List of English Rulers


English Rulers List – Chronological Timeline Since 802 AD

English Rulers FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions About English Rulers:

  • Who were the English monarchs before King Egbert in 802 AD?
    There wasn’t a country called “England” before Egbert. After the Romans left England around 410 AD the following 400 years saw battles between the Angles, Jutes and Saxons against the Picts and Scots. The Danish Jutes settled in Kent with their own kings. In Sussex the Germanic “South Saxons” established their own kingdom as did later the “West Saxons” in Wessex, and the “East Saxons” in Essex. From 547 AD the Angles (from the Baltic) set up home first in Northumberland, then East Anglia (East Angles) and later in Mercia (Middle Angles). They all fought among themselves with the Northumbrians getting the upper hand for 120 years until they were knocked off the top spot by Mercia in 679 AD. Their King Offa (757-796) is claimed by some to be the first King of all England. It was only after King Egbert of Wessex defeated Mercia and the only remaining British stronghold in Cornwall that England was unified under Egbert who became the first of a long line of English monarchs. Egbert, married Redburga, a French princess and sister of Charlemagne, and they had Ethelwulf, a sweet baby boy, who became the second king of England.
  • Who is the longest reigning English Ruler?
    Queen Elizabeth is the longest reigning of all English rulers. As Queen of the United Kingdom Elizabeth overtook queen Victoria, who reigned for 64 years, in 2015. Queen Elizabeth is currently also the longest reigning living monarch in the world.

