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:For the various rulers of the kingdoms within England prior to its formal unification, during the Heptarchy, see Bretwalda. For a comprehensive list of English, Scottish, and British monarchs, see List of monarchs in the British Isles. The Monarch of England was the head of state of the Kingdom of England, which was unified as a state in a series of stages between the reigns of Alfred the Great of Wessex and his grandson Athelstan, from 878 to 927. The title King (or Queen) of England ceased to exist in 1707 when the Kingdom of England was merged with the Kingdom of Scotland to create the Kingdom of Great Britain. Queen Anne became the last Queen of England and the first Queen of Great Britain. Although technically incorrect, the title remained in popular use, and is often applied to Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. Titles The standard title for all monarchs from Alfred until the time of King John was Rex Anglorum ("King of the English"). In addition, many of the pre-Norman kings assumed extra titles, as follows: Wessex|West Saxons The following list starts with Alfred, King of Wessex from 871, whose defeat of the Danes in 878 paved the way for the creation of the Kingdom of England. Alfred proclaimed himself King of the English after liberating London from the Danes in 886. Denmark|Danes England came under the rule of Danish kings following the disastrous reign of Ethelred the Unready. Some, though not all, of these were also kings of Denmark. West Saxons (restored) Normans It was only after the Norman Conquest of 1066 that kings took regnal numbers in the French fashion, though the earlier custom of distinguishing monarchs by nicknames did not die out immediately. Plantagenets The early Plantagenets ruled many territories in France, and did not regard England as their primary home until after most of their French possessions were lost by King John. This long-lived dynasty is usually divided into three houses. Angevins House of Lancaster|Lancastrians House of York|Yorkists House of Tudor|Tudors The Tudors were of partial Welsh ancestry, and in 1536 Wales was fully incorporated into the English state (having been under English control since 1284). House of Stuart|Stuarts Following the death of Elizabeth I in 1603 without issue, the Scottish king, James VI, succeeded to the English throne as James I in what became known as the Union of the Crowns. In 1604 he adopted the title King of Great Britain, although the two kingdoms remained independent. Commonwealth of England|Commonwealth There was no reigning monarch between the execution of Charles I in 1649 and the Restoration of Charles II in 1660. Despite this, Oliver Cromwell held monarchical powers 1653–1658 as Lord Protector, succeeded by his son, Richard Cromwell 1658–1659 (resigned, died 1712). Stuarts (restored) Monarchs of Great Britain and the United Kingdom England and Scotland entered into legislative and governmental union under the Acts of Union 1707, though retained separate legal systems and other trappings of statehood. From this time on the titles King of England and Queen of England are technically incorrect (though still in wide usage). House of Hanover|Hanoverians House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha|Saxe-Coburg-Gotha House of Windsor|Windsors The house name Windsor was adopted in 1917, during the First World War. It was changed from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha due to war-time anti-German sentiment. See also Notes | |||||||
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