Harold II was killed when an arrow passed through his eye at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. He died trying to defend Britain from the Norman invader William the Conqueror who was later to become William I of England. Harold had only been coronated earlier that same year.
ALFRED THE GREAT
Born in 848
Ascended in 871
Died in 899, aged 51
Reigned for 28 years
In legend, King Alfred is said to have "burnt the cakes". It says that Danish settlers routed his armies, so he went into hiding and lived with the peasantry for a while. While he was in disguise, working on a farm, he was severely reprimanded by a cowgirl for letting the dinner burn over the fire.
KING ARTHUR (c.500 -600 AD)
Although not entirely legendary, there was a king Arthur who fought against the Saxons - possibly at the battle of Mount Badon. However, most of the tales were created by Geoffrey of Monmouth who published the Morte d'Arthur in 1151 AD.
$A2History of the Monarchy
Edward V and Richard III
EDWARD V
House of York
Born in 1470
Ascended in 1483
Died in 1483, Aged 13
Reigned between April and June
Unmarried
Edward was only twelve years when he was crowned King of England. Then Richard III, his uncle and supposed protector, locked him up in the white tower with his brother declaring that they were both illegitimate. It has never been made clear exactly what happened to the two children but they were never seen again. Richard III instated himself as King of England and cruelly put down anyone who argued.
RICHARD III
Born in 1452
Ascended in 1483(usurp)
Died in 1485, aged 33
Reigned for 2 years
Married to Anne Neville, bearing 1 son.
Richard III, the Duke of Gloucester, appears in Shakespeare's play as a thoroughly evil and treacherous child killer - deformed with a hunched back. In reality there is actually little to suggest that he was a hunchback, but there is reason to believe that he was responsible for the deaths of Edward V and his younger brother Richard. The duke had support from many nobles, who wanted him to be crowned king, so he furthered this by distributing a letter saying that the children were illegitimate. This gave him the slender excuse to lock the brothers in the White Tower in London from which they never returned.
Richard was crowned King and was surprisingly quite a generous one. However, he was mistrusted by many due to the disappearance of the boys and, when his first wife died, there were ideas that he had he had had a hand in the murder of the "Princess in the Tower". It was claimed that killed her to allow him to marry Henry Tudor's prospective wife. Richard was, in the end, attacked and defeated by Henry Tudor (Henry VII). He died alone, wearing his crown, and became the last English King to die in combat in what many see as the last major battle in the Wars of the Roses.
$A3History of the Monarchy
William I (William the Conqueror)
Born in 1027 (Falais)
Ascended in 1066
Died in 1087, aged 60
Reigned for 21 years
Married to Matilda of Flanders, bearing 4 sons and 5 daughters.
William the Conqueror was the illegitimate son of Duke Robert the Magnificent and a tanner's daughter. He married Matilda of Flanders and with whom they had four sons and five daughters.
William killed Harold in the battle of Hastings in 1066 and demanded London's surrender. However, it was only after a siege and after much land was laid waste that London conceded Williams's kingship of England. William, crowned king in 1066, was the last conqueror on English soil. He was the first king to be crowned at Westminster Abbey.
The Domesday Book was compiled as a list of every taxable thing in England and was compiled in 1086.
William I was said by the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle to be "...mild to the good men that loved God, and severe beyond measure to the men that gainsaid his will ... It is not forgotten that good peace he made in this land so that a man might go over his kingdom with his bosom full of gold ... and no man durst slay another."
$A4History of the Monarchy
George IV
Born in 1762
Ascended in 1820
Died in 1830, aged 67
Reigned for 10 years
Married to Mrs. Maria Fitzherbert then Caroline of Brunswick-Wolfenbuttell bearing 1 daughter.
Fifteen year old George IV's tutor said of him; "He will be either the most polished man, or the most accomplished blackguard in Europe - possibly both". He was at least correct in the second half of his statement but there were many that felt George was no man by the end of his reign.
George IV was not one of England's best kings: he was more interested in eating drinking, gambling, and women than in affairs of state. In later life, he complained about gout and other infirmities to an unsympathetic audience. For example, the Duke of Wellington at the time was quoted as saying that there was nothing wrong with the king "except what is caused by the effects of strong liquors taken too frequently and in too large quantities. He drinks spirits morning noon and night".
In order to pay off massive debts he had accrued while he was the Prince of Wales he had agreed to marry the king's niece, Caroline of Brunswick. This was despite of the fact that he had already been married to a catholic widow, Maria Fitzherbert, in secret. However, there was no way in which he could be king and father an heir if he were married to her. It is possible that he was in love with his former wife but since his marriage to Caroline of Brunswick he descended into debauchery and it was only a few months before he formally separated from her.
When he came to power she demanded the title of Queen, but he refused to allow her to come to his coronation and accused her in court of adultery. Indeed, she had been openly living with an Italian man Bartolomeo Pergami in her exile from Britain. Caroline was acquitted but she died later the following year; her body was taken and buried in Germany with the epitaph "Caroline of Brunswick, the injured Queen of England." When George died, he left no heir to the throne despite his difficult marriage. The throne passed to William - his younger, and not quite so debauched, brother. William was to die soon after in 1837, again leaving no heirs.
The crown should have passed to George III's third son Edward, the Duke of Kent. However, he had died in 1820 so the crown was given to 18 year old Queen Victoria who was to become one of the most respected of English monarchs. The house changed from the house of Hanover to the house of Saxe-Coburg.
$A5History of the Monarchy
Edward I
"Longshanks"
Born in 1239
Ascended in 1272
Died in 1307, aged 68
Reigned for 35 years
Married to Eleanor of Castille bearing 3 sons and 5 daughters.
Then to Margaret of France bearing 2 sons and 1 daughter.
