Kings, Queens, and Other Rulers of England, 1066-1820

House of Normandy

• William I ("The Conqueror")--25 Dec. 1066 to 9 Sept. 1087 (21 years)
• William II--26 Sept. 1087 to 2 Aug. 1100 (13 years)
• Henry I--5 Aug. 1100 to 1 Dec. 1135 (36 years)

House of Blois

• Stephen I--22 Dec. 1135 to 25 Oct. 1154 (19 years)

House of Plantagenet

• Henry II--19 Dec. 1154 to 6 July 1189 (35 years)
• Richard I ("Lionheart")--3 Sept. 1189 to 6 April 1199 (10 years)
• John I--27 May 1199 to 19 Oct. 1216 (18 years)
• Henry III--28 Oct. 1216 to 16 Nov. 1272 (57 years)
• Edward I--20 Nov. 1272 to 7 July 1307 (35 years)
• Edward II--8 July 1307 to 20 Jan. 1327 [deposed] (20 years)
• Edward III--25 Jan. 1327 to 21 June 1377 (51 years)
• Richard II--22 June 1377 to 29 Sept. 1399 [deposed by Henry IV and murdered] (23 years)

House of Lancaster  (the "White Rose" in 1 Henry VI, Act 2, Scene 4)

• Henry IV (formerly "Bolingbroke, duke of Lancaster")--30 Sept. 1399 to 20 March 1413 (14 years)
• Henry V (formerly "Prince Hal")--21 March 1413 to 31 March 1422 (10 years)
• Henry VI--1 Sept. 1422 to 4 March 1461 [deposed by Edward IV] (39 years)

House of York (the "Red Rose" in 1 Henry VI, Act II, Scene iv)

• Edward IV (duke of York)--4 March 1461 to 9 Oct. 1470 [briefly deposed by Henry VI and the earl of Warwick] (10 years)
• Henry VI--9 Oct. 1470 to 14 April 1471 [deposed by Edward IV] (1 year)
• Edward IV--14 April 1471 to 9 April 1483 (13 years, total reign, 23 years)
• Edward V--9 April 1483 to 25 June 1483 [one of the two "princes in the Tower" probably murdered on orders of Richard III] (2.5 months)
• Richard III--26 June 1483 to 22 August 1485 [killed fighting troops of Henry Tudor at Barnet] (3 years)

House of Tudor

• Henry VII (formerly Henry Tudor, of Lancaster)--22 Aug. 1485 to 21 April 1509 (24 years)
• Henry VIII--22 April 1509 to 28 Jan. 1547 (38 years)
• Edward VI-- 28 Jan. 1547 to 6 July 1553 (6 years)
• Jane I (formerly Lady Jane Grey)--6 July 1553 to 19 July 1553 (13 days)
• Mary I (Mary Tudor, daughter of Henry VIII and Katheryn of Aragon)--19 July 1553 to 17 Nov. 1558 (5 years)
• Elizabeth I (Elizabeth Tudor, daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn)--17 Nov. 1558 to 23 March 1603 (45 years)

House of Stuart

• James I (Stuart)--24 March 1603 to 27 March 1625 (23 years)
• Charles I--27 March 1625 to 30 Jan. 1649 [executed by Parliament] (24 years)

Parliamentary Rule and Dictatorship

• Council of State--30 Jan. 1649-1653 (led by Oliver Cromwell) (4 years)
• Protectorate--Oliver Cromwell--1653 to 3 Sept. 1658 (a dictatorship, 5 years)
• Richard Cromwell--3 Sept. 1658 to 24 May 1659 (8 months) [abdicated]
• Parliament and Army--24 May 1659 to 29 May 1660 [Interregnum]

House of Stuart "Restoration" (1660)

• Charles II--29 May 1660 to 5 Feb. 1685 (26 years)
• James II--6 Feb. 1685 to 11 Dec. 1688 (4 years) [abdicated]
• Parliament and Army--12 Dec. 1688 to 12 Feb. 1689 [Interregnum]

"Glorious" or "Bloodless Revolution" (1688)

• William of Orange and Mary Stuart--13 Feb. 1689 to 27 Dec. 1694 [Mary dies]
• William of Orange (III)--27 Dec. 1694 to 8 March 1702 (total reign 14 years)
• Anne--8 March 1702 to 1 Aug. 1714 (13 years)

House of Hanover

• George I (Hanover)--1 Aug. 1714 to 11 June 1727 (13 years)
• George II--11 June 1727 to 25 Oct. 1760 (34 years)
• George III--25 June 1760 to 29 Jan 1820 (60 years)

[Note: later House of Hanover rulers include George IV, William IV, and Queen Victoria, who rules until 1901 and the start of the Modernist Era.]

The following links attempt to answer Frequently Asked Questions about the relationship between the monarchy and English literature:

    Why do we care who ruled?                        What about before 1066?                    How does this link to English 215?

    What are "royal houses"?                            What happens to the monarchy in English culture in English 212?