A List of the Kings and Queens of England for Kids

A List of the Kings and Queens of England for Kids

Here we have a straight-forward list of the Kings and Queens of England for kids and then further information about some of these kings and queens below the list. If you have a favourite fact about someone please let me know in the comments.

I should just say that this list starts with Kings of Wessex/Kent, which was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom in the south of England, as it includes Alfred the Great who is often listed as the first king of England, even though there were other kings in other parts of the country.

Egbert                   771/775 – 839
Aethelwulf            839 – 858
Aethelbald            855–860   King of Wessex
Aethelberht          ‎ c. 589 – 616 AD     King of Kent and then Wessex
Aethelred I             865 to 871
Alfred the Great
Edward the Elder
Athelstan
Edmund the Magnificent
Eadred
Eadwig (Edwy) All-Fair
Edgar the Peaceable
Edward the Martyr
AEthelred II (Ethelred the Unready)
Edmund II (Ironside)
Svein Forkbeard
Cnut (Canute)
Harold I
Hardicnut
Edward (the Confessor)
Harold II
William I
William II
Henry I
Stephen
Empress Matilda (Queen Maud)
Henry II
Richard I
John
Henry III
Edward I
Edward II
Edward III
Richard II
Henry IV
Henry V
Henry VI
Edward IV
Edward V
Richard III
Henry VII
Henry VIII
Edward VI
Jane Grey
Mary I
Elizabeth I
James I
Charles I
Oliver Cromwell
Richard Cromwell
Charles II
James II
William III
Mary II
Anne
George I
George II
George III
George IV
William IV
Victoria
Edward VII
George V
Edward VIII
George VI
Elizabeth II

Horrible Histories Song

Horrible Histories did a song about all the Kings and Queens from William First (aka William the Conqueror!)

A poem written in the time of George V

– please let me know in the comments if you know who the author is.

William the Conqueror long did reign,
William, his son, by an arrow was slain;
Henry the First was a scholar bright;
Stephen was king without any right.
Henry the Second, Plantagenet’s scion;
Richard the First was as brave as a lion;
John, though a tyrant, the Charter signed;
Henry the Third had a weakly mind.
Edward the First conquered Cambria dales;
Edward the Second was born Prince of Wales;
Edward the Third humbled France in its pride;
Richard the Second in prison died.
Henry the Fourth for himself took the crown;
Henry the Fifth pulled the French king down;
Henry the Sixth lost his father’s gains.
Edward of York laid hold of the reins;
Edward the Fifth was killed with his brother;
Richard the Third soon made way for another.
Henry the Seventh was frugal of means;
Henry the Eighth had a great many queens.
Edward the Sixth reformation began;
Cruel Queen Mary prevented the plan.
Wise and profound were Elizabeth’s aims.
England and Scotland were joined by King James.
Charles found the people a cruel corrector;
Oliver Cromwell was called Lord Protector;
Charles the Second was hid in an oak,
James the Second took Popery’s yoke.
William and Mary were offered the throne,
Anne succeeded and reigned alone.
George the First from Hanover came;
George the Second kept up the name;
George the Third was loved in the land,
George the Fourth was pompous and grand,
William the Fourth had no heir of his own,
So Queen Victoria ascended the throne.
When good Queen Victoria’s long reign was o’er
Edward the Seventh the English crown wore;
George the Fifth rules the vast realm of England today
And “God Save the King!” all his subjects’ hearts say.

A Short Poem which is more up to date

(and can be sung to the tune of Good King Wenceslas)

Willie, Willie, Harry, Stee,
Harry, Dick, John, Harry three;
One, two, three Neds, Richard two
Harrys four, five, six… then who?
Edwards four, five, Dick the bad,
Harrys twain VII VIII and Ned the Lad;
Mary, Bessie, James the Vain,
Charlie, Charlie, James again…
William and Mary, Anna Gloria,
Four Georges I II III IV, William and Victoria;
Edward seven next, and then
George the fifth in 1910;
Ned the eighth soon abdicated
Then George the sixth was coronated;
After which Elizabeth
And that’s the end until her death.

The list again but with a few facts

Egbert               King of Wessex
Aethelwulf       – his children included both Alfred the Great and Æthelred I, King of Wessex,
Aethelbald       – the second of five sons of King Æthelwulf
Aethelberht     – King of Kent
Aethelred I
Alfred the Great  – known for burning cakes
Edward the Elder
Athelstan
Edmund the Magnificent
Eadred
Eadwig (Edwy) All-Fair
Edgar the Peaceable
Edward the Martyr
AEthelred II (Ethelred the Unready)
Edmund II (Ironside)
Svein Forkbeard
Cnut (Canute) – who thought he was powerful enough to stop the sea coming in!
Harold I
Hardicnut
Edward (the Confessor)
Harold II – who got an arrow in his eye
William I – aka William the Conqueror, he was the first Norman King
William II – his nickname was Rufus
Henry I
Stephen
Empress Matilda (Queen Maud)
Henry II
Richard I
John
Henry III
Edward I
Edward II
Edward III
Richard II
Henry IV
Henry V
Henry VI
Edward IV
Edward V
Richard III
Henry VII
Henry VIII – well known for havig eight wives and beheading two of them
Edward VI
Jane Grey – she was Queen for just 9 days after which she was sent to the Tower of London and later executed for treason by the supporters of Mary I.
Mary I
Elizabeth I
James I
Charles I
(Oliver Cromwell – Head of State but not a king)
(Richard Cromwell – Oliver Cromwell’s son and Head of State for less than one year.)
Charles II
James II
William III
Mary II
Anne – the first British monarch
George I – Queen Anne’s closest protestant cousin, there were more than 50 closer Catholic relatives , including her half-brother but Catholics were no longer allowered to be monarchs. During his reign we had our first proper Prime Minister Robert Walpole.  (Sir Robert Walpole was the longest serving among Prime Minister of the United Kingdom -20 years, 314 days.)

George II
George III – believed to be a bit mad
George IV
William IV
Victoria – had the longest reign until Elizabeth II overtook her.
Edward VII
George V
Edward VIII
George VI
Elizabeth II – our present Queen