Full List Of All The Kings And Queens Of England Since Inception

Listing all the kings and queens of England since its inception would be a long list, but I will do my best to provide it and also a highlight of the years of their reign, some of their major achievements, personal life, and some notable accomplishments within their reigns. 

Note that the history of England’s monarchy goes back over a thousand years, so let’s get started with the earliest monarchs.

The chronological list of All The Kings And Queens Of England since its inception is as follows:

1. Alfred the Great 

• Reign dates: 871-899
• Major accomplishments: Defeated the Vikings, established the first English navy, and introduced first English coinage.
• Notable events: Battle of Edington, Treaty of Wedmore, and the Danelaw.
• Personal life: Married Ealhswith, had several children, and was known for his piety and learning.

2. Æthelstan 

• Reign dates: 924-939
• Major accomplishments: Consolidated the Kingdom of England, established the first English monarchy, and expanded the kingdom’s territory.
• Notable events: Battle of Brunanburh, Treaty of Wedmore, and the Danelaw.
• Personal life: Married Ælfthryth, had several children, and was known for his military prowess.

3. William I, the Conqueror 

• Reign dates: 1066-1087
• Major accomplishments: Conquered England, established the Norman monarchy, and introduced feudalism.
• Notable events: Battle of Hastings, Domesday Book, and the Norman Conquest.
• Personal life: Married Matilda of Flanders, had several children, and was known for his military prowess and political acumen.

4. William II, Rufus 

•  Reign dates: 1087-1100
•  Major accomplishments: Expanded the royal demesne, established the Royal Forests, and built castles.
•  Notable events: Battle of Battle, Battle of Hastings, and the Norman Conquest.
•  Personal life: Married Matilda of Scotland, had several children, and was known for his hunting and love of archery.

5. Henry I 

• Reign dates: 1100-1135
• Major accomplishments: Consolidated the Norman monarchy, established the Angevin Empire, and introduced the first English legal code.
• Notable events: Battle of Battle, Battle of Hastings, and the Norman Conquest.
• Personal life: Married Matilda of Scotland, had several children, and was known for his political acumen and patronage of the arts.

6. Stephen 

•  Reign dates: 1135-1154
•  Major accomplishments: Fought the Anarchy, a civil war over the succession to the throne.
•  Notable events: Battle of Lincoln, Battle of Northallerton, and the Anarchy.
•  Personal life: Married Matilda of Boulogne, had several children, and was known for his military prowess and political struggles.

7. Matilda 

• Reign dates: 1141
• Major accomplishments: Claimed the throne as the daughter of Henry I and the wife of Geoffrey Plantagenet.
• Notable events: Battle of Lincoln, Battle of Northallerton, and the Anarchy.
• Personal life: Married Geoffrey Plantagenet, had several children, and was known for her political ambitions and military leadership.

8. Henry II 

• Reign dates: 1154-1189
• Major accomplishments: Established the Plantagenet dynasty, expanded the royal demesne, and introduced the first English legal code.
• Notable events: The Battle of Lincoln, Battle of Northallerton, and the Anarchy.
• Personal life: Married Eleanor of Aquitaine, had several children, and was known for his political acumen and patronage of the arts.

9. Richard I, the Lionheart 

• Reign dates: 1189-1199
• Major accomplishments: Led the Third Crusade, expanded the royal demesne, and introduced the first English legal code.
• Notable events: Battle of Hattin, Battle of Arsuf, and the Third Crusade.
• Personal life: Married Berengaria of Navarre, had no children, and was known for his military prowess and political ambitions.

10. John I 

• Reign dates: 1199-1216
• Major accomplishments: Lost Normandy to France, established the first English parliament, and introduced the first English legal code.
• Notable events: Battle of Bouvines, Magna Carta, and the loss of Normandy.
• Personal life: Married Isabella of Angoulême, had several children, and was known for his political struggles and military defeats.

11. Henry III 

• Reign dates: 1216-1272
• Major accomplishments: Lost the Angevin Empire to France, established the first English parliament, and introduced the first English legal code.
• Notable events: Battle of Lewes, Battle of Evesham, and the loss of the Angevin Empire.
• Personal life: Married Eleanor of Provence, had several children, and was known for his political struggles and military defeats.