Edward I was known as "Longshanks" due to the fact he was unusually tall for the time, at over six feet. He was a tough, bully of a man who strengthened parliament for his people and pushed it another step towards democracy. He has been called the father to the "Mother of all Parliaments".
Edward I had the most legitimate children - 18. He is most famous for his wars with the Scots lead by Sir William Wallace and later Robert Bruce. He died preparing for another war against them - he was never totally successful. He had asked that his body be taken to future battles if he died first so, for the next two hundred years, his body was dug up and used as a mascot every time the English and Scottish went to war.
$A6History of the Monarchy
Henry II
Born in 1133
Ascended in 1154
Died in 1189, aged 56
Reigned for 35 years
Married to Eleanor of Aquitaine bearing 5 sons and 3 daughters.
Henry II was the first of the House of Plantagenet. This name comes from the Latin "planta genista" or flowering broom - a nickname given to Geoffrey of Anjou, Henry's father.
It was during Henry's reign that the Pope gave permission for England to invade Ireland and bring it under the Catholic faith. However, he had misjudged the king who was trying to gain control of the powerful church in his own country. To do this, in 1162 he instated Thomas Becket (chancellor of England) as archbishop of Canterbury, the most senior post in England.
Becket had previously been more a rich soldier than a he had been a clergyman and the king hoped to win over him. However, soon after gaining his post, he staunchly refused any royal intervention into church law in England. Becket was murdered in the Cathedral by four of the king's knights who had heard the king say, "Of the cowards that eat my bread is there none will rid me of this turbulent priest?"
Henry and his wife, Eleanor of Aquitane, had five sons and 3 daughters, but she had already been married and divorced to Louis VII of France. She was a powerful woman and later encouraged his son, Henry, to rebel against him.
$A7History of the Monarchy
Richard II
Born in 1367
Ascended in 1377
Died in 1399, aged 33
Reigned for 22 years
Married to Anne of Bohemia and Isabella of France.
Richard II was "the last of the Angevins". He was born in 1367 in Bordeaux, the grandson of Edward III and the son of the Black Prince. The hundred year's war with France continued throughout Richard II's reign, but fighting was not consistent.
The Peasants" Revolt, led by Wat Tyler took place during the reign of Richard, as a reaction to the proposed Poll Tax and 100,000 people marched on London. Richard bravely said that he would support the people. Whether he did is doubtful, but the landlords of England were made aware of the power of the peasantry.
Richard II married twice, Anne of Bohemia and then Isabella of France, without producing any children. The second time he married he had to pawn the crown jewels to pay for the ceremonies.
Richard II was usurped by Henry IV and died of neglect in Pontefract Castle in 1399. This was the start of the War of the Roses that affected seven English Kings from Richard II until Henry VII; although armed conflict only took place between 1455 and 1485.
$A8History of the Monarchy
King Stephen
Born in 1103
Ascended in 1135
Died in 1154, aged 50
Reigned for 19 years
Married to Matilda of Boulogne bearing 1 son and 2 daughters.
Stephen was the first and last of the House of Blois. He had promised King Henry I that his daughter Matilda could become heir, but when Henry died he revoked this promise and stole the crown.
Matilda invaded England in 1139 to claim the throne and a civil war ensued. She even seized the crown for a very short time, but she was betrayed and had to escape leaving the war for her son Henry II to fight - he eventually defeated Stephen.
$A9History of the Monarchy
Saxons and Danes
EDMUND II (Ironside)
Born around 988
Ascended in 1016
Died in 1016, aged approx. 27
Reigned from April-November in 1016
CANUTE THE DANE
Born around 955
Ascended in 1016
Died in 1035, aged approx. 40
Reigned for 18 years
HAROLD I
Born in 1017
Ascended in 1035
Died in 1040, aged 23
Reigned for 5 years
HARDICANUTE (Harthacnut)
Born in 1018
Ascended in 1040
Died in 1042, aged 24
Reigned for 2 years
EDWARD THE CONFESSOR
Born around 1004
Ascended in 1042
Died in 1066, aged approx. 62
Reigned for 24 years
HAROLD II
Born around 1022
Ascended in 1066
Died in 1066, aged approx. 44
Reigned from January-October in 1066
$A10History of the Monarchy
Saxons and Danes
Timeline
EGBERT
Ascended in 827
Died in 839
Reigned for 12 years
ETHELWULF
Ascended in 839
Died in 858
Reigned for 19 years
ETHELBALD
Ascended in 858
Died in 860
Reigned for 2 years
ETHELBERT
Ascended in 860
Died in 866
Reigned for 6 years
ST ETHELRED I
Ascended in 866
Died in 871
Reigned for 5 years
ALFRED THE GREAT
Born in 849 (Wantage in Berkshire)
Ascended in 871
Died in 899, aged 51
Reigned for 28 years
(All dates are AD)
$B1English Monarchs
Henry VIII
Born in 1491
Ascended in 1509
Died in 1547, aged 56
Reigned for 38 years
Married to Catherine of Aragon bearing 1 son and 1 daughter.
Then to Anne Boleyn bearing 1 daughter.
Then to Jane Seymour bearing 1 son.
Then to Anne of Cleves
Then to Catherine Howard
Finally to Catherine Parr.
Many Kings took mistresses but Henry VIII took wives. He had six in total and it is for this that he is most remembered. He was the first king to be divorced when he divorced his first wife, Catherine of Aragon in 1509. This led to him being excommunicated by the pope.
In the following year, the act of supremacy was passed putting Henry VIII as head of the Church of England and out of the Catholic Church. His chief minister and advisor, Thomas More, was executed because he refused to lose his Catholic faith and accept the Act.
Henry started the dissolution of the monasteries and took all the Church's wealth and land, which helped fuel his atrocious habits. He also tried to execute his previous cardinal, Wolsey, but he died prematurely in prison.
