TITLES GUIDE
Roman Numerals Used for Kings, Queens and Popes
Roman numerals after the names of kings, queens and popes are ordinal numbers. They distinguish one holder of an official name from earlier holders of the same name.
For example:
Charles III = Charles the Third
Elizabeth II = Elizabeth the Second
Louis XIV = Louis the Fourteenth
Benedict XVI = Benedict the SixteenthThe numeral is read as an ordinal word. Charles III is pronounced “Charles the Third”, not “Charles Three”.
Key takeaways
- The numeral identifies a person’s position among rulers or popes using the same official name.
- II is read as “the Second”, III as “the Third” and XIV as “the Fourteenth”.
- A regnal number belongs to the monarch’s ruling name, not necessarily to their complete personal name.
- Numbered queens are normally sovereign queens who reign in their own right.
- A pope’s numeral relates to the chosen papal name, not to the total number of popes.
- The first holder of a name does not always use I.
- One monarch can have different numbers in different realms.
How are royal and papal numerals pronounced?
The Roman numeral in a personal title is normally spoken as an ordinal.
| Written title | Spoken form |
|---|---|
| Henry VIII | Henry the Eighth |
| Elizabeth II | Elizabeth the Second |
| Charles III | Charles the Third |
| Louis XIV | Louis the Fourteenth |
| John Paul II | John Paul the Second |
| Benedict XVI | Benedict the Sixteenth |
The ordinal shows where the person belongs in a sequence of rulers or popes using the same official name.
What is a regnal number?
A regnal number distinguishes monarchs who reign under the same name. The word regnal relates to a reign, and the name used by a monarch while ruling is known as a regnal name.
The English and British royal numbering tradition includes:
Charles I
Charles II
Charles IIIThe numeral tells us which monarch called Charles is being discussed.
It does not mean that Charles III was the third monarch overall. Many rulers with other names came before and between the three monarchs called Charles.
The same principle applies to sequences such as:
William I and William II
Henry I through Henry VIII
Elizabeth I and Elizabeth IIThe numeral belongs to the ruling name
A monarch’s regnal name may be only one part of a longer personal name.
Charles III’s personal names are Charles Philip Arthur George, but his regnal title is:
Charles IIIThe Roman numeral therefore belongs to the official ruling name rather than to the monarch’s complete personal name.
A monarch may also choose to reign under a different one of their personal names, although many retain the name by which they were already publicly known.
Why are some queens numbered?
A numbered queen is normally a queen regnant: a woman who reigns as sovereign in her own right.
Examples include:
Mary I
Elizabeth I
Mary II
Elizabeth IIA queen consort, by contrast, is the wife of a reigning king. She does not normally receive a regnal number merely because she holds the title of queen.
Queen Elizabeth, the wife of George VI, was a queen consort. She later became known as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. She was not Elizabeth III because she had not reigned as the sovereign.
The numbering follows the succession of reigning monarchs, not every person who has held the social or ceremonial title of king or queen.
How do papal numbers work?
A newly elected pope normally becomes known by a chosen papal name.
For example:
Benedict XVI — born Joseph Ratzinger
John Paul II — born Karol Wojtyła
Francis — born Jorge Mario BergoglioThe Roman numeral identifies the pope’s position among recognised popes using that papal name.
Therefore:
Benedict XVI = the sixteenth recognised pope called Benedict
John Paul II = the second pope called John Paul
Pius XII = the twelfth pope called PiusIt does not show the pope’s position in the complete papal succession.
Benedict XVI was the 265th pope overall, but he was the sixteenth recognised pope to use the name Benedict.
Historical papal records have occasionally produced irregular or disputed numbering sequences. These exceptions do not change the general principle that the numeral follows the chosen papal name.
Why was John Paul I called “the First”?
John Paul I provides an unusual example.
He adopted the new double papal name John Paul, honouring his predecessors John XXIII and Paul VI. Because the combined name had not previously been used, he took the numeral I.
His successor selected the same papal name and became John Paul II.
John Paul I = first pope called John Paul
John Paul II = second pope called John PaulThis shows that a first holder can sometimes use I immediately, although that is not the universal rule.
Does the first ruler or pope always use I?
No. The first holder of a name is not automatically styled “the First” in every tradition.
Queen Victoria is normally written simply as Victoria, not Victoria I. Francis was likewise styled Francis, without a numeral.
If a later ruler or pope adopts the same name, the earlier holder may then be described retrospectively as the first. In other cases, the first holder may use I from the beginning, as John Paul I did.
The use of I depends on the naming tradition and the official style adopted in that case.
How could James be both VI and I?
A monarch’s number can depend on the realm being counted.
James had already reigned in Scotland as James VI when he inherited the English throne in 1603. England had not previously had a King James, so he became James I of England.
He is therefore known as:
James VI of Scotland
James I of England
James VI and IThe numeral belonged to each realm’s own sequence of monarchs called James.
This demonstrates that the number belongs to a particular succession or numbering tradition rather than to the individual person alone.
What does the numeral not mean?
The numeral after a royal or papal name does not normally indicate:
| It does not mean | Example |
|---|---|
| The person’s age | Charles III does not mean Charles was three years old |
| The year of the reign | Elizabeth II remained Elizabeth II throughout her reign |
| The total number of monarchs | Henry VIII was not the eighth English monarch |
| The total number of popes | Benedict XVI was the 265th pope |
| A family generation | The sequence follows the ruling or papal name |
It is specifically an ordinal attached to an official name.
Why are Roman numerals used?
Roman numerals gradually became the established formal convention for royal and papal ordinals in European naming traditions.
Today, they remain a visually distinctive way to separate the title number from the person’s name:
Henry VIII
Elizabeth II
Charles III
John Paul II
Benedict XVIArabic numbers may appear in informal writing, but Roman numerals remain the conventional written form in official, historical and reference contexts.
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Frequently asked questions
Clear answers to common questions about this topic.
What does III mean after a king’s name?
III means “the Third”. It identifies the third ruler counted under that regnal name.
How do you pronounce Charles III?
Charles III is pronounced “Charles the Third”.
Why was Elizabeth II numbered?
She was the second sovereign called Elizabeth in the English and British royal numbering tradition, following Elizabeth I.
Why was Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother not Elizabeth III?
She was a queen consort rather than the reigning sovereign. Regnal numbers normally follow monarchs who reign in their own right.
Was Benedict XVI the sixteenth pope?
No. He was the 265th pope overall. XVI means that he was the sixteenth recognised pope to use the name Benedict.
Why did Francis not use Francis I?
The first holder of a papal name does not automatically use I. Francis was officially styled without a numeral.
Can one king have two different numbers?
Yes. James was James VI of Scotland and James I of England because the two realms had different sequences of monarchs called James.
Source note
This guide draws on official royal records, accession documents, Vatican pontiff records and established historical research into regnal and papal numbering.
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