The kingdom formed by the political unification of the Anglo-Saxon petty kingdoms of England during the tenth century, conventionally dated to Aethelstan's 927 submission of the northern kings and rulers of Britain at Eamont Bridge and his assumption of the title king of the English; some historians place genuine, lasting unification later, in Edgar's reign (959 to 975), or later still, at the Norman Conquest of 1066, when a single royal administration first extended uniform control over the whole kingdom. Conquered by William of Normandy in 1066, joined in personal union with Continental territories under the Angevin kings from 1154, and reduced to its island core after the loss of Normandy in 1204, the kingdom persisted as a sovereign polity under the Plantagenet, Lancastrian, Yorkist, Tudor and Stuart dynasties, its royal authority contested and gradually shared with a developing Parliament from the thirteenth century onward, until the Acts of Union of 1707 merged its crown and Parliament with Scotland's to form the Kingdom of Great Britain.
Facts
Government TypeHereditary monarchy, from the thirteenth century increasingly sharing power with a developing Parliament of Lords and Commons 2 CapitalWinchester in the earlier Anglo-Saxon period; Westminster and London as the settled seat of royal government from the twelfth century onward 1 End YearThe Acts of Union of 1707 merged England's crown and Parliament with Scotland's to form the Kingdom of Great Britain; England continued to exist as a geographic and cultural entity, but not as a separate sovereign kingdom, from this date. Government type (class) Disputed
Start Year927 marks Aethelstan's submission of the northern rulers and his assumption of the title king of the English, the conventional date for a unified Kingdom of England. Some historians place genuine, lasting unification later, under Edgar (959 to 975) or at the Norman Conquest of 1066. Classification
Status (Extant or Former) Connections
Associated With
Alfred defended Wessex against the Vikings and began the administrative, military and legal reforms later built into the unified Kingdom of England achieved by his descendants.
Source Wikipedia: Alfred the Great
Additional Source Wikipedia: Isabella of FranceLead section, de facto regent of England
Additional Source Wikipedia: Oliver CromwellLead section, prominence during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms
Additional Source Wikipedia: Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of MarchLead section, de facto ruler of England
From 1154 to 1204 the kingdom was the core of the wider Angevin Empire, joined in personal union with Normandy, Anjou, Maine, Touraine and Aquitaine under Henry II, Richard I and John.
Source United Kingdom: Edward I and Edward II (Britannica)
In Era
The majority of its 927 to 1707 span falls within the Post-Classical and Medieval Period (476 to 1453); the remainder falls within the Early Modern Period.
Long-Form Articles
Related To
Additional Source Wikipedia: English Civil WarLead section (edge: related-to Kingdom of England)
Additional Source Wikipedia: Glorious RevolutionLead section (edge: related-to Kingdom of England)
Ruled By
Succeeded his father Henry III on 16 November 1272 (proclaimed while Edward was abroad on crusade) and was crowned at Westminster on 19 August 1274; ruled until his death in 1307, when the throne passed to his son Edward II.
Source Edward I (Britannica)
Succeeded his father Edward I in July 1307 and ruled until his forced deposition in January 1327, when the throne passed to his son Edward III.
Source Edward II (The Royal Family)
Crowned on 29 January 1327 after his father Edward II's deposition; ruled personally from Mortimer's fall in 1330 until his own death in 1377, when the throne passed to his grandson Richard II.
Source United Kingdom: Edward I and Edward II (Britannica)
Additional Source Wikipedia: Eleanor of AquitaineLead section, Queen of England as wife of Henry II
Additional Source Elizabeth I (Wikipedia)Lead section (edge: ruled Kingdom of England)
Additional Source Henry VIII (Wikipedia)Lead section (edge: ruled Kingdom of England)
Additional Source Wikipedia: William the ConquerorLead section, first Norman king of England
Succeeded By
Additional Source Wikipedia: Kingdom of Great BritainLead section (edge: succeeded-by Kingdom of England)
In the Other Atlases
- Also in Society and Culture Atlas: Monarchy, government type there.
Sources
1. England (Britannica)
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.The Kingdom of England: StatusQuote, The Kingdom of England: Status
Conquered by William of Normandy in 1066, joined in personal union with Continental territories under the Angevin kings from 1154, and reduced to its island core after the loss of Normandy in 1204, the kingdom persisted as a sovereign polity under the Plantagenet, Lancastrian, Yorkist, Tudor and Stuart dynasties, its royal authority contested and gradually shared with a developing Parliament from the thirteenth century onward, until the Acts of Union of 1707 merged its crown and Parliament with Scotland's to form the Kingdom of Great Britain.
