British Monarchs: Complete Fact File with Memory Hooks
Every king and queen from 1066 to today, with dates, dynasties, and simple memory tricks to help everything stick.
42 monarchs | 960 years | 8 royal houses | 6 queens regnant
Last updated: April 2026
How to Remember the Royal Houses
Mnemonic:
No Plan Like Yours To Study History Wisely
Norman → Plantagenet → Lancaster → York → Tudor → Stuart → Hanover → Windsor
House of Normandy (1066 to 1154)
William I (1066 to 1087)
Won the Battle of Hastings and commissioned the Domesday Book.
Memory hook: The Conqueror crowned on Christmas Day 1066.
William II (1087 to 1100)
Built Westminster Hall; killed while hunting.
Memory hook: Rufus, the red-faced king, shot by an arrow in the New Forest.
Henry I (1100 to 1135)
Issued the Charter of Liberties; youngest son of William I.
Memory hook: His son drowned on the White Ship and he never smiled again.
Stephen (1135 to 1154)
Civil war with Matilda; period known as The Anarchy.
Memory hook: “When Christ and his saints slept.”
House of Plantagenet (1154 to 1399)
Henry II (1154 to 1189)
Major legal reforms; conflict with Thomas Becket.
Memory hook: “Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?”
Richard I (1189 to 1199)
Led the Third Crusade; rarely in England.
Memory hook: The Lionheart who spent only six months in England.
John (1199 to 1216)
Signed Magna Carta in 1215.
Memory hook: Lackland at Runnymede.
Henry III (1216 to 1272)
Rebuilt Westminster Abbey; very long reign.
Memory hook: Became king aged nine and ruled for 56 years.
Edward I (1272 to 1307)
Conquered Wales; built castles.
Memory hook: Longshanks, Hammer of the Scots.
Edward II (1307 to 1327)
Lost at Bannockburn; deposed.
Memory hook: Defeated and overthrown by his own queen.
Edward III (1327 to 1377)
Started the Hundred Years’ War.
Memory hook: Founded the Order of the Garter.
Richard II (1377 to 1399)
Faced the Peasants’ Revolt.
Memory hook: King at ten, lost everything later.
House of Lancaster (1399 to 1471)
Henry IV (1399 to 1413)
Took the throne from Richard II.
Memory hook: Bolingbroke who broke the line.
Henry V (1413 to 1422)
Victory at Agincourt.
Memory hook: Shakespeare’s warrior king.
Henry VI (1422 to 1461)
Lost France; instability led to civil war.
Memory hook: Became king as a baby and lost it all.
House of York (1461 to 1485)
Edward IV (1461 to 1483)
Strong Yorkist king; regained the throne after exile.
Memory hook: Tall, powerful, loved feasting.
Edward V (1483)
Never crowned; disappeared.
Memory hook: One of the Princes in the Tower.
Richard III (1483 to 1485)
Killed at Bosworth Field.
Memory hook: Found under a car park centuries later.
House of Tudor (1485 to 1603)
Henry VII (1485 to 1509)
Ended the Wars of the Roses.
Memory hook: United Lancaster and York.
Henry VIII (1509 to 1547)
Six wives; break from Rome.
Memory hook: Divorced, beheaded, died; divorced, beheaded, survived.
Edward VI (1547 to 1553)
Protestant reforms.
Memory hook: The boy king.
Lady Jane Grey (1553)
Reigned for nine days.
Memory hook: The Nine Days’ Queen.
Mary I (1553 to 1558)
Restored Catholicism.
Memory hook: Bloody Mary.
Elizabeth I (1558 to 1603)
Golden age; defeated the Spanish Armada.
Memory hook: The Virgin Queen.
House of Stuart (1603 to 1714)
James I (1603 to 1625)
Union of crowns; Gunpowder Plot.
Memory hook: Remember the 5th of November.
Charles I (1625 to 1649)
Executed after the Civil War.
Memory hook: The only king publicly beheaded.
The Commonwealth (1649 to 1660)
Ruled by Oliver Cromwell.
Memory hook: No monarchy, no Christmas.
Charles II (1660 to 1685)
Restoration period.
Memory hook: The Merry Monarch.
James II (1685 to 1688)
Deposed in the Glorious Revolution.
Memory hook: Fled without a fight.
William III and Mary II (1689 to 1702)
Joint monarchs.
Memory hook: Only co-rulers in English history.
Anne (1702 to 1714)
Act of Union 1707.
Memory hook: Seventeen pregnancies, no heir.
House of Hanover (1714 to 1901)
George I (1714 to 1727)
German-born king.
Memory hook: Could not speak English.
George II (1727 to 1760)
Last monarch to fight in battle.
Memory hook: Dettingen at age 60.
George III (1760 to 1820)
Lost America.
Memory hook: The king who went mad.
George IV (1820 to 1830)
Extravagant lifestyle.
Memory hook: Prince Regent excess.
William IV (1830 to 1837)
Reform Act 1832.
Memory hook: The Sailor King.
Victoria (1837 to 1901)
Empire peak; long reign.
Memory hook: Gave her name to an era.
Edward VII (1901 to 1910)
Modernised the monarchy.
Memory hook: Longest waiting heir until Charles.
House of Windsor (1910 to present)
George V (1910 to 1936)
Changed royal name to Windsor.
Memory hook: Dropped German ties during WWI.
Edward VIII (1936)
Abdicated.
Memory hook: Chose love over the crown.
George VI (1936 to 1952)
Led Britain in WWII.
Memory hook: The reluctant king with a stammer.
Elizabeth II (1952 to 2022)
Longest reign.
Memory hook: From Churchill to Truss.
Charles III (2022 to present)
Oldest monarch at accession.
Memory hook: Waited 73 years.
Key Takeaways
Longest reign: Elizabeth II at 70 years and 214 days
Shortest reign: Lady Jane Grey at 9 days
Only joint monarchs: William III and Mary II
Only monarchy break: Commonwealth under Oliver Cromwell
Current monarch: Charles III
Did You Know?
Richard III’s remains were discovered under a car park in 2012 and reburied in 2015.
George I spoke mainly German and French.
Anne had 17 pregnancies but no surviving heir.
Edward VIII ruled for just 326 days.
The Stone of Scone was stolen, broken, and later returned to Scotland.
The Classic Monarchs Rhyme
Willie, Willie, Harry, Stee,
Harry, Dick, John, Harry Three,
One-Two-Three Neds, Richard Two,
Harrys Four-Five-Six then who?
Edwards Four-Five, Dick the Bad,
Harrys twain and Ned the Lad,
Mary, Bessie, James the Vain,
Charlie, Charlie, James again.
William and Mary, Anna Gloria,
Four Georges, William, and Victoria.
Edward, George, Edward, George, then Liz,
And now Charles sits on top.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many monarchs since 1066?
42 monarchs across 8 royal houses.
Who ruled the longest?
Elizabeth II.
Who ruled the shortest?
Lady Jane Grey.
Best way to remember them?
Use the rhyme and house mnemonic together.
Who is the current monarch?
Charles III.
Test Yourself
Now you have read through the monarchs, how many can you actually remember?
Play the Quizified Daily Quiz and test your knowledge of British history, monarchs, and key dates.
