Category:Monarchs of the United Kingdom

This category is a supercategory for rulers of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in OTL or in Harry Turtledove's alternate history stories. Articles on UK monarchs should be placed into one or both of the subcategories, not here.

The monarch of the United Kingdom is the head of state of the British government. In theory, all other officers within the government serve at his or her pleasure. In practice, the monarchs have long abided by the results of elections.

The foundations of the British monarchy can be found in 1603, when James VI of Scotland inherited the English throne and ruled both kingdoms, beginning a Crown Union in Britain. He styled himself James of Great Britain but was legally James VI and I of Scotland and England. In 1707 the Crown Union became a full union and the formal Kingdom of Great Britain was created, with Anne as its first monarch. However, British monarchs would continue to invoke continuity with the old English monarchy. For instance, the British Elizabeth II uses the number II in reference to the English Elizabeth I.

Throughout Britain's imperial history, British monarchs have worn a number of different crowns in addition to the British crown, including that of Emperor of India and King of such places as Pakistan, Ceylon, Ireland, Cyprus, Malta, and South Africa, as well as Duke of Normandy and Brunswick-Luneburg. The current Queen, Elizabeth II, is also the queen of fifteen other nations as well: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Solomon Islands, and Tuvalu.

Every monarch since the English Reformation has been head of the Church of England, with the exceptions of Mary I and James II, who were Roman Catholics. At later dates the monarch would also become head of some, but not all, of the other churches making up the Anglican Union.