Which English monarch has had the longest reign?
List of monarchs in Britain by length of reign
On 9 September 2015 (at the age of ), Elizabeth II became the longest-reigning British monarch and the longest-reigning female monarch in world history. On 23 May 2016 (at the age of ), her reign surpassed the claimed reign of James Francis Edward Stuart (the "Old Pretender"). On 13 October 2016 (at the age of ), she became the world's longest-reigning current monarch (and the world's longest-serving current head of state) after the death of Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX), King of Thailand.
Tomb of Tự Đức
Emperor Tu Duc enjoyed the longest reign of any monarch of the Nguyen dynasty, ruling from 1848-83. Although he had over a hundred wives and concubines, he was unable to father a son (possibly he became sterile after contracting smallpox). Thus, it fell to him to write his own epitaph on the deeds of his reign. He felt this was a bad omen, but the epitaph can still be found inscribed on the stele in the pavilion just to the east of the Emperor's tomb. This stele is the largest of its type in Vietnam, and had to be brought here from a quarry over 500 kilometers away--a trip that took four years.
Records of Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom
Both Robert Walpole (1676–1745) and Lord Wilmington ( 1673–1743) lived under the reigns of the same six sovereigns: Charles II, James II, William III and his joint sovereign Mary II, Queen Anne, George I and George II.
List of British monarchy records
When second or subsequent marriages are included the oldest monarch at the time of his marriage was Edward I, whose second marriage was to Margaret of France in 1299 when he was old and she was no more than 20.
Regnal years of English monarchs
The following is a list of the official regnal years of the monarchs of the Kingdom of England, Great Britain and the United Kingdom from 1066 to the present day. The regnal calendar (""n"th year of the reign of King X", etc.) is used in many official British government and legal documents of historical interest, notably parliamentary statutes.
List of British monarchy records
The greatest age difference of an outgoing British monarch and successor was 54 years and 217 days between George II (born 30 October 1683) and his grandson George III (born 4 June 1738) who succeeded on the former's death on 25 October 1760.
List of British monarchy records
The oldest female monarch at the time of her ascension was Mary I, aged 37 years, 151 days when she became queen in 1553.
List of monarchs in Britain by length of reign
Includes Scottish monarchs from the installation of Kenneth I (House of Alpin) in 848 to Anne (House of Stuart) and the Acts of Union on 1 May 1707, when the crown became part of the Kingdom of Great Britain.
List of monarchs in Britain by length of reign
If she is still reigning on – On 1 January 1801 the Kingdom of Great Britain united with the Kingdom of Ireland to become the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, becoming the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland by Act of Parliament in 1927 following the creation of the Irish Free State in 1922.
List of English monarchs
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Succession to the French throne
Louis XIV, grandson of Henry IV, was the longest-reigning king in European history. Louis XIV had only one son to survive to adulthood, the Dauphin Louis. The Dauphin, in turn, had three sons: Louis, Duke of Burgundy, Philip, Duke of Anjou, and Charles, Duke of Berry.
List of monarchs of Wessex
This is a list of monarchs of Wessex until 927. For later monarchs, see the List of English monarchs. While the details of the later monarchs are confirmed by a number of sources, the earlier ones are in many cases obscure.
List of British monarchy records
The king with the shortest definitively known reign was Edgar the Ætheling who ruled for 2 months, 12 days in 1066 before submitting to William the Conqueror. Some records indicate that Sweyn Forkbeard reigned for only 40 days in 1013-4.
Monarchy of the United Kingdom
With a further series of battles and deposings, five of Malcolm's sons as well as one of his brothers successively became king. Eventually, the Crown came to his youngest son, David I. David was succeeded by his grandsons Malcolm IV, and then by William the Lion, the longest-reigning King of Scots before the Union of the Crowns. William participated in a rebellion against King Henry II of England but when the rebellion failed, William was captured by the English. In exchange for his release, William was forced to acknowledge Henry as his feudal overlord. The English King Richard I agreed to terminate the arrangement in 1189, in return for a large sum of money needed for the Crusades. William died in 1214, and was succeeded by his son Alexander II. Alexander II, as well as his successor Alexander III, attempted to take over the Western Isles, which were still under the overlordship of Norway. During the reign of Alexander III, Norway launched an unsuccessful invasion of Scotland; the ensuing Treaty of Perth recognised Scottish control of the Western Isles and other disputed areas.
List of English monarchs
After the Monarchy was restored, England came under the rule of Charles II, whose reign was relatively peaceful domestically, given the tumultuous time of the Interregnum years. Tensions still existed between Catholics and Protestants, however, and with the ascension of Charles's brother, the openly Catholic James II, England was again sent into a period of political turmoil. James II was ousted by Parliament less than three years after ascending to the throne, replaced by his daughter Mary II and her husband (also his nephew) William III during the Glorious Revolution. While James and his descendants would continue to claim the throne, all Catholics (such as James and his son Charles) were barred from the throne by the Act of Settlement 1701, enacted by Anne, another of James's Protestant daughters. After the Acts of Union 1707, England as a sovereign state ceased to exist, replaced by the new Kingdom of Great Britain.
Records of Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom
Sir Winston Churchill (1874–1965), Clement Attlee (1883–1967), Anthony Eden (1897–1977) and Harold Macmillan (1894–1986) all lived under the six reigns of Victoria, Edward VII, George V, Edward VIII, George VI and Elizabeth II.
List of English monarchs
The Angevins ruled over the Angevin Empire during the 12th and 13th centuries, an area stretching from the Pyrenees to Ireland. They did not regard England as their primary home until most of their continental domains were lost by John. Though the Angevin dynasty was short-lived, their male line descendants included the House of Plantagenet, the House of Lancaster and the House of York.
