Royal numbers

Steuart Campbell (Letters, 23 July) is quite correct in asserting that the regnal numbers of British monarchs should have begun afresh with the creation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707 during the reign of Queen Anne.

The error, however, predates the reign of the present monarch. William of Orange was William III of England and II of Scotland. William IV should have been styled William I.

Edward VII should have been Edward I, although the memorial gates to the grounds of the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh correctly bear the name “King Edward” with no numeral. Edward VIII should have been styled Edward II.

On Monday, the anglo-centric BBC referred to the royal baby as in line to be the 43rd monarch to succeed William the Conqueror. His unmentioned Scottish lineage can be traced back to Kenneth I, who united the Kingdom of the Scots and the Kingdom of the Picts in 843 and beyond him to Fergus, King of Scots in the 6th century.

(Rev) Archie Black

Elm Park

Inverness

Your report “A toast to the new prince” (23 July) says that there were six Scottish kings and one British king called James. Not so. James II and VII ruled from 1685 to 1689.

Ronnie Cramond

Oswald Road

Edinburgh