Medieval & Renaissance Monarchs of England

Kings & Queens of England in the Middle Ages

Because Alfred the Great unified most of the various English kingdoms under one rule, the English monarchy traditionally begins with him. However, the House of Wessex, from which Alfred hailed and which served as the nucleus of the future kingdom, is sometimes considered the first royal house, with Egbert of Wessex regarded as "the first king of all England"; so it is included here as well.

The House of Wessex

802-839: Egbert
839-855: Ethelwulf
855-860: Ethelbald
860-866: Ethelbert
866-871: Ethelred

The Anglo-Saxons 

871-899: Alfred the Great
899-925: Edward the Elder
925-939: Athelstan
939-946: Edmund
946-955: Edred
955-959: Eadwig
959-975: Edgar the Peacable
975-978: Edward the Martyr
978-1016: Ethelred the Unready (interrupted by Danish conquest)
1016: Edmund Ironside

The Danes

1014: Swein Forkbeard
1016-1035: Canute the Great
1035-1040: Harold Harefoot
1040-1042: Harthacanute

The Anglo-Saxons, Restored

1042-1066: Edward the Confessor
1066: Harold II (Godwinson)

The Normans

1066-1087: William I (the Conqueror)
1087-1100: William II (Rufus)
1100-1135: Henry I
1135-1154: Stephen

The Angevins (Plantaganets)

1154-1189: Henry II
1189-1199: Richard I
1199-1216: John
1216-1272: Henry III
1272-1307: Edward I
1307-1327: Edward II
1327-1377: Edward III
1377-1399: Richard II

The Lancastrians

1399-1413: Henry IV
1413-1422: Henry V
1422-1461: Henry VI

The Yorkists

1461-1483: Edward IV
1483: Edward V (never crowned)
1483-1485: Richard III

The Tudors

1485-1509: Henry VII
1509-1547: Henry VIII
1547-1553: Edward VI
1553: Lady Jane Grey (queen for nine days)
1553-1558: Mary I
1559-1603: Elizabeth I

Please note: all the individuals above can also be found through the Who's Who in Medieval History index of Royalty and the geographical index for Britain.

Chronological Index

Geographical Index

Index by Profession, Achievement, or Role in Society

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Snell, Melissa. "Medieval & Renaissance Monarchs of England." ThoughtCo, Jul. 31, 2021, thoughtco.com/medieval-and-renaissance-monarchs-of-england-1789862. Snell, Melissa. (2021, July 31). Medieval & Renaissance Monarchs of England. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/medieval-and-renaissance-monarchs-of-england-1789862 Snell, Melissa. "Medieval & Renaissance Monarchs of England." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/medieval-and-renaissance-monarchs-of-england-1789862 (accessed March 19, 2024).