When Prince William ascends the throne, he will become the second-tallest measured monarch in British history. The first-in-line is 6 ft 3in (191cm), putting him above the rest of his family members.
His father, King Charles, is 5 ft 10 in (178cm), the same height as the late Diana, Princess of Wales. William’s wife, Princess Kate, also stands tall at 5 ft 9 in (175cm). Royal commentator Wesley Kerr noted in Tatler: “His height puts him in the top four English kings in history alongside Edward I, Edward IV and Charles II.”
Edward I reigned from 1272 until 1307 and was also known as ‘Edward Longshanks’ or ‘the Hammer of the Scots’, standing at a respectable height of 6 ft 2 in (188cm), which was highly unusual for the time. The Merry Monarch, Charles II, ruled from 1630 to 1685. When he was four months old, his mother complained he looked like he was one year old. He too was 6ft 2 in, and was already fighting in battles aged 12.
The tallest British monarch was Edward IV at 6 ft 4½ in (194cm). When suited and booted in armour, the King would have stood at roughly 6 ft 7 in. Edward ruled for nearly 22 years from 1461 to 1483, with a brief gap in 1470 when he was deposed for six months.
Wesley called the Prince “warm, charming and respectful to everyone,” saying: “William is maybe a new kind of leader who can keep the monarchy relevant and resonant in the coming decades.”
