Descent of Elizabeth II from William I

This list shows the most senior line of direct royal lineal descent of the United Kingdom to the current monarch from William the Conqueror. 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. Due 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 direct royal line

 * 1) (Maud)
 * 2) (wife of )
 * 1) (Maud)
 * 2) (wife of )
 * 1) (wife of )
 * 1) (wife of )
 * 1) (wife of )
 * 1) (wife of )
 * 1) (wife of )
 * 1) (wife of )
 * 1) (wife of )
 * 1) (wife of )
 * 1) (wife of )
 * 1) (wife of )
 * 1) (wife of )
 * 1) (wife of )

Monarchs not in the direct royal line, and why
The number after each monarch is their generation number (it corresponds to the number on the list above and the list below).


 * (2), died without issue. The line passes through his younger brother,
 * (3), he was from a more junior branch of the family, the line passes through his uncle of the senior line,
 * (5), died without issue. The line passes through his younger brother,
 * (11), died without issue. The line passes through his grandfather's younger son,
 * (11), the was from a more junior branch of the family, the line passes through his uncle of the senior branch,
 * (12), the was from a more junior branch of the family, the line passes through his great uncle of the senior branch,
 * (13), the was from a more junior branch of the family, the line passes through his great great uncle of the senior branch,
 * (16), the line passes through his sister,
 * (15), the line passes through his elder brother's daughter,
 * (14), he is from a junior branch of the family. His wife,, is from the senior branch, and the line passes through her and then through their daughter,
 * (17), all heirs died without issue. The line passes through his sister,
 * (18), died without issue. The line passes through his aunt,
 * (18), died without issue. The line passes through her aunt,
 * (18), died without issue. The line passes through her aunt,
 * (21), the line passes through his sister,
 * (22), the line passes through his aunt,
 * (22), the line passes through his aunt,
 * (23), the line passes through her great aunt,
 * (23), he was from a junior branch of the family and a cousin of his wife Mary II, the line passes through his great aunt,
 * (23), the line passes through her great aunt,
 * (27), the line passes through his younger brother,
 * (27), the line passes through his younger brother,
 * (31), the line passes through his younger brother,

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

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

This process will continue in the future. , if he becomes king, will add a line to, from whom he is descended through his mother.


 * 1) none
 * 2) none
 * 1) none
 * 2) none
 * 1) none
 * 2) none
 * 1) none
 * 2) none
 * 1) none
 * 2) none
 * 1) none
 * 1) none
 * 1) none
 * 1) none
 * 1) none
 * 1) none
 * 1) none
 * 1) none
 * 1) none
 * 1) none
 * 1) none
 * 1) none
 * 1) none
 * 1) none
 * 1) none

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.

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.

Descent of Elizabeth II from other 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 belows 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 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), grand daughter of William I (Norman), great great grand daughter of Edmund II (Saxon), is the first person to unite the families in this line. Her son, Henry II, is the first monarch descended from both these families.


 * -6.
 * -5.
 * -4.
 * -3.
 * -2. (Ethelred the Unready)
 * -1. (Edmund Ironside)
 * 0.
 * 1.
 * 2.
 * 3. (Maud)
 * 4.

The descent 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 is a descendant of Alfred the Great through this line.


 * -6.
 * -5.
 * -4.
 * -3.
 * -2.
 * -1.
 * 0.
 * 1.
 * 2.

The descent 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, the last crowned Saxon king who died fighting William at the. Harold's daughter Gytha escaped after the conquest and married of, thus preserving the Godwin bloodline. This line rejoins William the Conqueror's bloodline with King Edward III.


 * -6.
 * -5.
 * -4.
 * -3.
 * -2.
 * -1.
 * 0.
 * 1.
 * 2.
 * 3.
 * 4.

The descent from the
Margaret Tudor, daughter of Henry VII, married into the Scottish royal family by marrying. Elizabeth II thus also descends from, the semi-legendary first King of Scotland.


 * -5.
 * -4.
 * -3.
 * -2.
 * -1.
 * 0.
 * 1.
 * 2.
 * 3.
 * 4.
 * 5.
 * 6.
 * 7.
 * 8.
 * 9.
 * 10.
 * 11.
 * 12.
 * 13.
 * 14.
 * 15.
 * 16.
 * 17.
 * 18.
 * 19.
 * 20.

The Merovingian descent through Charlemagne

 * -21.
 * -20.
 * -19.
 * -18.
 * -17.
 * -16.
 * -15.
 * -14.
 * -13.
 * -12.
 * -11. (illegitimate)
 * -10.
 * -9.
 * -8.
 * -7.
 * -6.
 * -5.
 * -4.
 * -3.
 * -2.
 * -1.
 * 0.
 * 1.