1066-1154
THE HOUSE of NORMANDY
1066-1087
WILLIAM I (1027-8 to 1087) - also known as William the Conqueror
Bastard son of Robert I, Duke of Normandy & Arlette, a tanner's daughter. Born in Falaise
Married Matilda, daughter of Baldwin, Count of Flanders in 1053
Died from an injury sustained when his horse stumbled

1087-1100
WILLIAM II (c1056-1100) - also known as William Rufus
2nd son of William I & Matilda
Didn't marry.
Killed by an arrow whilst hunting in the New Forest (Hampshire)

1100-1135
HENRY I (1068-1135)
3rd Son of William I & Matilda. Born in Selby, Yorkshire
Married : 1] Matilda, daughter of Malcolm III of Scotland & Queen Margaret
2] Adela, daughter of Geoffrey, Count of Louvain
His only legitimate son drowned between Normandy and England

1135-1154
STEPHEN (c1097-1154)
3rd son of Adela (daughter of William I) and Stephen, Count of Blois
Married Matilda, daughter of Eustace, Count of Boulogne
For many years the Crown was contested by Matilda, daughter of Henry I and 2nd wife of Geoffrey
Plantagenet of Anjou, and in 1141 she captured and imprisoned Stephen. She was briefly queen
but she was finally driven from the country in 1148.
His only son, Eustace was to have been King but he wasn't acceptable to the church,
and besides, he died in 1153 anyway.

1154-1399
HOUSE of ANJOU (Plantagenets)
1154-1189
HENRY II (1133-1189) - also known as Henry of Anjou
Son of Matilda & Geoffrey of Anjou. Born at Le Mans
Married Eleanor, daughter of William, Duke of Aquitaine (she was the divorced wife of Louis VII)

1189-1199
RICHARD I (1157-1199) - also known as Richard the Lionheart
3rd son of Henry II (the two other sons had died) & Eleanor of Aquitaine. Born in Oxford
Married Berengaria, daughter of Sancho VI, King of Navarre. They were childless
He was killed beseiging the castle of Chalus in France

1199-1216
JOHN (1167-1216) - also know as Lackland
5th & youngest son of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine. Born Oxford
Married 1] His cousin - Isabella, daughter of William, Earl of Gloucester (divorced)
2] Isabella, daughter of Aymer, Count of Angouleme

1216-1272
HENRY III (1207-1272)
Son of John and Isabella of Angouleme. Born Winchester
Married Eleanor, daughter of Raymond, Count of Provence

1272-1307
EDWARD I (1239-1307) - Also known as Longshanks & Hammer of the Scots
Eldest son of Henry III and Eleanor of Provence.
Married 1] Eleanor, daughter of Ferdinand III, King of Castile (she died 1290)
2] Margaret, daughter of Philip III of France

1307-1327
EDWARD II (1284-1327) - He was the first Prince of Wales
Eldest surviving son of Edward I & Eleanor of Castile. Born Caernarvon, Wales.
Married Isabella, daughter of Philip IV of France.
She despised him and conspired against him (with her lover Roger de Mortimer) and, having
captured him, forced him to abdicate. He was murdered in Berkeley Castle

1327-1377
EDWARD III (1312-1377)
Eldest son of Edward II & Isabella.
Married Philippa, daughter of Willia, Count of Hainault in 1328.
Two of his sons were Edward the Black Prince and John of Gaunt.
In 1330 he banished his mother and had De Mortimer executed

1377-1399
RICHARD II (1367-1400)
Son of Edward the Black Prince, and grandson of Edward III. Born in Bordeaux
Marfried 1] Anne of Bohemia, daughter of Emperor Charles IV (she died 1394)
2] Isabelle, daughter of Charles VI of France
He was deposed by his cousin Henry Lancaster, imprisoned in the Tower of London
and forced to resign the Crown in 1399.
He was probably murdered (or died of starvation)at Pontefract Castle

