The British Empress (Emperor if the sovereign is male) is the sovereign of the British Empire, serving as the monarch of the United Kingdom, its Dominions and dependencies, and Lord Protector of the British Protectorates.
History[]
Following the death of Henry, Duke of Cornwall, in 1504, England faced a succession crisis, as Henry VII lacked a male heir. The King put some thought into remarriage, specifically to Catherine of Aragon, the widow of his eldest son, Prince Arthur - however a male heir born of the marriage would likely be underage at the time of his father's death, requiring a regency, which had a long record of causing instability in England. Henry VII was thus forced to turn to his daughters - the eldest, Margaret, was married to James IV of Scotland, so her ascension would result in a union of the crowns. This would remove a thorn from England's side, though some nobles disliked the idea of a foreign king, instead advocating the King's younger daughter Mary - many likely having the idea to marry her and become king themselves. With James IV having declared that he'd defend his wife's and son's rights to the English throne, Henry confirmed Margaret as his heir.
List of Sovereigns[]
House of Tudor-Stewart (1509 - 1714)[]
| Name | Portrait | Reign | Spouse | Claim | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Margaret I 1489 – 1541 |
|
England 1509 - 1541; Scots Consort 1503 - 1533 |
James I and IV | Daughter of Henry VII | |
| James I & IV 1473 - 1533 |
|
Scotland 1488 - 1533; England 1509 - 1533 | Margaret I | Husband of Margaret I | |
| James II & V 1504 - 1558 |
|
England 1541 - 1558; Scotland 1533 - 1558 | Joan FitzGerald | Son of James I & Margaret I | |
| Elizabeth I 1533 - 1603 |
|
1558 - 1603 | Unmarried | Daughter of James II | |
| James III 1566 - 1626 |
|
1603 - 1626 | Anne of Denmark | Nephew of Elizabeth I | |
| Charles I 1594 - 1659 |
|
1626 - 1659 | Mary Anne of Spain | Son of James III | |
| Charles II 1629 - 1689 |
|
1659 - 1689 | Catherine of Braganza | Son of Charles I | |
| Margaret II 1644 - 1714 |
|
1689 - 1714 | George of Denmark | Sister of Charles II | |
House of Oldenburg (1714 - 1901)[]
| Name | Portrait | Reign | Spouse | Claim | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| George I 1660 – 1727 |
|
1714 - 1727 | Sophie Charlotte of Hanover | Son of Margaret II | |
| George II 1683 - 1760 |
|
1727 - 1760 | Caroline of Brandenburg | Son of George I | |
| George III 1735 - 1820 |
|
1760 - 1820 | Charlotte of Mecklenburg | Grandson of George II | |
| George IV 1764 - 1837 |
|
1820 - 1837 | Marian Victoria of Portugal | Son of George III | |
| Victoria 1816 - 1901 |
|
1837 - 1901 | Albert of Thuringia | Granddaughter of George IV | |
House of Windsor (1901 - present)[]
| Name | Portrait | Reign | Spouse | Claim | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edward IX 1840 – 1910 |
|
1901 - 1910 | Alexandra of Denmark | Son of Victoria | |
| George V 1865 - 1936 |
|
1910 - 1936 | Mary of Teck | Son of Edward IX | |
| George VI 1895 - 1952 |
|
1936 - 1952 | Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon | Son of George V | |
| Elizabeth II born 1926 |
|
1952 - present | Philip of Greece | Daughter of George VI | |
- The heir apparent is The Queen's eldest son, Charles, The Prince of Wales. The heir apparent's heir is his eldest son, William, The Duke of Edinburgh; his heir is his eldest son, Prince George of Edinburgh.