The earliest days of the Kingdom of Mann and the Isles is marked by upheaval, invasions and battles. Some of the details have been lost in antiquity. However, what is known is that the creator of the Kingdom was the Norse-Gael warrior Godred Crovan. Godred founded the Kingdom of Mann and the Isles after his victory over the Earl of Orkney at the Battle of Skyhill in 1079. Shortly thereafter, Godred conquered and became King of Dublin as well as Mann.
The Kingdom of Mann continued to be ruled by the sons of Godred and their descendants until the annexation by Alexander III of Scotland in 1265.
Stained glass representation of Godred Crovan
Tynwald Chambers, Douglas
From 1265 to 1333 the Isle of Man lost it's independence and entered a confusing period. It was sometimes part of Scotland and sometimes part of England.
Finally, in 1333, staking a claim to the Kingdom as a descendant in the female line to King Olaf II of Mann, and under the control of England, William de Montacute, 1st Earl of Salisbury received a grant from Edward III of England. The Island was recognized as a fully independent Kingdom under King William's rule and, according to the grant, reunified the Island with a direct descendant of Godred Crovan.
Peel Castle, St. Patrick's Isle, Isle of Man
Shortly after King William II, 2nd Earl of Salisbury succeeded his father, he sold his rights to the Isle of Man to William le Scrope, 1st Earl of Wiltshire. However, le Scrope was later executed by Henry IV of England. Henry later granted the Island and it's royal title to Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland. This too proved to be short-lived as Henry IV once again found it necessary to take the Isle of Man back after Percy's rebellion against him.
Sir John Stanley, first Royal House of Stanley King
King Thomas II, 1st Earl of Derby Royal House of Stanley
In 1405, the Isle of Man began it's most stable period with Henry IV granting the Kingdom of Mann to Sir John Stanley.
Roughly one hundred years later Prince George Stanley, the son and heir apparent to King Thomas II, once again brought about the reunification of the island with the House of Crovan as George was also a direct descendant of King William I, 1st Earl of Salisbury. Unfortunately, Prince George died before his father and the throne passed to his son Thomas III.
After succeeding his grandfather, Thomas III renounced the title King in favour of the title of Lord of Mann. It isn't completely clear what motivated Lord Thomas' actions however, he was a member of his step-uncle's, Henry VII of England, court and it is believed that Thomas considered it politic to adopt the title of Lord.
In the eyes of supporters of the Kingdom, Thomas' actions reduced the Island from a Kingdom to that of a barony or even less. It continued to be the contention of many historians that the Isle of Man remained a Kingdom. Lt. Governor Sir James Gell, in the early part of the twentieth century, wrote and maintained that the Island never ceased being a Kingdom and the proper title of the sovereign has always been that of King or Queen. Nevertheless, the title remained Lord and has been used by succeeding Lords ever since.
The Lords of Mann, Earls of Derby, continued in an unbroken line until 1736 with the death of James Stanley, 10 Earl of Derby. James left no heirs and so both the Earldom and the Lordship of Mann were temporarily left vacant.
The Earldom of Derby, an English / British peerage, entitled the successor to a seat in the House of Lords. It was therefore necessary for it to pass to a male line descendant. As a result, the peerage was succeeded by a distant relative, Edward Stanley, as a male line descendant of Sir James Stanley the younger brother of Thomas III, 2nd Earl of Derby (some 240 years later). From this point on, the Earls of Derby gave up any claim to the Isle of Man.
James Stanley, 10th Earl of Derby
James Murray, 2nd Duke of Atholl
As the succeeding Earl of Derby made no claim to the Isle of Man, it was granted to the only claimant, James Murray, 2nd Duke of Atholl. James was a descendant in the female line to William Stanley, 7th Earl of Derby. His claim passing free of any contending claimants, James was granted the Isle of Man becoming the Lord of Mann.
During James' reign as the Lord of Mann, several attempts were made by England to purchase the Island and James refused all offers. In 1764, James died and the Island passed to his nephew and son-in-law, John Murray, 3rd Duke of Atholl. Perhaps seeing an opportunity to capitalize from the newly appointed Lord of Mann, England increased it's pressure. Trade was blocked around the Island and goods coming into the Isle of Man were seized. Left with little choice, Lord John agreed to the sale of the Island to the British crown.
In 1765 George III of the United Kingdom became the Lord of Mann. His take over of the Isle of Man was a military conflict that brought great fear to the Manx creating civil unrest. Historians consider George III's seizure of the Island not dissimilar to much of his reign as King as he is remembered for a great number of military conflicts, particularly the American Revolutionary War.
Since the reign of George III all succeeding monarchs in the United Kingdom have also succeeded as the Lords of Mann. Today, HM Queen Elizabeth II is also known as the Lord of Mann in her role as the de facto sovereign of the Isle of Man.
George III of the United Kingdom
The present day represenative of the Stanley Royal House of the Isle of Man is Prince David. A cousin of HM Queen Elizabeth II and direct descendant (great, great...grandson) of Sir John I, the first Stanley King of the Isle of Man. David serves as the Chairman of the Royal Stanley Preservation Society.
David currently lives in the United States of America, just outside Washington, DC, with his family.
The Isle of Man is an ancient island Kingdom rich with history and tradition. The Kingdom was originally founded by the Vikings and boasts the oldest existing parliament known as the Tynwald created in the early 9th century AD.
Some Quick Facts:
Capital: Douglas
Population: 80,058 (2006 Census)
Land Area: 572 sq. km/ 227 square miles
Location: The centre of the Irish Sea - 50 km (31 miles) from Ireland and 50 km (31 miles) from the U.K.
Head of State: Her Majesty the Queen
Lieutenant Governor: Vice Admiral Sir Paul Haddacks KCB
