List of UK monarchy records - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Longest

The longest reign of a British monarch is the or 63 years 7 months and 3 days of Queen Victoria

Victoria of the United Kingdom

Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....

between 1837 and 1901.

The king who had the longest reign was George III who ruled for 59 years 96 days between 1760 and 1820.

James Stuart

James Francis Edward Stuart

James Francis Edward, Prince of Wales was the son of the deposed James II of England...

, the Old Pretender, was a pretender to the throne from 16 September 1701 until his death on 1 January 1766, a total of 64 years 109 days.

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is the husband of Elizabeth II. He is the United Kingdom's longest-serving consort and the oldest serving spouse of a reigning British monarch....

has been the monarch's spouse (prince consort

Prince consort

A prince consort is the husband of a queen regnant who is not himself a king in his own right.Current examples include the Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh , and Prince Henrik of Denmark .In recognition of his status, a prince consort may be given a formal...

) since 6 February 1952, for a total of , making him the longest-serving consort overall.

The Queen consort with the longest tenure was Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was the Queen consort of the United Kingdom as the wife of King George III...

, who was George III's consort for , between 1761 and 1818.

When Prince Edward acceded as Edward VII

Edward VII of the United Kingdom

Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...

, he was the longest-serving Prince of Wales, with a tenure of .

Prince Charles

Charles, Prince of Wales

Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...

is the longest serving heir-apparent, Duke of Cornwall

Duke of Cornwall

The Duchy of Cornwall was the first duchy created in the peerage of England.The present Duke of Cornwall is The Prince of Wales, the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II, the reigning British monarch .-History:...

, and Duke of Rothesay

Duke of Rothesay

Duke of Rothesay was a title of the heir apparent to the throne of the Kingdom of Scotland before 1707, of the Kingdom of Great Britain from 1707 to 1801, and now of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland....

, with a tenure of . He gained this distinction on 21 April 2011, which was incidentally his mother's

Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom

Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...

85th Birthday.

The heiress-apparent with the longest tenure was Queen Anne (heiress to William III & II

William III of England

William III & II was a sovereign Prince of Orange of the House of Orange-Nassau by birth. From 1672 he governed as Stadtholder William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic. From 1689 he reigned as William III over England and Ireland...

for ).

Margaret of Scotland, Countess of Kent

Margaret of Scotland, Countess of Kent

Margaret of Scotland was the first child born to William I of Scotland and his Queen consort Ermengarde de Beaumont. She was an older sister of Alexander II of Scotland....

was heiress-presumptive to William I of Scotland

William I of Scotland

William the Lion , sometimes styled William I, also known by the nickname Garbh, "the Rough", reigned as King of the Scots from 1165 to 1214...

, Alexander II

Alexander II of Scotland

Alexander II was King of Scots from1214 to his death.-Early life:...

and Alexander III

Alexander III of Scotland

Alexander III was King of Scots from 1249 to his death.-Life:...

for a total of about 43 years, 14 days (her tenure as heiress to Alexander II was also the longest single tenure at ).

The longest-serving heir-presumptive (of either sex) was Robert II

Robert II of Scotland

Robert II became King of Scots in 1371 as the first monarch of the House of Stewart. He was the son of Walter Stewart, hereditary High Steward of Scotland and of Marjorie Bruce, daughter of Robert I and of his first wife Isabella of Mar...

, who was heir to Robert I

Robert I of Scotland

Robert I , popularly known as Robert the Bruce , was King of Scots from March 25, 1306, until his death in 1329.His paternal ancestors were of Scoto-Norman heritage , and...

and then David II

David II of Scotland

David II was King of Scots from 7 June 1329 until his death.-Early life:...

for a total of 46 years, 353 days; he also served the longest single tenure ( as heir to David II).

Shortest

The shortest-reigning British monarch was Lady Jane Grey

Lady Jane Grey

Lady Jane Grey , also known as The Nine Days' Queen, was an English noblewoman who was de facto monarch of England from 10 July until 19 July 1553 and was subsequently executed...

who ruled for days from 6 July until 19 July 1553 (although she was only proclaimed queen by the Lords of the Council on 10 July).