1399-1471
HOUSE of LANCASTER
1399-1413
HENRY IV (1367-1413)
Son of John of Gaunt (4th son of Edward III) & Blanche, daughter of Henry, Duke of Lancaster.
Born at Bolingbroke in Lincolnshire
Married 1] Mary de Bohun, daughter of Humphrey, Earl of Hereford
They had six children
2] Joan, daughter of Charles, King of Navarre & widow of John, Duke of Britanny
He suffered from epilepsy and died in the Jerusalem Chamber at Westminster

1413-1422
HENRY V (1387-1422)
Eldest surviving son of Henry IV and Mary de Bohun
Married Catherine of Valois, daughter of Charles VI of France
(She married Owen Tudor after Henry's death, thus giving the Tudor line to the Crown)
They only had one child, Henry VI
He was overcome by a sudden illness whilst in France and died at Vincennes

1422-1471
HENRY VI (1421-1471)
Son of Henry V & Catherine of Valois. Born Windsor
Married Margaret of Anjou, daughter of Rene, Duke of Anjou and Count of Provence
The Wars of the Roses (York v. Lancaster - the former led by Richard, Duke of York and the
latter by Margaret of Anjou) led to him being captured by the Yorkists in 1465 and committed
to the Tower. He was restored to the throne in 1470 but captured shortly afterwards.
His son Prince Edward was killed, Margaret imprisoned and he himself died in the Tower.

1461-1485
HOUSE of YORK
1461-1483
EDWARD IV (1442-1483)
Eldest son of Richard, Duke of York & Cicely Neville, daughter of the 1st Earl of Westmorland.
Born Rouen
Married Elizabeth Woodville in 1464, daughter of Richard, Lord Rivers, and widow of Sir John Grey
He probably died as a result of his debaucheries

1483
EDWARD V (1470-1483) - one of the 'Princes in the Tower'
Son of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville
He and his brother, the Duke of York, were captured by Richard, Duke of Gloucester (their uncle)
who had been named their guardian and as Protector of the Crown. Taken to the Tower of London,
they were never seen again, undoubtedly murdered.

1483-1485
RICHARD III (1452-1485)
4th son of Richard of York and youngest brother of Edward IV. Born Fotheringay Castle
Married Anne Neville, daughter of Richard, Earl of Warwick & widow of Edward, Prince of Wales
Challenged by Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond (a member of the House of Lancaster) they fought
at Bosworth Field where Richard was killed

1485-1603
HOUSE of TUDOR
1485-1509
HENRY VII (1457-1509)
Son of Edmund Tudor, Earl of Richmond & Margaret Beaufort. Born Pembroke Castle
Married Elizabeth, eldest daughter of Edward IV (she died in 1503)

1509-1547
HENRY VIII (1491-1547)
Second son of Henry VII and Elizabeth. Born Greenwich
Married 1] Catherine of Aragon, daughter of Ferdinand II, King of Aragon
(She was the widow of his elder brother Arthur)
In 1521 he published his book on the Sacraments in reply to Luther, and received from
Pope Leo X the title of 'Defender of the Faith'
All his children, except Mary I (Tudor), having died in infancy he decided to divorce Catherine,
but when it was refused by Rome he became 'protector and supreme head of the church and
clergy of England', thus allowing him to do what he pleased.
2] In 1533 he privately married Anne Boleyn, daughter of Sir Thomas Boleyn, only to have
her executed in 1536 for infidelity. Their daughter was Elizabeth I
3] 1536 he married Jane Seymour (daughter of Sir John Seymour) who died giving birth to
Edward VI the following year
4] Anne of Cleves, daughter of John, Duke of Cleves was his next wife. Having married her
for political expediency he quickly divorced her
5] Catherine Howard, niece of the Duke of Norfolk but she too was executed for infidelity
6] Catherine Parr, daughter of Sir Thomas Parr and widow of Lord Latimer in 1543

1547-1553
EDWARD VI (1537-1553)
Son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour
Always poor in health he only survived for 6 years on the throne, dying aged 15

