Charles oldest ever to become King: The 20 oldest and youngest monarchs to take the throne

While Queen Elizabeth II was the longest-reigning British monarch ever, she was relatively young when she ascended the throne.

This means that King Charles is coming to the throne relatively late in life. In fact, he’s the oldest monarch.

Here’s a look at 10 of the oldest British monarchs, as well as 10 of the youngest, as King Charles prepares for his coronation in a few short weeks.

Ten oldest British monarchs at the time of ascension

King Charles III will be 48 years older than his mother was when he officially takes the throne next month.

This makes him the oldest British monarch to take the throne, almost 10 years over than the previous record holder, King William IV.

Here’s a rundown of the oldest monarchs based on the age they took the throne, ranging from 41 to 73.

1. King Charles III: Born on November 14, 1948, ascended the throne aged 73
2. King William IV: Born on August 21, 1765, ascended aged 64 years
3. King Edward VII: Born on November 9, 1841, ascended aged 59
4. King George IV: Born on August 12, 1762, ascended aged 57
5. King George I: Born on May 28, 1660, ascended aged 54 years
6. King James II: Born on October 14, 1633, ascended aged 51
7. King Harold II: Born around 1020, ascended aged 45
8. King George V: Born on June 3, 1865, ascended aged 44
9. King George II: Born on October 30, 1683, ascended aged 43
10. King Edward VIII: Born on June 23, 1894, ascended aged 41

Ten youngest British monarchs at the time of ascension

Of course, where there are monarchs taking the throne late in life, there are also monarchs taking the throne very early on. Indeed, there are 10 monarchs who have ascended aged 16 and under.

The youngest of them all is King Henry VI, the only son of King Henry V, who died when his son was just eight months old.

While he officially took the throne as a baby, the day-to-day rule was headed by his uncle and the former king’s brother, John, Duke of Bedford, as the senior regent of the realm.

While the Duke took charge of the ongoing war in France, the government of England was also headed by Henry V's other surviving brother, Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, appointed Lord Protector and Defender of the Realm.

There’s a nine-year age gap between the youngest and second-youngest monarchs, with the next one being King Henry III 200 years earlier. Here’s a rundown of all the youngest monarchs in British history.

1. King Henry VI: Born December 6, 1421, ascended aged nine months and 26 days
2. King Henry III: Born October 1, 1207, ascended aged nine and 17 days
3. King Edward VI: Born October 12, 1537, ascended aged nine and three months
4. King Aethelred II: Born c.968, ascended aged nine years and nine months
5. King Richard II: Born January 6, 1367, aged 10
6. King Edward The Martyr: Born c.963, ascended aged 12 years and one month
7. King Edward V: Born November 4, 1470, ascended aged 12 and five months
8. King Edward III: Born November 13, 1312, ascended aged 14
9. King Edwy (Eadwig): Born c.940, ascended aged 15
10. King Edgar: Born c.943, ascended aged 16