2. United Kingdom: Edward I and Edward II (Britannica)
3. Wikipedia: Kingdom of England
WikipediaName sectionQuote, Name section
They called their land Engla land, meaning land of the English; ... Latinized Anglia.
Edward I (Britannica)
Edward II (The Royal Family)
Wikipedia: William the Conqueror
WikipediaRuled By: William the Conqueror, Lead section, first Norman king of EnglandQuote, Ruled By: William the Conqueror, Lead section, first Norman king of England
was the first Norman king of England (as William I), reigning from 1066 until his death
Wikipedia: Isabella of France
WikipediaAssociated With: Isabella of France, Lead section, de facto regent of EnglandQuote, Associated With: Isabella of France, Lead section, de facto regent of England
de facto regent of England from 1327 until 1330
Wikipedia: Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March
WikipediaAssociated With: Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March, Lead section, de facto ruler of EnglandQuote, Associated With: Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March, Lead section, de facto ruler of England
For three years, Mortimer was de facto ruler of England
Wikipedia: Eleanor of Aquitaine
WikipediaRuled By: Eleanor of Aquitaine, Lead section, Queen of England as wife of Henry IIQuote, Ruled By: Eleanor of Aquitaine, Lead section, Queen of England as wife of Henry II
Queen of England from 1154 to 1189 as the wife of King Henry II
Wikipedia: Oliver Cromwell
WikipediaAssociated With: Oliver Cromwell, Lead section, prominence during the Wars of the Three KingdomsQuote, Associated With: Oliver Cromwell, Lead section, prominence during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms
He came to prominence during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, initially as a senior commander in the Parliamentarian army
Wikipedia: English Civil War
WikipediaRelated To: English Civil War, Lead section (edge: related-to Kingdom of England)Quote, Related To: English Civil War, Lead section (edge: related-to Kingdom of England)
was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Royalists and Parliamentarians in the Kingdom of England from 1642 to 1651
Wikipedia: Glorious Revolution
WikipediaRelated To: Glorious Revolution, Lead section (edge: related-to Kingdom of England)Quote, Related To: Glorious Revolution, Lead section (edge: related-to Kingdom of England)
joint monarchs of England, Scotland, and Ireland
Wikipedia: Kingdom of Great Britain
WikipediaSucceeded By: Kingdom of Great Britain, Lead section (edge: succeeded-by Kingdom of England)Quote, Succeeded By: Kingdom of Great Britain, Lead section (edge: succeeded-by Kingdom of England)
The state was created by the 1706 Treaty of Union and ratified by the Acts of Union 1707, which united the Kingdom of England (including Wales) and the Kingdom of Scotland to form a single kingdom encompassing the whole island of Great Britain and its outlying islands, with the exception of the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands.
Henry VIII (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationRuled By: Henry VIII, Lead section (edge: ruled Kingdom of England)Quote, Ruled By: Henry VIII, Lead section (edge: ruled Kingdom of England)
Henry VIII (28 June 1491 - 28 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547.
Elizabeth I (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationRuled By: Elizabeth I, Lead section (edge: ruled Kingdom of England)Quote, Ruled By: Elizabeth I, Lead section (edge: ruled Kingdom of England)
Elizabeth I (7 September 1533 - 24 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603.
Wikipedia: Alfred the Great
WikipediaAssociated With: Alfred the Great, Lead section, REST summary extractQuote, Associated With: Alfred the Great, Lead section, REST summary extract
Under Alfred's rule, considerable administrative and military reforms were introduced, prompting lasting change in England.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did the Kingdom of England begin?
Conventionally 927 under Aethelstan, though some historians argue for the reign of Edgar or the Norman Conquest of 1066.
There is no single agreed date. The conventional date is 927, when Aethelstan received the submission of the northern kings and rulers of Britain at Eamont Bridge and took the title king of the English. Some historians place genuine, lasting unification later, in Edgar's reign from 959 to 975, or at the Norman Conquest of 1066, when one royal administration first extended uniform control over the whole kingdom. This atlas uses 927 as the start year and 1707 as the end, when the Acts of Union merged the English and Scottish crowns and parliaments into the Kingdom of Great Britain.
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