Henry was known for his summary executions that numbered at least 17000 by the end of his reign, although the real figure may be more than double that. Henry was devious in his politics too: he consolidated his alliance with France by refusing to join the Holy Alliance against them in war. The agreement was made loudly public with the Field of the Cloth of Gold meeting. Francis I of France met Henry VIII near Calais and both kings took the chance to show the depth of their culture and taste by displaying fine fabrics, furnishings, and coloured hangings of their realm. They then staged huge jousting tournaments and banquets.
Meanwhile, Henry's daughter, Princess Mary, was arranging to be married to the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, to make an alliance between the two countries. Later Henry invaded France but failed to get very far: the realm was lost to Charles's army and France was captured.
Henry finally died of ill health at 56 due to his excessive eating and drinking habits, which were paid for with crown's money.
Henry's six wives in order were: Catherine of Aragon (divorced), Anne Boleyn (beheaded), Jane Seymour (died), Anne of Cleves (divorced), Catherine Howard (beheaded) and Catherine Parr who survived him. Unlucky with children, he left his throne to the young, weak Edward VI who was only thirteen years old.
$B2English Monarchs
King John and Henry III
John Lackland
Born around 1166
Ascended in 1199
Died in 1216, aged 50
Reigned for 17 years
Married to Isabel of Gloucester the Isabella of Angouleme bearing 2 sons and 3 daughters.
King John lost most of the English possessions in France, giving him the nickname "Lackland". He was unpopular with his barons as he was evasive, unreliable and abusive of his powers.
The pope excommunicated him for taking church property and eventually he was held up to account for his doings by his nobility. In order to settle on an agreed law system they drew up the Magna Carta which detailed the rights and powers of every man and nobleman in England. King John was forced to sign it under duress at Runnymede in 1215.
Henry III
Born in 1207
Ascended in 1216
Died in 1272, aged 65
Reigned for 56 years
Married to Eleanor of Provence bearing 4 sons and 2 daughters.
Henry III had trouble at home with the ambitious Simon de Montfort, the Earl of Leicester, who had made demands upon the king which were later broken. Montford attacked the king's troops and defeated them setting up the first ever parliament. The barons argued too much and the whole thing fell into disarray. The heir to the throne, Edward (Henry's son), killed Montford.
$B3English Monarchs
Richard I (Richard Lionheart)
Born in 1157
Ascended in 1189
Died 1199, aged 42
Reigned for 10 years
Married to Berengaria of Navarre.
Richard I was born in Oxford in 1157 and died at Chalus-Chabrol in 1199. He was also known as the "Lionheart" or "Coeur-de-Lion" for his courageous activities in war. He had the qualities of a leader: tall, powerful and well educated. He spent very little time in England as he was always away fighting in the crusades. His foreign wife never even set foot on English soil.
The wars against the Saracens were costly and Richard left his chancellor, William de Longchamp, in charge of England to bring in extra taxes. In an effort to raise money for his crusades, Richard was reputed to have said, "I would have sold London itself if I could have found a rich enough buyer". Longchamp did however begin to form a kind of bureaucracy in England, which was the distant forerunner of the modern government.
$B4English Monarchs
Elizabeth I
"The Virgin Queen"
Born in 1533
Ascended in 1558
Died in 1603, aged 70
Reigned for 44 years
Unmarried
Elizabeth brought the return of Protestantism to England. She was an uncompromising, ruthless Queen and was well aware of the danger that Mary the Queen of the Scots represented with her legitimate claim to the throne of England.
Mary herself, though, had had an unlucky time: her first husband was the Dauphin, Francois II, of France who died in 1561. This made her return to Scotland where she married her cousin the earl of Darnley. Darnley, unfortunately, was implicated in a murder (Rizzio) and then murdered himself in a conspiracy organised by the earl of Bothwell. After escaping an explosion at his lodgings in Kirk "o" Field house he ran into his enemies at the bottom of the garden's orchard where they strangled him.
Mary soon married his killer, the earl of Bothwell, and a rebellion broke out. She was imprisoned, called a whore and an adulterer and implicated in the plot to kill her husband. Alone for six weeks on the remote island fortress in Loch Leven and ill from a miscarriage she was forced to sign abdication papers, leaving the throne of Scotland to James VI - her 13-month-old son.
In a dramatic escape from the fortress, she fled to the asylum of Queen Elizabeth who suffered her until she was involved in the Babington plot (a plan to assassinate the Queen and put Mary in her place). She wanted to have Mary executed but did not want to appear to be the cause of her death. It is not certain whether or not she had ordered her secretary of state, Sir William Davidson, to have her executed. He was blamed and executed for carrying out orders that 'she had not meant to send".
Queen Elizabeth's reign was an interesting one: she encouraged adventure, trade expansion, and innovation. Sir Francis Drake's piracy and the voyages of Sir Walter Raleigh occurred during her reign. Famous people living at the time were Shakespeare, Marlowe, Bacon and Spencer.
The defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588 was successful in preventing a very real chance of Spanish occupancy. Although Elizabeth had little compassion for the poor, England remained a great power. The arts, music, literature, painting and architecture were allowed to flourish.
Queen Elizabeth I remained unmarried and this led to her being called "The Virgin Queen". She was also known for having black teeth although it is unlikely that these two facts have any bearing on each other.
$B5English Monarchs
Henry VIII
Born in 1491
Ascended in 1509
Died in 1547, aged 56
Reigned for 38 years
Married to Catherine of Aragon bearing 1 son and 1 daughter.
Then to Anne Boleyn bearing 1 daughter.
Then to Jane Seymour bearing 1 son.
Then to Anne of Cleves
Then to Catherine Howard
Finally to Catherine Parr.
Many Kings took mistresses but Henry VIII took wives. He had six in total and it is for this that he is most remembered. He was the first king to be divorced when he divorced his first wife, Catherine of Aragon in 1509. This led to him being excommunicated by the pope.
