England / Britain

English Monarchs in Order: From Æthelstan to Charles III

The complete list of English monarchs in order: the kings of England from Æthelstan in 927 to 1066, then every monarch since the Norman Conquest with reign dates and years on the throne.

Last updated October 2026

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Coverage: England after the Norman accession, then Great Britain (1707) and the United Kingdom (1801). The personal union of 1603 does not merge Scottish numbering into the English rule. Records last checked 28 September 2026. Interregnum is a gap. Harold II and disputed claimants in 1066, 1141 and 1553 are labelled separately in year results; they do not enter the 44-row duration dataset. Read the dates, disagreements and omissions.

Coverage without JavaScript

Read every separate reign, including joint rulers and uncertain dates. England’s Interregnum was in 1649–1660; those first and last years also include monarchs. The gap between James II’s departure and William and Mary’s accession in 1688–1689 is sometimes called the Second Interregnum.

  1. William I: 1066 to 9 September 1087; the start date is not confirmed. Royal Family: sovereign biographies.
  2. William II: 1087 to 2 August 1100; the start date is not confirmed. Westminster Abbey: royal records.
  3. Henry I: 1100 to 1 December 1135; the start date is not confirmed. Westminster Abbey: royal records.
  4. Stephen: 1135 to 25 October 1154; the start date is not confirmed. Westminster Abbey: royal records.
  5. Henry II: 1154 to 6 July 1189; the start date is not confirmed. Westminster Abbey: royal records.
  6. Richard I: 1189 to 6 April 1199; the start date is not confirmed. Westminster Abbey: royal records.
  7. John: 1199 to 19 October 1216; the start date is not confirmed. Hereford Cathedral: royal history.
  8. Henry III: 19 October 1216 to 16 November 1272 (Julian). English Heritage: royal biographies.
  9. Edward I: 16 November 1272 to 7 July 1307 (Julian). History of Parliament: reign dates.
  10. Edward II: 7 July 1307 to 20 January 1327 (Julian). Encyclopædia Britannica (1911): royal biography.
  11. Edward III: 24 January 1327 to 21 June 1377 (Julian). English Heritage: royal biographies.
  12. Richard II: 22 June 1377 to 30 September 1399 (Julian). Encyclopædia Britannica (1911): royal biography.
  13. Henry IV: 30 September 1399 to 20 March 1413 (Julian). Westminster Abbey: royal records.
  14. Henry V: 21 March 1413 to 31 August 1422 (Julian). Inquisitions Post Mortem Project: medieval court records.
  15. Henry VI: 31 August 1422 to 4 March 1461 (Julian). History of Parliament: reign dates.
  16. Henry VI (restored reign): 3 October 1470 to 11 April 1471 (Julian; Cheney’s table at the Folger Shakespeare Library). Royal Family: sovereign biographies.
  17. Edward IV: 4 March 1461 to 3 October 1470 (Julian). History of Parliament: reign dates.
  18. Edward IV (restored reign): 11 April 1471 to 9 April 1483 (Julian). History of Parliament: reign dates.
  19. Edward V: 9 April 1483 to 25 June 1483 (Julian). Westminster Abbey: royal records.
  20. Richard III: 26 June 1483 to 22 August 1485 (Julian). History of Parliament: reign dates.
  21. Henry VII: 22 August 1485 to 21 April 1509 (Julian). History of Parliament: reign dates.
  22. Henry VIII: 21 April 1509 to 28 January 1547 (Julian). Henry VIII became king on 21 April 1509; the published regnal-year table counts his numbered years from 22 April. History of Parliament: reign dates.
  23. Edward VI: 28 January 1547 to 6 July 1553 (Julian). History of Parliament: reign dates.
  24. Mary I: 19 July 1553 to 17 November 1558 (Julian). University of Victoria: regnal-year table.
  25. Elizabeth I: 17 November 1558 to 24 March 1603 (Julian). History of Parliament: reign dates.
  26. James I: 24 March 1603 to 27 March 1625 (Julian). History of Parliament: reign dates.
  27. Charles I: 27 March 1625 to 30 January 1649 (Julian). History of Parliament: reign dates.
  28. Charles II: 29 May 1660 to 6 February 1685 (Julian). History of Parliament: the Restoration.
  29. James II: 6 February 1685 to 23 December 1688 (Julian). History of Parliament: reign dates.
  30. William III: 13 February 1689 to 8 March 1702 (Julian). History of Parliament: reign dates.
  31. Mary II: 13 February 1689 to 28 December 1694 (Julian). History of Parliament: reign dates.
  32. Anne: 8 March 1702 to 1 August 1714 (Julian). History of Parliament: reign dates.
  33. George I: 1 August 1714 to 11 June 1727 (Julian). History of Parliament: reign dates.
  34. George II: 11 June 1727 to 25 October 1760 (Julian to Gregorian). History of Parliament: reign dates.
  35. George III: 25 October 1760 to 29 January 1820 (Gregorian). History of Parliament: reign dates.
  36. George IV: 29 January 1820 to 26 June 1830 (Gregorian). History of Parliament: reign dates.
  37. William IV: 26 June 1830 to 20 June 1837 (Gregorian). History of Parliament: reign dates.
  38. Victoria: 20 June 1837 to 22 January 1901 (Gregorian). History of Parliament: reign dates.
  39. Edward VII: 22 January 1901 to 6 May 1910 (Gregorian). History of Parliament: reign dates.
  40. George V: 6 May 1910 to 20 January 1936 (Gregorian). History of Parliament: reign dates.
  41. Edward VIII: 20 January 1936 to 11 December 1936 (Gregorian). History of Parliament: reign dates.
  42. George VI: 11 December 1936 to 6 February 1952 (Gregorian). History of Parliament: reign dates.
  43. Elizabeth II: 6 February 1952 to 8 September 2022 (Gregorian). History of Parliament: reign dates.
  44. Charles III: Began 8 September 2022; still reigning when checked on 28 September 2026. Royal Family: sovereign biographies.

