Kings and Queens of England!

It's a bit like a puzzle! Some people think Alfred the Great was the first to rule all the English people. He was a super brave king who fought off invaders. But others say his grandson, Æthelstan, was the very first true King of England because he conquered the whole country. He was the first to be called 'King of the English'!

Kings and queens often passed their crowns down to their children, like a special family inheritance. This is called a 'dynasty'. There were many different royal families, like the House of Wessex, who ruled for a long time. Sometimes, a king from another country, like a Danish king named Cnut, even became King of England!

For a very long time, England and Scotland were separate countries with their own kings and queens. But then, a king named James VI of Scotland also became King James I of England! Later, in 1707, England and Scotland officially joined together to become the Kingdom of Great Britain. This meant there was only one country and one parliament.

Some kings were called 'King of England', but others were called 'King of the English'. It wasn't until a king named John that they all started using 'King of England' all the time! Also, the title 'Prince of Wales' is given to the king's oldest son, and it's been a tradition for a very, very long time.