Descent of Elizabeth II from William the Conqueror

This list shows the most senior line of Descent of Elizabeth II from William I. Each person on the list is the son or daughter of the person above him or her on the list. There are many other more junior lines of descent of the family, but the crown, in theory at least, only descends through the most senior line (a major exception being the exclusion of the genealogically senior Jacobite succession by the Act of Settlement 1701). Owing to extinct lines, large parts of entire royal houses (Lancaster, Tudor, Stuart) are bypassed in the current most senior line. The numbers can be used to calculate the number of generations between two individuals on this list.

The senior direct royal line

1. William I of England
2. Henry I of England
3. Empress Matilda
4. Henry II of England
5. John of England
6. Henry III of England
7. Edward I of England
8. Edward II of England
9. Edward III of England
10. Lionel of Antwerp, 1st Duke of Clarence
11. Philippa Plantagenet, 5th Countess of Ulster
12. Roger de Mortimer, 4th Earl of March
13. Anne de Mortimer
14. Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York
15. '''Edward IV of England
16. Elizabeth of York
17. Margaret Tudor
18. James V of Scotland
19. Mary, Queen of Scots
20. James VI of Scotland and I of England
21. Elizabeth of Bohemia
22. Sophia of Hanover
23. George I of Great Britain
24. George II of Great Britain
25. Frederick, Prince of Wales
26. George III of the United Kingdom
27. Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn
28. Victoria of the United Kingdom
29. Edward VII of the United Kingdom
30. George V of the United Kingdom
31. George VI of the United Kingdom
32. Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom

Monarchs not in the direct line of descent from William I to Elizabeth II

There are 23 monarchs not in the direct line of descent from William I to Elizabeth II. The generation number corresponds to the generation number in the direct line.

Note that the phrase "died without issue" in the context of monarchs means "died without children".

Monarchs of each generation

This table shows the generation of each monarch based on their descent from William I via the royal line.

The generational jump between Henry VII and Henry VIII is an interesting case shown on this list. Henry VIII is the son of Henry VII (generation 14 through an illegitimate junior line of John of Gaunt) as well as the son of Elizabeth of York (generation 16 through the senior Lionel, Duke of Clarence line). Henry VIII is counted as generation 17 because the royal line passes through his mother, who is of the senior line.

1. William I
2. William II, Henry I, siblings
3. Stephen, Empress Matilda, cousins
4. Henry II
5. Richard I, John, siblings
6. Henry III
7. Edward I
8. Edward II
9. Edward III
10. none (Prince of Wales predeceased his father, but left legitimate issue)
11. Richard II, Henry IV, cousins
12. Henry V
13. Henry VI
14. Henry VII
15. Edward IV, Richard III, siblings
16. Edward V
17. Henry VIII
18. Edward VI, Mary I, Elizabeth I, siblings
19. Lady Jane Grey
20. James I
21. Charles I
22. Charles II, James II, siblings
23. Mary II, William III, Anne, George I, cousins & siblings
24. George II
25. none (Prince of Wales predeceased his father, but left legitimate issue)
26. George III
27. George IV, William IV, siblings
28. Victoria
29. Edward VII
30. George V
31. Edward VIII, George VI, siblings
32. Elizabeth II

Genealogical relationships to Elizabeth II

The closest relationships between Elizabeth and each king or queen of England, Great Britain and the United Kingdom are given below. Here, the relationship is counted backwards from Elizabeth.

Note that the closest relationship deviates from the senior direct royal line starting with George III's children. In the junior collateral line, the Queen's grandmother, Mary of Teck was only three generations from George III through her mother, while her consort George V was four generations. These junior lines become more frequent the further back you go. For instance, Elizabeth's mother, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, brings in a closer descent to the Seymour monarchs, Edward VI and Lady Jane Grey.

This process will continue in the future. Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, if he becomes king, will add lines to Charles II and James II, from whose illegitimate children he is descended through his mother Diana, Princess of Wales.