English monarchs go back more than a thousand years. The kingdom of England took shape in the 10th century, and the crown has passed, with one break, ever since. This page lists every English monarch in order: first the kings from Æthelstan to 1066, then the 42 monarchs from William I to Charles III, with the number of full years each spent on the throne.

TL;DR: Æthelstan became king of all England in 927. Anglo-Saxon and Danish kings followed until Harold II died at Hastings in 1066. Since then 42 monarchs have reigned. The longest reigns are Elizabeth II (70 years), Victoria (63) and George III (59). The shortest counted reign is Edward V's, at about 11 weeks in 1483.

English monarchs before 1066

These dates rest on thinner sources than later reigns. They follow the Royal Family website's list of English monarchs, checked against Britannica.

MonarchHouse or lineReignStatus
ÆthelstanWessex924/925-939; king of all England from 927Disputed
Edmund IWessex939-946Reviewed
EadredWessex946-955Reviewed
EadwigWessex955-959Reviewed
EdgarWessex959-975Reviewed
Edward the MartyrWessex975-978Reviewed
Æthelred II ("the Unready")Wessex978-1013, 1014-1016Reviewed
Sweyn ForkbeardDenmark1013-1014Reviewed
Edmund II ("Ironside")Wessex1016Reviewed
CnutDenmark1016-1035Reviewed
Harold I ("Harefoot")Denmark1035-1040 (regent at first, king from 1037)Reviewed
HarthacnutDenmark1040-1042Reviewed
Edward the ConfessorWessex1042-1066Reviewed
Harold IIGodwinJanuary-October 1066Reviewed
  1. Monarch
    Æthelstan
    House or line
    Wessex
    Reign
    924/925-939; king of all England from 927
    Status
    Disputed
  2. Monarch
    Edmund I
    House or line
    Wessex
    Reign
    939-946
    Status
    Reviewed
  3. Monarch
    Eadred
    House or line
    Wessex
    Reign
    946-955
    Status
    Reviewed
  4. Monarch
    Eadwig
    House or line
    Wessex
    Reign
    955-959
    Status
    Reviewed
  5. Monarch
    Edgar
    House or line
    Wessex
    Reign
    959-975
    Status
    Reviewed
  6. Monarch
    Edward the Martyr
    House or line
    Wessex
    Reign
    975-978
    Status
    Reviewed
  7. Monarch
    Æthelred II ("the Unready")
    House or line
    Wessex
    Reign
    978-1013, 1014-1016
    Status
    Reviewed
  8. Monarch
    Sweyn Forkbeard
    House or line
    Denmark
    Reign
    1013-1014
    Status
    Reviewed
  9. Monarch
    Edmund II ("Ironside")
    House or line
    Wessex
    Reign
    1016
    Status
    Reviewed
  10. Monarch
    Cnut
    House or line
    Denmark
    Reign
    1016-1035
    Status
    Reviewed
  11. Monarch
    Harold I ("Harefoot")
    House or line
    Denmark
    Reign
    1035-1040 (regent at first, king from 1037)
    Status
    Reviewed
  12. Monarch
    Harthacnut
    House or line
    Denmark
    Reign
    1040-1042
    Status
    Reviewed
  13. Monarch
    Edward the Confessor
    House or line
    Wessex
    Reign
    1042-1066
    Status
    Reviewed
  14. Monarch
    Harold II
    House or line
    Godwin
    Reign
    January-October 1066
    Status
    Reviewed

When Æthelstan's reign begins

Æthelstan, first king of all England.

Status: Disputed. Two starting dates in use.

Note: Æthelstan succeeded his father, Edward the Elder, as king of the Anglo-Saxons in 924-925. He took York, the last Viking kingdom, in 927. The Royal Family website counts him as the first king of England from 927, while lists that date from his first accession give 924 or 925.

Sources: The Royal Family, "English Monarchs (AD 400-1603)"; Britannica, "List of British monarchs".

After Harold II died at Hastings, the council in London chose the young Edgar Ætheling as king. He was never crowned and submitted to William within weeks, so no list counts him.

English monarchs since 1066

"Full years" counts completed years on the throne, so a reign of 9 years and 10 months shows as 9. Dates before 1752 are in the Julian calendar.

