You’re probably thinking of Queen Elizabeth II. Or maybe you're a history buff and your mind immediately jumps to Queen Anne. Honestly, both answers feel right depending on how you define "England," but if we’re being legally precise, the answer to who was the last monarch of England isn't who you’d expect.
It’s Queen Anne.
Wait. Didn't Elizabeth II rule for seventy years? Yes. But she wasn't the Queen of England. She was the Queen of the United Kingdom. There’s a massive legal chasm between those two titles that most people—even some Brits—kind of gloss over in casual conversation. To understand why Anne holds the title of the last "English" monarch, we have to look at a messy, bribe-filled, and politically charged merger that happened in 1707.
The 1707 Twist: How England Disappeared (Legally)
Before May 1, 1707, England and Scotland were two entirely different countries. They shared a monarch—a situation called a "personal union"—but they had different parliaments, different laws, and different taxes. Think of it like a couple living together but keeping their bank accounts separate.
Queen Anne sat on both thrones separately. She was the Queen of England and, simultaneously, the Queen of Scotland.
Then came the Acts of Union.
This wasn't some romantic coming-together of nations. It was a pragmatic, desperate deal. Scotland was essentially bankrupt after the Darien Scheme—a disastrous attempt to establish a colony in Panama—and England wanted to ensure the Scots wouldn't pick a different, Catholic king to succeed Anne. When the Acts of Union passed, the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland ceased to exist as independent sovereign states. They merged into a single entity: The Kingdom of Great Britain.
From that moment on, the title "Monarch of England" was deleted from the legal books. Anne went to sleep as the Queen of England and Scotland and woke up as the Queen of Great Britain.
💡 You might also like: Human DNA Found in Hot Dogs: What Really Happened and Why You Shouldn’t Panic
Why We Keep Getting It Wrong
We’re lazy with language. It’s a habit. Even today, you’ll hear people refer to "The English Government" when they mean the UK Government, or "The English National Anthem."
If you ask a random person on the street in London, "Who was the last monarch of England?" they might say Elizabeth II because she lived in England and spoke English. But if you said that to someone in Glasgow or Cardiff, you’d probably get a very sharp correction. Using "England" as a shorthand for the entire UK is a quick way to annoy about ten million people.
Historians like Dr. Starkey or Simon Schama are very careful about this distinction. They recognize that the transition from the Stuart dynasty to the Hanoverians wasn't just a change of family; it was a change of the very map itself. Anne was the bridge. She was the last person to hold a purely English scepter.
The Stuart Legacy
Anne wasn't even supposed to be Queen. She was the younger daughter of James II, the king who got kicked out during the Glorious Revolution of 1688 because he was Catholic. Anne was Protestant, which was the "must-have" credential for the job back then.
She was often ill, suffering from gout and the trauma of seventeen pregnancies—none of whom survived to adulthood. It's a heavy, tragic backstory for a woman who presided over one of the most significant constitutional shifts in world history. She wasn't just a figurehead; she navigated the vicious infighting between Whigs and Tories while her health failed her.
The "Successor" Problem: Why Elizabeth II Wasn't "The First"
When Queen Elizabeth II took the throne in 1952, there was actually a minor controversy in Scotland regarding her title.
Since England had an Elizabeth I (the famous Tudor queen), the new Queen was titled Elizabeth II. However, Scotland had never had an Elizabeth I. Why should they have an Elizabeth II?
📖 Related: The Gospel of Matthew: What Most People Get Wrong About the First Book of the New Testament
This led to the "Pillar Box War." In Scotland, some people actually vandalized royal mailboxes because they bore the "EIIR" insignia. They argued that she should be Elizabeth I of the UK, or perhaps Elizabeth I in Scotland and II in England. Eventually, it was decided that the monarch would use the higher numeral from either the English or Scottish line. Since England had more previous monarchs with common names (Edwards, Henrys, Elizabeths), the English numbering usually wins out.
