Monarchical systems of
government have existed in Ireland from ancient times. In the south, this continued until the early twentieth century when it transitioned to
the Republic of Ireland. Northern Ireland, as part of the United
Kingdom, remains under a monarchical system of government.
The Gaelic kingdoms of
Ireland ended with the Norman invasion of Ireland (1169–1171),
when the kingdom became a fief of the Holy See under the
Lordship of the King of England. This lasted until the Parliament of
Ireland conferred the crown of Ireland upon King Henry VIII of
England during the English Reformation. The monarch of England held
the crowns of England and Ireland in a personal union. The Union of the
Crowns in 1603 expanded the personal union to include Scotland.
The personal union between
England and Scotland became a political union with the enactments of the Acts
of Union 1707, which created the Kingdom of Great Britain. The crowns of
Great Britain and Ireland remained in personal union until it was ended by
the Acts of Union 1800, which united Ireland and Great Britain into
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from January 1801
until December 1922.
After that date, most of
Ireland left the United Kingdom to become the largest independent Irish
Free State, a dominion within the British Empire; the remaining
part, Northern Ireland, remained within the United Kingdom. Both the Free
State and the United Kingdom, which changed its name to the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in 1927, had the same person as
monarch: George V.
In 1937, the year after George
V’s death, the Free State adopted a new constitution that changed
the state’s name to “Ireland” (or Éire in Irish) and
removed all mention of the monarch. In April 1949, Ireland was declared a
republic, with the description of the “Republic of Ireland”, and it
left the Commonwealth of Nations.
Since April 1949, the only part of the
island of Ireland that has retained a monarchical system is Northern
Ireland (as part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern
Ireland).
So, yes, Elizabeth II is the
Queen of Northern Ireland.
