Early Middle Ages (866 - 1013)
(Later) Rulers of Mercia : For earlier rulers of Mercia, see Rulers of Mercia
From Date |
Ruler | Relationship to Predecessor | To Date |
Comments |
883 | Athelred II of Mercia | - | 911 | At the time of Athelred of Mercia's reign, Alfred of Wessex was his over-lord, and was married to Alfred's daughter, Athelflaed (Lady of Mercians). |
911 | Athelflaed, Lady of Mercians | - | 912 | Athelflaed was the daughter of Alfred the Great and married Athelred II of Mercia. After his death she ruled Mercia in her own right. |
(Later) Kings of Wessex : For earlier rulers of Wessex, see Rulers of Wessex
From Date |
Ruler | Relationship to Predecessor | To Date |
Comments |
866 | Aethelred I King of Wessex | - | 871 | During the reign of Aethelred a large number of Danes know as the Great Army landed in Britain and took control of East Anglia. |
871 | Alfred the Great | Brother | 899 | Alfred won a battle defeating the Danes at Edington. |
899 | Edward the Elder | Son | 924 | The reign of Edward was dominated by a disputed succession and dealings with the Danes. |
Saxon and Danish Kings
From Date |
Ruler | Relationship to Predecessor | To Date |
Comments |
924 | Athelstan | Son | 939 | Athelstan is considered to be the first King of England. |
939 October | Edmund I | Brother | 946 May 26 | Northumbria, the Midlands and Strathclyde were reconqued by Edmund before his murder by the exiled thief Leofa. |
946 May | Eadred | Brother | 955 November 23 | Eadred is noted for taking back Northumbria after it was overrun by Vikings led by Eric Bloodaxe. Eadred died young from a digestive illness. |
955 November | Eadwig | Nephew | 959 | Control of England was split between Eadwig who ruled south of the Thames and his younger brother Edgar who ruled in the north. Archbishop Dunstan was exiled. |
959 October | Edgar I | Brother | 975 | Edgar united the kingdom when he became King of England. He invited Archbishop Dunstan back from exile. |
975 July | Edward 'The Martyr' | Son | 978 | Edward was Edgar's eldest son but not the chosen heir. This led to civil war and Edward's murder only three years into his reign. |
978 March | Aethelred II 'The Unready' | Step-brother | 1013 | Viking invasions increased in number during Aethelred's reign and the King agreed to pay money to prevent more. Aethelred had many Danes murdered in England on St. Brice's Day. |
High Middle Ages (1013 - 1307)
Saxon and Danish Kings
From Date |
Ruler | Relationship to Predecessor | To Date |
Comments |
1013 December | Sweyn (Swein) 'Fork-Beard' | - | 1014 | In revenge for the St. Brice's Day massacre Sweyn invaded England and took the thone. |
1014 March | Aethelred 'The Unready' | - | 1016 | Aethelred was restored to the English throne after the death of Sweyn. |
1016 April | Edmund II 'Ironside' | (Son of Aethelred II) | Famed for his fighting skills Edmund defended the country against Cnut's invasion. It was agreed to divide the country in two. | |
1016 November | Cnut (Canute) | (Son of Swein) | 1035 | Cnut from Denmark invaded England and shared its rule with Edmund Ironside. When Edmund died Cnut became King of the whole of England. |
1035 | Harold I 'Harefoot' | Son | 1040 | Harold ruled mainly as regent as his elder brother Hathacnut was occupied in Denmark. Harold gained support from the earls and was crowned in 1037. |
1040 June | Harthacnut | Step-brother | 1042 | Both King of Denmark and King of England. Disputed succession with his brother Magnus prevented Harthacnut claiming the English throne until 1040. |
1042 June | Edward 'The Confessor' | (Son of Aethelred II) | 1066 | As half-brother of Harthacnut, Edward had a better claim to the English throne than other members of the family and was chosen by the English to become King. |
1066 January 23 | Harold II 'Godwinson' | - | Harold was the last Anglo-Saxon king of England and was killed by William, Duke of Normandy at the Battle of Hastings. |
The Norman Kings
William I also known as William the Conqueror became King of England by conquest. From his marriage to Matilda of Flanders he had several sons. Robert, the eldest, inherited the dukedom of Normandy from his father, while Richard, the second son, died. The third son William became King of England and is known as William Rufus. When William was killed during a hunting trip the crown went to Henry the fourth son. Henry secured his claim by capturing his elder brother, Robert, and marrying Matilda of Scotland who was descended from Alfred the Great. When Henry died his nephew Stephen, the grandson of William the Conqueror, siezed the throne. Stephen married Matilda of Boulogne who was again descended from the old English Kings. The daughter of King Henry, Empress Matilda, claimed the English throne and after several years of conflict it was agreed that her son Henry would become king when Stephen died.