#MonarchHouseReignFull years
1William INormandy1066-108720
2William IINormandy1087-110012
3Henry INormandy1100-113535
4StephenBlois1135-115418
5Henry IIPlantagenet1154-118934
6Richard IPlantagenet1189-11999
7JohnPlantagenet1199-121617
8Henry IIIPlantagenet1216-127256
9Edward IPlantagenet1272-130734
10Edward IIPlantagenet1307-132719
11Edward IIIPlantagenet1327-137750
12Richard IIPlantagenet1377-139922
13Henry IVLancaster1399-141313
14Henry VLancaster1413-14229
15Henry VILancaster1422-1461, 1470-147138, plus about 6 months
16Edward IVYork1461-1470, 1471-148321, across two reigns
17Edward VYork14830 (about 11 weeks)
18Richard IIIYork1483-14852
19Henry VIITudor1485-150923
20Henry VIIITudor1509-154737
21Edward VITudor1547-15536
22Mary ITudor1553-15585
23Elizabeth ITudor1558-160344
24James IStuart1603-162522
25Charles IStuart1625-164923
26Charles IIStuart1660-168524
27James IIStuart1685-16883
28William IIIOrange1689-170213
29Mary IIStuart1689-16945
30AnneStuart1702-171412
31George IHanover1714-172712
32George IIHanover1727-176033
33George IIIHanover1760-182059
34George IVHanover1820-183010
35William IVHanover1830-18376
36VictoriaHanover1837-190163
37Edward VIISaxe-Coburg and Gotha1901-19109
38George VSaxe-Coburg and Gotha to 1917, then Windsor1910-193625
39Edward VIIIWindsor19360 (about 11 months)
40George VIWindsor1936-195215
41Elizabeth IIWindsor1952-202270
42Charles IIIWindsor2022-Reigning when checked on 28 September 2026
  1. #
    1
    Monarch
    William I
    House
    Normandy
    Reign
    1066-1087
    Full years
    20
  2. #
    2
    Monarch
    William II
    House
    Normandy
    Reign
    1087-1100
    Full years
    12
  3. #
    3
    Monarch
    Henry I
    House
    Normandy
    Reign
    1100-1135
    Full years
    35
  4. #
    4
    Monarch
    Stephen
    House
    Blois
    Reign
    1135-1154
    Full years
    18
  5. #
    5
    Monarch
    Henry II
    House
    Plantagenet
    Reign
    1154-1189
    Full years
    34
  6. #
    6
    Monarch
    Richard I
    House
    Plantagenet
    Reign
    1189-1199
    Full years
    9
  7. #
    7
    Monarch
    John
    House
    Plantagenet
    Reign
    1199-1216
    Full years
    17
  8. #
    8
    Monarch
    Henry III
    House
    Plantagenet
    Reign
    1216-1272
    Full years
    56
  9. #
    9
    Monarch
    Edward I
    House
    Plantagenet
    Reign
    1272-1307
    Full years
    34
  10. #
    10
    Monarch
    Edward II
    House
    Plantagenet
    Reign
    1307-1327
    Full years
    19
  11. #
    11
    Monarch
    Edward III
    House
    Plantagenet
    Reign
    1327-1377
    Full years
    50
  12. #
    12
    Monarch
    Richard II
    House
    Plantagenet
    Reign
    1377-1399
    Full years
    22
  13. #
    13
    Monarch
    Henry IV
    House
    Lancaster
    Reign
    1399-1413
    Full years
    13
  14. #
    14
    Monarch
    Henry V
    House
    Lancaster
    Reign
    1413-1422
    Full years
    9
  15. #
    15
    Monarch
    Henry VI
    House
    Lancaster
    Reign
    1422-1461, 1470-1471
    Full years