1553
JANE (1537-1554) - Lady Jane Grey. The "10-Day Queen"
Daughter of Frances Brandon (daughter of Mary Tudor, Henry VIII's younger sister) & Henry Grey,
Duke of Suffolk. Born Broadstairs, in Kent
Married Lord Guildford Dudley in 1553, son of the Duke of Northumberland. Against her will, it
was an attempt to retain the Crown in Protestant hands.
Imprisoned in the Tower she and her husband were beheaded to allow Catholic
Mary I to take the throne

1553-1558
MARY I (1516-1558) - Mary Tudor. Bloody Mary
Daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon. Born Greenwich
Married Philip II of Spain in 1554
As a Catholic she began to re-establish the Church and under her reign the execution
of martyrs (Cranmer, Ridley, latimer) took place.
She died childless

1558-1603
ELIZABETH I (1533-1603) - The Virgin Queen
Daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn
She had Mary Queen of Scots beheaded at Fotheringay Castle because of her attempts to
inspire Catholic rebellion
She died unmarried and childless

1603-1714
HOUSE of STUART
1603-1625
JAMES I (1566-1625) - James VI of Scotland from 1567. "The Wisest fool in Christendom"
Son of Mary Queen of Scots (1542-87) and Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley. Born Edinburgh Castle.
His claim to the throne was that he was a great-grandson of James IV's English wife,
Margaret Tudor. Married Anne, daughter of Frederick II of Denmark in 1589

1625-1649
CHARLES I (1600-1649)
Second son (his elder brother died in 1612) of James I and Anne of Denmark. Born Dunfermline
Married Henrietta Maria (1609-1669), daughter of Henry IV of France
They had six children - Charles & James (his successors), Mary, Princess of Orange (1631-60),
Elizabeth (1635-50), Henry, Duke of Gloucester (1639-60) & Henrietta Anne,
Duchess of Orleans (1644-70)
English Civil War (1642-6) - Parliament (Puritans- Roundheads) v. Crown (Royalists-Cavaliers)
He was beheaded in Whitehall

COMMONWEALTH (1649-1659)
Declared 19th May 1649
1649-53 : Government by a Council of State
1653-8 : Lord Protector - Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658)
1658-9 : Lord Protector - Richard Cromwell (1626-1712)

1660-1685
CHARLES II (1630-1685)
Eldest son of Charles I and Henrietta Maria
Married Catherine of Braganza, daughter of John IV of Portugal
They had no children but he had many mistresses and a series of illegitimate offspring

1685-1688
JAMES II (1633-1701) - James VII of Scotland
Second son of Charles I and Henrietta Maria. Born at St James's Palace, London
Married 1] Lady Ann Hyde (1659), daughter of Edward, Earl of Clarendon (died 1671)
2] Mary (1674), daughter of Alphonso, Duke of Modena
In 1672 he became a Catholic
Following an invasion by the Protestant William, Prince of Orange he fled to France
where he lived until his death. One attempt to invade Ireland led to his defeat
at the Battle of the Boyne (1690)

INTERREGNUM
11th December 1688 to 12th February 1689

1689-1702
WILLIAM III (1650-1702)
Son of William II, Prince of Orange & Mary Stuart, daughter of Charles I.
Born The Hague, Holland
He died when he fell from his horse after it tripped over a molehill
&
MARY II (1662-1694)
Eldest daughter of James II & Lady Anne Hyde. Born St James's Palace, London
They were cousins and married in 1677. After many miscarriages, they were childless
She died of smallpox

1702-1714
ANNE ( 1665-1714)
Younger daughter of James II and Lady Ann Hyde. Sister of Mary II. Born St James's Palace, London
Married Prince George of Denmark, son of Frederick III of Denmark
They had 17 children, only one of whom survived infancy, William, Duke of Gloucester
who died in 1700 at the age of 12