But even with that numbering, her official title remained "Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland." Not England.
The Lineup: The Final Three English Monarchs
To get a sense of how the "English" era ended, you have to look at the chaotic handoffs leading up to 1707.
- William III and Mary II (1689–1702): This was a weird "co-monarchy." They ruled together as equals. Mary was the daughter of the deposed James II, and William was her Dutch cousin.
- William III (1702): After Mary died of smallpox, William ruled alone. He was the one who really pushed for the union with Scotland, though he didn't live to see it finished.
- Anne (1702–1707 as Queen of England): She took the throne upon William’s death. For the first five years of her reign, she was officially the last Queen of England. For the remaining seven years of her life, she was the first Queen of Great Britain.
The Hanoverian Takeover
After Anne died in 1714, the crown skipped over dozens of Catholic relatives to land on George I. He was a German prince who didn't even speak much English.
By the time George I arrived, the idea of an "English" monarch was already a memory. He was a British king. The machinery of the state—the military, the coinage, the parliament—was all British. The distinction is subtle, but it matters because it explains why the UK operates the way it does today. It’s a union of nations, not just one country with some extra territory.
Surprising Fact: The King of France?
Interestingly, for centuries, English monarchs also claimed they were the Kings and Queens of France. This started with Edward III and didn't officially stop until 1801. So, if you look at old coins from Queen Anne’s era, you might see "FR" (Franciae) in her titles. It was a delusional claim by that point, but the royals loved their titles.
What This Means for Modern Royalty
When King Charles III had his coronation, he wasn't crowned King of England. He was crowned King of the United Kingdom and his other realms (like Canada and Australia).
👉 See also: God Willing and the Creek Don't Rise: The True Story Behind the Phrase Most People Get Wrong
If you are writing a history paper or just trying to win a pub quiz, remember:
- Last Monarch of England: Anne.
- Last Monarch of Scotland: Also Anne.
- First Monarch of Great Britain: Still Anne.
- Last Monarch of the United Kingdom: This hasn't happened yet, as the UK still exists.
How to Explore This History Yourself
If you’re a history nerd, don't just take my word for it. There are some incredible spots where you can see the physical evidence of this shift from "English" to "British."
Visit Westminster Abbey
Anne is buried there, but her monument is surprisingly modest compared to the massive tombs of Elizabeth I or Mary, Queen of Scots. It’s almost as if her personal identity was swallowed by the massive state-building she oversaw.
Check the Coinage
Museums like the British Museum have "Union Shillings" from 1707. You can literally see the change in the heraldry. Before 1707, the shields showed the English Lions and Scottish Lion in separate quarters. After the union, they were squeezed together into the same quarter to represent the two becoming one.
Read the Acts of Union
You can find the original text online through the UK National Archives. It’s dry, legalistic, and incredibly revealing. It lists exactly how many barrels of beer Scotland could produce and how much tax they’d pay—the nitty-gritty details that turned two kingdoms into one.
Practical Takeaways for History Enthusiasts
If you want to be factually accurate when discussing British royalty, keep these three distinctions in mind:
- Pre-1603: Purely English or Scottish monarchs (The Tudors, The Bruces).
- 1603–1707: Monarchs of both England and Scotland (The Stuarts, the "Union of the Crowns").
- 1707–Present: British monarchs (The Hanovers, The Windsors).
The answer to who was the last monarch of england is a great "gotcha" question, but it also opens the door to understanding how the modern world was mapped. It wasn't through a single battle, but through a pen stroke and a very tired Queen named Anne who just wanted to secure her succession.
To dig deeper into this era, look for biographies of Sarah Churchill, the Duchess of Marlborough. She was Queen Anne’s "favorite" (and sometimes enemy) and held massive influence over the court during the transition. Understanding their relationship gives you a much better "human" look at the end of the English monarchy than any textbook ever will. Check out the 1707 Acts of Union archives at the UK Parliament website to see the actual signatures that ended the Kingdom of England forever.