The Stuart family (sometimes also spelt Stewart) were a royal family who ruled Scotland and later England, Ireland and Scotland together for many years from 1371 onwards. For many years Scotland and England were separate countries, and the two kingdoms often fought wars with each other.
In 1603, an unusual event brought the two countries under the same monarch. Queen Elizabeth I, the last ruler from the Tudor family, died without any children. Because of this, the throne of England passed to James VI of Scotland. He was related to the Tudor family through Margaret Tudor, the sister of King Henry VIII.
When James VI became king of England, he was known in England as James I. This meant that one ruler now controlled England, Scotland and Ireland.
Queen Anne had no surviving children, so when she died in 1714 the throne passed to a different royal family, the House of Hanover. This ended the rule of the Stuarts in Britain.
The Stuarts began as powerful officials in Scotland, became kings of Scotland in the 1300s and later ruled both Scotland and England after 1603. Their time on the throne included wars, revolutions and major changes to how Britain was governed.
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