In the following year, the act of supremacy was passed putting Henry VIII as head of the Church of England and out of the Catholic Church. His chief minister and advisor, Thomas More, was executed because he refused to lose his Catholic faith and accept the Act.
Henry started the dissolution of the monasteries and took all the Church's wealth and land, which helped fuel his atrocious habits. He also tried to execute his previous cardinal, Wolsey, but he died prematurely in prison.
Henry was known for his summary executions that numbered at least 17000 by the end of his reign, although the real figure may be more than double that. Henry was devious in his politics too: he consolidated his alliance with France by refusing to join the Holy Alliance against them in war. The agreement was made loudly public with the Field of the Cloth of Gold meeting. Francis I of France met Henry VIII near Calais and both kings took the chance to show the depth of their culture and taste by displaying fine fabrics, furnishings, and coloured hangings of their realm. They then staged huge jousting tournaments and banquets.
Meanwhile, Henry's daughter, Princess Mary, was arranging to be married to the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, to make an alliance between the two countries. Later Henry invaded France but failed to get very far: the realm was lost to Charles's army and France was captured.
Henry finally died of ill health at 56 due to his excessive eating and drinking habits, which were paid for with crown's money.
Henry's six wives in order were: Catherine of Aragon (divorced), Anne Boleyn (beheaded), Jane Seymour (died), Anne of Cleves (divorced), Catherine Howard (beheaded) and Catherine Parr who survived him. Unlucky with children, he left his throne to the young, weak Edward VI who was only thirteen years old.
$B6English Monarchs
Edward VI
Born in 1537 (Hampton Court)
Ascended in 1547
Died in 1553, aged 15
Reigned for 6 years
Unmarried
Henry VIII left Edward, the son of Jane Seymour, to be the King of England after his death. The boy was only nine years old when he came to power and was "protected" by the earl of Warwick, John Dudley. John created himself Duke of Northumberland and persuaded the young king to make his daughter in law, Lady Jane Seymour, his successor. Edward VI was only fifteen when he died.
$B7English Monarchs
William I (William the Conqueror)
Born in 1027 (Falais)
Ascended in 1066
Died in 1087, aged 60
Reigned for 21 years
Married to Matilda of Flanders, bearing 4 sons and 5 daughters.
William the Conqueror was the illegitimate son of Duke Robert the Magnificent and a tanner's daughter. He married Matilda of Flanders and with whom they had four sons and five daughters.
William killed Harold in the battle of Hastings in 1066 and demanded London's surrender. However, it was only after a siege and after much land was laid waste that London conceded Williams's kingship of England. William, crowned king in 1066, was the last conqueror on English soil. He was the first king to be crowned at Westminster Abbey.
The Domesday Book was compiled as a list of every taxable thing in England and was compiled in 1086.
William I was said by the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle to be "...mild to the good men that loved God, and severe beyond measure to the men that gainsaid his will ... It is not forgotten that good peace he made in this land so that a man might go over his kingdom with his bosom full of gold ... and no man durst slay another."
$B8English Monarchs
Richard I (Richard Lionheart)
Born in 1157
Ascended in 1189
Died 1199, aged 42
Reigned for 10 years
Married to Berengaria of Navarre.
Richard I was born in Oxford in 1157 and died at Chalus-Chabrol in 1199. He was also known as the "Lionheart" or "Coeur-de-Lion" for his courageous activities in war. He had the qualities of a leader: tall, powerful and well educated. He spent very little time in England as he was always away fighting in the crusades. His foreign wife never even set foot on English soil.
The wars against the Saracens were costly and Richard left his chancellor, William de Longchamp, in charge of England to bring in extra taxes. In an effort to raise money for his crusades, Richard was reputed to have said, "I would have sold London itself if I could have found a rich enough buyer". Longchamp did however begin to form a kind of bureaucracy in England, which was the distant forerunner of the modern government.
$B9English Monarchs
Charles I
Born in 1600
Ascended in 1625
Died 1649 (executed), aged 48
Reigned for 24 years
Married to Henrietta Maria of France bearing 4 sons and 5 daughters.
Charles I was reigning when the Civil War took place: the country was divided between parliament and a king who refused to recognise its power. He dissolved parliament many times before raising his standard in Nottingham to fight the uprising from London in 1642.
The majority of the aristocracy, the peasants and the Anglican establishment supported the king while the middle classes and commercial classes supported parliament. However, the war was messy, with the Irish swapping sides, and when the king was eventually defeated by Cromwell's army he gave in to the mercy of the Scottish who sold him to parliament for 400,000 pounds.
In 1649, despite an uprising by Welsh parliamentarians who supported him, Charles I was executed on a scaffold in front of the Banqueting House in Whitehall. The death sentence had been passed by a tribunal of 135 judges with a majority of 68 over 67 He died nobly, wearing two shirts to keep off the cold just in case anyone saw him shiver and thought that it was from fear.
Following this, Oliver Cromwell set up The Commonwealth (1649-1653) and the Protectorate (1653-1659) during which time England was a republic with no King or Queen. Cromwell exacted quite stiff laws on the people: adultery, for example, was punishable with death in 1650 although juries were reluctant to convict Cromwell hated any displays of luxury or wealth from people in the court and furniture and clothes became arid and functional. Cromwell was more interested in fighting than in politics: it was his skills as a soldier that had defeated the king.
After Cromwell's death in 1658, his son Richard (1626-1712) took over. However he did not have the necessary force of character and parliament forced him to stand down after only one year. The son of the executed king was invited to take the title of Charles II in the "restoration" of the monarchy.
