The first king of England is generally said to be Egbert, who united the realms of Wessex, Cornwall, Mercia, Kent, Sussex, Essex and East Anglia in the 9th century and gave them the name England. His descendants ruled England until Canute the Great, a Danish king, assumed control of the country. The Saxon line was briefly restored in Edward the Confessor before the William the Conqueror became the first Norman king of England in 1066. This was a turning point not only in English history but also in the English language, since the Normans spoke French, which had a lasting impact on the English tongue. The Normans also introduced many continental Germanic names to England resulting in many Old English names becoming unused.
Various families (all interrelated) have given England rulers since that time, including the houses of Anjou, Lancaster, York, Tudor, Stuart, Hanover, and Windsor. After the English Civil War (1642-1648) the country was briefly governed by Oliver Cromwell and then his son Richard.
In 1707 the English and Scottish kingdoms were formally merged into the United Kingdom of Great Britain. Over the last several centuries the powers of the British monarchy have been gradually reduced, and they are now little more than figureheads.