Family tree

This tree shows the descent of all British monarchs from William I, and their relationships with each other. Only branches that led to a monarch are shown. The direct royal line can be followed as the leftmost line.

Shortest paths of descent from William the Conqueror

The following eight lines of descent are from Adela of Normandy, daughter of William the Conqueror.
We can see that Queen Elizabeth II is a 22nd great-granddaughter of William the Conqueror.
1. William I
2. Adela of Normandy
3. Stephen of England
4. Marie I, Countess of Boulogne
5. Mathilde of Flanders
6. Henry II, Duke of Brabant
7. Henry I, Landgrave of Hesse
8. Otto I, Landgrave of Hesse
9. Louis the Junker of Hesse
10. Hermann II, Landgrave of Hesse
11. Louis I, Landgrave of Hesse
12. Louis II, Landgrave of Lower Hesse
13. William II, Landgrave of Hesse
14. Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse
15. Christine of Hesse
16. Sophie of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp
17. Adolf Frederick I, Duke of Mecklenburg
18. Adolphus Frederick II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
19. Charles Louis Frederick, Duke of Mecklenburg
20. Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
21. Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge
22. Mary Adelaide, Princess of Cambridge
23. Mary of Teck
24. George VI
25. Elizabeth II 1.William I
2. Adela of Normandy
3.Stephen of England
4. Marie I, Countess of Boulogne
5. Mathilde of Flanders
6. Henry II, Duke of Brabant
7. Henry I, Landgrave of Hesse
8. Adelheid of Hesse
9. Elisabeth of Henneberg
10. Frederick V, Burgrave of Nuremberg
11. Frederick I, Elector of Brandenburg
12. John, Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach
13. Dorothea of Brandenburg
14. Frederick I of Denmark
15. Adolf, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp
16. Sophie of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp
17. Adolf Frederick I, Duke of Mecklenburg
18. Adolphus Frederick II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
19. Charles Louis Frederick, Duke of Mecklenburg
20. Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
21. Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge
22. Mary Adelaide, Princess of Cambridge
23. Mary of Teck
24.George VI
25.Elizabeth II
1. William I
2. Adela of Normandy
3. Stephen of England
4. Marie I, Countess of Boulogne
5. Mathilde of Flanders
6. Henry II, Duke of Brabant
7. Henry I, Landgrave of Hesse
8. Sophie von Hessen
9. Elisabeth von Waldeck
10. Dietrich V von Honstein
11. Agnes von Honstein
12. Dietrich, Count of Oldenburg
13. Christian I of Denmark
14. Frederick I of Denmark
15. Adolf, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp
16. Sophie of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp
17. Adolf Frederick I, Duke of Mecklenburg
18. Adolphus Frederick II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
19. Charles Louis Frederick, Duke of Mecklenburg
20. Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
21. Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge
22. Mary Adelaide, Princess of Cambridge
23. Mary of Teck
24. George VI
25. Elizabeth II 1.William I
2. Adela of Normandy
3.Stephen of England
4. Marie I, Countess of Boulogne
5. Mathilde of Flanders
6. Henry II, Duke of Brabant
7. Henry I, Landgrave of Hesse
8. Adelheid von Hessen
9. Johann I von Henneberg
10. Elisabeth von Henneberg
11. Sigismund I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau
12. George I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau
13. Anna von Anhalt-Zerbst
14. Anna of Oldenburg
15. Edzard II, Count of East Frisia
16. Marie von Ostfriesland
17. Maria Katharina von Braunschweig-Dannenberg
18. Adolphus Frederick II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
19. Charles Louis Frederick, Duke of Mecklenburg
20. Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
21. Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge
22. Mary Adelaide, Princess of Cambridge
23. Mary of Teck
24.George VI
25.Elizabeth II 1. William I
2. Adela of Normandy
3. Stephen of England
4. Marie I, Countess of Boulogne
5. Mathilde of Flanders
6. Henry II, Duke of Brabant
7. Henry I, Landgrave of Hesse
8. Adelheid von Hessen
9. Johann I von Henneberg
10. Elisabeth von Henneberg
11. Sigismund I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau
12. George I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau
13. Anna von Anhalt-Zerbst
14. Anthony I, Count of Oldenburg
15. Anton II von Oldenburg
16. Sophie Ursula von Oldenburg
17. Antonie Sibylle von Barby
18. Christiane Emilie von Schwarzburg-Sondershausen
19. Charles Louis Frederick, Duke of Mecklenburg
20. Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
21. Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge
22. Mary Adelaide, Princess of Cambridge
23. Mary of Teck
24. George VI
25. Elizabeth II 1.William I
2. Adela of Normandy
3.Stephen of England
4. Marie I, Countess of Boulogne
5. Mathilde of Flanders
6. Henry II, Duke of Brabant
7. Henry I, Landgrave of Hesse
8. Adelheid von Hessen
9. Elisabeth von Henneberg
10. Frederick V, Burgrave of Nuremberg
11. Frederick I, Elector of Brandenburg
12. John, Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach
13. Dorothea of Brandenburg
14. Frederick I of Denmark
15. Adolf, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp
16. Sophie of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp
17. Adolf Frederick I, Duke of Mecklenburg
18. Adolphus Frederick II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
19. Charles Louis Frederick, Duke of Mecklenburg
20. Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
21. Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge
22. Mary Adelaide, Princess of Cambridge
23. Mary of Teck
24.George VI
25.Elizabeth II 1. William I
2. Adela of Normandy
3. Stephen of England
4. Marie I, Countess of Boulogne
5. Mathilde of Flanders
6. Henry II, Duke of Brabant
7. Henry I, Landgrave of Hesse
8. Adelheid von Hessen
9. Elisabeth von Henneberg
10. Frederick V, Burgrave of Nuremberg
11. Frederick I, Elector of Brandenburg
12. Albrecht III Achilles, Elector of Brandenburg
13. Frederick I, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach
14. Albert, Duke of Prussia
15. Anna Sophie von Hohenzollern
16. Johann VII, Duke of Mecklenburg
17. Adolf Frederick I, Duke of Mecklenburg
18. Adolphus Frederick II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
19. Charles Louis Frederick, Duke of Mecklenburg
20. Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
21. Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge
22. Mary Adelaide, Princess of Cambridge
23. Mary of Teck
24. George VI
25. Elizabeth II 1.William I
2. Adela of Normandy
3.Stephen of England
4. Marie I, Countess of Boulogne
5. Mathilde of Flanders
6. Henry II, Duke of Brabant
7. Henry I, Landgrave of Hesse
8. Adelheid von Hessen
9. Elisabeth von Henneberg
10. Frederick V, Burgrave of Nuremberg
11. Frederick I, Elector of Brandenburg
12. Dorothea of Brandenburg, Duchess of Mecklenburg
13. Magnus II, Duke of Mecklenburg
14. Albrecht VII, Duke of Mecklenburg
15. John Albert I, Duke of Mecklenburg-Güstrow
16. Johann VII, Duke of Mecklenburg
17. Adolf Frederick I, Duke of Mecklenburg
18. Adolphus Frederick II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
19. Charles Louis Frederick, Duke of Mecklenburg
20. Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
21. Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge
22. Mary Adelaide, Princess of Cambridge
23. Mary of Teck
24.George VI
25.Elizabeth II The next two lines of descent are from Henry I of England.
1. William I
2. Henry I of England
3. Empress Matilda
4. Henry II of England
5. John of England
6. Isabella of England
7. Margaret of Sicily
8. Frederick I, Margrave of Meissen
9. Frederick II, Margrave of Meissen
10. Elisabeth of Meissen
11. Frederick I, Elector of Brandenburg
12. John, Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach
13. Dorothea of Brandenburg
14. Frederick I of Denmark
15. Adolf, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp
16. Sophie of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp
17. Adolf Frederick I, Duke of Mecklenburg
18. Adolphus Frederick II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
19. Charles Louis Frederick, Duke of Mecklenburg
20. Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
21. Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge
22. Mary Adelaide, Princess of Cambridge
23. Mary of Teck
24. George VI
25. Elizabeth II 1.William I
2.Henry I of England
3.Empress Matilda
4.Henry II of England
5.John of England
6. Isabella of England
7. Margaret of Sicily
8. Frederick I, Margrave of Meissen
9. Frederick II, Margrave of Meissen
10. Elisabeth of Meissen
11. Frederick I, Elector of Brandenburg
12. Dorothea of Brandenburg, Duchess of Mecklenburg
13. Magnus II, Duke of Mecklenburg
14. Albrecht VII, Duke of Mecklenburg
15. John Albert I, Duke of Mecklenburg-Güstrow
16. Johann VII, Duke of Mecklenburg
17. Adolf Frederick I, Duke of Mecklenburg
18. Adolphus Frederick II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
19. Charles Louis Frederick, Duke of Mecklenburg
20. Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
21. Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge
22. Mary Adelaide, Princess of Cambridge
23. Mary of Teck
24.George VI
25.Elizabeth II