12. Edward 

• Reign dates: 1272-1307
• Major accomplishments: Conquered Wales, established the first English parliament, and introduced the first English legal code.
•  Notable events: Battle of Evesham, Battle of Cressy, and the conquest of Wales.
• Personal life: Married Eleanor of Castile, had several children, and was known for his military prowess and political acumen.

13. Edward II 

• Reign dates: 1307-1327
• Major accomplishments: Expanded the royal demesne, established the first English parliament

14. Edward III 

• Reign dates: 1327-1377
• Major accomplishments: Transformed England into a formidable military power, restored royal authority, and saw developments in legislation and government.
• Notable events: Battle of Crecy, Treaty of Brétigny, and the Black Death.
• Personal life: Married Philippa of Hainault, had several children, and was known for his military prowess and devotion to his family.

15. Richard II 

• Reign dates: 1377-1399
• Major accomplishments: Faced challenges from nobles and the Peasants’ Revolt, ruled during a period of political turmoil.
• Notable events: Peasants’ Revolt, deposition by Henry IV, and imprisonment leading to his likely starvation.
• Personal life: Married Anne of Bohemia, had no children, and faced opposition from powerful nobles.

16. Henry IV 

• Reign dates: 1399-1413
• Major accomplishments: Overthrew Richard II, established the Lancastrian dynasty, and faced rebellions.
• Notable events: Epiphany Rising, deposition of Richard II, and coronation in English.
• Personal life: Married Mary de Bohun, had several children, and faced challenges to his rule.

17. Henry V 

• Reign dates: 1413-1422
• Major accomplishments: Achieved military success in the Hundred Years’ War against France, making England a strong military power.
• Notable events: Battle of Agincourt, Treaty of Troyes, and conquests in France.
• Personal life: Married Catherine of Valois, had one son (Henry VI), and was celebrated as a warrior-king.

18. Henry VI 

• Reign dates: 1422-1461; 1470-1471
• Major accomplishments: Faced challenges during the Wars of the Roses, struggled with mental illness.
• Notable events: Wars of the Roses, loss of French territories, and deposition by Edward IV.
• Personal life: Married Margaret of Anjou, had one son (Edward of Westminster), and faced opposition from rival factions.

19. Edward IV 

• Reign dates: 1461-1470; 1471-1483
• Major accomplishments: Established the Yorkist dynasty after the Wars of the Roses.
• Notable events: Battle of Towton, Treaty of Picquigny, and restoration to the throne after brief exile.
• Personal life: Married Elizabeth Woodville, had several children including Edward V and Richard III.

20. Edward V

• Reign dates: 1483
• Major accomplishments: Briefly succeeded his father Edward IV but was never crowned due to his uncle’s actions.
• Notable events: Princes in the Tower mystery and usurpation by Richard III.
• Personal life: Never married or had children due to his young age at the time of his disappearance.

21. Richard III 

• Reign dates: 1483-1485
• Major accomplishments: Last English king to die in battle at Bosworth Field.
• Notable events: Princes in the Tower mystery, Battle of Bosworth Field leading to his defeat by Henry Tudor.
• Personal life: Married Anne Neville after becoming king but had no surviving legitimate children.

22. Henry VII

• Reign dates: 1485-1509
• Major accomplishments: Established the Tudor dynasty after defeating Richard III at Bosworth Field.
• Notable events: Marriage to Elizabeth of York uniting the houses of Lancaster and York, founding the Tudor dynasty.
• Personal life: Married Elizabeth of York, and had several children including Henry VIII.

23 Henry VIII

• Reign dates: 1509-1547
• Major accomplishments: Presided over the beginnings of the English Renaissance and the English Reformation, established the Church of England, and was the father of Elizabeth I.
• Notable events: Six wives, including Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, and the dissolution of monasteries.

24 Edward VI

• Reign dates: 1547-1553
• Major accomplishments: Reigned as the first English monarch to be raised as a Protestant, and introduced the Book of Common Prayer.
• Notable events: The reign was marked by economic problems and social unrest, including the Prayer Book Rebellion in 1549.

25 Jane Grey

• Reign dates: 1553 (for nine days)
• Major accomplishments: Briefly succeeded her father-in-law, Henry VIII, but was deposed by Mary I.
• Notable events: Executed by Mary I for treason.

