Being the King or Queen of Britain is probably harder than we think. Posing for portraits, seeing your face on every coin and having your own personal army of corgis must be pretty exhausting. And all that waving at events! Plus you don’t even get Christmas day off as you have to make a big fancy speech.
But who are the longest reining monarchs in Britain? Well let us take you through the top 10:
David II of Scotland
From:Â 7th June 1329
To:Â 22 February 1371
Duration:Â 41 years, 260 days
David II was a monarch in Scotland famous for his invasion of England for the French, even though the invasion started well the King was wounded and captured by the English. Although he was returned to Scotland he died not long after. This was an unexpected – especially as the King was just about to marry his mistress.
Llywelyn the Great
From:Â 1st January 1195
To:Â 11 April 1240
Duration:Â Approximately 44-45 years
Llywelyn the Great ruled over Wales for over 40 years with war and diplomacy within the country. He went for power from an early age and ruled all of Gwynedd by 1200. He created treaties of peace and was succeeded by his son after his death.
Elizabeth I of England and Ireland
From:Â 17 November 1558
To:Â 26 March 1603
Duration:Â 44 years, 127 days
The last monarch of the Tudor dynasty, Elizabeth I was famed for the fact she never had children and her rivalry with Mary Queen of Scots. Her father was Henry VIII and her mother Anne Boleyn (who was executed when Elizabeth was just two).
William I of Scotland
From:Â 9 December 1165
To:Â 4 December 1214
Duration:Â 48 years, 360 days
Known as William the Lion, this monarch was a big influence in the revolt against Henry II in 1173-1174. Here he was captured and made to sign the Treaty of Falaise, which cause tension between the two countries.
Edward III of England and Lord of Ireland
From:Â 25 January 1327
To:Â 20 June 1377
Duration:Â 50 years, 147 days
Edward III is most famous for restoring faith in the royal family after the awful reign of his father Edward II. During his reign this monarch developed Government and legislation and made the English army formidable.
Henry III of England and Lord of Ireland
From:Â 18 October 1216
To:Â 16 November 1272
Duration:Â 56 years, 29 days
Henry III began his reign at just 9 years old. He was known for being a personal king who held large religious ceremonies and gave money to charity. Even so, at times of his reign he was immensely unpopular.
James VI of Scotland
From:Â 24 July 1567
To:Â 27 March 1625
Duration:Â 57 years, 246 days
The son of Mary Queen of Scots, this monarch ruled both as James VI of Scotland and James I as King of England and Lord of Ireland. It was this monarch you joined both England and Scotland by ruling them both.
George III of the United Kingdom
From:Â 25 October 1760
To:Â 29 January 1820
Duration:Â 59 years, 96 days
George III’s reign included the union of Great Britain in 1801. After this union he was known as George III king of United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. His reign involved many conflicts all across the world.
Victoria of the United Kingdom
From:Â 20 June 1837
To:Â 22 January 1901
Duration:Â 63 years, 216 days
Queen Victoria is on of the most famous monarchs to have ruled Britain. She gained the throne when she was just 18. In her time of reign Britain created many ties across Europe, which gained Queen Victoria the nickname “the grandmother of Europe”.
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
From:Â 6 February 1952
To:Â Present
Duration:Â 63 years, 225 days
The current Queen and monarch of Britain, Queen Elizabeth II has just recently become the longest serving monarch ever. At this time she is Queen to 16 out of the 53 member states in the Commonwealth countries.
