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List of historic titles of British monarchs

This list of titles and honours of the British monarch details the current and former titles of the sovereign of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and its predecessor states.

The present United Kingdom was formed in 1922 when the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, which had been formed in 1801 from the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland, was partitioned to create the Irish Free State. The Kingdom of Great Britain was itself formed in 1707 from the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland. England and Scotland had been in a personal union since 1603, while Ireland had been in a personal union with the Kingdom of England since the elevation of the Lordship of Ireland to the status of a kingdom in 1542. Wales was gradually conquered by England in the Middle Ages, beginning with the Norman invasion of Wales and concluding with the conquests of Edward I in 1277–83. Wales was legally incorporated into England between 1535 and 1542 by King Henry VIII.

The medieval monarchs of England also controlled large parts of France, particularly under the Angevin kings. Several of the listed titles are therefore French, many held as fiefs of the French Crown rather than independently. Also represented is the English claim to the France, maintained for over 400 years before being dropped after the French Revolution.

While the English claim to France was not seriously pursued after the Middle Ages, later monarchs did hold foreign titles. When William III became King alongside his wife Mary II, he maintained his Dutch titles. The Georgian kings ruled as Electors and Kings of Hanover, as well as holding the office of Arch-Treasurer of the Holy Roman Empire. These titles lapsed when Queen Victoria succeeded to the throne.

While the British Empire only gave the monarch one significant new title, that of Emperor of India, its transformation into the Commonwealth of Nations and decolonisation created many new independent states, each with a separate monarchy. Of the thirty-two realms Elizabeth II became queen of on her accession in 1952, only sixteen retain her as their monarch. All current and former Commonwealth realms are listed below.

Titles held by the monarch of the United Kingdom

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See also: List of titles and honours of Charles III

Kingdoms

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Lordships

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Non-hereditary titles

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Religious titles

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Commonwealth realms

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These kingdoms are independent of the British Crown, but are held in personal union with the United Kingdom and follow the same rules of succession.

Kingdom Royal standard / national flag Date established
Canada 1985
Australia 1973
New Zealand 1974
Jamaica 1962
The Bahamas   1973
Grenada   1974
Papua New Guinea   1975
Solomon Islands   1978
Tuvalu  
Saint Lucia   1979
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines  
Belize   1981
Antigua and Barbuda  
Saint Kitts and Nevis   1983

Customary titles

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These titles are used by custom in their respective areas, but are not formally held by the monarch.

Title Image Since Notes
Duke of Lancaster   1413 Used in historic Lancashire to reflect the ownership of the Duchy of Lancaster by the monarch separately from the Crown Estate.
Duke of Normandy (Channel Islands) 1259 Used on the Channel Islands to reflect their status as the remnants of the Duchy of Normandy controlled by the Kings of England between 1066 and 1259. The role of monarch of the islands is separate from that of the United Kingdom, but there is no specific title for their sovereign.

Titles formerly held by British monarchs

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The following titles include those held by the monarchs of the predecessor kingdoms to the United Kingdom, and titles formerly used but now abolished.

Kingdoms, empires and equivalent

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Title Coat of arms Date formed Date abolished Notes
King/Queen of the United Kingdom   1801 1922 Partitioned into the Irish Free State and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
King/Queen of Great Britain   1707 1801 Merged with Ireland to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
King/Queen of England   927 1707 Merged with Scotland to form Great Britain.
King/Queen of Scotland   843 Merged with England to form Great Britain.
King/Queen of Ireland   1542 1801 Merged with Great Britain to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
King/Queen of France   1422 (disputed) 1453 (disputed) Claimed from 1340 to 1360 and 1369–1801 by the Kings of England and their successors. Henry VI disputedly ruled France as Henry II of France but was ultimately defeated by Charles VII of France as part of culmination of the Hundred Years' War.
Stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Gelderland and Overijssel   1689 1702 William III had held the office of Stadholder as leader of the Dutch Republic since 1672.
King of Hanover   1814 1837 successor to the Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg. Held by the Kings of the United Kingdom from 1814 to 1837. Male-preference Semi-Salic law prevents Queen Victoria from inheriting the Kingdom.
Emperor/Empress of India   1876 1948 Created for Queen Victoria and abandoned by George VI.

Principalities

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Principality Coat of Arms Date formed Date abolished Notes
Chester[3][page needed]   1398 1399 Used exclusively by Richard II
Orange[4]   1650 1702 Title of William III

Duchies

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Title Coat of Arms Date acquired Date lost Notes
Duke of Aquitaine   1154 jure uxoris

1189 suo jure

1451 Gained by the marriage of Duchess Eleanor of Aquitaine to King Henry II in 1154 and subsequently inherited by Richard I in his own right. Lost by Henry VI during the closing phases of the Hundred Years' War.
Duke of Normandy

(Continental Normandy)

  1066 1259 Duke William II of Normandy conquered England in 1066. Henry III renounced his claim to Normandy (besides the Channel Islands) in the Treaty of Paris.

Electorates

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Counties

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Lordships

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  •   Lord of Ireland — used by the Kings of England between 1171 and 1542 to signify their sovereignty over parts of Ireland. Elevated to a Kingdom in 1542.

Religious titles

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Offices of the Holy Roman Empire

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Commonwealth realms

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These Kingdoms were independent of the British Crown, but were held in personal union with the United Kingdom and followed the same rules of succession. Monarchies listed under 'Queen' only had Elizabeth II as their sovereign, and thus never had a reigning king. Dates indicate the year the monarchy was formed and the year of its dissolution.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Royal Title of Elisabeth II, George V and Edward VIII". Archived from the original on 2012-06-23. Retrieved 2010-11-16.
  2. ^ "Lord of Mann Elisabeth II". Archived from the original on 2011-06-02. Retrieved 2010-11-16.
  3. ^ The County Palatine Of Chester: 2,2. T. Cadell And W. Davies. 1810.
  4. ^ "William III | Biography, Mary II, & Prince of Orange". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2020-07-11.
  5. ^ "Henry II | Biography, Accomplishments, & Facts". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2020-07-11.
  6. ^ "Richard I | Biography, Achievements, & Facts". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2020-07-11.
  7. ^ Warner, Kathryn (2014-10-15). Edward II: The Unconventional King. Amberley Publishing Limited. ISBN 978-1-4456-4132-4.
  8. ^ Edwards, Edward (1837). The Great Seals of England. From the Time of Edward the Confessor to the Reign of ... William the Fourth, Etc. [Plates. With an Introduction and Notes by E. Edwards.]. Henry Hering.
  9. ^ "Stephen | king of England". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2020-07-11.
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