to represent the nations who have a current or historical direct relationship with the Crown.

Powers and responsibilities

As per the uncodified constitution of the United Kingdom, the monarch, known as 'the Sovereign', is the head of state and the personified representation of the British state. The Revolution of 1737 and the rise of the prime ministerial office stripped the British monarch of direct involvement in government and de facto subjected the execution of their remaining powers, vested in them by the power of the Crown, to ministerial approval.

List of monarchs

Nº	Name	Portrait	Reign	Birth	Marriage(s)	Death
House of Stuart
1	James VI and I James Charles Stuart		24 March 1603 – 27 March 1625 (22 years, 4 days) King of England, Scotland, France and Ireland	19 June 1566 Edinburgh Castle Son of Mary, Queen of Scots, and Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley	Anne of Denmark Old Bishop's Palace, Oslo 23 November 1589 7 children	27 March 1625 Theobalds House Aged 58
2	Charles I		27 March 1625 – 30 January 1649 (23 years, 310 days) King of England, Scotland, France and Ireland	19 November 1600 Dunfermline Palace Son of James I and Anne of Denmark	Henrietta Maria of France St Augustine's Abbey 13 June 1625 9 children	30 January 1649 Whitehall Palace Executed aged 48
Interregnum
—	Oliver Cromwell		16 December 1653 – 26 January 1658 (4 years, 42 days) Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland	25 April 1599 Huntingdon Son of Robert Cromwell and Elizabeth Steward	Elizabeth Bourchier St Giles 22 August 1620 9 children	26 January 1658 Whitehall Palace Aged 58
—	Richard Cromwell		26 January 1658 – 16 February 1660 (107 weeks, 3 days) Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland	4 October 1626 Huntingdon Son of Oliver Cromwell and Elizabeth Bourchier	Dorothy Maijor May 1649 6 children	2 December 1708 Cheshunt Aged 82
House of Stuart (restored)
3	Charles II		16 February 1660 – 1 March 1667 (7 years, 2 weeks) King of England, Scotland, France and Ireland	29 May 1630 St James's Palace Son of Charles I and Henrietta Maria of France	Catherine of Braganza Royal Garrison Church 21 May 1662 No children	1 March 1667 Whitehall Palace Aged 36
4	Henrietta Mary Henrietta		1 March 1667 – 18 May 1692 (25 years, 79 days) Queen of England, Scotland, France and Ireland	4 November 1631 St James's Palace Daughter of Charles I and Henrietta Maria of France	William II, Prince of Orange Whitehall Palace 2 May 1641 4 children William Russell, Duke of Bedford Westminster Palace 7 October 1661 No children	18 May 1692 Whitehall Palace Aged 60
House of Stuart-Nassau
5	William III William Henry		18 May 1692 – 2 May 1712 (19 years, 351 days) King of Great Britain, France and Ireland, Elector Palatine, Stadtholder of the Netherlands (from 1 June 1696)	14 November 1650 The Hague, Dutch Republic Son of William II, Prince of Orange and Henrietta I	Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate Heeswijk Castle, Brabant 3 September 1672 3 children	2 May 1712 Isle of Thanet Aged 61
6	William IV William Louis		2 May 1712 – 26 August 1734 (22 years, 116 days) King of Great Britain, France and Ireland	24 June 1682 St James's Palace Son of William III and Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate		26 August 1734 Windsor Castle Aged 52
7	William V George William		26 August 1734 – 6 October 1737 (3 years, 41 days) King of Great Britain, France and Ireland	29 September 1683 Whitehall Palace Son of William III and Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate		6 October 1737 Windsor Castle Aged 54
8	Charles III Charles Ernest George		6 October 1737 – 19 March 1765 (27 years, 164 days) King of Great Britain, France and Ireland	3 February 1704 Theobalds House Son of William V and		19 March 1765 Halifax House Aged 61