Descent of Elizabeth II from other British royal lines

The generation numbering of the primary list above is maintained in the lines below for comparison purposes. The last person listed on each of the lines below is an English monarch listed on the primary list above, and the line continues from that point down to Elizabeth II following the primary list above.

The descent from the Saxon kings

Through the West Saxon royal line

This list shows the joining of the royal families of England, the West Saxon kings descended from Alfred the Great and the Norman kings. Empress Matilda (Maud), granddaughter of William I (Norman), great-great-granddaughter of Edmund II (Saxon), was the first person to unite the families in this line. Her son, Henry II, was the first monarch descended from both these families.

-8. Egbert of Wessex First King of England

-7. Aethelwulf of Wessex

-6. Alfred the Great

-5. Edward the Elder

-4. Edmund I

-3. Edgar

-2. Ethelred II (Ethelred the Unready)

-1. Edmund II (Edmund Ironside)

0. Edward the Exile

1. Saint Margaret of Scotland

2. Edith of Scotland

3. Empress Matilda (Maud)

4. Henry II

Through Alfred the Great's daughter Aelfthryth

This is not a royal line, but is a closer relationship of the earliest Norman kings to the previous dominant line of kings in England. William I married Matilda of Flanders, who was descended from Alfred the Great's daughter Aelfthryth. This means that Henry I was a descendant of Alfred the Great through this line.

-6. Alfred the Great

-5. Ælfthryth, Countess of Flanders

-4. Arnulf I, Count of Flanders

-3. Baldwin III of Flanders

-2. Arnulf II, Count of Flanders

-1. Baldwin IV, Count of Flanders

0. Baldwin V, Count of Flanders

1. Matilda of Flanders

2. Henry I of England

Through Harold Godwinson (Harold II of England)

The British royal house traces itself back to William, who took the throne by conquest, but Elizabeth is also descended from Harold Godwinson, the last crowned Saxon king, who died fighting William at the Battle of Hastings, and himself a descendant (probably 6 x great grandson) of Ethelred I, elder brother of Alfred the Great and grandson of Egbert of Wessex (see Godwin family tree). Harold's daughter Gytha escaped after the conquest and married Vladimir II Monomakh of Kievan Rus', thus preserving the Godwin bloodline. This line rejoins William the Conqueror's bloodline with King Edward III.

