Before 1603, theKingdom of England and theKingdom of Scotland were independent states with different monarchs. However,James VI of Scotland inherited the monarchy of England (becoming James VI and I) from his cousinElizabeth I, meaning that the two independent countries shared a monarch in apersonal union known as theUnion of the Crowns. Between November 1606 and July 1607 unification between the two countries was discussed at Westminster. While the English Parliament agreed to certain concessions to the Scots, it refused union. In October 1604, James VI and I declared himself to be the 'King of Great Britain'.[1] Thestyle was used on coins, stamps, and elsewhere; however theParliament of England did not allow the title to be used officially, nor did they consider him the King of a single unified country.[2][3]
Anne ascended the throne on 8 March 1702 upon the death of herbrother-in-lawWilliam III, becoming Queen of England and Queen of Scotland.[4][5] In November that year, Anne began negotiations with theParliament of Scotland about a possible union of the two countries, but by 1704 they had ended without a deal. In 1706, a new proposal was debated that involved the merger of Scotland and England into a new country called 'Great Britain'. A final version of the proposal was presented to Anne in July that year. In January and March 1707, theTreaty of Union was passed by the Scottish and English parliaments respectively, with the union beginning from May.[5]
Despite having eighteen pregnancies, Anne did not produce an heir that survived her or to adulthood.[6] Before union, England had passed theAct of Settlement 1701 which defined Anne's cousinSophia of Hanover and her heirs as Anne's successor in England and Ireland and disqualifiedCatholics from becoming monarch.[7] However, Scotland had passed its own law, theAct of Security 1704, which allowed its parliament to choose an heir upon Anne's death.[8] On union, Great Britain adopted the English succession and the Act of Security was repealed. When Anne died in 1714, she was succeeded byGeorge I, Sophia of Hanover's eldest son.[7]
The thirteen monarchs consist of ten kings and three queens. Only two monarchs were born outside of the United Kingdom; these were George I andGeorge II, who were both born in Germany.[9] All but two monarchs died in the United Kingdom: George I died while he was still King, during a trip to his birth place;[10]Edward VIII (by then Prince Edward, Duke of Windsor) died inVilla Windsor, Paris, while living inexile in France having abdicated over 35 years beforehand.[11] The longest reigning monarch wasElizabeth II who reigned for 70 years and 214 days between 1952 and 2022;[12] the shortest reigning monarch was Edward VIII, who reigned for 326 days between January and December 1936. Only eleven of the thirteen monarchs have been crowned as a monarch of Great Britain or the United Kingdom: Anne was crowned in 1702 before the Treaty of Union;[13] and Edward VIII abdicated before hecould be crowned.[14]
BetweenGeorge I andWilliam IV, all monarchs had the additional office ofElector of Hanover (laterKing of Hanover). Hanover was a separate kingdom with its own government and army. WhenVictoria acceded to the throne in 1837, she could not become the Queen of Hanoversuo jure as it followedSalic law, meaning that it could only be inherited by men through the male-line. Instead, her uncleErnest Augustus became King of Hanover.[15]
^All information is sourced from the provided pages ofAlison Weir'sBritain's Royal Families: The Complete Genealogy unless other sources are referenced in a cell.
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