Rulers of Europe
Rulers of Europe
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Rulers of Europe from 840 to 1603

Early Middle Ages (866 - 1013)

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HRE - Emporer of the Holy Roman Empire

From
Date		 Ruler Area of Europe To
Date		 Comments
840Charles, the BaldFrance877 
843Kenneth IScotland858Kenneth 'MacAlpin' is tradionally regarded as the first ruler of the Scottish nation, known as Alba. He was the ruler of Dal Riata, an area of the west coast of Scotland, and the ruler of the Picts whose leaders were killed either be Kenneth or during Viking raids.
858Donald IScotland862Very little is know about the short reign of Donald.
862Constantine IScotland877Viking raids increased greatly during Constantine's reign.
866Aethelred I King of WessexWessex (England)871During the reign of Aethelred a large number of Danes know as the Great Army landed in Britain and took control of East Anglia.
871Alfred the GreatEngland899Alfred won a battle defeating the Danes at Edington.
877AedScotland878Aed'd reign only lasted for one year as it is believed he was killed by Giric who succeed him.
878Giric / EochaidScotland889Giric and Eochaid shared the rule of Alba. Giric was older and may have acted as stepfather to Eochaid.
889Donald IIScotland900Donald overthrew Giric and Eochaid to become the King of Alba.
899Edward the ElderEngland924The reign of Edward was dominated by a disputed succession and dealings with the Danes.
900Constantine IIScotland943Constantine's reign was one of the longest of all the Scottish kings and lasted 43 years. In his old age he abdicated in favour of his nephew Malcolm.
924AthelstanEngland939Athelstan is considered to be the first King of England.
936Gorm the OldDenmark958Gorm the Old is concidered to be the first King of Denmark.
939 OctoberEdmund IEngland946 May 26Northumbria, the Midlands and Strathclyde were reconqued by Edmund before his murder by the exiled thief Leofa.
943Malcolm IScotland954Malcolm gave shelter to Vikings driven out of York by Edmund of Wessex. malcolm agreed to stop supporting the Vikings in exchange of land in northern England. A reign filled with conflicts resulted in his death in battle.
946 MayEadredEngland955 November 23Eadred is noted for taking back Northumbria after it was overrun by Vikings led by Eric Bloodaxe. Eadred died young from a digestive illness.
954IndulphScotland962Indulph abdicated and retired to a monastery after a reign of eight years full of conflict with Vikings and the English. He was called out of retirement to fight the Danes and was killed in battle.
955 NovemberEadwigEngland959Control of England was split between Eadwig who ruled south of the Thames and his younger brother Edgar who ruled in the north. Archbishop Dunstan was exiled.
958Harald BluetoothDenmark986Harald Bluetooth was king of both Denmark and Norway and was the first king to introduce Christianity to the countries.
959 OctoberEdgar IEngland975Edgar united the kingdom when he became King of England. He invited Archbishop Dunstan back from exile.
962Dubh/DuffScotland966The reign of Duff is noted for civil war. When Duff favoured his cousin Donald rather than Cuilean as the next heir a civil was broke out. Duff was killed and Cuilean became king.
966Culen/Cuilean/ColinScotland971Cuilean's reign was short as he was killed in battle.
971Kenneth IIScotland995
975 JulyEdward 'The Martyr'England978Edward was Edgar's eldest son but not the chosen heir. This led to civil war and Edward's murder only three years into his reign.
978 MarchAethelred II 'The Unready'England1013Viking invasions increaed in number during Aethelred's reign and the King agreed to pay money to prevent more. Aethelred had many Danes murdered in England on St. Brice's Day.
986Sweyn I Fork-beardDenmark1014Sweyn repeatedly raided the coast of England for treasure. He overthrew his father Harald and later invaded England and became its King.
987Hugh CapetFrance996
995Constantine IIIScotland997
996Robert II, the PiousFrance1031
996Otto IIIHRE1002
997Kenneth IIIScotland1005
1005Malcolm IIScotland1034