From Date |
Ruler | Relationship to Predecessor | To Date |
Comments |
1066 December 25 | William I 'The Conqueror' | - | 1087 | 1066 saw several invasions of England ending with the invasion by William, Duke of Normandy who became King of England. |
1087 September 26 | William II 'Rufus' | Son | 1100 | |
1100 August 5 | Henry I | Brother | 1135 | |
1135 December 22 | Stephen of Blois | Nephew | 1154 | |
1141 Apr | (Matilda) | Cousin | 1141 Nov | Matilda was not crowned |
The Angevin (Plantagenet) Kings
Henry II, the grandson of William the Conqueror, became king of England. He married Eleanor of Aquitaine, the divorced wife of King Louis of France. The English throne went to their two sons, first to Richard the Lionheart who married Berengaria of Navarre but died without a legitimate heir, and then to John who married firstly Isabella of Gloucester and secondly Isabella of Angouleme. When John died his son Henry became King of England as Henry III. Henry married Eleanor of Provance and their son was proclaimed King as Edward I. Edward married Eleanor of Castile. It was their fourth son, Edward II, who next succeeded to the throne.
From Date |
Ruler | Relationship to Predecessor | To Date |
Comments |
1154 December 19 | Henry II | (Son of Matilda) | 1189 | |
1189 September 3 | Richard I 'The Lionheart' | Son | 1199 | |
1199 May 27 | John | Brother | 1216 | |
1216 October 28 | Henry III | Son | 1272 | |
1272 November 20 | Edward I | Son | 1307 |
Late Middle Ages (1307 - 1485)
Edward II married Isabella of France who deposed him and put their son Edward III on the throne. Edward married Philippa of Hainault and it was their grandson, Richard II, the son of the Black Prince, who next became King. Richard had two wives, Anne of Bohemia and Isabella of Valois before he was deposed and murdered.
From Date |
Ruler | Relationship to Predecessor | To Date |
Comments |
1307 July 8 | Edward II | Son | 1327 | |
1327 January 25 | Edward III | Son | 1377 | |
1377 June 23 | Richard II | Grandson | 1399 |
The Lancastrian and Yorkist Kings
Henry IV was the first king in the House of Lancaster. He was the grandson of Edward III and Queen Philippa. Henry seized the English throne from Richard II. Henry married twice, first to Mary Bohun and second to Joanna of Navarre. When Henry died, the son of his first wife also called Henry became king as Henry V. Henry V tried to marry the widow of Richard II but in the end married her sister Catherine of France. When Henry V died Catherine claimed the throne for her son Henry VI. The reign of Henry VI and his wife Margaret of Anjou was unstable and when their son died at the Battle of Tewkesbury the House of Lancaster ended.
The House of York began with Edward IV who was descended twice from Edward III. Firstly from Edmund of York, the fifth son of Edward III, and secondly Lionel, Edward's third son. Edward married Elizabeth Woodville and their two young sons mysteriously disappeared from the Tower of London. The prime suspect for their deaths was Edward's brother Richard who became king as Richard III who married Anne Neville. After a short reign Richard was killed in battle and was succeeded by another descendent of Edward III. This ended the House of York.
From Date |
Ruler | Relationship to Predecessor | To Date |
Comments |
1399 September 30 | Henry IV | Cousin | 1413 | |
1413 March 13 | Henry V | Son | 1422 | |
1422 September 1 | Henry VI | Son | 1461 | |
1461 March 4 | Edward IV | - | 1470 | |
1470 October 3 | Henry VI | - | 1471 | (Henry VI restored) |
1471 April 11 | Edward IV | - | 1483 | (Edward IV restored) |
1483 (Apr 9) | Edward V | Son of (Edward IV) | A Prince in the Tower | |
1483 June 26 | Richard III | Uncle | 1485 |
Early Modern Period (1485 - )
The Tudor Kings and Queens
Henry VII, descended from John of Gaunt, the fourth son of Edward III was the first king of the House of Tudor. The name coming from his grandfather Owen Tudor who married Catherine of Valois. He cemented his claim to the English throne by marrying Elizabeth of York, the elder sister of the princes who disappeared from the Tower of London. Their son, Henry VIII then became king, to be followed by Edward VI, the son of Jane Seymour, Mary, the daughter of Catherine of Aragon, and Elizabeth, the child of Anne Boleyn. Lady Jane Grey reigned for just nine days between Edward and Mary.
From Date |
Ruler | Relationship to Predecessor | To Date |
Comments |
1485 August 22 | Henry VII | - | 1509 | |
1509 April 22 | Henry VIII | Son | 1547 | |
1547 January 22 | Edward VI | Son | 1553 | |
1553 July 10 | Lady Jane Grey | First cousin once removed | 1553 July 19 | The 'Nine-Day Queen'. Jane was nominated by Edward VI to be queen but she was never crowned. |
1553 July 19 | Mary I, 'Bloody Mary' | (Sister of Edward VI) | 1558 November 17 | |
1558 November 17 | Elizabeth I | Sister | 1603 March 24 |
The Stuart Kings and Queens
Just before Queen Elizabeth I died she nominated James VI of Scotland, son of Mary Stuart, to succeed her and become King James I, the first King of Great Britain. James was the great-grandson of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. He married Anne of Denmark and their son, Charles, became king Charles I and married Henrietta Maria of France. After the execution of Charles came the Commonwealth when the country was run by Parliament. Charles II, the son of Charles I, returned from exile and became the next king. He married Catherine of Breganza.
From Date |
Ruler | Relationship to Predecessor | To Date |
Comments |
1603 March 24 | James I (James VI of Scotland) | First cousin, twice removed | 1625 March 27 | |
1625 March 27 | Charles I | Son | 1649 January 30 | |
1660 | Charles II | Son | 1685 | |
To be completed... |
Transport yourself back up to a thousand years and explore historical buildings as they may have appeared in the past.