Kingdom of Great Britain

The **United Kingdom of Great Britain** was a state in the British Isles. The kingdom came into existence because of the Acts of Union 1707. These acts of parliament joined (unified) the Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England. The kingdom's lands were Great Britain (an island in the Atlantic Ocean near Continental Europe) and some other islands in the British Isles. Throughout its existence, the kingdom was in a personal union (sharing the same monarchy) with the Kingdom of Ireland. Outside the British Isles, Great Britain governed other lands and started colonies in North America.

When the kingdom began, the Parliament of Scotland and the Parliament of England joined into one legislature, the Parliament of Great Britain. The parliament met in the old Palace of Westminster in London. London was the capital city and the British government was there. The two earlier kingdoms of Scotland and England had been in a personal union (sharing the same monarchy) since the reign of James VI and I. King James was a King of Scots who became King of England and King of Ireland in 1603 because he inherited the kingdoms of Elizabeth I.

In 1801, by the Act of Union 1800, the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland joined into the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland after the putting down of the Irish Rebellion of 1798.

## Monarchs

Anne became Queen of England, Queen of Scotland, and Queen of Ireland in 1702. She became Queen of Great Britain when the new kingdom started in 1707. (Ireland was a separate kingdom, so Anne was Queen of Ireland and the later kings of Great Britain were each themselves King of Ireland.) From the start of 1801, during the reign of George III, the two kingdoms of Ireland and Great Britain became the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.

### House of Stuart

- Anne (1707–1714)

### House of Hanover

- George I (1714–1727)
- George II (1727–1760)
- George III (1760–1801), continued as King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until 1820.

## Related pages

- British Armed Forces
- Metropolitan Police

## Infobox (former country)

- **conventional long name**: United Kingdom of Great Britain
- **common name**: Great Britain
- **status**: State union
- **year start**: 1707
- **year end**: 1800
- **date start**: 1 May
- **date end**: 31 December
- **event start**: Acts of Union 1707, 1707 Union
- **event end**: Act of Union 1800, 1801 Union
- **p1**: Kingdom of England
- **flag p1**: Flag of England.svg
- **p2**: Kingdom of Scotland
- **flag p2**: Flag of Scotland.svg
- **s1**: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
- **flag s1**: Flag of the United Kingdom (3-5).svg
- **image flag**: Union flag 1606 (Kings Colors).svg
- **image flag2**: Royal standard of Great Britain (1714–1801).svg
- **flag caption**: Flag of the United Kingdom, Top: Flag (1707–1800
)
Bottom: Royal Standard (1714–1801)
- **alt flag2**: Royal Banner (England)
- **image coat**: Coat of Arms of Great Britain (1714-1801).svg
- **symbol type**: Coat of Arms of United Kingdom, Royal coat of arms
- **image map**: Great Britain (political definition).svg
- **image map caption**: Map of the kingdom's lands
- **national motto**: <sup>1</sup>
- **national anthem**:
God Save the Queen, God Save the King/Queen
- **capital**: London
- **common languages**: English language, English (throughout)
 Welsh language, Welsh (Wales)
 Scots language, Scots (Scotland)
 Scottish Gaelic language, Scottish Gaelic (Scotland)
- **government type**: Constitutional monarchy
- **title leader**: List of monarchs in the British Isles, Monarch
- **leader1**: Anne of Great Britain, Anne
- **year leader1**: 1707–1714
- **leader2**: George I of Great Britain, George I
- **year leader2**: 1714–1727
- **leader3**: George II of Great Britain, George II
- **year leader3**: 1727–1760
- **leader4**: George III of the United Kingdom, George III
- **year leader4**: 1760–1801
- **title deputy**: Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Prime Minister
- **deputy1**: Robert Walpole
- **year deputy1**: 1721–1742
- **deputy2**: William Pitt the Younger
- **year deputy2**: 1783–1801
- **legislature**: Parliament of Great Britain, Parliament
- **house1**: House of Lords
- **house2**: British House of Commons, House of Commons
- **stat year1**: 1801
- **stat area1**: 230977
- **stat pop1**: 10942646
- **currency**: Pound sterling
- **footnotes**: <sup>1</sup> The royal motto used in Scotland was
- **demonym**: British