High Middle Ages (1013 - 1307)

From
Date		 Ruler Area of Europe To
Date		 Comments
1013 DecemberSweyn (Swein) 'Fork-Beard'England & Denmark1014In revenge for the St. Brice's Day massacre Sweyn invaded England and took the thone.
1014Harold IIDenmark1018Became King of Denmark after his father Sweyn died.
1014 MarchAethelred 'The Unready'England1016Aethelred was restored to the English throne after the death of Sweyn.
1016 AprilEdmund II 'Ironside'EnglandFamed for his fighting skills Edmund defended the country against Cnut's invasion. It was agreed to divide the country in two.
1016 NovemberCnut (Canute)England, Norway & Denmark1035Cnut from Denmark invaded England and shared its rule with Edmund Ironside. When Edmund died Cnut became King of the whole of England.
1031Henry IFrance1060
1034Duncan IScotland1040
1035HarthacnutDenmark1042Became King of Denmark in 1035 and King of England in 1040 after the death of his half-brother Harold Harefoot. He lost control of Norway to Magnus.
1035Ramiro IAragon1063After his father Sancho of Navarre.
1035Harold I 'Harefoot'England & Denmark1040Harold ruled mainly as regent as his elder brother Hathacnut was occupied in Denmark. Harold gained support from the earls and was crowned in 1037.
1040MacbethScotland1057
1040 JuneHarthacnutEngland & Denmark1042Both King of Denmark and King of England. Disputed succession with his brother Magnus prevented Harthacnut claiming the English throne until 1040.
1042Magnus I of NorwayNorway & Denmark1047Magnus had become King of Norway in 1035 before taking control of Denmark after the death of Harthacnut. He died suddenly in 1047.
1042 JuneEdward 'The Confessor'England1066As half-brother of Harthacnut, Edward had a better claim to the English throne than other members of the family and was chosen by the English to become King.
1047Sweyn II EstridsenDenmark1074Sweyn had many children and was succeeded by several of his sons.
1057LulachScotland1058Lulach was the stepson of Macbeth and became king of the Scots after Macbeth was killed by Malcolm. Lulach was assassinated and Malcolm became the next king. Lulach was known as the 'fool' or the 'simple'.
1058Malcolm IIIScotland1093
1060Philip IFrance1108
1066 January 23Harold II 'Godwinson'EnglandHarold was the last Anglo-Saxon king of England and was killed by William, Duke of Normandy at the Battle of Hastings.
1066 December 25William I 'The Conqueror'England10871066 saw several invasions of England ending with the invasion by William, Duke of Normandy who became King of England.
1074Harold III HénDenmark1080 
1080Canute the SaintDenmark1086Canute supported the expansion of the Church in Denmark. His attempt to invade England was opposed by his court. Canute was murdered during a revolt.
1086Oluf I HungerDenmark1095Severe famine appears to dominate the reign of Oluf and thought to be a curse for the murder of Canute. Oluf may have blamed himself for the disaster and took his own life.
1087 September 26William II 'Rufus'England1100
1093Donald IIIScotland1094
1094 MayDuncan IIScotland1094 November
1094Donald III (restored)Scotland1097
1095Eric I EjegodDenmark1104 
1097EdgarScotland1107
1100 August 5Henry IEngland1135
1104Nicholas I (Niels)Denmark1134 
1107Alexander IScotland1124
1108Louis VI, the FatFrance1137
1124David IScotland1153
1134Eric II EmuneDenmark1137 
1135 December 22Stephen of BloisEngland1154
1137Eric IIIDenmark1146 
1137Louis VIIFrance1180
1141 Apr(Matilda)England1141 NovMatilda was not crowned
1146Sweyn III Grathe and Canute VDenmark1157 
1153Malcolm IVScotland1165
1154 December 19Henry IIEngland1189
1157Waldemar IDenmark1182 
1165William I (The Lyon)Scotland1214
1180Philippe II, AugustusFrance1223
1182Canute VIDenmark1202 
1189 September 3Richard I 'The Lionheart'England1199
1199 May 27JohnEngland1216
1202Waldemar IIDenmark1241 
1214Alexander IIScotland1249
1216 October 28Henry IIIEngland1272
1223Louis VIII, the LionFrance1226
1226Louis IX, Saint-LouisFrance1270
1249Alexander IIIScotland1286
1241Eric IVDenmark1250 
1250AbelDenmark1252 
1252Christopher IDenmark1259 
1259Eric VDenmark1286 
1270Philippe IIIFrance1285
1272 November 20Edward IEngland1307
1285Philippe IVFrance1314
1286Eric VIDenmark1319 
1286Margaret (Maid of Norway)Scotland1290As granddaughter of Alexander III, Margaret was chosen as heir to the Scottish throne. She died during the voyage from Norway.
1290First InterregnumScotland1292During this period of time when Scotland had no monarch the country was governed by several influential bishops and earls.
1292John BalliolScotland1296
1296Second InterregnumScotland1306
1306Robert I (The Bruce)Scotland1329

