From before the days of the the early Saxon Kings the story of the British monarchy has always been a turbulent one.  The modern monarchy has one of the longest recorded genealogies in Europe, due to the tradition of the succession.

Until the time of Alfred the Great there were no unifying forces on mainland Britain, with local chieftains and 'kings' ruling regions mainly by force of arms. Thanks to the unifying attempts by Alfred, Edgar was later crowned as the first King of England in 973.

After the Norman invasion of England in 1066 England remained relatively united until 1541 when Ireland was also put under the rule of English King Henry VIII.

Upon Henry's daughter Queen Elizabeth I's death in 1603 the succession passed to James I of England (James VI of Scotland)  when English, Irish and Scottish kingdoms became united and the foundations of the modern monarchy were laid.