    38, plus about 6 months
  16. #
    16
    Monarch
    Edward IV
    House
    York
    Reign
    1461-1470, 1471-1483
    Full years
    21, across two reigns
  17. #
    17
    Monarch
    Edward V
    House
    York
    Reign
    1483
    Full years
    0 (about 11 weeks)
  18. #
    18
    Monarch
    Richard III
    House
    York
    Reign
    1483-1485
    Full years
    2
  19. #
    19
    Monarch
    Henry VII
    House
    Tudor
    Reign
    1485-1509
    Full years
    23
  20. #
    20
    Monarch
    Henry VIII
    House
    Tudor
    Reign
    1509-1547
    Full years
    37
  21. #
    21
    Monarch
    Edward VI
    House
    Tudor
    Reign
    1547-1553
    Full years
    6
  22. #
    22
    Monarch
    Mary I
    House
    Tudor
    Reign
    1553-1558
    Full years
    5
  23. #
    23
    Monarch
    Elizabeth I
    House
    Tudor
    Reign
    1558-1603
    Full years
    44
  24. #
    24
    Monarch
    James I
    House
    Stuart
    Reign
    1603-1625
    Full years
    22
  25. #
    25
    Monarch
    Charles I
    House
    Stuart
    Reign
    1625-1649
    Full years
    23
  26. #
    26
    Monarch
    Charles II
    House
    Stuart
    Reign
    1660-1685
    Full years
    24
  27. #
    27
    Monarch
    James II
    House
    Stuart
    Reign
    1685-1688
    Full years
    3
  28. #
    28
    Monarch
    William III
    House
    Orange
    Reign
    1689-1702
    Full years
    13
  29. #
    29
    Monarch
    Mary II
    House
    Stuart
    Reign
    1689-1694
    Full years
    5
  30. #
    30
    Monarch
    Anne
    House
    Stuart
    Reign
    1702-1714
    Full years
    12
  31. #
    31
    Monarch
    George I
    House
    Hanover
    Reign
    1714-1727
    Full years
    12
  32. #
    32
    Monarch
    George II
    House
    Hanover
    Reign
    1727-1760
    Full years
    33
  33. #
    33
    Monarch
    George III
    House
    Hanover
    Reign
    1760-1820
    Full years
    59
  34. #
    34
    Monarch
    George IV
    House
    Hanover
    Reign
    1820-1830
    Full years
    10
  35. #
    35
    Monarch
    William IV
    House
    Hanover
    Reign
    1830-1837
    Full years
    6
  36. #
    36
    Monarch
    Victoria
    House
    Hanover
    Reign
    1837-1901
    Full years
    63
  37. #
    37
    Monarch
    Edward VII
    House
    Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
    Reign
    1901-1910
    Full years
    9
  38. #
    38
    Monarch
    George V
    House
    Saxe-Coburg and Gotha to 1917, then Windsor
    Reign
    1910-1936
    Full years
    25
  39. #
    39
    Monarch
    Edward VIII
    House
    Windsor
    Reign
    1936
    Full years
    0 (about 11 months)
  40. #
    40
    Monarch
    George VI
    House
    Windsor
    Reign
    1936-1952
    Full years
    15
  41. #
    41
    Monarch
    Elizabeth II
    House
    Windsor
    Reign
    1952-2022
    Full years
    70
  42. #
    42
    Monarch
    Charles III
    House
    Windsor
    Reign
    2022-
    Full years
    Reigning when checked on 28 September 2026