$B10English Monarchs
Saxons and Danes
EDWARD THE ELDER
Born around 870
Ascended in 899
Died in 924, aged approx. 54
Reigned for 25 years
ATHELSTAN
Born in 895
Ascended in 924
Died in 939, aged 45
Reigned for 15 years
EDMUND I
Born around 921
Ascended in 939
Died in 946, aged approx. 25
Reigned for 7 years
EADRED
Born around 923
Ascended in 946
Died in 955, aged approx. 32
Reigned for 9 years
EADWIG
Born in 940
Ascended in 955
Died in 959, aged 19
Reigned for 4 years
EDGAR
Born in 944
Ascended in 959
Died in 975, aged 31
Reigned for 16 years
EDWARD THE MARTYR
Born around 962
Ascended in 975
Died in 978, aged approx. 16
Reigned for 3 years
ETHELRED II (the Unready)
Born around 968
Ascended in 978
Died in 1016, aged approx. 48
Reigned for 38 years
EDMUND II (Ironside)
Born around 988
Ascended in 1016
Died in 1016, aged approx. 27
Reigned from April-November 1016
$C1English Kingdoms
Elizabeth I
"The Virgin Queen"
Born in 1533
Ascended in 1558
Died in 1603, aged 70
Reigned for 44 years
Unmarried
Elizabeth brought the return of Protestantism to England. She was an uncompromising, ruthless Queen and was well aware of the danger that Mary the Queen of the Scots represented with her legitimate claim to the throne of England.
Mary herself, though, had had an unlucky time: her first husband was the Dauphin, Francois II, of France who died in 1561. This made her return to Scotland where she married her cousin the earl of Darnley. Darnley, unfortunately, was implicated in a murder (Rizzio) and then murdered himself in a conspiracy organised by the earl of Bothwell. After escaping an explosion at his lodgings in Kirk "o" Field house he ran into his enemies at the bottom of the garden's orchard where they strangled him.
Mary soon married his killer, the earl of Bothwell, and a rebellion broke out. She was imprisoned, called a whore and an adulterer and implicated in the plot to kill her husband. Alone for six weeks on the remote island fortress in Loch Leven and ill from a miscarriage she was forced to sign abdication papers, leaving the throne of Scotland to James VI - her 13-month-old son.
In a dramatic escape from the fortress, she fled to the asylum of Queen Elizabeth who suffered her until she was involved in the Babington plot (a plan to assassinate the Queen and put Mary in her place). She wanted to have Mary executed but did not want to appear to be the cause of her death. It is not certain whether or not she had ordered her secretary of state, Sir William Davidson, to have her executed. He was blamed and executed for carrying out orders that 'she had not meant to send".
Queen Elizabeth's reign was an interesting one: she encouraged adventure, trade expansion, and innovation. Sir Francis Drake's piracy and the voyages of Sir Walter Raleigh occurred during her reign. Famous people living at the time were Shakespeare, Marlowe, Bacon and Spencer.
The defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588 was successful in preventing a very real chance of Spanish occupancy. Although Elizabeth had little compassion for the poor, England remained a great power. The arts, music, literature, painting and architecture were allowed to flourish.
Queen Elizabeth I remained unmarried and this led to her being called "The Virgin Queen". She was also known for having black teeth although it is unlikely that these two facts have any bearing on each other.
$C2English Kingdoms
Lady Jane Grey and Mary I
LADY JANE GREY
Born in 1537
Ascended in 1553
Died in 1554(executed), aged 17
Reigned for 9 days
Married to the Duke of Northumberland's son.
MARY I
"Bloody Mary"
Born in 1516 (Greenwich Palace)
Ascended in 1553
Died in 1558 (St James Palace), aged 42 Reigned for 5 years
Married to Philip II of Spain
Edward VI had nominated Lady Jane Grey to be his successor and she was proclaimed Queen. She reigned for nine days before Mary, daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon, marched on London to claim the throne. Mary met with no opposition until she proposed to marry Philip II of Spain.
Many people were not happy with the proposed union with Spain as it posed a threat to English Independance. A a rebellion, led by Sir Thomas Wyatt, led to his own execution, the execution of Lady Jane Grey and the imprisonment of Elizabeth - the future Queen of England.
Mary reinstated Catholic beliefs with a severity that earned her the title "Bloody Mary" and religion dominated her interests for the remainder of her reign. She even reinstated the heresy laws, which caused the deaths of many hundreds at the stake.
$C3English Kingdoms
George I
Born in 1660
Ascended in 1714
Died in 1727, aged 67
Reigned for 13 years
Married to Sophia Dorothea (Princess of Celle), bearing 1 son and 1 daughter.
George I succeeded Queen Anne in 1714 and was instated as King of England when the politicians eventually decided that the German house of Hanover provided an answer to the succession crisis. This King, second cousin to Anne, was disinterested in British affairs and preferred to spend more time in Hanover. He didn't even speak English, but the Whig government was Protestant and the pretender James Stuart - Anne's half brother - was Catholic and would not renounce his religion even in name only. Later, he fiercely contested this decision and there were minor wars in northern England before he fled into exile, in France, in 1716.
The king left the affairs of England in the hands of his government and so for the first time the country had a Prime Minister as head of state - Sir Robert Walpole. He steadily increased government powers until he left office in 1742 under the reign of George III
George I disliked his wife Sophia Dorothea and soon divorced her in 1694 after only two years. Sophia had had an affair with Count Konigsmarck who was killed when the couple was discovered. Sophia was kept in the castle of Ahlden until she died in 1726 while the King openly flaunted with his mistresses in England.
$C4English Kingdoms
Charles II
Born in 1630
Ascended in 1660
Died in 1685, aged 55
Reigned for 25 years
Married to Catherine of Braganza
After Cromwell, parliament invited the exiled King of England, Charles II, to return to the throne at the age of 29. This was known as the Restoration and Charles promoted the arts and science. He also allowed there to be some religious tolerance in England where, at the time, there was much intolerance between the Catholics and the Protestants. Charles had problems with the new Whig government which did not want his devoutly Catholic brother, James, to become King (previously the Tory government had been Catholic but the Whigs were not).