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English Ruler Reign #Years Period / House English Rulers Key Facts & Trivia Born Died Aged Burial place
Egbert 802-839 37 Saxon period, Wessex Defeated Beornwulf of Mercia at Ellendun in 825 ending Mercian domination of southern England. 770 839 69 Winchester Cathedral
Ethelwulf 839-856 17 Saxon period, Wessex Egbert’s elder son. 795 858 63 Winchester Cathedral
Ethelbald 856-860 4 Saxon period, Wessex Ethelwulf’s eldest son. 831 860 29 Sherborne Abbey
Ethelbert 860-865 5 Saxon period, Wessex Ethelwulf’s son. 835 865 30 Sherborne Abbey
Ethelred I 865-871 6 Saxon period, Wessex Ethelwulf’s son. 837 871 34 Wimborne
Alfred the Great 871-899 28 Saxon period, Wessex Ethelwulf’s son. King Alfred was the first King of the West Saxons and first of the English rulers to style himself as King of the Anglo-Saxons. Alfred was the first of only two English rulers to be given “the Great” epithet, the other being Cnut the Great. 849 899 50 Winchester originally then lost
Edward the Elder 899-924 25 Saxon period, Wessex Alfred the Great’s son. 871 924 53 Winchester Cathedral
Athelstan 924-939 15 Saxon period, Wessex Edward the Elder’s son. 895 939 44 Malmesbury Abbey
Ælfweard 924 0.1 Saxon period, Wessex Edward the Elder’s son. Died about 2 weeks after his father. It is not clear if he reigned at all or for about 4 weeks as some records mention. 904 924 20 Winchester Cathedral
Edmund I the Elder 939-946 7 Saxon period, Wessex Edward the Elder’s son. On 26 May 946 King Edmund I was killed by an exiled thief called Leofa, which may have been a political assassination, at a feast in Pucklechurch, Gloucestershire. 921 946 25 Glastonbury Abbey
Edred 946-955 9 Saxon period, Wessex Edward the Elder’s son. 923 955 32 Winchester Cathedral
Edwy All-Fair 955-959 4 Saxon period, Wessex King Edmund I’s son. 941 959 36 Winchester Cathedral
Edgar I 959-975 16 Saxon period, Wessex Also spelt Eadgar I, King Edmund I’s son. 953 975 32 Glastonbury Abbey
Edward the Martyr 975-978 3 Saxon period, Wessex King Edgar I’s son. 962 978 16 Brookwood, Surrey
Ethelred II 978-1013
1014-1016		 37 Saxon period, Wessex Aka “Ethelred the Unready” (“unready” meaning here “ill-advised”). King Edgar I’s son. 968 1016 48 St Paul’s Cathedral, London
Sweyn I 1013-1014 1 Danish Aka Sweyn Forkbeard, father of Canute the Great, seized throne from father King Harald Bluetooth. 960 1014 54 Roskilde Cathedral or St. Trinity, Lund, Norway
Ethelred II 1014-1016 2 Saxon Took throne back after exile when Sweyn died. 968 1016 48 St Paul’s Cathedral, London
Edmund Ironside 1016 1 Saxon Ethelred II’s son. 989 1016 27 Glastonbury Abbey, Somerset
Canute the Great /Cnut the Great 1016-1035 19 Danish Sweyn Forkbeard’s son. The second of two English monarchs to be given “the Great” epithet, the first being King Edmund the Great. 995 1035 40 Winchester Cathedral
Harold I Harefoot 1035-1040 5 Danish Canute the Great’s son 1015 1040 25 Westminster Abbey
Harthacanute 1040-1042 2 Danish Canute the Great’s son 1018 1042 24 Winchester Cathedral
Edward the Confessor 1043-1066 23 Saxon Restoration Ethelred the Unready’s son 1002 1066 64 Westminster Abbey
Harold II 1066 Jan-Oct 0.8 Saxon Restoration Godwin, Earl of Wessex’s son 1022 1066 44 Waltham Abbey
Edgar Ætheling 1066 Oct-Dec 0.3 Saxon Restoration Aka Edgar the Outlaw, Edward the Exile’s son 1051 1126 75 Unknown
William I 1066-1087 21 Norman Aka William the Conqueror 1027 1087 60 Abbey of Saint-Étienne, Caen, France
William II 1087-1100 13 Norman Aka “Rufus the Red” either because of his hair colour or temperament, King William I’s 2nd son 1056 1100 44 Winchester Cathedral
Henry I 1100-1135 35 Norman King William I’s 4th son 1068 1135 67 Reading Abbey
Stephen 1135-54 19 Norman Stephen, Count of Blois’s son 1096 1154 58 Faversham Abbey
Henry II 1154-1189 35 Plantagenets Geoffrey of Anjou’s son 1133 1189 56 Fontevraud Abbey, France
Richard I 1189-99 10 Plantagenets Known as Richard “the Lionheart” because of his military leadership qualities. King Henry II’s 3rd legitimate son 1157 1199 42 Fontevraud Abbey, France
John “Lackland” 1199-1216 17 Plantagenets King Richard I’s younger brother 1166 1216 50 Worcester Cathedral
Henry III 1216-1272 56 Plantagenets King John Lackland’s son 1207 1272 65 Westminster Abbey
Edward I 1272-1307 35 Plantagenets Aka Edward “Longshanks” because of his height, and “Hammer of the Scots”. King Henry III’s son 1239 1307 68 Westminster
Edward II 1307-1327 20 Plantagenets King Edward I’s son 1284 1327 43 Gloucester Cathedral
Edward III 1327-1377 50 Plantagenets King Edward II’s son 1312 1377 65 Westminster
Richard II 1377-1399 22 Plantagenets Edward the Black Prince’s son 1367 1400 33 Westminster
Henry IV 1399-1413 14 Lancaster (branch of Plantagenets) King Edward III’s 3rd and oldest surviving son 1367 1413 46 Canterbury Cathedral