1714-1901
HOUSE of HANOVER
1714-1727
GEORGE I (1660-1727)
Son of Sophia (daughter of Frederick, elector palatine & Elizabeth Stuart, daughter of James I) &
Ernest Augustus, elector of Hanover. Thus he was great grandson of James I.
Married his cousin Sophia Dorothea of Zell, daughter of George William, Duke of Luneburg-Celle,
in 1682.
Despite his having many mistresses he divorced her in 1694 after he discovered her adultery with
a Swedish nobleman. He kept her imprisoned in castle until her death.
he never learned English and spent as little time in the country as he could

1727-1760
GEORGE II (1683-1760)
Son of George I and Sophia Dorothea of Zell
Married Caroline, of Anspach daughter of John Frederick, margrave of Brandenburg-Anspach.
Their eldest son, Frederick Louis died in 1751
He commanded the British forces at the Battle of Dettingen, the last monarch to take
part in a battle

1760-1820
GEORGE III (1738-1820)
Son of Frederick, eldest son of George II
Married Charlotte Sophia, daughter of Charles Louis, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz in 1761
From 1811 until his death he gradually lost his sight and went steadily insane, a condition now
called porphyria.

1820-1830
GEORGE IV (1762-1830)
Eldest son of George III and Charlotte Sophia
Having gone through a form of marriage ceremony with Mrs Fitzherbert in 1782 it was not
recognised as valid because she was a Catholic.
Married Princess Caroline, daughter of Charles, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel in 1795.
He tried to divorce her but she died in 1821

1830-1837
WILLIAM IV (1765-1837) - The Sailor King
Third son of George III and Charlotte Sophia. Born Buckingham Palace
Married Princess Adelaide, daughter of George, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen in 1818
Served in the Navy becoming Admiral of the Fleet and Lord High Admiral.
1790 to 1811 he lived with the actress Dorothy Jordan, who bore him 10 children

1837-1901
VICTORIA (1819-1901)
Daughter of Edward, 4th son of George III. Niece of William IV. Born Kensington Palace, London
Married Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in 1840 (he died in 1861)
They had four sons and five daughters - Victoria, the Princess Royal
(married Frederick III of Germany);
Albert Edward (later Edward VII); Alice (Married the Duke of Hesse); Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh;
Helena (married Prince Kristian of Schleswig-Holstein);
Louise (married the Marquis of Lorne);
Arthur, Duke of Connaught; Leopold, Duke of Albany;
Beatrice (married Prince Henry of Battenburg)

1901-1910
HOUSE of SAXE-COBURG and GOTHA
1901-1910
EDWARD VII (1841-1910) - Prince of Wales for 60 years
Eldest son of Victoria and Albert. Born in Buckingham Palace
Married Alexandra, daughter of Christian IX of Denmark in 1863
They had 6 children : Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence (1864-92);
George (later George V) (1865-1936);
Louise, princess Royal (1867-1931(; Victoria (1868-1935);
Maud (1869-1938) who married King Haakon VII of Norway; Alexander (1871)

1910- TO THE PRESENT DAY
HOUSE of WINDSOR
1910-1936
GEORGE V (1865-1936)
Second son of Edward VII & Queen Alexandra
Married Victoria Mary, daughter of Francis, Duke of Teck in 1893
They had five sons and one daughter

1936
EDWARD VIII (1894-1972)
Eldest son of George V and Victoria Mary. Born at White Lodge, Richmond Park, Surrey
He became King for 10 months but abdicated due to unfavourable opinion about his desire to marry
Mrs Ernest Simpson, a twice married American divorcee. He became the Duke of Windsor

1936-1952
GEORGE VI (1895-1952)
Second son of George V and Victoria Mary. Born at Sandringham, Norfolk
Married Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, daughter of the 14th earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne in 1920
Ascended the throne after his brother's abdication
Died of coronary thrombosis or lung cancer (smoker)

1952 Onwards
ELIZABETH II (1926- )
Eldest daughter of George VI. Born in London
Married Philip, son of Prince Andrew of Greece in 1947 and he became the Duke of Edinburgh
Four children : Charles (1948), Anne (1950), Andrew (1960) & Edward (1964)