This article lists the monarchs who have ruled the Isle of Man. The island has been ruled by Brythonic, Irish, Scottish, Hiberno-Norse, English, and British monarchs. Currently, the island is ruled by the Lord of Mann, Charles III, who is represented by Lieutenant Governor, Sir John Lorimer.
Mythology According to Manx mythology, the first ruler of the Isle of Man was Manannán mac Lir.
Ulaid rule (578 ‒ 582) The Annals of Ulster record an expedition of the Ulaid to the Isle of Man in 577 and their return in 578 in which King Báetán mac Cairill imposed his authority on the island.AU 577.6; 578.2; Byrne, pg.110; Mac Niocaill, pg.78; Ó Cróinín (EMI), pg. 50; Ó Cróinín (NHI), pg.216. In 582 after his death, the annals record the taking of Man by Áedán mac Gabráin.AU 582.1; AT 580.1 NameReignNotesRoyal houseStartEndLengthBáetán mac Cairill5785824 yearsAlso King of UlaidHouse of Ulaid
Dál Riada rule (582 ‒ c.600) In 582, Dál Riada are recorded taking the island under King Áedán mac Gabráin. NameReignNotesRoyal houseStartEndÁedán mac Gabráin582c.600Also King of Dál RiadaCenél nGabrain
Bernician-Deiran rule (620 – 633) PortraitNameReignNotesRoyal houseStartEndLength Edwin of Bernicia & Deira62063313 yearsAlso King of Bernicia and DeiraHouse of Deira
Kings of Ynys Manau (633 ‒ 825)
NameReignNotesRoyal houseStartEndCynin633Mid 600sSon of Anllech ap TudwalHouse of Alt ClutMermin FawrMid 600s682Son of Cynin ap AnllechAnaraud682Late 600sSon of Mermin FawrTudwal IIILate 600sEarly 700sSon of Anaraud ap MerminIudgualEarly 700sMid 700sSon of Tudwal ap AnarawdCelemionMid 700sLate 700sDaughter of Tudwal ap Anarawd; Possibly ruled jointly with her husband SanddeSanddeMid 700s790Husband of Celemion ferch Tudwal; Ruled jure uxoris;
Male-line descendant of Llywarch HenCoelingElidyr790Early 800sSon of Sandde ap Alcwn and Celemion ferch TudwalGwriadEarly 800sEarly 800sSon of Elidyr ap Sandde; married Esyllt, daughter of Cynan, King of GwyneddMerfyn FrychEarly 800s825Son of Gwriad ap Elidyr
Gwynedd rule (825 ‒ 836) In 825, Merfyn Frych becomes King of Gwynedd bringing Mann under Welsh rule. PortraitNameReignNotesRoyal houseStartEndLengthMerfyn Frych82583611 yearsSon of Gwriad ap Elidyr; Also King of GwyneddCoeling
Early Norse rule (902 ‒ 914) In about 900, Mann came under the rule of a series of primarily Hiberno-Norse kings and incorporated into the Kingdom of the Isles. Paradoxically, the Norse were responsible for the cementing of the Gaelic language on the island, which utterly replaced the native Brittonic. The island has produced a more densely distributed Viking Age archaeology than anywhere else in the British Isles, but the written records for this time period are poor.Woolf (2007) pp. 293–94Downham (2007) p. 178 NameReignTitlesNotesRoyal houseVassalageStartEndOtir912Woolf (2007) pp. 140–41914Howorth (1911) p. 12Jarl and "Master of the Isle of Man"OtirPossibly as a vassal of Ragnall ua ÍmairHoworth (1911) p. 8Bárid mac Oitir914914N/ALikely son of OttirIndependent?