Henry V 1413-1422 9 Lancaster (branch of Plantagenets) King Henry IV’s son 1387 1422 35 Westminster
Henry VI 1422-1461 39 Lancaster (branch of Plantagenets) King Henry V’s son 1421 1471 50 Windsor Castle
Edward IV 1461-1483 22 House of York Richard, Duke of York’s 2nd son 1442 1483 41 Windsor Castle
Edward V 1483 Apr-June 0.3 House of York Edward IV’s son. 86 day reign but never crowned, one of the “Princes in the Tower”. Possibly murdered by their carer, Richard, who took their crown himself. 1470 1483 13 Westminster
Richard III 1483-1485 2 House of York Richard Duke of York’s 8th son. Richard III was the last English king to die in battle when his army was defeated during the Battle of Bosworth Field by Henry Tudor (Henry VII), the last major battle which ended the Wars of the Roses between the Houses of York and Lancaster. 1452 1485 33 Originally Greyfriars Church in Leicester. Now unknown
Henry VII 1485-1509 24 Tudors Edmund Tudor’s son 1457 1509 52 Westminster Abbey
Henry VIII 1509-1547 38 Tudors Henry VII’s younger son 1491 1547 55 Windsor Castle
Edward VI 1547-1553 6 Tudors Henry VIII’s son 1537 1553 15 Westminster Abbey
Lady Jane Grey 1553 0.05 Tudors Great-granddaughter of Henry VII, executed in the Tower of London & reigned for just 9 days. 1537 1554 17 Church of St Peter ad Vincula, London
Queen Mary I 1553-1558 5 Tudors Aka Bloody Mary 1516 1558 42 Westminster Abbey
Elizabeth I 1558-1603 45 Tudors The Virgin Queen, Henry VIII’s daughter 1533 1603 70 Westminster Abbey
James I 1603-1625 22 Stuarts Mary I, Queen of Scots’s son 1566 1625 59 Westminster Abbey
Charles I 1625-1649 24 Stuarts James I of England’s son 1600 1649 49 Windsor Castle
Oliver Cromwell 1653-1658 5 Commonwealth of England Lord protector of England. Died a natural death and was buried in Westminster Abbey but posthumously beheaded in 1660 by Royalists. His head was mounted on a spike. The whereabouts of this body remains unknown. 1599 1658 59 (His head) Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge
Richard Cromwell 1658-1659 1 Commonwealth of England Oliver Cromwell’s 3rd son 1626 1712 86 Hursley Parish Church, Winchester
Charles II 1660-1685 25 Stuarts Restoration Charles I’s son 1630 1685 55 Westminster Abbey
James II 1685-1688 3 Stuarts Restoration Charles I’s son 1633 1701 68 Church of the English Benedictines, Paris
William III 1689-1702 13 Stuarts Restoration William II Prince of Orange’s son 1650 1702 52 Westminster Abbey
Anne 1702-1707 5 Stuarts Restoration James II’s daughter 1665 1714 49 Westminster Abbey
George I 1714-1727 13 House of Hanover Son of German Prince Ernst August and wife Sophia 1660 1727 67 Hanover, Germany
George II 1727-1760 33 House of Hanover Son of George I & Sophia Dorothea of Celle, Germany. George II was the last British King to lead his army in person at the Battle of Dettingen in Bavaria in 1743 during the war of the Austrian succession, . 1683 1760 77 Westminster Abbey
George III 1760-1820 60 House of Hanover Son of Frederick, Prince of Wales & Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha, Germany. George III is the longest reigning English male monarch. References to the “Madness of King George” refer to his deterioating mental health in later life. In 1810 his eldest son, George, Prince of Wales, took over and ruled as Prince Regent until his death when he succeeded his father as King George IV. 1738 1820 82 Windsor Castle
George IV 1820-1830 10 House of Hanover Son of George III & Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Germany 1762 1830 68 Windsor Castle
William IV 1830-1837 7 House of Hanover Son of George III & Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Germany 1765 1837 72 Windsor Castle
Victoria 1837-1901 64 House of Hanover Son of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent & Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, Germany 1819 1901 82 Windsor Castle
Edward VII 1901-1910 9 House of Hanover Son of Queen Victoria & Albert, Prince Consort 1841 1910 69 Windsor Castle
George V 1910-1936 26 House of Windsor Son of Edward VII & Alexandra of Denmark 1865 1936 71 Windsor Castle
Edward VIII 1936 Jan-Dec 0.9 House of Windsor Son of George V & Mary of Teck. Caused a constitutional crisis by planning to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson & abdicated in 1936 to avoid it. 1894 1972 78 Windsor Castle
George VI 1936-1952 16 House of Windsor Son of George V & Mary of Teck 1895 1952 57 Windsor Castle
Elizabeth II 1952-present 67 House of Windsor Queen Elizabeth II is currently the longest reigning living monarch and the longest reigning British monarch ever. Elizabeth is the daughter of George VI & Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother. Elizabeth is the 32nd great granddaughter of King Alfred the Great. Her official title is “monarch” rather than “queen” of Great Britain according to the Act of Union 1707. 1926 – 92

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