English Civil War
The wars left England, Scotland, and Ireland among the few countries in Europe without a monarch. In the wake of victory, many of the ideals (and many of the idealists) became sidelined. The republican government of the Commonwealth of England ruled England (and later all of Scotland and Ireland) from 1649 to 1653 and from 1659 to 1660. Between the two periods, and due to in-fighting among various factions in Parliament, Oliver Cromwell ruled over the Protectorate as Lord Protector (effectively a military dictator) until his death in 1658.
Living prime ministers of the United Kingdom
There have been ten periods when six living current or former prime ministers co-existed, with the longest being a nine-year period beginning with the first appointment (1834) of Robert Peel. The most recent period was from the appointment (1990) of John Major and the death (1995) of Harold Wilson. There has been one period (1754) with no living prime minister, a period of ten days that spanned the death of Henry Pelham on 6 March and the appointment of the Duke of Newcastle.
List of English monarchs
Disputed
George III of the United Kingdom
George III lived for 81 years and 239 days and reigned for 59 years and 96 days: both his life and his reign were longer than those of any of his predecessors and subsequent kings. Only Queens Victoria and Elizabeth II have since lived and reigned longer.
George III was dubbed "Farmer George" by satirists, at first to mock his interest in mundane matters rather than politics, but later to contrast his homely thrift with his son's grandiosity and to portray him as a man of the people. Under George III, the British Agricultural Revolution reached its peak and great advances were made in fields such as science and industry. There was unprecedented growth in the rural population, which in turn provided much of the workforce for the concurrent Industrial Revolution. George's collection of mathematical and scientific instruments is now owned by King's College London but housed in the Science Museum, London, to which it has been on long-term loan since 1927. He had the King's Observatory built in Richmond-upon-Thames for his own observations of the 1769 transit of Venus. When William Herschel discovered Uranus in 1781, he at first named it "Georgium Sidus" (George's Star) after the King, who later funded the construction and maintenance of Herschel's 1785 40-foot telescope, which was the biggest ever built at the time.
Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV
According to the "International Herald Tribune", "Tupou IV's 41-year reign made him one of the world's longest-serving sovereigns", after Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej; Queen Elizabeth II, as queen of Australia, Barbados, Canada, Jamaica, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, specifically; and Samoa's head of state, Malietoa Tanumafili II.
List of British monarchy records
Henry VIII 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. The most-married queen consort was Catherine Parr, sixth wife of Henry VIII, who had four husbands.
List of English monarchs
Louis VIII of France briefly won about half of England over to his side from 1216 to 1217 at the conclusion of the First Barons' War against King John. On marching into London he was openly received by the rebel barons and citizens of London and proclaimed (though not crowned) king at St Paul's cathedral. Many nobles, including Alexander II of Scotland for his English possessions, gathered to give homage to him. However, in signing the Treaty of Lambeth in 1217, Louis conceded that he had never been the legitimate king of England.
Queen regnant
In 2015, Elizabeth II became the longest-reigning queen regnant and female head of state in world history. In 2016, she became the longest currently serving head of state and longest currently reigning monarch.
List of shortest-reigning monarchs
"Due to the ephemeral nature of his reign, the following has been disputed as a genuine monarch:"
Robert Walpole
Although the exact dates of Walpole's dominance, dubbed the "Robinocracy", are a matter of scholarly debate, the period 1721–1742 is often used. He dominated the Walpole–Townshend ministry and the subsequent Walpole ministry and holds the record as the longest-serving British prime minister in history. Speck says that Walpole's uninterrupted run of 20 years as Prime Minister "is rightly regarded as one of the major feats of British political history... Explanations are usually offered in terms of his expert handling of the political system after 1720, [and] his unique blending of the surviving powers of the crown with the increasing influence of the Commons".
List of British monarchy records
The oldest ever heir presumptive who died while in waiting was Sophia of Hanover, who lived from 14 October 1630 to 8 June 1714 ().
Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden
Carl XVI Gustaf is the longest-reigning monarch in Swedish history, having surpassed King Magnus IV's reign of 44 years and 222 days on 26 April 2018.
Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother
On 30 March 2002, at 15:15 (GMT), the Queen Mother died in her sleep at the Royal Lodge, Windsor Great Park, with her surviving daughter, Queen Elizabeth II, at her bedside. She had been suffering from a cold for the previous four months. At 101 years and 238 days old she was the longest-lived member of the royal family in British history. Her last surviving sister-in-law Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, exceeded that, dying aged 102 on 29 October 2004.
ICW World Heavyweight Championship (Scotland)
As of November 2017, BT Gunn has the record for most reigns, with three. Darkside's first reign is the longest in the title's history, at 1028 days (the company was largely inactive during this period), while Joe Coffey's reign is the shortest, as he lost the title the same day. Drew Galloway currently holds the record for the most defenses, both within an individual reign and cumulatively. Joe Coffey holds the record for least successful defenses, losing the championship to Wolfgang in his first defense.
List of British monarchy records
The longest single tenure for a male heir-presumptive was Walter Stewart, Earl of Atholl, heir-presumptive to James II of Scotland for ; the shortest total tenure as a male heir-presumptive was George I (54 days).
List of English monarchs
Following the decisive Battle of Assandun on 18 October 1016, King Edmund signed a treaty with Cnut (Canute) under which all of England except for Wessex would be controlled by Cnut. Upon Edmund's death just over a month later on 30 November, Cnut ruled the whole kingdom as its sole king for almost twenty years.