The house of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha runs from 1901 to 1917, covering Edward VII and the first years of George V. George V then renamed the house Windsor, as the house of Windsor page explains.

Longest and shortest reigns

RankLongest reignsFull years
1Elizabeth II70
2Victoria63
3George III59
4Henry III56
5Edward III50
  1. Rank
    1
    Longest reigns
    Elizabeth II
    Full years
    70
  2. Rank
    2
    Longest reigns
    Victoria
    Full years
    63
  3. Rank
    3
    Longest reigns
    George III
    Full years
    59
  4. Rank
    4
    Longest reigns
    Henry III
    Full years
    56
  5. Rank
    5
    Longest reigns
    Edward III
    Full years
    50

The shortest counted reign since 1066 is Edward V's, from April to June 1483. Lady Jane Grey's nine days in 1553 were shorter, but she is not usually counted. Both are compared on the shortest-reigning English monarch page.

What the list leaves out

Three records sit outside the numbered list: Empress Matilda in 1141, Lady Jane Grey in 1553, and the Interregnum of 1649-1660, when England had no monarch. Each is shown as a disputed record on the England royal family hub, with the sources that treat it differently.

Our guide to the best books about the royal family picks eight for further reading. They cover every era from 1066 to Elizabeth II.

Verdict: English monarchs in one list

English monarchs run in an unbroken line of kings and queens from Æthelstan to Charles III, apart from the Interregnum. Since 1066 there have been 42. The longest reigns belong to Elizabeth II, Victoria and George III, and the shortest counted reign to Edward V. For the rules that decide the next monarch, see succession to the British throne. The women on the list are covered on the queens of England page.

Sources checked for this page

For reign lengths, explanations of uncertain dates and records to download, see the English and British reign dataset.

Questions people also ask

Who was the first English monarch?

Æthelstan is generally counted as the first king of all England. He became king of the English in 924-925 and brought the last Viking kingdom, York, under his rule in 927.

How many English monarchs have there been since 1066?

Forty-two, from William I to Charles III, counting William III and Mary II separately and leaving out Matilda and Lady Jane Grey.

Which English monarch reigned the longest?

Elizabeth II, for 70 years (1952-2022). Victoria reigned 63 years and George III 59.

Were there English monarchs after 1707?

From 1707 the monarch reigned over Great Britain, and from 1801 over the United Kingdom. The list continues without a break, so later rulers are still included in lists of English monarchs.