26 Mary I

• Reign dates: 1553-1558
• Major accomplishments Restored Catholicism in England and married Philip II of Spain.
• Notable events: Known as “Bloody Mary” for her persecution of Protestants, including the burning of 280 Protestants at the stake.

27 Elizabeth I

• Reign dates: 1558-1603
• Major accomplishments: England’s Golden Age, with a period of peace, prosperity, and literary and artistic flourishing.
• Notable events: Defeated the Spanish Armada in 1588 and maintained a strong Protestant faith.

28 James I and VI of Scotland

• Reign dates: 1603-1625 (as James I of England)
• Major accomplishments: Unified England and Scotland under one monarch and established the Church of England as the official religion.
• Notable events: The Gunpowder Plot in 1605 and the establishment of the East India Company in 1600.

29 Charles I

• Reign dates: 1625-1649
• Major accomplishments: Introduced the Book of Common Prayer and the Anglican Church.
• Notable events: The English Civil War and his execution in 1649.

30 Charles II

• Reign dates: 1660-1685
• Major accomplishments: Restored the monarchy after the Commonwealth and Protectorate.
• Notable events: The Great Fire of London in 1666 and the Plague of 1665.

31 James II

• Reign dates: 1685-1688
• Major accomplishments: Tried to restore Catholicism in England.
• Notable events: The Glorious Revolution and his deposition in 1688.

32 William III and Mary II

• Reign dates: 1689-1702 (William III) and 1689-1694 (Mary II)
• Major accomplishments: The Glorious Revolution and the Act of Settlement 1701.
• Notable events: The Nine Years’ War and the War of the Spanish Succession.

33 Anne

• Reign dates: 1702-1714
• Major accomplishments: The Act of Union with Scotland in 1707.
• Notable events: The War of the Spanish Succession and the South Sea Bubble.

34 George I

• Reign dates: 1714-1727
• Major accomplishments: The Act of Union with Scotland in 1707.
• Notable events: The War of the Spanish Succession and the South Sea Bubble.

35 George II

• Reign dates: 1727-1760
• Major accomplishments: The Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle in 1748.
• Notable events: The Jacobite Rebellion in 1745 and the Seven Years’ War.

36 George III

• Reign dates: 1760-1820
• Major accomplishments: The American Revolution and the French Revolution.
• Notable events: The Napoleonic Wars and the Act of Union with Ireland in 1800.

37 George IV

• Reign dates: 1820-1830
• Major accomplishments: The Regency Act in 1811.
• Notable events: The Congress of Vienna in 1815 and the Reform Act in 1832.

38 William IV

• Reign dates: 1830-1837
• Major accomplishments: The Reform Act in 1832.
• Notable events: The First Opium War in 1839 and the Great Exhibition in 1851.

39 Queen Victoria

• Reign dates: 1837-1901
• Major accomplishments: The Great Exhibition in 1851 and the Indian Rebellion of 1857.
• Notable events: The Crimean War in 1854 and the Boer War in 1899.

40. Edward VII

• Reign dates: 22 January 1901 – 6 May 1910
• Major accomplishments: Known as the “Peacemaker,” he oversaw the end of the Victorian era and the beginning of the Edwardian period.
• Notable events: His reign saw the rise of the British Empire and the growth of the British middle class.

41. George V

• Reign dates: 6 May 1910 – 20 January 1936
• Major accomplishments: He was the first British monarch to be born in the United Kingdom since 1689.
• Notable events: He was the first British monarch to be born in the United Kingdom in 1689.

42. Edward VIII

• Reign dates: 20 January 1936 – 11 December 1936
• Major accomplishments: He was the first British monarch to abdicate.
• Notable events: He abdicated to marry Wallis Simpson, an American socialite who had been divorced twice.

43. George VI

• Reign dates: 11 December 1936 – 6 February 1952
• Major accomplishments: He led the United Kingdom through World War II.
• Notable events: He was the first British monarch to address the British public via radio.

44. Elizabeth II

• Reign dates: 6 February 1952 – 8 September 2022
• Major accomplishments: She is the longest-reigning British monarch and the first to have a child become a monarch.
• Notable events: She has been the head of state for 15 prime ministers and has seen significant changes in British society and the Commonwealth.

45. Charles III

• Reign dates: 8 September 2022 – present
• Major accomplishments: He is the first British monarch to have a university degree.
• Notable events: He became king following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.

Continue reading: Migingo Island: The most densely populated island in the world