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Regnal Years: Instead of our normal calendar year, the year written was the number of years since the year in which the Reign of the then current Monarch began.   Regnal years run from the day the Reign began, so e.g. King Charles II came to the throne on 29 May 1660 his first Regnal year ran from 29 May 1660 to 28 May 1661 and a date which we would know as 3rd June 1672 could have been written "3rd June 13 Charles II" ie the 3rd day of June in the 13th year of the reign of King Charles II (an added complication is that 3rd could be written, not numeric & the month could be shown numerically or abbreviated & in Latin) Please be aware that Regnal years are not from the Coronation, but from start of the Reign (accession) which was usually the day the previous Monarch died, abdicated or was dethroned.
Converter for English Regnal Years to Calendar Years
Day Month Year of Reign
Ruler
   
Calendar Year:
Notes:
This simple chart of chronology showing Regnal Years of Kings and Queens of England with parentage, Death year and Birth year where known, helps to put each Royal succession into historical context.

Name of Ruler Lineage - Descent Birth Reign Began Reign Ended Death
 ANGLO-SAXONS    
Egbert First Ruler of all England 775? 827 830 839
Ethelwulf Son of Egbert ? 839 857 858
Ethelbald Son of Ethelwulf ? 857 860 860?
Ethelbert Second son of Ethelwulf ? 860 866 866?
Ethelred I Third son of Ethelwulf ? 866 871 871
Alfred the Great Fourth son of Ethelwulf 849 871 899 899
Edward the Elder Son of Alfred 870? 899 925 925
Athelstan Eldest son of Edward 895? 925 940 941
Edmund I Brother of Athelstan 923 940 946 946/8
Edred Brother of Edmund I ? 946 955 955
Edwy Son of Edmund I 939? 955 959 959
Edgar Second son of Edmund I 943? 959 975 975
Edward the Martyr Son of Edgar 961? 975 978 978
Ethelred II Half-brother of Edward 968 978 1016 1016
Edmund Ironside Eldest son of Ethelred 989 1016 1017 1017
 DANISH RULERS    
Canute By conquest and election 995 1017 1035 1035
Harold I (Harefoot) Son of Canute ? 1035 1040 1040
Hardicanute Another son of Canute 1019 1040 1042 1042
 SAXONS     
Edward the Confessor Son of Ethelred II 1004 1042 1066 1066
Harold II Brother-in-law of Edward 1022 1066 1066 1066
 NORMANS    
William I Second cousin to Edward the Confessor; by conquest 1027 1066 1087 1087
William II Third son of William I 1056 1087 1100 1100
Henry I Youngest son of William I 1068 1100 1135 1135
Stephen Grandson of William I by William's daughter Adela
(Third son of Stephen, Count of Blois)		 1105 1135 1154 1154
 THE PLANTAGENETS    
Henry II Son of Geoffrey Plantagenet by Matilda, daughter of Henry I (Matilda also known as Empress Maude) 1133 1154 1189 1189
Richard I
the Lionhearted		 Eldest surviving son of Henry II 1157 1189 1199 1199
John Youngest son of Henry II 1166 1199 1216 1216
Henry III Eldest son of John 1207 1216 1272 1272
Edward I Eldest son of Henry III 1239 1272 1307 1307
Edward II Eldest surviving son of Edward I 1284 1307 1327 1327
Edward III Eldest son of Edward II 1312 1327 1377 1377
Richard II Son of the Black Prince, eldest son of Edward III 1366 1377 1399 1400
 HOUSE OF LANCASTER     
Henry IV Son of John of Gaunt, 4th son of Edward III 1367 1399 1413 1413
Henry V Edlest Son of Henry IV 1387 1413 1422 1422
Henry VI Only son of Henry V 1421 1422 1461 1471
 HOUSE OF YORK    
Edward IV His grandfather was Richard, son of Edmund, son of Edward III 1441 1461 1483 1483
Edward V Eldest son of Edward IV 1470 1483 ? 1483
Richard III Younger brother of Edward IV 1452 1483 1485 1485
 HOUSE OF TUDOR     
Henry VII Son of Edmund, eldest son of Owen Tudor, by Katharine, widow of Henry V.  Mother was great-granddaughter of John of Gaunt (a son of Edward III ) 1457 1485 1509 1509
Henry VIII Only surviving son of Henry VII 1491 1509 1547 1547
Edward VI Son of Henry VIII by Jane Seymour 1537 1547 1553 1553
Mary I Daughter of Henry VIII by Katharine of Aragon 1516 1553 1558 1558
Elizabeth I Daughter of Henry VIII by Anne Boleyn 1533 1558 1603 1603
 HOUSE OF STUART     
James I Son of Mary Queen of Scots, granddaughter of James IV of Scotland and Margaret 1566 1603 1625 1625
Charles I Only surviving son of James I (executed) 1600 1625 1649 1649
Commonwealth 
& Protectorate		 Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector 1599 1649 1658 1658
Richard Cromwell, 3rd son of Oliver 1626 1658 1659 1712
Charles II Eldest son of Charles I 1630 1660 1685 1685
James II Second son of Charles I 1633 1685 1689 1701
William III Son of William, Prince of Orange, by Mary, daughter of Charles I 1650 1689 1702 1702
  & Mary II Eldest daughter of James II 1662 1689 1694 1694
Anne Second daughter of James II 1665 1702 1714 1714
 HOUSE OF HANOVER     
George I Son of Elector of Hanover, by Sophia, daughter of Elizabeth, daughter of James I 1660 1714 1727 1727
George II Only son of George I 1683 1727 1760 1760
George III Grandson of George II 1738 1760 1820 1820
George IV Eldest son of George III 1762 1820 1830 1830
William IV Third son of George III 1765 l830 1837 1837
Victoria Daughter of Edward, 4th son of George III 1819 1837 1901 1901
 HOUSE OF WINDSOR (name adopted in place of Saxe-Coburg by George V, July 1917)    
Edward VII Son of Victoria 1841 1901 1910 1910
George V Son of Edward VII 1865 1910 1936 1936
Edward VIII Son of George V    Accession, January 20 1936
                                 Abdication, December 10 1936		 1894 1936 1936 1972
George VI Son of George V 1895 1936 1952 1952
Queen Elizabeth II Daughter of King George VI 1926 1952 ? ?