The Saxon King Egbert of the House of Wessex is usually considered as the first true king of England. Although neither he nor his immediate descendants ruled the entire country. It would be many years until the Union when the whole of Great Britain would be ruled by one sovereign.

Prior to King Egbert the country was divided into a number of small kingdoms each ruled by what in effect were tribal chiefs although they styled themselves as "kings". The exception being the Roman period of between 45BC and around 450AD when the country was controlled to some degree by the Roman Emperor.

For the Welsh Kings prior to the Act of Union in 1536 go to the Welsh Site on British Towns Network and for the Scottish Kings prior to the Act of Union in 1707 go to the Scottish Site