Queens of England: Every Queen Regnant and Queen Consort Since 1066
The queens of England and Britain since 1066: the six queens regnant who ruled in their own right, the two disputed claims, and every queen consort from Matilda of Flanders to Queen Camilla.
Last updated September 2026
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The queens of England fall into two groups. A few ruled in their own right, as queen regnant. Many more were queens consort, married to a reigning king. This page lists both: the six ruling queens and the two disputed claims, then every queen consort since 1066, with the reign each queen belonged to.
TL;DR: The six queens regnant are Mary I (1553-1558), Elizabeth I (1558-1603), Mary II (1689-1694), Anne (1702-1714), Victoria (1837-1901) and Elizabeth II (1952-2022). Sources disagree on Empress Matilda (1141) and Lady Jane Grey (1553). The current queen, Camilla, is a queen consort, crowned in 2023.
Queens of England who ruled in their own right
| Queen regnant | House | Reign | Length | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mary I | Tudor | 1553-1558 | 5 years | Reviewed |
| Elizabeth I | Tudor | 1558-1603 | 44 years | Reviewed |
| Mary II | Stuart | 1689-1694, jointly with William III | 5 years | Reviewed |
| Anne | Stuart | 1702-1714 | 12 years | Reviewed |
| Victoria | Hanover | 1837-1901 | 63 years | Reviewed |
| Elizabeth II | Windsor | 1952-2022 | 70 years | Reviewed |
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The two longest reigns in British history both belong to queens: Elizabeth II and Victoria. Anne was the first monarch of Great Britain, after the union with Scotland in 1707. Mary II shared the throne with her husband, William III, who reigned alone after her death in 1694.
The disputed queens
Empress Matilda and Lady Jane Grey
Empress Matilda (1141) and Lady Jane Grey (1553)
Status: Disputed. Not counted among the six.
Note: Matilda, Henry I's daughter, took the title "Lady of the English" in 1141 but was never crowned. Jane Grey was proclaimed queen on 10 July 1553 and displaced on 19 July, also uncrowned. The Royal Family website lists Jane as a monarch; most counts of queens regnant leave both women out.
Sources: The Royal Family, "Stephen and Matilda"; The Royal Family, "Lady Jane Grey"; Historic Royal Palaces, "Lady Jane Grey".
Queen regnant and queen consort: the difference
A queen regnant holds the crown and its powers. A queen consort is the wife of a king. She may share his coronation, but she has no right to rule. When a queen regnant marries, her husband does not become king by default.
Philip of Spain, Mary I's husband, used the title King of England during the marriage. Prince Albert and Prince Philip did not.
Every queen consort since 1066
The table lists each king's wife while he reigned. Wives who died or were divorced before their husband became king are left out.
| King | Queen consort |
|---|---|
| William I | Matilda of Flanders |
| Henry I | Matilda of Scotland; then Adeliza of Louvain |
| Stephen | Matilda of Boulogne |
| Henry II | Eleanor of Aquitaine |
| Richard I | Berengaria of Navarre |
| John | Isabella of Angoulême |
| Henry III | Eleanor of Provence |
| Edward I | Eleanor of Castile; then Margaret of France |
| Edward II | Isabella of France |
| Edward III | Philippa of Hainault |
| Richard II | Anne of Bohemia; then Isabella of Valois |
| Henry IV | Joan of Navarre |
| Henry V | Catherine of Valois |
| Henry VI | Margaret of Anjou |
| Edward IV | Elizabeth Woodville |
| Richard III | Anne Neville |
| Henry VII | Elizabeth of York |
| Henry VIII | Six queens, listed on the Henry VIII wives in order page |
| James I | Anne of Denmark |
| Charles I | Henrietta Maria of France |
| Charles II | Catherine of Braganza |
| James II | Mary of Modena |
| George II | Caroline of Ansbach |
| George III | Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz |
| George IV | Caroline of Brunswick, barred from his coronation |
| William IV | Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen |
| Edward VII | Alexandra of Denmark |
| George V | Mary of Teck |
| George VI | Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon |
| Charles III | Camilla |
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Four kings had no queen consort while they reigned. William II and Edward VI never married. George I had divorced his wife in 1694, twenty years before he became king. Edward VIII abdicated to marry. Queen Anne's husband, Prince George of Denmark, was never made king.
Notable queens consort
Several consorts shaped their husbands' reigns.
- Eleanor of Aquitaine was queen of France before she married Henry II, and she was the mother of Richard I and John.
- Isabella of France led the invasion that deposed her husband, Edward II, in 1326-1327.
- Margaret of Anjou led the Lancastrian side in the Wars of the Roses while Henry VI was unable to rule.
- Elizabeth of York joined the houses of York and Lancaster by marrying Henry VII.
- Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, George VI's queen, lived to 101 and was known as the Queen Mother after 1952.
Several of these queens have full biographies. Our guide to the best books about the royal family includes lives of Victoria and Elizabeth II.
Verdict: the queens of England, counted
The queens of England who ruled in their own right number six, from Mary I to Elizabeth II, and between them they hold the two longest reigns in British history. Matilda and Jane Grey remain disputed. Queens consort are far more numerous, and the latest, Queen Camilla, was crowned in 2023. The Tudor monarch page compares the Tudor queens, and every monarch since 1066 is on the England royal family hub.
Sources checked for this page
- The Royal Family, "Kings and Queens from 1066"
- Historic Royal Palaces, "Kings and Queens of England and Britain"
- The Royal Family, "Mary I"
- The Royal Family, "Anne"
- Britannica, "List of British monarchs"
- The Royal Family, "The Coronation of His Majesty The King"
Questions people also ask
How many queens have ruled England in their own right?
Six: Mary I, Elizabeth I, Mary II, Anne, Victoria and Elizabeth II. Empress Matilda and Lady Jane Grey are usually left out of the count.
What is the difference between a queen regnant and a queen consort?
A queen regnant rules in her own right. A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king and holds no power to rule.
Who is the current queen?
Queen Camilla, the wife of Charles III, is queen consort. She was crowned with the King at Westminster Abbey on 6 May 2023.
Who was the first queen of England?
Mary I was the first crowned queen regnant, from 1553. Queens consort go back much further, to Anglo-Saxon times.