Shortest Reigning English Monarch: Edward V, Jane Grey and the Rest
Who was the shortest reigning English monarch? Edward V holds the shortest counted reign since 1066, Lady Jane Grey's nine days are disputed, and Sweyn Forkbeard's is shorter still before 1066.
Last updated September 2026
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The shortest reigning English monarch depends on who is counted. In the standard list of 42 monarchs since 1066, the answer is Edward V, a boy king who reigned for about 11 weeks in 1483. Lady Jane Grey's nine days were shorter, but her claim is disputed. Before 1066, the Danish king Sweyn Forkbeard held the crown for only about five weeks. This page ranks the shortest reigns and explains why the answer shifts.
TL;DR: Counted monarchs since 1066: Edward V is shortest, at about 11 weeks (9 April to 25 June 1483), followed by Edward VIII at 326 days (1936). Lady Jane Grey reigned nine days in July 1553 but is usually not counted. Before 1066, Sweyn Forkbeard ruled for about five weeks in 1013-1014.
The shortest reigning English monarch, ranked
| Monarch | Reign | Length | How it ended | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lady Jane Grey | 10-19 July 1553 | 9 days | Displaced by Mary I; executed 1554 | Disputed |
| Sweyn Forkbeard | Late 1013 - 3 February 1014 | About 5 weeks | Died | Disputed |
| Edward V | 9 April - 25 June 1483 | About 11 weeks | Displaced by his uncle, Richard III | Reviewed |
| Edmund II ("Ironside") | April - 30 November 1016 | About 7 months | Died | Reviewed |
| Harold II | 6 January - 14 October 1066 | About 9 months | Killed at Hastings | Reviewed |
| Edward VIII | 20 January - 11 December 1936 | 326 days | Abdicated | Reviewed |
| Richard III | 26 June 1483 - 22 August 1485 | About 2 years, 2 months | Killed at Bosworth | Reviewed |
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Edward V and Richard III reigned in the same year, 1483, one after the other. Harold II and William I also shared a year, 1066.
Edward V: the shortest counted reign
Edward V became king on 9 April 1483, when his father, Edward IV, died. He was twelve. His uncle, Richard, Duke of Gloucester, took charge as Protector and lodged Edward in the Tower of London, where his younger brother soon joined him.
The coronation was put off. On 25 June an assembly accepted a claim that Edward IV's marriage had been invalid, which made his sons illegitimate. Richard took the throne the next day as Richard III. Edward and his brother were not seen in public again. What happened to them is still debated.
Edward V's reign
Edward V, 9 April to 25 June 1483.
Status: Reviewed. Counted in the list of 42; never crowned.
Note: Britannica gives the reign as 9 April to 25 June 1483, and Historic Royal Palaces tells the same sequence of events. Counting both the first and last day gives 78 days; counting the gap between them gives 77. Either way, it is the shortest reign in the numbered list since 1066.
Sources: Britannica, "Edward V"; Historic Royal Palaces, "The Princes in the Tower".
Lady Jane Grey: nine days or thirteen?
Edward VI died on 6 July 1553. In his final illness he had named his Protestant cousin Jane as heir, passing over his half-sisters, Mary and Elizabeth. The council proclaimed Jane queen in London on 10 July.
Support swung quickly to Mary. The council proclaimed Mary queen on 19 July, and Jane was held in the Tower. She was executed on 12 February 1554, aged about 16 or 17.
Why the count varies
Lady Jane Grey, 1553.
Status: Disputed 9 or 13 days; counted by some sources, not by most.
Note: The Royal Family website gives her reign as 10-19 July 1553, nine days from her proclamation. Some accounts count from Edward VI's death on 6 July, since she claimed to be queen from that moment, which gives 13 days. Most numbered lists do not include her as a monarch at all.
Sources: The Royal Family, "Lady Jane Grey"; Historic Royal Palaces, "Lady Jane Grey: The 'Nine Day Queen'".
Sweyn Forkbeard: the shortest reign before 1066
Sweyn Forkbeard was king of Denmark. He invaded England in 1013, and by the end of that year the English had accepted him as king. Æthelred II fled to Normandy. Sweyn died on 3 February 1014, only about five weeks later.
His reign is short and poorly dated, so it is marked disputed here. His son Cnut later ruled England from 1016 to 1035.
Edward VIII: the shortest reign of modern times
Edward VIII came to the throne on 20 January 1936. He wanted to marry Wallis Simpson, an American who had been divorced. The government, the Church and the Dominions would not accept her as queen. He signed an instrument of abdication on 10 December, and Parliament passed the abdication act the next day.
At 326 days, his was the shortest reign since Edward V. He was never crowned.
Short reigns make more sense against the whole line. Our guide to the best books about the royal family starts with two books that cover every monarch.
Verdict: the shortest reigning English monarch
The shortest reigning English monarch in the standard count is Edward V, king for about 11 weeks in 1483. If disputed reigns are included, Lady Jane Grey's nine days in 1553 are shorter, and before 1066 Sweyn Forkbeard's five weeks are shorter still. In modern times the shortest reign is Edward VIII's 326 days. For every reign and its length, see the English monarchs list and the England royal family hub.
Sources checked for this page
- The Royal Family, "Lady Jane Grey"
- Historic Royal Palaces, "Lady Jane Grey: The 'Nine Day Queen'"
- Britannica, "Edward V"
- Historic Royal Palaces, "The Princes in the Tower"
- The Royal Family, "Edward VIII"
- The Royal Family, "English Monarchs (AD 400-1603)"
Questions people also ask
Who was the shortest reigning English monarch?
Among counted monarchs since 1066, Edward V, from 9 April to 25 June 1483. If Lady Jane Grey is counted, her nine days in July 1553 make her the shortest.
How long did Lady Jane Grey reign?
Nine days, from her proclamation on 10 July to 19 July 1553. Some accounts count from Edward VI's death on 6 July, which gives 13 days.
What is the shortest reign of the 20th century?
Edward VIII's, from 20 January to 11 December 1936, which is 326 days. He was never crowned.
Which English kings were never crowned?
Edward V and Edward VIII were never crowned. Lady Jane Grey was never crowned either, and neither was Empress Matilda.