Kingdom of the Isles (914 ‒ 1265)
Since the emergence of Somerled and his descendants in the 12th century, the Manx kings began to lose territory and power in the Hebrides. Before the reigns of the three sons of Olaf the Black, the Manx kings styled themselves "King of the Isles". By the time of the reigns of Olaf's sons, the kings had begun to style themselves "King of Mann and the Isles". NameReignTitlesNotesRoyal houseVassalageStartEndRagnall ua Ímair914921King of NorthumbriaDefeated Bárid in a naval battle off Man in 914;Woolf (2007) pp. 140–41Downham (2007) p. 30 Grandson of Ímar, King of DublinUí ÍmairIndependentNorthumbriaGothfrith ua Ímair920s930sKing of Northumbria; King of DublinGrandson of Ímar, King of DublinNorthumbria & DublinOlaf Guthfrithson930s941King of Northumbria; King of DublinSon of Gofraid ua Ímair; Married a daughter of Constantine II of ScotlandAmlaíb Cuaránc.941980King of the IslesGregory (1881) pp. 4–6 and/or as otherwise indicated. An asterisk (*) indicates the individual is not considered by Gregory. (and possibly King of Mann);Woolf (2007) p. 181 King of Northumbria; King of DublinWoolf (2007) p. 174Son of Sitric Cáech; Died on Iona in 981.Ó Corráin (1998) p. 11Maccus mac Arailt980?King of the IslesDownham (2007) p. 253Said to have been "brought under subjection" by Edgar the Peaceful, King of England who died in 975Gregory (1881) p. 5Kingdom of EnglandGofraid mac ArailtDownham (2007) p. 185?989King of the IslesBrother of Maccus mac ArailtGilli990?JarlOperated under Sigurd the Stout, Earl of Orkney & Mormaer of Caithness. Married to Sigurd's sister. Sigurd himself was a vassal of the King of Norway.Jarldom of OrkenyRagnall mac Gofraid?1005Downham (2007) p. 197King of the IslesDownham (2007) p. 267Etchingham (2001) p. 180Son of Gofraid mac ArailtUí ÍmairSigurd the Stout10051014Earl of Orkney & Mormaer of CaithnessOrkneyKingdom of NorwayEinar Sigurdsson10141016?Joint Earl of OrkneyJarldom of OrkenyHåkon Eiriksson10161030Woolf (2007) p. 246Ruler of the Suðreyar; Governor ofNorwayNephew of Cnut the GreatLadeNorth Sea EmpireOlaf Sigtryggsson10301034Etchingham (2001) pp. 157–58King of Mann and many of the other islands of DenmarkSon of Sitric Silkbeard and grandson of Amlaíb CuaránUí ÍmairIndependentThorfinn the Mightyc.1035c.1058Earl of Orkney & Mormaer of CaithnessOrkneyKingdom of NorwayÍmar mac Arailtc.1045?Duffy (2006) pp. 53, 55?King of DublinRuler of Dublin and possibly Mann. In 1045 Ímar crushed the Ulaid in a raid on Rathlin which may be evidence that he also controlled Mann at this point.Uí ÍmairDublinEchmarcach mac Ragnaill10521061Woolf (2007) p. 245Duffy (1992) p. 100King of MannProbably ruler of both Dublin and Mann prior to 1052, when he was expelled from the former by Diarmait mac Maíl na mBó. Possibly son of Ragnall mac Gofraid and thus possibly a King of Innse Gall as well.Downham (2007) p. 187Murchad mac Diarmata10611070King of Dublin and Mann?Duffy (1992) pp. 100–01Uí CeinnselaigDiarmait mac Maíl na mBó10701072King of Dublin and the IslesDuffy (1992) p. 108Father of Murchad, but who ruled after him over Dublin "and, one assumes, Man"Godred Sitricson10721074King of ManThe Chronicle of Man and the Sudreys (1874) p. 51Uí ÍmairIndependentFingal Godredson10741070sKing of ManSon of Godred SitricsonGodred Crovan1070s1095King of Dublin and the IslesDuffy (1992) p. 108Son of "Harald the Black of Ysland"Gregory (1881) p. 5Crovan DynastyLagmann Godredsson10951098?Eldest son of Godred Crovan. Whether Lagmann began his reign before or after Magnus Barelegs's arrival is not known for certain.MacMarasd. 1098Jarl of ManEach Earl of "one half of Man" in a civil war ending in the Battle of Santwat, in which both die.Duffy (1992) pp. 121–22?Ottard. 1098Jarl of ManCotterMagnus Barelegs10981102King of Norway Possibly King of the IslesDirect Norwegian ruleGregory (1881) pp. 4–6Hunter (2000) pp. 102–3HardradaKingdom of NorwaySigurd Magnusson11021103King of NorwayNominal control by under-age son of Magnus BarelegsLagmann Godredsson11031110Eldest son of Godred CrovanCrovan DynastyIndependentDomnall mac Taidc Uí Briain1111Duffy (1992) p. 1151112Regent during the minority of Olave the RedNephew of Muirchertach Ua Briain. Expelled by the Islesmen.Meic Taidc (Uí Briain)Olave the Red1112Duffy (1992) pp. 125–261152Son of Godred CrovanCrovan DynastyGodred the Black11541158King of Man and the IslesDuffy (1992) pp. 127–28 King of Man (1156─1158)Son of