Use of ordinals by monarchs

Ordinal numbers or regnal numbers are used to distinguish between persons with the same name who held the same office. Most importantly, they are used to distinguish monarchs. The tradition of numbering monarchs dates back at least as early as the reign of King Edward III of England.

It is common to start counting either since the beginning of the monarchy, or since the beginning of a particular line of dynastic succession. For example, Boris III of Bulgaria and his son Simeon II were given their regnal numbers because it was decided that the medieval kings (between 679-1018 and 1186-1393) would be included, even though their dynasty only dated back to 1887 and had no connection to the previous monarchies. On the other hand, the kings of England were counted starting with the Norman Conquest. That's why the son of Henry III of England is counted as Edward I, even though there were three Edwards before the Conquest.

In any case, it is usual to count only the monarchs or heads of the family, and to number them sequentially up to the end of the dynasty. Sometimes, such as in the case of the Swedish kings, mythical or semi-mythical persons are included. A notable exception to this rule is the German House of Reuss. This family has the particularity that every male member during the last centuries was named Heinrich, and all of them - not only the head of the family - were numbered. While the member of the elder branch were numbered in order of birth until the extinction of the branch in 1927, the members of the younger line were (and still are) numbered in sequences which began and ended roughly as centuries began and ended. This explains why the current head of the Reuss family is called Heinrich IV, his son Heinrich XIV and his son Heinrich XXIX.

The first

In some monarchies it is costumary not to use an ordinal when there has been one holder of that name. For example, Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom is not called Victoria I. This tradition is applied in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Sweden and Norway. It was also applied in most of the German monarchies.

Other monarchies do assign ordinals to monarchs who are the only ones of their name. This is a more recent invention and appears to be done for the first time when King Francis I of France issued testoons (silver coins) bearing the legend FRANCISCVS I DE. GR. FRANCORV. REX . This currently is the regular practice in Belgium, Spain and Monaco (at least for Prince Albert I, as Princess Louise Hippolyte, who reigned 150 years earlier, doesn't appear to have used an ordinal). It was also applied in Albania during the reign of King Zog, Brazil, Italy, Mexico, Montenegro, Portugal, Russia and by the Papacy under Pope John Paul I.

It should be noted that there are cases when the national tradition were not respected. For example, when Mary I of England acceeded to the throne, her regnal style was announced as "the most high, most puissant, and most excellent Princess Mary the First, by the Grace of God Queen of England, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, and of the Church of England and Ireland Supreme Head".

Elizabeth Queen of Scots?

It is sometimes said that the present queen of the United Kingdom is not called Elizabeth II in Scotland, but simply Elizabeth, because she is the first monarch of her name to reign over Scotland. This is incorrect.

Between 1603, when the crowns were united in the person of James VI, and the union in 1707, the monarchs were numbered separately. After that, a single ordinal was used throughout Great Britain, and this has always been consistent with the English sequence of sovereigns. Hence, Edward VII of the United Kingdom was called Edward VII throughout the entire United Kingdom, even though he was only the second of that name to reign in Scotland.

In order to avoid controversy, it was announced after the accession of Elizabeth II that, in the future, the highest numeral from each sequence would be used. So any future British King Edward would be given the number IX, even though there have only been three previous Edwards in Scotland, but any future King Robert would be given the number IV, even though he would be the first Robert to reign in England.

Pretenders

It is traditional amongst monarchists to continue to number their pretenders, even though they have never reigned. Hence, a supporter of the Comte de Paris would call him Henri VII, even though only four Henri's have been King of France. This also explains why there was a Louis XVIII of France, even though France had never experienced the reign of Louis XVII.