Queen Victoria
On 23 September 1896, Victoria surpassed her grandfather George III as the longest-reigning monarch in British history. The Queen requested that any special celebrations be delayed until 1897, to coincide with her Diamond Jubilee, which was made a festival of the British Empire at the suggestion of the Colonial Secretary, Joseph Chamberlain. The prime ministers of all the self-governing Dominions were invited to London for the festivities. One reason for including the prime ministers of the Dominions and excluding foreign heads of state was to avoid having to invite Victoria's grandson, Wilhelm II of Germany, who, it was feared, might cause trouble at the event.
Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby
Edward George Geoffrey Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby, (29 March 1799 – 23 October 1869) was a British statesman, three-time Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and, to date, the longest-serving leader of the Conservative Party. He was known before 1834 as Edward Stanley, and from 1834 to 1851 as Lord Stanley. He is one of only four British prime ministers to have three or more separate periods in office. However, his ministries each lasted less than two years and totalled three years and 280 days.
James Francis Edward Stuart
James died in Rome on 1 January 1766 in his home, the Palazzo Muti, and was buried in the crypt of St. Peter's Basilica in present-day Vatican City. His burial is marked by the Monument to the Royal Stuarts. His claimed reign had lasted for 64 years, 3 months and 16 days, longer than any British monarch until Queen Elizabeth II's reign surpassed it on 23 May 2016.
Queen Victoria
With a reign of 63 years, seven months and two days, Victoria was the longest-reigning British monarch and the longest-reigning queen regnant in world history until her great-great-granddaughter Elizabeth II surpassed her on 9 September 2015. She was the last monarch of Britain from the House of Hanover. Her son and successor Edward VII belonged to her husband's House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
Constitutional monarchy
In Thailand's constitutional monarchy, the monarch is recognized as the Head of State, Head of the Armed Forces, Upholder of the Buddhist Religion, and Defender of the Faith. The immediate former King, Bhumibol Adulyadej, was the longest-reigning monarch in the world and in all of Thailand's history, before passing away on 13 October 2016. Bhumibol reigned through several political changes in the Thai government. He played an influential role in each incident, often acting as mediator between disputing political opponents. (See Bhumibol's role in Thai Politics.) Among the powers retained by the Thai monarch under the constitution, lèse majesté protects the image of the monarch and enables him to play a role in politics. It carries strict criminal penalties for violators. Generally, the Thai people were reverent of Bhumibol. Much of his social influence arose from this reverence and from the socio-economic improvement efforts undertaken by the royal family.
Monarchies in Europe
The monarchy of the United Kingdom can be defined to have started either with the Kingdoms of England (871) or Scotland (843), with the Union of the Crowns on 24 March 1603, or with the Acts of Union of 1 May 1707. It was briefly interrupted by the English Interregnum, with the Commonwealth of England existing in its stead from 30 January 1649 until 15 December 1653 and from 26 May 1659 until 25 May 1660 and the Protectorate taking its place from 16 December 1653 until 25 May 1659. The current monarch is Elizabeth II.
List of longest-living members of the British royal family
The longest-living member of the British royal family has been Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester (1901–2004), who lived 102 years and 309 days. Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester became the oldest ever member of the royal family when she surpassed the age of 101 years and 238 days in 2003, the age at which Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother (1900–2002) died in 2002. Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother had previously set the record of being the longest-living British royal in 1998 when she surpassed the age of 97 years and 313 days, the age of Princess Alice of Albany (1883–1981) when she died in 1981. Princess Alice of Albany is also the longest-living member by blood and was the last surviving grandchild of Queen Victoria (1819–1901) and Albert, Prince Consort (1819–1861). The current oldest living member of the British royal family is Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born 1921), who is the fourth longest-living British royal and the longest-living male British royal. Prince Philip became the longest-serving royal consort in 2009. The United Kingdom’s current reigning monarch, Elizabeth II (born 1926), is presently the sixth longest ever living British royal family member, the longest-living British monarch, and, since September 2015, the longest ever reigning British monarch.
List of shortest-reigning monarchs
The authenticity of some monarchs has been disputed, especially those who reigned during conflict. One factor in such debates is whether the monarch held the throne in a symbolic or nominal capacity. Two examples are"Note: Some of the following have been disputed as genuine monarchs"
"Note: Some of the following have been disputed as genuine monarchs."
List of English monarchs
This list of kings and queens of the Kingdom of England begins with Alfred the Great, King of Wessex, one of the seven Anglo-Saxon kingdoms (Heptarchy) which made up modern England. Alfred styled himself "King of the Anglo-Saxons" from about 886, and while he was not the first king to claim to rule all of the English, his rule represents the start of the first unbroken line of kings to rule the whole of England, the House of Wessex. The last monarch of a distinct kingdom of England was Anne, who became Queen of Great Britain when England merged with Scotland to form a union in 1707. 
Arguments are made for a few different kings deemed to control enough of the Heptarchy to be deemed the first king of England. For example, Offa, king of Mercia, and Egbert, king of Wessex, are sometimes described as kings of England by popular writers, but it is no longer the majority view of historians that their wide dominions are part of a process leading to a unified England, as highlighted by historian Simon Keynes stating, for example, that "Offa was driven by a lust for power, not a vision of English unity; and what he left was a reputation, not a legacy." This refers to a period in the late 8th century when Offa achieved a dominance over many of the kingdoms of southern England, but this did not survive his death in 796. In 829 Egbert of Wessex conquered Mercia, but he soon lost control of it. It was not until the late 9th century that one kingdom, Wessex, had become the dominant Anglo-Saxon kingdom. Its king, Alfred the Great, was overlord of western Mercia and used the title "King of the Angles and Saxons", but he never ruled eastern and northern England, which was then known as the Danelaw, having earlier been conquered by the Danes from Scandinavia. His son Edward the Elder conquered the eastern Danelaw, but Edward's son Æthelstan became the first king to rule the whole of England when he conquered Northumbria in 927, and he is regarded by some modern historians as the first true king of England. The title "King of the English" or "Rex Anglorum" in Latin, was first used to describe Æthelstan in one of his charters in 928.