Charles was a very careful, diplomatic king who was quiet about his religious leanings and had secret dealings with the King of France. This suggested that he was a Catholic supporter. However, this diplomacy did not hold out and France declared war on England in 1666. It was said of Charles, that "he never said a foolish thing and never did a wise one."
As well as France declaring war on England, Charles had problems with the Dutch: a disagreement over America resulted in a number of financially damaging wars. His reign was also beset with the plague (the Black Death) and this forced the Royal family to move to Oxford to avoid it. The great fire of London, which raged over 440 acres and destroyed more than 13000 buildings, also occurred during his reign.
Sir Christopher Wren took the opportunity to rebuild more than fifty churches, including St Paul's Cathedral. Charles was renown for his love the theatre and also for his love of women. He was married to Catherine of Braganza in 1662, but had a string of mistresses - notably the actress Nell Gwyne. Of the 26 dukes in England today, five are direct descendants of Charles II's illegitimate children.
$C5English Kingdoms
Richard II
Born in 1367
Ascended in 1377
Died in 1399, aged 33
Reigned for 22 years
Married to Anne of Bohemia and Isabella of France.
Richard II was "the last of the Angevins". He was born in 1367 in Bordeaux, the grandson of Edward III and the son of the Black Prince. The hundred year's war with France continued throughout Richard II's reign, but fighting was not consistent.
The Peasants" Revolt, led by Wat Tyler took place during the reign of Richard, as a reaction to the proposed Poll Tax and 100,000 people marched on London. Richard bravely said that he would support the people. Whether he did is doubtful, but the landlords of England were made aware of the power of the peasantry.
Richard II married twice, Anne of Bohemia and then Isabella of France, without producing any children. The second time he married he had to pawn the crown jewels to pay for the ceremonies.
Richard II was usurped by Henry IV and died of neglect in Pontefract Castle in 1399. This was the start of the War of the Roses that affected seven English Kings from Richard II until Henry VII; although armed conflict only took place between 1455 and 1485.
$C6English Kingdoms
Henry VI
Born in 1421
Ascended in 1422
Deposed in 1461
Re Ascended in 1470
Died in 1471, aged 50
Reigned for 40 years
Married to Margaret of Anjou, bearing 1 son.
Henry VI was only a year old when he ascended. The Duke of Gloucester therefore acted as protector and regent of England and the duke of Bedford the regent of France. England did not retain France for long as the one hundred years war was almost over. In 1429 Joan of Arc started the rebellion in Orleans that was to push the English back until their total withdrawal in 1453.
Henry was a calm, placid man whose main interests were architecture and education. It was he who ordered the building of the Kings College in Cambridge. Henry unfortunately lost his grip on sanity and another regent, Richard, Duke of York, was appointed to take care of matters. He was removed after only one year but then rebelled and took over the government after the battle of St Albans in 1455. This marked the beginning of the War of the Roses; the confusing set of battles between the plantagenets with Henry's House of Lancaster on one side and the House of York on the other.
During the Plantagenet period, Henry IV, Henry V, and Henry VI were all in the House of Lancaster, while Edward IV, Edward V, and Richard III were all in the House of York. The standard of the House of Lancaster was taken up by Henry's wife, Margaret of Anjou. She was a very strong, warlike woman who defeated the Earl of Warwick at the battle of St. Albans and reinstated her husband as King. Later she was defeated and the son of Richard was crowned Edward IV for the second time.
$C7English Kingdoms
Edward V and Richard III
EDWARD V
House of York
Born in 1470
Ascended in 1483
Died in 1483, Aged 13
Reigned between April and June
Unmarried
Edward was only twelve years when he was crowned King of England. Then Richard III, his uncle and supposed protector, locked him up in the white tower with his brother declaring that they were both illegitimate. It has never been made clear exactly what happened to the two children but they were never seen again. Richard III instated himself as King of England and cruelly put down anyone who argued.
RICHARD III
Born in 1452
Ascended in 1483(usurp)
Died in 1485, aged 33
Reigned for 2 years
Married to Anne Neville, bearing 1 son.
Richard III, the Duke of Gloucester, appears in Shakespeare's play as a thoroughly evil and treacherous child killer - deformed with a hunched back. In reality there is actually little to suggest that he was a hunchback, but there is reason to believe that he was responsible for the deaths of Edward V and his younger brother Richard. The duke had support from many nobles, who wanted him to be crowned king, so he furthered this by distributing a letter saying that the children were illegitimate. This gave him the slender excuse to lock the brothers in the White Tower in London from which they never returned.
Richard was crowned King and was surprisingly quite a generous one. However, he was mistrusted by many due to the disappearance of the boys and, when his first wife died, there were ideas that he had killed her to allow him to marry Henry Tudor's prospective wife. Richard was, in the end, attacked and defeated by Henry Tudor (Henry VII). He died alone, wearing his crown, and became the last English King to die in combat in what many see as the last major battle in the Wars of the Roses.
$C8English Kingdoms
Edward II
Born in 1284
Ascended in 1307
Died in 1327(murdered), aged 43
Reigned for 20 years
Married to Isabella of France bearing 2 sons and 2 daughters.
Edward II was a good man but a bad king. He found it impossible to deal with the intrigues and lies of court and was not tough enough to control his noblemen.
He married Isabella of France in 1308, with whom he produced four children including an heir to the throne. However, it was likely that the king was bisexual since he preferred the company of his close friend Piers Gaveston. Piers had been banished from the realm by Edward I, but he returned to England after the king's death and ingratiated himself into the new king's company. The king gave Gaveston so many favours and so much power (even regency of England) that the king's wife and various noblemen conspired against Gaveston and had him beheaded.
