The precise style of the British sovereign is chosen and proclaimed by the sovereign, in accordance with the Royal Titles Act 1953. The current sovereign, King Charles III, was proclaimed by the Privy
Henry VIII's reign saw the use of five different royal styles.
Cannon of Charles II, with Latin text Britanniæ, Hiberniæ et Galliæ rex ("King of Britain, Ireland and Gaul")
Queen Victoria was the first British monarch to use the style "Empress of India".
Elizabeth I
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Elizabeth I was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. She was the last and longest reigning monarch of the House of Tudor. Her eventful reign, and its effect on h
Style of the British sovereign
…Mary's and Philip's titles. Further changes were made after Philip became King of Spain and Sicily upon his father's abdication. When the Protestant Elizabeth I ascended the throne, she used the simpler "Queen of England, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, etc.". The "etc." was added in anticipation of…
Elizabeth's parents, Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. Anne was executed within three years of Elizabeth's birth.
A rare portrait of a teenage Elizabeth prior to her accession, attributed to William Scrots. It was painted for her father in c. 1546.
Elizabeth's guardian, Thomas Seymour, Baron Seymour of Sudeley