I find having a list of English and French Monarchs handy is a good idea when trying to place an explorer or event within a certain era. This is a simple list of the various “Houses” that ruled the kingdoms from the time of John Cabot in 1490s to the 1800s (1700s for France).
French Sovereigns (1519 to 1774)
House of Valois
(1515 - 1547) Francis I
(1547 - 1559) Henry II
(1559 - 1560) Francis II
(1550 - 1574) Charles IX
(1574 - 1589) Henry III
House of Bourbon (1589 - 1792)
(1589 - 1590) Charles X (claimant)
(1589 - 1610) Henry IV
(1610 - 1643) Louis XIII
(1643 - 1715) Louis XIV
(1715 - 1774) Louis XV
(1744 - 1792) Louis XVI
English Monarchs
House of York - Restored (1471 - 1485)
(1471 -1483) Edward IV
(1483 - 1483) Edward V
(1483 - 1485) Richard III
House of Tudor (1485 - 1603)
(1485 - 1509) Henry VII
(1509 - 1547) Henry VIII
(1547 -1553) Edward VI
(1553 - 1553) Lady Jane Grey (disputed claimant)
(1553 - 1558) Mary I co-reigned with Philip I of Naples, later Philip II of Spain
(1558 - 1603) Elizabeth I
House of Stuart (1603 - 1707)
(1603 - 1625) James I, formerly James VI of Scotland
(1625 - 1649) Charles I executed by the Commonwealth
Rump Parliament - coup d’etat
(1653 - 1658) Oliver Cromwell
(1658 - 1659) Richard Cromwell
House of Stuart Restored
(1660 - 1685) Charles II
(1685 - 1688) James II
(1688 - 1689) Glorious Revolution - Second Interregnum
House of Stuart and Orange
(1689 - 1694) William III and Mary II
(1689 - 1702) William III
(1702 - 1707) Anne
Monarchs of Great Britain (1707 to 1901)
- (1707 -1714) Anne
House of Hanover (1707 to 1901)
(1717 - 1727) George I
(1727 - 1760) George II
(1791 - 1820) George III
(1820 - 1830) George IV
(1830 - 1837) William IV
(1837 - 1901) Victoria