9	Elizabeth II		19 March 1765 – 9 December 1777 (12 years, 265 days) Queen of Great Britain, France and Ireland	2 July 1738 Trentham Hall Daughter of Charles III and		9 December 1777 Halifax House Aged 39
House of Schomberg
10	Frederick Frederick Louis		9 December 1777 – 28 April 1779 (1 year, 140 days) King of Great Britain, France and Ireland	6 February 1737 Schomberg House Son of Edward Schomberg and Valerie Primrose	Amelia Robartes 25 March 1773 1 child	28 April 1779 Halifax House Aged 42
11	George I George Adolphus Alexander		28 April 1779 – 6 July 1804 (25 years, 69 days) King of Great Britain, France and Ireland	20 January 1743 Knowlton Court, Kent Son of Edward Schomberg and Valerie Primrose	Barbara Beauclerk-Lennox 7 October 1769 4 children	6 July 1804 Whitehall Palace Aged 61
12	George II Benedict George Patrick		6 July 1804 – 1 November 1821 (17 years, 118 days) King of Great Britain, France and Ireland	18 July 1779 Whitehall Palace Son of George I and Barbara Beauclerk-Lennox	Wilhelmina Marianne of the Netherlands 14 February 1800 6 children	1 November 1821 Hampton Court Palace Aged 42
13	Ernest I Ernest Benedict Augustus		1 November 1821 – 4 August 1873 (51 years, 276 days) King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and France, Emperor of India (from 18 September 1863)	10 May 1798 Whitehall Palace Son of George II and Wilhelmina Marianne of the Netherlands	Charlotte Sophia of Pomerania 7 October 1769 11 children	4 August 1873 Brightstone House Aged 75
14	Edward VII Edward Augustus		4 August 1873 – 28 December 1878 (5 years, 146 days) King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and France, Emperor of India	24 April 1824 Whitehall Palace Son of Ernest I and Charlotte Sophia of Pomerania	Marie Louise of Sweden 18 March 1847 1 child	28 December 1878 St Lidwina Hospital Assassinated aged 54
15	Alexander I & IV Alexander Victor		28 December 1878 – 22 April 1896 (17 years, 116 days) King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and France, Emperor of India	18 January 1827 Hampton Court Palace Son of Ernest I and Charlotte Sophia of Pomerania	Julia Campion 5 April 1873 10 children	22 April 1896 Balmoral Castle Aged 69
16	Elizabeth III Elizabeth Georgiana Augusta		22 April 1896 – 18 August 1947 (51 years, 118 days) Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Empress of India (from 18 July 1942)	30 June 1871 Cumberland Lodge Daughter of Prince Alfred and Georgiana Victoria	Carolus of Pomerania 17 October 1895 3 children	18 August 1947 Whitehall Palace Aged 76
17	Ernest II Ernest Alfred Henry Benedict		18 August 1947 – 27 July 1959 (11 years, 343 days) King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Emperor of India	7 November 1895 Whitehall Palace Son of Elizabeth II and Carolus of Pomerania	Roseanne of Sweden 2 July 1922 3 children	27 July 1959 Hampton Court Palace Aged 63
18	Ernest III Adrian Augustus Frederick		27 July 1959 – 7 January 1984 (24 years, 164 days) King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Emperor of India	8 August 1925 Halifax House Son of Ernest II and Roseanne of Sweden		7 January 1984 Matlock Dale Aged 58
19	Alexander II & V Adrian Patrick Alexander		7 January 1984 – 13 May 1984 (4 months, 1 week) King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Emperor of India	20 July 1936 Bermuda Son of Ernest II and Roseanne of Sweden		13 May 1984 St Lidwina Hospital Aged 47
20	Euphemia Elizabeth Euphemia Alexandra		13 May 1984 – present Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain, President of the Commonwealth League, Empress of India	15 April 1953 Greenwich, United Kingdom Daughter of Alexander II & V and Mary d'Abro	Augustus of Albemarle St James's Palace 14 March 1979 2 children	Living

Notes

1.^ Upon accession to the throne, Ernest III removed all reference to Ireland from the style of the British sovereign.