The king with the shortest definitively known reign was Edgar the Atheling who ruled for 2 months, 12 days in 1066 before submitting to William the Conqueror

William I of England

William I , also known as William the Conqueror , was the first Norman King of England from Christmas 1066 until his death. He was also Duke of Normandy from 3 July 1035 until his death, under the name William II...

. Some records indicate that Sweyn Forkbeard reigned for only 40 days in 1013-4.

The Queen consort with the shortest tenure was Yolande de Dreux second wife of Alexander III

Alexander III of Scotland

Alexander III was King of Scots from 1249 to his death.-Life:...

queen for days between 1285 and 1286.

The living heir-apparent with the shortest tenure was the unnamed first son of James II of Scotland

James II of Scotland

James II reigned as King of Scots from 1437 to his death.He was the son of James I, King of Scots, and Joan Beaufort...

, who lived for less than a day; the shortest tenure for a Prince of Wales was that of James Francis Edward Stuart

James Francis Edward Stuart

James Francis Edward, Prince of Wales was the son of the deposed James II of England...

( days).

Elizabeth I

Elizabeth I of England

Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...

holds the records for the shortest tenure of an heiress-apparent (almost 2 years as heir to Henry VIII

Henry VIII of England

Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...

) and the shortest-serving heiress-presumptive (and heir-presumptive of either sex) was Lady Jane Grey

Lady Jane Grey

Lady Jane Grey , also known as The Nine Days' Queen, was an English noblewoman who was de facto monarch of England from 10 July until 19 July 1553 and was subsequently executed...

's sister, The Lady Herbert of Cardiff

Lady Catherine Grey

Lady Catherine Grey , Countess of Hertford, was the younger sister of Lady Jane Grey. A granddaughter of Henry VIII's sister Mary, she was a potential successor to her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I of England, but incurred Elizabeth's wrath by her secret marriage to Edward Seymour, 1st Earl of Hertford...

(13 days).

The longest single tenure for a male heir-presumptive was Walter Stewart, Earl of Atholl, heir to James II

James II of Scotland

James II reigned as King of Scots from 1437 to his death.He was the son of James I, King of Scots, and Joan Beaufort...

for ; the shortest total tenure as a male heir-presumptive was George I

George I of Great Britain

George I was King of Great Britain and Ireland from 1 August 1714 until his death, and ruler of the Duchy and Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg in the Holy Roman Empire from 1698....

( days).

Longest-lived

The longest-lived British monarch is Queen Elizabeth II

Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom

, the current monarch, who is aged . She equaled the second longest, Queen Victoria

Victoria of the United Kingdom

Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....

's, record on 20 December 2007. (Queen Victoria died at the age of 81 years, 7 months and 29 days in 1901.) The longest-lived male British monarch was George III

George III of the United Kingdom

George III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...

, who died at the age of in 1820.

The longest-lived British head of state was Richard Cromwell

Richard Cromwell

At the same time, the officers of the New Model Army became increasingly wary about the government's commitment to the military cause. The fact that Richard Cromwell lacked military credentials grated with men who had fought on the battlefields of the English Civil War to secure their nation's...

who lived until the age of .

The longest-lived Queen Consort was Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon

Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon

Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon was the queen consort of King George VI from 1936 until her husband's death in 1952, after which she was known as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, to avoid confusion with her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II...

, consort to George VI

George VI of the United Kingdom

George VI was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death...

, and mother of the current longest-lived British monarch, who was 101 years 238 days at the time of her death on 30 March 2002.

Shortest-lived

The youngest monarch to die was Margaret, Maid of Norway

Margaret, Maid of Norway

Margaret , usually known as the Maid of Norway , sometimes known as Margaret of Scotland , was a Norwegian princess who was Queen of Scots from 1286 until her death...

who died at the age of 7 years, five months, and 18 days in 1290.

The youngest English Monarch to die was Edward V

Edward V of England

Edward V was King of England from 9 April 1483 until his deposition two months later. His reign was dominated by the influence of his uncle Richard, Duke of Gloucester, who succeeded him as Richard III...

, who was most likely murdered after he was deposed, when he was 12.