Olave the Red Kingdom partitioned in 1156 after the Battle of EpiphanyGregory (1881) pp. 9–17Woolf (2006) p. 103 but Mann remains under Godred until 1158.Somerled11581164Lord of Argyll, Kintyre and LorneGregory (1881) pp. 9–17Son-in-law of Olave the Red, and son of GilleBride of the old royal house of Dalriada, and a Norse woman. By 1158 Somerled was Rex Insularum, King of the Isles. His dominion covered 25,000 square miles and more than 500 islands.Dál RiadaReginaldThe Chronicle of Man and the Sudreys (1874) p. 7511641164No recordHalf-brother of Godred the BlackCrovan DynastyGodred the Black11641187King of the IslesRe-instatedRagnvald11881226King of the IslesSon of Godred the BlackGregory (1881) p. 17The Chronicle of Man and the Sudreys (1874) p. 79Olaf the Black12261237King of Mann and the IslesHalf-brother of Raghnall mac GofraidhÓspakr-Hákon12301230King of the SuðreyjarSellar (2000) pp. 194, 202Son of Dubgall mac Somairle?Dál RiadaGofraid Donn12301230sSon of Raghnall mac GofraidhCrovan DynastyHarald Olafsson12371248King of Mann and the IslesSon of Olaf the BlackKingdom of NorwayRagnvald Olafsson12481249King of Mann and the IslesSon of Olaf the Black, his rule was briefHarald Godredsson12491250King of MannSon of Gofraid Donn and grandson of Raghnall mac GofraidhMagnus Olafsson12521265?King of Mann and the IslesSon of Olaf the Black
Scottish and English rule (1265 – 1333) Between 1265 and 1333, Mann was ruled directly by the Kings of Scotland (1265–1290, 1293–1296, 1313–1317, 1328–1333) or the Kings of England (1290–1293, 1296–1313, 1317–1328). NameReignTitlesNotesRoyal houseStartEndKingdom of Scotland (1265‒1290)Alexander III12651286King of ScotsMann annexed by Scotland DunkeldMargaret12861290Queen of ScotsGranddaughter of Alexander IIISverreKingdom of England (1290‒1293)Edward I12901293King of EnglandMann annexed by EnglandPlantagenetKingdom of Scotland (1293–1296)John Balliol12931296King of ScotsMann annexed by ScotlandBalliolKingdom of England (1296–1313)Edward I12961307King of EnglandMann annexed by EnglandPlantagenetEdward II13071327King of EnglandSon of Edward IKingdom of Scotland (1313–1317)Robert I the Bruce13131317King of ScotsMann annexed by ScotlandBruceKingdom of England (1317‒1328)Edward III13171328King of EnglandMann annexed by EnglandPlantagenetKingdom of Scotland (1328–1333)Robert I the Bruce13291329King of ScotsMann annexed by ScotlandBruceDavid II13291333King of ScotsSon of Robert IKingdom of England (1317‒1328)Edward III13331333King of EnglandMann annexed by EnglandPlantagenet
Kings of Mann (1333 ‒ 1399)
Portrait/ArmsNameReignTitlesNotesRoyal houseVassalageStartEndWilliam I13331344King of Mann Earl of SalisburyIn 1333, Edward III of England renounced all royal claims over Mann, and recognised it as an independent kingdom. MontaguKingdom of EnglandWilliam II13441392King of Mann Earl of SalisburySon of William I of MannWilliam III13921399King of Mann Earl of WiltshireTitle purchased from William II of Mann. He was executed for his support of Richard II in his struggle with Henry Bolingbroke and the Kingdom of Mann passed to the English Crown.Scrope
English suzerainty (1399 ‒ 1504)
Portrait/ArmsNameReignTitlesNotesRoyal houseStartEndHenry IV139919 October 1399King of EnglandClaimed Mann by Right of Conquest LancasterHenry I19 October 13991405King of Mann Earl of NorthumberlandHenry IV granted the Island, as a fiefdom under the English Crown to Henry Percy. He was officially made Lord of Mann but styled himself as King of Mann. He was stripped of this title following a rebellion in 1405.PercyJohn I14051414King of MannHenry IV granted the Island, as a fiefdom under the English Crown to Sir John Stanley.StanleyJohn II14051437King of MannSon of John I of MannThomas I1437February 1459King of Mann Baron StanleySon of John II of MannThomas IIFebruary 145929 July 1504King of Mann Earl of DerbySon of Thomas I of Mann Married Lady Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry VII of EnglandThomas III29 July 150423 May 1521King of Mann Earl of DerbySon of Thomas II of Mann
Lords of Mann (1521 ‒ present)
Edward Stanley, 3rd Earl of Derby, the son of Thomas Stanley, 2nd Earl of Derby, did not take the style "King", and he and his successors were generally known instead as Lord of Mann. However, the Latin style Rex Manniae et Insularum (King of Mann and the Isles) continued to be occasionally used in official documents until at least the 17th century.