List of British monarchs
The list of British monarchs contains the sovereign heads of state of the UK since the abolition of the personal union between the Kingdoms of England and Scotland and the grounds of the Real Union with the name " Kingdom " by the Act of Union in 1707 until today.
Since 1603 was between England and Scotland a personal union by a monarch held the throne of both kingdoms. In addition, the monarch was also King of Ireland, which was in personal union since the high Middle Ages with England. The Anglo - Scottish Union staff was on May 1, 1707 replaced by the Act of Union of 1707 by a real union with the name " Kingdom of Great Britain ", which remained in personal union with Ireland. Since 1714 was also a personal union with the German Electorate of Hanover, which was raised in 1814 to the Kingdom of Hanover and the dissolved due to various succession rules again in 1837 from the Union.
The name of the state of Great Britain changed the course of history twice. By decided in the Act of Union of 1800 Real Union between Britain and Ireland, the " United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland " was established on 1 January 1801. And by the establishment in December 1922 separation of the Irish Free State from the UK whose country's name was changed in 1927 in the name still valid today, "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ". The monarch remained formally in personal union the Heads of State of the Irish Free State until 1937 defined this as a Republican state, and in 1949 completely exited the British Commonwealth.
The Kingdom is (eng: United Kingdom, in short: UK) today for the sake of simplicity simply " United Kingdom" called.
List of British monarchs
House of Stuart
House of Hanover ( Guelph )
House of Saxe -Coburg and Gotha / Windsor ( Wettin )
Heir to the throne
The current Crown Prince (eng: Heir apparent ) and thus designated heir to the British throne is Charles Mountbatten -Windsor, Prince of Wales ( born November 14, 1948). He has held since the accession of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in 1952 this position.