-1. Harold Godwinson

0. Gytha of Wessex

1. Mstislav I of Kiev

2. Euphrosyne of Kiev

3. Béla III of Hungary

4. Andrew II of Hungary

5. Violant of Hungary

6. Isabella of Aragon

7. Philip IV of France

8. Isabella of France, Queen of England

9. Edward III

The descent from the Kings of Scotland

Margaret Tudor, daughter of Henry VII, married into the Scottish royal family by marrying James IV of Scotland. Her great-grandson James VI of Scotland succeeded to the English crown as James I of England. Elizabeth II thus also descends from Kenneth MacAlpin, the semi-legendary first King of Scotland.

-5. Kenneth MacAlpin (Kenneth I)

-4. Constantine I

-3. Donald II

-2. Malcolm I

-1. Kenneth II

0. Malcolm II

1. Bethoc

2. Duncan I

3. Malcolm III

4. David I (the Saint)

5. Henry of Scotland, 3rd Earl of Huntingdon

6. David of Scotland, 8th Earl of Huntingdon

7. Isobel of Huntingdon

8. Robert de Brus, 5th Lord of Annandale

9. Robert de Brus, 6th Lord of Annandale

10. Robert I (the Bruce)

11. Marjorie Bruce

12. Robert II

13. Robert III

14. James I

15. James II

16. James III

17. James IV

18. James V

19. Mary

20. James VI of Scotland (James I of England)

Following the same line of descent through the Scottish royal line but changing at the mother of David I, instead of the father leads back to Egbert the first King of England. This duplicates the descent through the West Saxon royal line, but the generation numbering is different.

The Official Royal website says that Her Majesty is 38th in direct line of descent from Egbert (c. 775-839), King of Wessex from 802 and of England 827 to 839. They are referring to this line of descent that goes through the Scottish Kings. This line is senior to the line through the English Plantagenet Kings because it is through a son of Saint Margaret of Scotland (David I) and not a daughter (Edith of Scotland).

-6. Egbert, first King of England

-5. Aethelwulf

-4. Alfred the Great

-3. Edward the Elder

-2. Edmund I

-1. Edgar

0. Ethelred II (Ethelred the Unready)

1. Edmund II (Edmund Ironside)

2. Edward the Exile

3. Saint Margaret of Scotland

4. David I (the Saint)

From Egbert, it is possible to trace Queen Elizabeth's ancestry back to Cerdic, the original Anglo-Saxon conqueror who invaded the country and established the kingdom of Wessex. The historical record is less reliable in that period. At over 50 generations this bloodline is one of the longest known in the western world.

-18. Cerdic, 1st King of Wessex

-17. Creoda

-16. Cynric, King of Wessex

-15. Ceawlin, King of Wessex

-14. Cuthwine

-13. Cutha Cathwulf

-12. Ceolwald of Wessex

-11. Coenred of Wessex

-10. Ingild of Wessex

-9. Eoppa

-8. Eafa

-7. Ealhmund of Kent

-6. Egbert First King of England

The descent from the Danish Kings of England

King Sweyn Forkbeard of Denmark invaded England in 1013, drove out King Æthelred the Unready, and was proclaimed King of England by the Witenagemot. Sweyn reigned in England till his death in 1014. King Aethelred then regained the throne and was succeeded by his son Edmund II Ironside in 1016. However, Edmund died in 1016. The House of Denmark was restored under Sweyn's son Canute and ruled England for the next 26 years. Sweyn's male line ended in 1042, and the English throne reverted to the House of Wessex. Sweyn's descendants through his daughter Estrid continued to rule Denmark. James III of Scotland married one of his descendants, Margaret of Denmark, introducing Sweyn's bloodline into the Scottish royal blood line, and when James VI of Scotland inherited the English throne in 1603, the English royal bloodline as well.

