English Monarchs in Order: From Æthelstan to Charles III

Contents5

English monarchs before 1066
English monarchs since 1066
Longest and shortest reigns
What the list leaves out
Verdict: English monarchs in one list

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.

Monarch	House or line	Reign	Status
Æthelstan	Wessex	924/925-939; king of all England from 927	Disputed
Edmund I	Wessex	939-946	Reviewed
Eadred	Wessex	946-955	Reviewed
Eadwig	Wessex	955-959	Reviewed
Edgar	Wessex	959-975	Reviewed
Edward the Martyr	Wessex	975-978	Reviewed
Æthelred II ("the Unready")	Wessex	978-1013, 1014-1016	Reviewed
Sweyn Forkbeard	Denmark	1013-1014	Reviewed
Edmund II ("Ironside")	Wessex	1016	Reviewed
Cnut	Denmark	1016-1035	Reviewed
Harold I ("Harefoot")	Denmark	1035-1040 (regent at first, king from 1037)	Reviewed
Harthacnut	Denmark	1040-1042	Reviewed
Edward the Confessor	Wessex	1042-1066	Reviewed
Harold II	Godwin	January-October 1066	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.

#	Monarch	House	Reign	Full years
1	William I	Normandy	1066-1087	20
2	William II	Normandy	1087-1100	12
3	Henry I	Normandy	1100-1135	35
4	Stephen	Blois	1135-1154	18
5	Henry II	Plantagenet	1154-1189	34
6	Richard I	Plantagenet	1189-1199	9
7	John	Plantagenet	1199-1216	17
8	Henry III	Plantagenet	1216-1272	56
9	Edward I	Plantagenet	1272-1307	34
10	Edward II	Plantagenet	1307-1327	19
11	Edward III	Plantagenet	1327-1377	50
12	Richard II	Plantagenet	1377-1399	22
13	Henry IV	Lancaster	1399-1413	13
14	Henry V	Lancaster	1413-1422	9
15	Henry VI	Lancaster	1422-1461, 1470-1471	38, plus about 6 months
16	Edward IV	York	1461-1470, 1471-1483	21, over two spells
17	Edward V	York	1483	0 (about 11 weeks)
18	Richard III	York	1483-1485	2
19	Henry VII	Tudor	1485-1509	23
20	Henry VIII	Tudor	1509-1547	37
21	Edward VI	Tudor	1547-1553	6
22	Mary I	Tudor	1553-1558	5
23	Elizabeth I	Tudor	1558-1603	44
24	James I	Stuart	1603-1625	22
25	Charles I	Stuart	1625-1649	23
26	Charles II	Stuart	1660-1685	24
27	James II	Stuart	1685-1688	3
28	William III	Orange	1689-1702	13
29	Mary II	Stuart	1689-1694	5
30	Anne	Stuart	1702-1714	12
31	George I	Hanover	1714-1727	12
32	George II	Hanover	1727-1760	33
33	George III	Hanover	1760-1820	59
34	George IV	Hanover	1820-1830	10
35	William IV	Hanover	1830-1837	6
36	Victoria	Hanover	1837-1901	63
37	Edward VII	Saxe-Coburg and Gotha	1901-1910	9
38	George V	Saxe-Coburg and Gotha to 1917, then Windsor	1910-1936	25
39	Edward VIII	Windsor	1936	0 (about 11 months)
40	George VI	Windsor	1936-1952	15
41	Elizabeth II	Windsor	1952-2022	70
42	Charles III	Windsor	2022-	Reigning

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

Rank	Longest reigns	Full years
1	Elizabeth II	70
2	Victoria	63
3	George III	59
4	Henry III	56
5	Edward III	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

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.