List of British monarchy records
The youngest mother to give birth to a monarch was Lady Margaret Beaufort, wife of Edmund Tudor, who was 13 years and almost 8 months when she gave birth to Henry VII in 1457.
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
During his wife's Golden Jubilee in 2002, the Duke was commended by the Speaker of the British House of Commons for his role in supporting the Queen during her reign. The Duke of Edinburgh's time as royal consort exceeds that of any other consort in British history; however, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother (his mother-in-law), who died aged 101, has had the longest lifespan to date.
In April 2008, Philip was admitted to King Edward VII's Hospital for "assessment and treatment" for a chest infection, though he walked into the hospital unaided and recovered quickly, and was discharged three days later to recuperate at Windsor Castle. In August, the "Evening Standard" reported that he was suffering from prostate cancer. Buckingham Palace, which usually refuses to comment on rumours of ill health, claimed that the report was an invasion of privacy and issued a statement denying the story. The newspaper retracted the report and admitted it was untrue.
Edward VII
Before his accession to the throne, Edward was the longest-serving heir apparent in British history. He was surpassed by his great-great-grandson Prince Charles on 20 April 2011. The title Prince of Wales is not automatically held by the heir apparent; it is bestowed by the reigning monarch at a time of his or her choosing. Edward was the longest-serving holder of that title until surpassed by Charles on 9 September 2017; Edward was Prince of Wales between 8 December 1841 and 22 January 1901 (59 years, 45 days). Charles was created Prince of Wales on 26 July 1958 ( ago).
Records of Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister with the longest single term was Sir Robert Walpole, lasting 20 years and 315 days from 3 April 1721 until 11 February 1742. This is also longer than the accumulated terms of any other Prime Minister.
Chrysanthemum Throne
Japan is the oldest continuing hereditary monarchy in the world. In much the same sense as the British Crown, the Chrysanthemum Throne is an abstract metonymic concept that represents the monarch and the legal authority for the existence of the government. Unlike its British counterpart, the concepts of Japanese monarchy evolved differently before 1947 when there was, for example, no perceived separation of the property of the nation-state from the person and personal holdings of the Emperor.
List of English monarchs
There is some evidence that Ælfweard of Wessex may have been king for up to four weeks in 924 (timing itself is unclear, as he died 16 days, not 28 days, after his father), between his father Edward the Elder and his brother Æthelstan, although he was not crowned. However, this is not accepted by all historians. Also, it is unclear whether—if Ælfweard was declared king—it was over the whole kingdom or of Wessex only: one interpretation of the ambiguous evidence is that when Edward died, Ælfweard was declared king in Wessex and Æthelstan in Mercia.
Godfrey Huggins
Having served 23 years as Prime Minister, Huggins became the longest serving Prime Minister in British Commonwealth history, beating the records of Mackenzie King of Canada and Sir Robert Walpole of Great Britain and Ireland. He is the only Prime Minister in British Commonwealth history to serve under four monarchs (George V, Edward VIII, George VI, and Elizabeth II).
Diamond jubilee
The longest reigning monarch in history, Sobhuza II of Swaziland, celebrated his diamond jubilee in 1981, dating from when he gained direct rule.
St Mary's Church, Higham Ferrers
The tower contains a ring of ten bells, the previous eight having been restored and rehung in a new frame, together with two new bells, in 2014 by John Taylor & Co, Loughborough, the project marking the 600th anniversary of Henry Chichele's consecration as Archbishop of Canterbury. 167 full peals were rung on the eight bells and twenty one have now been rung on the ten, one being in a new "method", Regnum Diutissime ("the longest reign") Delight Royal in honour of the Queen having become the longest-reigning British monarch.
List of British monarchy records
The shortest marriage is between Alexander III of Scotland and Yolande, who were married for 4 months and 19 days from 1285-1286 until the former's death.
Throne of England
The English Throne is one of the oldest continuing hereditary monarchies in the world. In much the same sense as The Crown, the Throne of England becomes an abstract metonymic concept that represents the legal authority for the existence of the government. It evolved naturally as a separation of the literal throne and property of the nation-state from the person and personal property of the monarch.
List of longest-living members of the British royal family
Twenty-seven members of the British royal family have lived to the age of 80 years or older since the Acts of Union 1707 established the Kingdom of Great Britain. These British royal family members consist of two centenarians, eight nonagenarians, and 17 octogenarians. Of the British royals who have lived to 80 years or longer, 20 have been women and seven have been men. Seventeen of the 27 royals aged 80 or older have been members of the British royal family by blood and 11 have been members through marriage. Of the royals to reach the age of 80 or older, only Princess Mary, Duchess of Gloucester and Edinburgh (1776–1857), was a member of the British royal family by both blood and marriage. Four of the British royals who lived 80 years or longer were deprived of their British peerages and royal titles in 1919 under the Titles Deprivation Act 1917 as the children or spouses of enemies of the United Kingdom during World War I and are indicated below with asterisks (*).