When the king found another younger favourite, Hugh Despenser, the Queen fled to France where she lived openly with a commoner Roger Mortimer. Edward became very unpopular with his people: they believed that he gave his favourites too much power and allowed them to influence his decisions to their own benefit. So, when Isabella returned with an army from France, the people flocked to her. She was found to be an evil queen with a horrible grudge against her husband; when an uprising wanted to reinstate Edward she ordered him killed without marking him and so some cruel creature put him to death by the use of a red hot poker inserted up the rectum.
Despenser received an even more horrible end; his genitalia were cut off and his intestines cut from his body and placed in a fire in front of his dying body. Isabella was in the end deposed by her own 17-year-old son, Edward III, who captured her castle in secret and had Mortimer put to death for his audacity.
$C9English Kingdoms
William II and Henry I
WILLIAM II
"William Rufus"
Born around 1057
Ascended in 1087
Died in 1100, aged 43
Reigned for 13 years
Unmarried
William II, the Conqueror's third son, was irreverently known as William Rufus because of his red complexion. Robert, his brother, had been given France but he wanted England too. This caused much dissention and betrayal between the two brothers.
The king retained his throne by bribery and cash promises. He was not good with money and pillaged the church and treasury so none regretted the strange hunting accident that left him dead from an arrow. He was succeeded by Henry I.
HENRY I
Born in 1068
Ascended in 1100
Died in 1135, aged 67
Reigned for 35 years
Married to Matilda of Scotland bearing 1 son and 1 daughter. Then to Adela of Louvain
Henry, also known as the Beauclerc or the Scholar, was the youngest son of William the Conqueror. He was well educated, but viscous with his enemies and he had a string of mistresses that gave him 24 children (only three were legitimate to his wife Matilda). Sadly the heir, William, died when the royal boat, "White Ship", foundered on a rock in the English Channel.
$C10English Kingdoms
Edward III
Born in 1312
Ascended in 1327
Died in 1377, aged 65
Reigned for 50 years
Married to Philippa of Hainault bearing 6 sons and 5 daughters.
Edward came to the throne in 1327 when he was fourteen. His mother, Isabella, ignored the Regency Council and acted as regent with her lover, Mortimer. It was not long before Edward proved what a strong king he was to be and he took control in 1330, forcing his mother into retirement and executing Mortimer for his crimes.
Edward married young, at the age of 16, and his wife, Phillippa of Hainault, was only 14. It would have been a very prosperous time for England if Edward had not resumed hostilities with France: the start of the Hundred Year's War. He had many great victories including Crecy and Poitiers, where the famous Black Prince, Edwards's son Edward, fought.
The Black Prince was Edwards's heir to the throne. He fought in both France and Spain but was mortally wounded in battle while he was campaigning in France.
Edward III had an affair with Alice Perrers, "Lady of the Sun". She was said to have robbed the corpse after his death and some claim she gained influence over the king by witchcraft. Edward III's reign was impressively long for the time and only ended when he died of senile dementia at Sheen Palace in 1377. The crown was left to Edward's grandson, Richard II.
$D1Kings and Queens
James I
(James VI of Scotland)
Born in 1566
Ascended in 1603
Died in 1625, aged 59
Reigned for 22 years
Married to Anne of Denmark bearing
3 sons and 4 daughters.
James VI of Scotland, who was born in Edinburgh castle in 1566 and the son of Mary Queen of Scots and Lord Darnley, reigned after Elizabeth, who never married and had no one to succeed her. He was also the great grandson of Henry VIII's sister, Margaret Tudor, and the wife of James IV. In 1603 he was crowned James I of England and retained his title of James IV of Scotland, thus uniting the two countries and starting the House of Stuarts.
He was married to Anne of Denmark and was a vein, suspicious and cruel man - well educated but somehow lacking in wisdom. Erasmus remarked of him: "the wisest fool in Christendom" and Macaulay said: "He was made up of two men - a witty, well-read scholar who wrote, disputed and harangued, and a nervous, drivelling idiot who acted". Despite this, there were no great wars in his reign, but there was the famous attempt by the Catholics to assassinate him.
The Gunpowder plot of 1605 involved blowing up both Houses of Parliament. Guy Fawkes was caught in the cellars of the palace of Westminster with a large amount of gunpowder and was arrested, tortured for many months and finally hung, drawn and quartered.
In 1620, during the reign of James I, the famous Pilgrim Fathers set sail from Plymouth to America in their ship, the Mayflower. There was one thing to come from America that the King hated - smoking. He even wrote a short tract on the evils of the habit.
$D2Kings and Queens
George V
Born in 1865
Ascended in 1910
Died in 1936, aged 70
Reigned for 25 years
Married to Princess Mary of Teck, bearing 5 sons and 1 daughter.
George V, previously the Prince of Wales, came to the throne on the 7th of May 1910, after the sudden death of his father, Edward VII, the night before. He entered one of the most important political crisis that England has seen. His father had become very involved in politics with the new liberal government that had won an overwhelming majority in 1906. Edward had taken it upon himself to act as conciliator between the powerful liberals in the house of commons and the definitely conservative house of Lords.
During Edward's reign, the House of Lords had been under attack from the liberal Prime Minister, Herbert Asquith, because they had blocked many of his welfare reforms (such as the people's budget). Asquith condemned a situation that he described as an hereditary chamber, blocking the will of the elected chamber.
By the time George came to power, Asquith was asking for several hundred voting liberal peers to be created in the House of Lords to reflect the wishes of the people. He received much support from the socialist members and from those who supported Irish home rule so, George felt he had to intervene.
Eventually, parliament agreed on a Bill, The Parliament Act, to curb the power of the House of Lords in favour of the House of Commons (as it is today). This was balanced by a reduction in the life of the elected commons from seven years to five.