1. Sweyn Forkbeard, King of Denmark, Norway and England

2. Estrid Svendsdatter of Denmark

3. Sweyn II of Denmark

4. Eric I of Denmark

5. Canute Lavard, Duke of Schleswig

6. Valdemar I of Denmark

7. Valdemar II of Denmark

8. Eric IV of Denmark

9. Sophia of Denmark, Queen consort of Sweden

10. Ingeborg of Sweden

11. Gerhard IV, Count of Holstein-Plön

12. Ingeborg, Countess of Oldenburg

13. Christian V, Count of Oldenburg

14. Dietrich, Count of Oldenburg

15. Christian I of Denmark

16. Margaret of Denmark

17. James IV of Scotland

18. James V of Scotland

19. Mary, Queen of Scots

20. James VI of Scotland (James I of England)

The descent from King Stephen of England

Stephen of Blois was the grandson of William the Conqueror through his mother Adela of Normandy. In 1135, on the death of Henry I of England, he claimed the English throne, even though Henry had designated his daughter, Empress Matilda, as heir. Matilda asserted her claim, leading to a protracted war (the Anarchy). The conflict ended when Stephen recognized Matilda's son Henry as his successor. Stephen died in 1154, and was succeeded by Henry II of England. Stephen's bloodline was re-introduced to the English royal bloodline through Isabella of France, wife of Edward II of England; she was descended from Stephen through his daughter Marie I, Countess of Boulogne.

1. Stephen of England

2. Marie I, Countess of Boulogne

3. Maud of Boulogne, Duchess of Brabant

4. Henry II, Duke of Brabant

5. Matilda of Brabant, Countess of Artois

6. Blanche of Artois, Queen Regent of Navarre

7. Joan I of Navarre, Queen consort of France

8. Isabella of France, Queen consort of England

9. Edward III of England

The descent from native princes of Wales

In 1282, Edward I of England conquered the Principality of Wales and incorporated it into the Kingdom of England. These two lines show the descent from two most powerful Welsh princes, Rhys ap Gruffydd (of Deheubarth) and Llywelyn the Great (of Gwynedd).

7. Rhys ap Gruffydd

8. Gwenllian ferch Rhys

9. Goronwy, Lord of Tref-gastell

10. Tudur Hen, Lord of Penmynydd

11. Goronwy ap Tudur, Lord of Penmynydd

12. Tudur Fychan, Lord of Penmynydd

13. Maredudd ap Tudur

14. Owen Tudor

15. Edmund Tudor, 1st Earl of Richmond

16. Henry VII of England

17. Margaret Tudor

18. James V of Scotland

19. Mary, Queen of Scots

20. James VI of Scotland (James I of England)

6. Llywelyn the Great

7. Elen ferch Llywelyn

8. Hawise de Quincy

9. John Wake, 1st Baron Wake of Liddell

10. Margaret Wake, 3rd Baroness Wake of Liddell

11. Joan of Kent

12. Thomas Holland, 2nd Earl of Kent

13. Alianore Holland

14. Anne de Mortimer

15. Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York

16. Edward IV of England

The descent from the Irish kings

The descent from the High Kings of Ireland, also Munster and Leinster

-5. Brian Boru

-4. Tadc mac Briain

-3. Toirdelbach Ua Briain

-2. Muirchertach Ua Briain

-1. Mor Ua Briain

0. Derbforgaill ingen Murchada

1. Murchad mac Diarmata

2. Donnchada mac Murchada

3. Enna mac Donnchada

4. Diarmaid Mac Murchadha

5. Aoife MacMurrough

6. Isabel de Clare, 4th Countess of Pembroke

7. Isabel Marshal

8. Isabella of Gloucester and Hertford

9. Robert de Brus, 6th Lord of Annandale

10. Robert I of Scotland

11. Marjorie Bruce

12. Robert II of Scotland

13. Robert III of Scotland

14. James I of Scotland

15. James II of Scotland

16. James III of Scotland

17. James IV of Scotland

18. James V of Scotland

19. Mary, Queen of Scots

20. James VI of Scotland (James I of England)