Regnal years of English monarchs
The following table gives the dates of the regnal years for Kings of England (and subsequently Great Britain), from 1066 to the present day. These are official "de jure" dates, and may or may not coincide with whether a particular king had "de facto" power or not at that time. For example, as the Commonwealth era was suppressed in the official record, the regnal years of Charles II are measured from 30 January 1649 (the day his father Charles I was executed); as a result, when Charles II actually became king, on 29 May 1660, he was already in his 12th regnal year. (For the "de facto" tabulation of English rulers, see any conventional list of English monarchs.)
Robert Walpole (colonel)
Colonel Robert Walpole (18 November 1650 – 18 November 1700) was an English Whig politician and soldier who represented the borough of Castle Rising from 1689 to 1700 in the House of Commons of England. Because he held the rank of Colonel in the militia, he was widely known as Colonel Walpole. He is mainly notable for being the father of Sir Robert Walpole. His son, who served during the reigns of George I and George II, is considered to have been the first Prime Minister of Great Britain. He is also known as the "Guinness World Records" titular for having the world's longest overdue book.
Queen's Official Birthday
The monarch's birthday has been celebrated in the United Kingdom since 1748, during the reign of King George II. The Queen's Official Birthday was originally celebrated on the second Thursday of June, the same day that her father, King George VI, celebrated his Official Birthday during his reign. However, this was changed in 1959, seven years after she became Queen, and her Official Birthday has since then been celebrated on the second Saturday of June. Edward VII, who reigned from 1901 to 1910 and whose birthday was on 9 November, after 1908 moved the ceremony to summer in the hope of good weather.
List of WWE SmackDown Women's Champions
Overall, there have been 11 reigns between 7 champions and 1 vacancy. Charlotte Flair holds the record for the longest reign at 147 days while Naomi has the shortest reign at 9 days (WWE recognizes 146 days and 8 days, respectively). Flair and Becky Lynch are tied for the longest combined reign at 175 days (although WWE recognizes 173 days for Flair). Alexa Bliss, Naomi, Flair, and Lynch are tied with the most reigns at two. Asuka is the oldest champion, having won the title at 37, while Bliss is the youngest when she won it at 25.
Records of members of parliament of the United Kingdom
Since regular parliamentary government was established by the start of the UK Parliament, contenders for longest span of continuous service include the four brothers Sir Robert Peel (also twice Prime Minister), William Yates Peel, Jonathan Peel and Edmund Peel, with a span of 59 years from Robert's by-election return on 15 April 1809 as MP for Cashel, to the retirement of Jonathan at the 1868 general election as MP for Huntingdon. Their collective service totalled 115 years and all four were simultaneously in Parliament when Edmund was sitting in 1831–32 and 1835–37 for Newcastle-under-Lyme. Another 59 year service span was enjoyed by two brothers, William Lowther, 2nd Earl of Lonsdale (when Viscount Lowther before entering the House of Lords in 1841) and Henry Cecil Lowther, from the former's election as MP for Cockermouth in 1808 until the death of the latter as MP for Westmorland (which he had represented since 1812) and Father of the House on 4 December 1867.
List of Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom by age
Not all prime ministers live to become the oldest of their time. Of the 49 deceased prime ministers, 30 eventually became the oldest of their lifetime, while 19 did not (including 4 of the 7 prime ministers who died in office, Earl of Wilmington, Henry Pelham, and Viscount Palmerston being the only exceptions). Henry Addington became the oldest living prime minister when Duke of Grafton died in 1811 and remained so until his death in 1844, for a record of almost 33 years. Edward Heath became the oldest living prime minister after the death of James Callaghan, but he survived Callaghan by only 113 days. On two occasions the oldest living prime minister lost this distinction not by his death, but due to the appointment of a prime minister who was older. Robert Walpole lost this distinction when Earl of Wilmington was appointed, then a year later when Wilmington died in office Walpole regained it again until his own death in 1745 for a total period of 22 years, and 207 days. Earl of Rosebery lost it when Henry Campbell-Bannerman was appointed, but regained it again when Campbell-Bannerman died. Consequently, Rosebery too was the oldest living prime minister twice: first from 1903 to 1905 (after the death of Lord Salisbury), and a second time after Campbell-Bannerman's death in 1908 until his own death in 1929 for a total period of 23 years, and 134 days. Edward Heath was the oldest to acquire this distinction at age 89. Anthony Eden, who was 79 years and 216 days old when he died, was the oldest prime minister to die without also being the oldest prime minister. Harold Wilson who died on 24 May 1995 at 79 years and 74 days old, is the most recent prime minister to die without ever acquiring this distinction.
List of British monarchy records
The shortest British monarch in adulthood was most likely Queen Victoria, who stood only 5' (1.52 m) when in her 30s, and was possibly an inch or two shorter towards the end of her life.
List of British monarchy records
The longest marriage of a British sovereign is between Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, who have been married since 20 November 1947, making their marriage old.
History of Western civilization
From 1837 until 1901, Queen Victoria reigned over the United Kingdom and the ever-expanding British Empire. The Industrial Revolution had begun in Britain and during the 19th century it became the most powerful Western nation. Britain also enjoyed relative peace and stability from 1815 until 1914, this period is often called the Pax Britannica, from the Latin "British Peace". This period also saw the evolution of British constitutional monarchy, with the monarch being more a figurehead and symbol of national identity than actual head of state, with that role being taken over by the Prime Minister, the leader of the ruling party in Parliament. Two dominant parties emerging in Parliament in this time were the Conservative Party and the Liberal Party. The Liberal constituency was made up of mostly of businessmen, as many Liberals supported the idea of a free market. Conservatives were supported by the aristocracy and farmers. Control of Parliament switched between the parties over the 19th century, but overall the century was a period of reform. In 1832 more representation was granted to new industrial cities, and laws barring Catholics from serving in Parliament were repealed, although discrimination against Catholics, especially Irish Catholics, continued. Other reforms granted near universal manhood suffrage, and state-supported elementary education for all Britons. More rights were granted to workers as well.
