Shortest lived? Could it be Margaret of Scotland r 1286-90. Died aged seven
Actually, interesting - but this did also make me wonder the opposite question: who is considered the shortest reigning English monarch? We all know about Lady Jane Grey, but I'm not sure if she was ever "de jure" a queen. So if Jane Grey is not eligible in that category of shortest reigning, then would it be Edward V? Or another?
Well, the opposite question would be the shortest lived monarch not shortest reigning .
But, to try and answer your question, Edward V would indeed fit the bill on both counts. Just 12 years old when he disappeared, presumed murdered, after a reign of just two months.
Lady Jane Grey is a tricky one. She is often included in the line of English monarchs but is never referred to as 'Queen Jane' but by her birth title, 'Lady Jane'. That signifies ambivalence about her status to me. If she is indeed accepted as a legitimate monarch then her nine days reign would indeed be by far the shortest in British history.
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