Late Middle Ages (1307 - 1485)

From
Date		 Ruler Area of Europe To
Date		 Comments
1307 July 8Edward IIEngland1327
1314Louis XFrance1316
1316John IFrance1316
1316Philippe V, the TallFrance1322
1320Christopher IIDenmark1326 
1322Charles IV, the FairFrance1328
1327 January 25Edward IIIEngland1377
1328Philippe VIFrance1350
1329Christopher II (again)Denmark1332 
1329David IIScotland1332
1332(Interregnum)Denmark1340 
1332Edward BalliolScotlandNov to Dec
1332 DecDavid IIScotland1333 Jun
1333Edward BalliolScotland1336
1336David IIScotland1371
1340Waldemar IVDenmark1375 
1350John II, the GoodFrance1364
1364Charles V, the WiseFrance1380
1377 June 23Richard IIEngland1399
1371Robert IIScotland1390
1375(Interregnum)Denmark1376 
1376Olaf VDenmark1387 
1380Charles VI, the FoolFrance1422
1387Margaret (Regent)Denmark1412 
1390Robert IIIScotland1406
1399 September 30Henry IVEngland1413
1397Eric VIIDenmark1439 
1406James IScotland1437
1413 March 13Henry VEngland1422
1422Charles VII, the VictoriousFrance1461
1422 September 1Henry VIEngland1461
1437James IIScotland1460
1440Christopher IIIDenmark1448 
1448Christian IDenmark1481 
1460James IIIScotland1488
1461Louis XI, the SpiderFrance1483
1461 March 4Edward IVEngland1470
1470 October 3Henry VIEngland1471(Henry VI restored) 
1471 April 11Edward IVEngland1483(Edward IV restored) 
1479Ferdinand IIAragon, Spain1516 
1481John IDenmark1513 
1483Charles VIIIFrance1498
1483 (Apr 9)Edward VEnglandA Prince in the Tower
1483 June 26Richard IIIEngland1485
1488James IVScotland1513

Early Modern Period (1485 - )

From
Date		 Ruler Area of Europe To
Date		 Comments
1485 August 22Henry VIIEngland1509
1498Louis XIIFrance1515
1509 April 22Henry VIIIEngland1547
1513James VScotland1542
1515Francis IFrance1547
1542Mary Stuart, Queen of ScotsScotland1567
1547 January 22Edward VIEngland1553
1547Henry IIFrance1559
1553 July 10Lady Jane GreyEngland1553 July 19The 'Nine-Day Queen'. Jane was nominated by Edward VI to be queen but she was never crowned.
1553 July 19Mary I, 'Bloody Mary'England1558 November 17
1558 November 17Elizabeth IEngland1603 March 24
1559Francis IIFrance1560
1603 March 24James I (James VI of Scotland)???1625 March 27
1625 March 27Charles I???1649 January 30
To be completed...

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