Oldest

The oldest monarch at the start of his reign was William IV

William IV of the United Kingdom

William IV was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death...

who succeeded to the throne in 1830 when he was 64 years 10 months — The current Prince of Wales

Charles, Prince of Wales

would surpass this age on 18 September 2013.

The oldest queen at the time of her accession was Mary I

Mary I of England

Mary I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from July 1553 until her death.She was the only surviving child born of the ill-fated marriage of Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon. Her younger half-brother, Edward VI, succeeded Henry in 1547...

, aged 37 years 5 months when she became queen in 1553.

The oldest Queen Consort was Alexandra of Denmark

Alexandra of Denmark

Alexandra of Denmark was the wife of Edward VII of the United Kingdom...

, queen to Edward VII

Edward VII of the United Kingdom

Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...

, who was aged when she became queen in 1901.

Youngest

The youngest British monarch at the start her reign was Mary, Queen of Scots, who became queen aged just days in 1542. The youngest king was Henry VI

Henry VI of England

Henry VI was King of England from 1422 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471, and disputed King of France from 1422 to 1453. Until 1437, his realm was governed by regents. Contemporaneous accounts described him as peaceful and pious, not suited for the violent dynastic civil wars, known as the Wars...

, who was 8 months and 25 days old at the time of his accession.

The youngest Queen Consort was Isabella of Valois, second wife of Richard II

Richard II of England

Richard II was King of England, a member of the House of Plantagenet and the last of its main-line kings. He ruled from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. Richard was a son of Edward, the Black Prince, and was born during the reign of his grandfather, Edward III...

, aged 6 years 11 months and 25 days when she became queen in 1396.

Most marriages

Henry VIII

Henry VIII of England

Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...

was married six times, making him Britain's most-married monarch. The Queen who was married the most times was Mary, Queen of Scots, who had three husbands.

Never married

William II

William II of England

William II , the third son of William I of England, was King of England from 1087 until 1100, with powers over Normandy, and influence in Scotland. He was less successful in extending control into Wales...

, Edward V

Edward V of England

, Edward VI

Edward VI of England

Edward VI was the King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death. He was crowned on 20 February at the age of nine. The son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, Edward was the third monarch of the Tudor dynasty and England's first monarch who was raised as a Protestant...

, and Elizabeth I

Elizabeth I of England

all lived and died unmarried.

Youngest

The youngest monarch to marry was David II

David II of Scotland

David II was King of Scots from 7 June 1329 until his death.-Early life:...

, who married Joan, daughter of Edward II

Joan of The Tower

Joan of England , known as Joan of The Tower, was the first wife and Queen consort of king David II of Scotland.-Birth:...

when he was old in 1328.

The youngest queen at the time of her marriage was Mary II

Mary II of England

Mary II was joint Sovereign of England, Scotland, and Ireland with her husband and first cousin, William III and II, from 1689 until her death. William and Mary, both Protestants, became king and queen regnant, respectively, following the Glorious Revolution, which resulted in the deposition of...

, who was old when she married William III

William III of England

in 1677.

The youngest Queen Consort was Isabella of Valois, who married Richard II

Richard II of England

when she was old in 1396.

Oldest

The oldest monarch at the time of his first marriage was William IV

William IV of the United Kingdom

William IV was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death...

, who was old when he married Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen

Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen

Princess Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen was the queen consort of the United Kingdom and of Hanover as spouse of William IV of the United Kingdom. Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia, is named after her.-Early life:Adelaide was born on 13 August 1792 at Meiningen, Thuringia, Germany...

in 1818.

Mary I

Mary I of England

was the oldest queen at the time of her first marriage, aged when she married Prince Philip of Spain

Philip II of Spain

Philip II was King of Spain, Portugal, Naples, Sicily, and, while married to Mary I, King of England and Ireland. He was lord of the Seventeen Provinces from 1556 until 1581, holding various titles for the individual territories such as duke or count....

in 1554.

When second or subsequent marriages are included the oldest monarch at the time of his marriage was Edward I

Edward I of England

Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...

, whose second marriage was to Marguerite of France

Marguerite of France (born 1282)

Margaret of France , a daughter of Philip III of France and Maria of Brabant, was Queen of England as the second wife of King Edward I, who was her father's first cousin.-Early life:...

in 1299 when he was old and she was only 19.