Kingdom of England
Histories of the kingdom of England from the Norman conquest of 1066 conventionally distinguish periods named after successive ruling dynasties: Norman 1066–1154, Plantagenet 1154–1485, Tudor 1485–1603 and Stuart 1603–1714 (interrupted by the Interregnum (England) of 1649–1660).
Dynastically, all English monarchs after 1066 ultimately claim descent from the Normans; the distinction of the Plantagenets is merely conventional, beginning with Henry II (reigned 1154–1189) as from that time, the Angevin kings became "more English in nature"; the houses of Lancaster and York are both Plantagenet cadet branches, the Tudor dynasty claimed descent from Edward III via John Beaufort and James VI and I of the House of Stuart claimed descent from Henry VII via Margaret Tudor.
List of WWE United States Champions
Overall, there have been 92 different champions. Ric Flair holds the record for having the most reigns at six, while John Cena holds the record for most reigns under the WWE banner at five. Lex Luger holds the record for the longest reign, with his third reign lasting a total of 523 days, while Dean Ambrose holds the longest reign under the WWE banner, at 351 days (overall the third longest in the title's history). Only two men, Lex Luger and Rick Rude, have held the championship for a continuous reign of one year (365 days) or more, while the shortest-reigning champion, Steve Austin, held it for five minutes.
List of monarchs in Britain by length of reign
Includes English monarchs from the installation of Alfred the Great as King of Wessex in 871 to Anne (House of Stuart) and the Acts of Union on 1 May 1707, when the crown became part of the Kingdom of Great Britain.
Margaret Thatcher
Thatcher's tenure of 11 years and 209 days as Prime Minister was the longest since Lord Salisbury (13 years and 252 days, in three spells) and the longest continuous period in office since Lord Liverpool (14 years and 305 days). She remains the longest-serving Prime Minister officially referred to as such, as the post was only officially given recognition in the order of precedence in 1905.
WWE United Kingdom Championship
As of 02, 2022, there have been two reigns. The inaugural champion was Tyler Bate, who won the inaugural tournament. Bate is also the youngest champion, winning the title at 19 years old, while the oldest champion is Pete Dunne, winning the title at 23. Dunne has the longest reign at + days, while Bate has the shortest at 125 days.
Records of heads of state
The longest reigning female monarch ever is Elizabeth II, who is currently the Queen of the United Kingdom and other commonwealth realms, and is a constitutional monarch. She has been Queen of the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, since February 6, 1952, but all of the other countries she is at present queen of had yet to gain independence at the time of her accession.
List of shortest-reigning monarchs
A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy, usually reigning for life, or until abdication or deposition. The reign of some monarchs has been notably short. Many of these monarchs acceded to the throne as a result of being first in an order of succession, while other monarchs claimed the throne as a result of some conflict.
List of monarchs in Britain by length of reign
The longest claim by a pretender was that of James Francis Edward Stuart (the "Old Pretender"), who was the Jacobite pretender to the thrones of England, Scotland and Ireland for 64 years, 3 months, and 16 days (17 September 1701 – 1 January 1766).
List of British monarchy records
The British monarch with the most legitimate children was George III, who had 15 children with Queen Charlotte of whom 13 reached adulthood.
Princess Augusta of Cambridge
At the time of her death, she was 94 years, 4 months and 16 days old, making her the longest-lived British Princess of the Blood Royal until Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone, a male-line granddaughter of Queen Victoria, broke the record in 1977, aged over 97 years old.As a male-line granddaughter of the British monarch, she was a princess of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. As a male-line granddaughter of a King of Hanover, she also bore the titles of Princess of Hanover and Duchess of Brunswick.
List of longest-reigning monarchs
This is a list of the longest-reigning monarchs of all time, detailing the 100 monarchs and lifelong leaders who have reigned the longest in world history, sorted by length of reign. Currently reigning monarchs are highlighted.
List of British monarchy records
The oldest King to become a father was Edward I, who fathered his last child, Eleanor, in 1306, when he was 66, almost 67 years old.
Lady Jane Grey
Jane Grey is the only English monarch in the last 500 years (though whether her short reign was legitimate is disputed) of whom no proven contemporary portrait survives. A painting in London's National Portrait Gallery was thought to be Jane for many years, but in 1996 it was confirmed to be of Catherine Parr. A portrait believed by some experts to be of Jane was discovered in a private home in 2005. Painted 40 to 50 years after Jane's death, the "Streatham portrait" (so called after the area of London in which it resided for decades) depicts a young woman dressed in a red gown, adorned with jewels and holding a prayer book. Historian and Tudor specialist Dr. David Starkey is sceptical, "It's an appallingly bad picture and there's absolutely no reason to suppose it's got anything to do with Lady Jane Grey".
Another portrait, a miniature, was shown to the news media in 2007 by Starkey who stated that he was "90 per cent certain" that it is of Lady Jane Grey. This painting had been discovered at the Yale Center for British Art in America.
List of British monarchy records
The longest-lived king was Edward Balliol of Scotland, who died at age 83 or 84 in 1367. "Note: Edward Balliol's reign is disputed."