The oldest Queen Consort at the time of her marriage was Maud, Countess of Huntingdon who married David I

David I of Scotland

David I or Dabíd mac Maíl Choluim was a 12th-century ruler who was Prince of the Cumbrians and later King of the Scots...

when she was around 40 years old.

Longest

The longest marriage of a British sovereign is between Elizabeth II

Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom

and Prince Philip, who have been married since 20 November 1947, making their marriage old.

Shortest

The shortest marriage is between Alexander III of Scotland

Alexander III of Scotland

Alexander III was King of Scots from 1249 to his death.-Life:...

and Yolande, who were married for 4 months and 19 days from 1285-1286.

Most

The British monarch with the most children was Henry I

Henry I of England

Henry I was the fourth son of William I of England. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106...

, who had 29 children (5 legitimate).

The British monarch with the most legitimate children was James II/VII who had 20 children, 8 by his first wife, and 12 by his second.

The Queen Regnant with the most children was Queen Anne

Anne of Great Britain

Anne ascended the thrones of England, Scotland and Ireland on 8 March 1702. On 1 May 1707, under the Act of Union, two of her realms, England and Scotland, were united as a single sovereign state, the Kingdom of Great Britain.Anne's Catholic father, James II and VII, was deposed during the...

, who had 18 children (6 of whom survived infancy).

Age of Parents

The youngest Queen Consort to give birth was Mary de Bohun

Mary de Bohun

Mary de Bohun was the first wife of King Henry IV of England and the mother of King Henry V. Mary was never queen, as she died before her husband came to the throne.-Early life:...

, wife of Henry IV

Henry IV of England

Henry IV was King of England and Lord of Ireland . He was the ninth King of England of the House of Plantagenet and also asserted his grandfather's claim to the title King of France. He was born at Bolingbroke Castle in Lincolnshire, hence his other name, Henry Bolingbroke...

. In April 1382, at the age of 12, she gave birth to their first child, Edward, who lived only four days. At only 15, Henry

Henry IV of England

is the youngest King to father a child.

The youngest Queen Regnant to give birth is Mary II

Mary II of England

, who gave birth to a stillborn child in 1678, when she was just 16.

The oldest parent was Edward I

Edward I of England

, who fathered his last child, Eleanor, in 1306, when he was 66, almost 67 years old.

The oldest mother was Eleanor of Aquitaine

Eleanor of Aquitaine

Eleanor of Aquitaine was one of the wealthiest and most powerful women in Western Europe during the High Middle Ages. As well as being Duchess of Aquitaine in her own right, she was queen consort of France and of England...

, who gave birth to John

John of England

John , also known as John Lackland , was King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death...

, in 1166, when she was 44.

Tallest

By far the tallest British monarch was Edward IV

Edward IV of England

Edward IV was King of England from 4 March 1461 until 3 October 1470, and again from 11 April 1471 until his death. He was the first Yorkist King of England...

, whose skeleton measures 6'4½" (1.94 m). Records indicate that when fully clad in armour he would have been about 6'7" (2 metres), an exceptional height for any man in the 15th century.

Both Edward Longshanks

Edward I of England

and Richard the Lionheart

Richard I of England

Richard I was King of England from 6 July 1189 until his death. He also ruled as Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Lord of Cyprus, Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Count of Nantes, and Overlord of Brittany at various times during the same period...

were also considered unusually tall for the Medieval period - although contrary to popular belief, 'Longshanks' was not called that due to the length of his legs, but his arms; they were over a yard long (91 cm), though there is no evidence to suggest they were particularly disproportionate to the rest of his body.

Shortest

The shortest British monarch (not counting those who ascended as minors) was most likely Queen Victoria

Victoria of the United Kingdom

Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....

, who stood only 5' (1.52 m) when in her 30s, and would have more than likely been an inch or two shorter towards the end of her life.

Longest

Shortest

Longest-lived

Shortest-lived

Oldest

Youngest

Most marriages

Never married

Youngest

Oldest

Longest

Shortest

Most

Age of Parents

Tallest

Shortest

See also