List of British monarchs
There have been 12 monarchs of the Kingdom of Great Britain and the United Kingdom (see Monarchy of the United Kingdom) since the merger of the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland on 1 May 1707. England and Scotland had been in personal union under the House of Stuart since 24 March 1603. On 1 January 1801, Great Britain merged with the Kingdom of Ireland (also previously in personal union with Great Britain) to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. After most of Ireland left the union on 6 December 1922, its name was amended on 12 April 1927 to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Monarchies in Europe
In Denmark, the monarchy goes back to the prehistoric times of the legendary kings, before the 10th century and the Danish monarchy is the oldest in Europe. Currently, about 80 per cent support keeping the monarchy. The current monarch is Margrethe II. The Danish monarchy also includes the Faroe Islands and Greenland which are parts of the Kingdom of Denmark with internal home rule. Due to this status, the monarch has no separate title for these regions.
List of British monarchs
Coronations
Edward the Elder
A principal reason for the neglect of Edward is that very few primary sources for his reign survive, whereas there are many for Alfred. He was largely ignored by historians until the late twentieth century, but he is now highly regarded. He is described by Keynes as "far more than the bellicose bit between Alfred and Æthelstan", and according to Nick Higham: "Edward the Elder is perhaps the most neglected of English kings. He ruled an expanding realm for twenty-five years and arguably did as much as any other individual to construct a single, south-centred, Anglo-Saxon kingdom, yet posthumously his achievements have been all but forgotten." In 1999 a conference on his reign was held at the University of Manchester, and the papers given on this occasion were published as a book in 2001. Prior to this conference, no monographs had been published on Edward's reign, whereas his father has been the subject of numerous biographies and other studies.
List of monarchs in Britain by length of reign
The High King of Ireland (846–1198) was primarily a titular title (with the exception of Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair who was regarded as the first "King of Ireland"). The later Kingdom of Ireland (1542–1800) came into being under the Crown of Ireland Act 1542, the long title of which was "An Act that the King of England, his Heirs and Successors, be Kings of Ireland". In 1801 the Irish crown became part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
Lists of English and British monarchs
List of English and British monarchs include:
List of Jubilees of British monarchs
The formal jubilees of British monarchs started with George III. At the start of the 50th year of his reign, his jubilee was celebrated throughout the British Isles and his colonial possessions. Later monarchs added other jubilee years.
English monarchs' family tree
This is the English monarchs' family tree for England (and Wales after 1282) from Alfred the Great to Elizabeth I of England. The House of Wessex family tree precedes this family tree and the British monarchs' family tree follows it. The Scottish monarchs' family tree covers the same period in Scotland and also precedes the British monarchs' family tree.
For a simplified family tree see English and British monarchs family tree
WWE European Championship
The British Bulldog was the inaugural champion and had the longest title reign with 206 days. William Regal and D'Lo Brown both had the most title reigns, each holding it four times.
The Plantagenets
Bartlett, a historian and professor, examines the history of the House of Plantagenet, England's longest-ruling dynasty. While the names and stories of the Tudors are well known in popular culture, less is known about the Plantagenets, says Bartlett, who describes them as a "fascinating but ferocious dynasty."
Kangxi Emperor
The Kangxi Emperor's reign of 61 years makes him the longest-reigning emperor in Chinese history (although his grandson, the Qianlong Emperor, had the longest period of "de facto" power) and one of the longest-reigning rulers in the world. However, since he ascended the throne at the age of seven, actual power was held for six years by four regents and his grandmother, the Grand Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang.
List of British monarchy records
The youngest British monarch at the start of her reign was Mary, Queen of Scots, who became queen aged 6 days in 1542. The youngest king was Henry VI, who was 8 months and 26 days old at the time of his accession.
Elizabeth II
When her father died in February 1952, she became head of the Commonwealth and queen regnant of seven independent Commonwealth countries: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan and Ceylon. She has reigned as a constitutional monarch through major political changes, such as devolution in the United Kingdom, Canadian patriation, and the decolonisation of Africa. Between 1956 and 1992, the number of her realms varied as territories gained independence and realms, including South Africa, Pakistan, and Ceylon (renamed Sri Lanka), became republics. Her many historic visits and meetings include a state visit to the Republic of Ireland and visits to or from five popes. Significant events have included her coronation in 1953 and the celebrations of her Silver, Golden, and Diamond Jubilees in 1977, 2002, and 2012 respectively. In 2017, she became the first British monarch to reach a Sapphire Jubilee. She is the longest-lived and longest-reigning British monarch as well as the world's longest-reigning queen regnant and female head of state, the oldest and longest-reigning current monarch and the longest-serving current head of state.
List of fictional monarchs
In the British political satire "To Play the King," the second book (and TV series) in the "House of Cards" trilogy by Michael Dobbs, an unnamed King takes the throne. He goes up against the utterly ruthless and unscrupulous Prime Minister Francis Urquhart and is ultimately undone and forced to abdicate. The novel diverges in many ways from the TV series and carries the suggestion that after abdicating the ex-King would go into politics and seek to be elected Prime Minister. At the end of "To Play The King", the King's son is crowned and during "The Final Cut" is depicted performing monarchical duties.
In the GURPS role-playing game "Infinite Worlds", in the year 1120 the White Ship carrying William the Aetheling, the heir of Henry I of England, did not hit a rock in the English Channel. William survived the voyage and eventually assumed the throne - becoming known as William III of England. Neither the Empress Matilda nor Stephen of Blois had any claim on the throne. William's descendants constituted more than seven centuries of English monarchs, with the House of Plantagenet retaining unbroken power. Ultimately the "Anglo-French Empire" became a world-spanning power, achieving an Industrial Revolution much earlier. However, in 1902 unknown parties detonated a nuclear device, destroying the royal family.Edgar Rice Burroughs published in the early 1920s "The Moon Maid" and "The Moon Men", envisioning a 20th-century in which "The Great War" would have gone on uninterrupted, though with varying intensity, from 1914 and until 1967 – ending with the total victory of the Anglo-Saxon Powers, Britain and the US, and the complete defeat and surrender of all other powers. Britain and the US thereupon become co-rulers of the planet, London and Washington being the twin planetary capitals and the US President and British Monarch acting as co-rulers, and with the British-American domination of the world imposed by the International Peace Fleet, made up of airships. In the first decades of the 21st century, the world basks in peace, there seems no enemy and no threat anywhere, and pressure grows for complete disarmament and scrapping of the International Peace Fleet. It is the (unnamed) King of Britain who strongly resists this pressure, and due to him half of the Fleet and of the world's armament industries are retained.
This is not enough to resist the invasion fleet of the wild Kalkars from the Moon, led by the renegade Earthman Orthis, which suddenly descends on the world in 2050, capturing London and Washington and ranging the world at will. But by the British King's foresight there was still a remnant of the Fleet in existence, which kills the renegade Orthis – facilitating humanity's eventual liberation from Kalkar domination, though only centuries later.
From the video game ""
List of monarchs in Britain by length of reign
Charles, Prince of Wales, is the longest-serving Prince of Wales, with a tenure of since his proclamation as such in 1958.
List of British monarchy records
The longest-lived male consort is her husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, who is old
and is also the longest-lived male descendant of Queen Victoria.
Queen Victoria's longest-lived descendant overall was Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone (1883-1981) at 97 years, 312 days (Prince Philip would surpass her on 19 April 2019, and Queen Elizabeth II would pass her as longest-lived holder of a British royal title from birth on 28 February 2024). The longest-lived holder of a British royal title by marriage, and the oldest person in the history of the British royal family, was Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester (1901-2004) at 102 years, 319 days (Prince Philip would surpass her on 15 April 2024; Queen Elizabeth II would pass her age on 24 February 2029).
Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV
Immediately prior to his death, he was the fourth longest-reigning living monarch in the world after Kings Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand, Abdul Halim of Kedah of Malaysia and Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom.
Charles, Prince of Wales
Charles, Prince of Wales (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is the heir apparent to the British throne as the eldest child of Queen Elizabeth II. He has been Duke of Cornwall and Duke of Rothesay since 1952, and is the oldest and longest-serving heir apparent in British history. He is also the longest-serving Prince of Wales, having held that title since 1958.
List of British monarchs
Anne had been Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland since 8 March 1702, and so became Queen of Great Britain upon the Union of England and Scotland. (Her total reign was 12 years and 147 days.)
Records of Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom
The shortest period in office is more confused, depending on the criteria.
The shortest ever period was only three days, a record held by Lord Bath, from 10 February to 12 February 1746, who was asked to form a government but was unable to find more than one person who would agree to serve in his cabinet. A satirist of the time wrote: "the minister to the astonishment of all wise men never transacted one rash thing; and, what is more marvellous, left as much money in the Treasury as he found in it." James Waldegrave, 2nd Earl Waldegrave was a prime minister for four days, from 8 June to 12 June 1757. However, since neither of these Earls actually formed an effective government, there are other contenders for the record of shortest term of office among those who actually governed the country.
List of monarchs of the Muhammad Ali dynasty
Muhammad Ali had a 43-year reign, the longest in the history of modern Egypt. Called the "father of modern Egypt," he is viewed as the dynasty's most important ruler, due to his massive agricultural, administrative, and military reforms. His son, Ibrahim Pasha, was the shortest-reigning monarch of the dynasty. The duration of his rule varies from one source to another, depending on whether or not his reign as regent is taken into account. Contrary to what the short length of his reign might suggest, Ibrahim Pasha is far from being a historically negligible figure, although most of his significant achievements were made before his accession to the throne. His successor, Abbas Helmi I, a traditionalist described by Lord Cromer as "an Oriental despot of the worst type," reverted many of his predecessors' reform-minded measures, and is considered the most controversial ruler of his family.
William the Lion
William the Lion (Mediaeval Gaelic: "Uilliam mac Eanric" (i.e. "William, son of Henry"); Modern Gaelic: "Uilleam mac Eanraig"), sometimes styled William I, also known by the nickname Garbh, "the Rough", (c. 1142 – 4 December 1214) reigned as King of Scots from 1165 to 1214. He had the second-longest reign in Scottish history before the Act of Union with England in 1707. James VI (reigned 1567–1625) would have the longest.
List of Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom by age
The prime minister with the longest retirement is Duke of Grafton, at 41 years and 45 days. He achieved this record on 1 January 1799, surpassing Earl of Bute, who died 28 years, 337 days after leaving office. Bute held the record for 7 years. The closest any subsequent prime minister has been to Grafton's record was Henry Addington, who left office on 10 May 1804 and died 39 years and 281 days later on 15 February 1844. Of the four former prime ministers currently alive, John Major has been retired the longest, having left office on 2 May 1997. If he is still alive on 24 June 2038, he will surpass Grafton's record and become the longest-lived prime minister after office. The prime minister with the shortest retirement is Henry Campbell-Bannerman, who died only 15 days after leaving office.
List of shortest-reigning monarchs
"Due to the ephemeral nature of their reigns, the following have been disputed as genuine monarchs:"