Many other political events happened during his reign. The Irish rebelled and were crushed in 1916, but the Irish Free State was formed in the South in 1920. The first Labour government was formed in 1924 and there was the upheaval of the General Strike in 1926 and in 1928. Women over the age of twenty-one were given the right to vote during George's reign.
Above all these problems, there was also the First World War throughout which George ruled. He was described as being somewhat aloof and remote to his people but was still greatly respected, loved and supported through the war.
George decided to sever all connections with his German cousins and ordered all the English royalty to give up any German titles or favours. The house of Saxe-Coburg was renamed and still remains the House of Windsor. He and his wife, Queen Mary (1867-1953), celebrated their silver Jubilee in 1935 but a year later he died, suffering from long term bronchitis.
$D3Kings and Queens
William IV
"The Sailor King"
Born in 1765
Ascended in 1830
Died in 1837, aged 71
Reigned for 7 years
Married to Adelaide (of Saxe-Coburg and Meiningen), bearing 2 daughters.
William IV was the second son of George III's to come to the throne. He was crowned after his brother George IV died, in 1830, after spending 10 years as King. William was already quite an old man and only spent seven years as King before dying, at the age of 64, in 1837. He left no heirs and the throne went to the daughter of George III's fourth child - Queen Victoria.
William was known as the 'sailor king" because, as the Duke of Clarence, he had been Lord High Admiral for some time. He had actually been forced out of this post shortly before his coronation due to arguments with his brother, the king.
During William's reign the Reform Bill was passed through parliament, giving the House of Commons increased powers. William thought it was right to back this because the people wanted it, although he did not fully support it. He even asked Lord Grey to form a Whig government to replace the Tory one and to introduce these reforms. William was friendly and approachable, but often this did not earn him much respect because he acquired the name 'silly Billy".
Charles Dickens wrote Oliver Twist in the year of his death.
$D4Kings and Queens
George I
Born in 1660
Ascended in 1714
Died in 1727, aged 67
Reigned for 13 years
Married to Sophia Dorothea (Princess of Celle), bearing 1 son and 1 daughter.
George I was instated as King of England when the politicians eventually decided that the German house of Hanover provided an answer to the succession crisis. This King, second cousin to Anne, was disinterested in British affairs and preferred to spend more time in Hanover. He didn't even speak English, but the Whig government was Protestant and the pretender James Stuart - Anne's half brother - was Catholic and would not renounce his religion even in name only. Later, he fiercely contested this decision and there were minor wars in northern England before he fled into exile, in France, in 1716.
The king left the affairs of England in the hands of his government and so for the first time the country had a Prime Minister as head of state - Sir Robert Walpole. He steadily increased government powers until he left office in 1742 under the reign of George III
George I disliked his wife Sophia Dorothea and soon divorced her in 1694 after only two years. Sophia had had an affair with Count Konigsmarck who was killed when the couple was discovered. Sophia was kept in the castle of Ahlden until she died in 1726 while the King openly flaunted with his mistresses in England.
$D5Kings and Queens
William and Mary
WILLIAM III
Born in 1650
Ascended in 1689
Died in 1702, aged 52
Reigned for 13 years
MARY II
Born in 1662
Ascended in 1689
Died in 1694, aged 32
Reigned for 5 years
William landed on the 5th of November 1688 with many troops. As most of the army had deserted the old king, James II, he fled in exile to France after only six weeks. William of Orange would not be Prince Regent so, for the first time, England had two monarchs - Queen Mary II and King William III. This was accepted by parliament only with a passing of a new Bill of Rights, which gave parliament control over taxation, new laws and war.
William and Mary had problems from both Ireland and Scotland: the Jacobites still supported James II in Scotland. They had to go to war with James on Irish soil. Later, in 1701, war was also declared against France after it was announced that James's son was to be king of England - James III. England feared that France was trying to take control of Europe when the death of the childless Charles II of Spain (1700AD) left a possibility that France and Spain would combine under one monarchy; this was The War of Spanish Succession.
William had to deal with this last event on his own - as his much loved wife Anne had died in 1694 of smallpox leaving him devastated. Eventually an uneasy pact was signed. William died in 1702 after falling off his horse and injuring himself; the horse had apparently stumbled on a molehill giving Jacobite opponents reason to toast the mole as "the little gentleman in the velvet coat."
$D6Kings and Queens
Henry V
Born in 1387
Ascended in 1413
Died in 1422, aged 35
Reigned for 9 years
Married to Catherine of Valois bearing 1 son.
Henry V, a king from the House of Lancaster in the Plantagenet period, was born in Monmouth in 1387 and was an accomplished musician, scholar and soldier. He wanted the Kingdom of France and so, in the battle of Agincourt, restarted the One Hundred Years war with renewed vigour.
The French were decimated and Henry became heir to the throne in the treaty of Troyes. Henry died suddenly of dysentery, abroad in Vincennes, at the age of 35 and never lived to claim the French throne.
$D7Kings and Queens
Edward IV
Born in 1442
Ascended in 1461
Deposed in 1470
Re-ascended in 1471
Died in 1483, aged 41
Reigned for a total of 21 years
Married to Elizabeth Woodville bearing 2 sons and 5 daughters.
Edward IV was born in Rouen in 1442. He reigned from 1461 to 1483 when he died at Westminster, although there was a break in his reign when he fled to Flander's.
When King Henry VI became mentally ill, his cousin, Richard was appointed Protector. After a year he was dismissed and his son took over power as Edward IV. The War of the Roses continued throughout Edward's reign: the battles were bloody, hectic and disorganised. However, to an extent, there was a policy of killing the noblemen and sparing the common people. This resulted in the gradual massacre of a large percentage of the ruling classes.
Much to the distress of his cousin, the earl of Warwick, Edward married Elizabeth Woodville, a commoner. His cousin was practically ruling England at the time and the disagreement caused the two to go to war at the battle of Barnet. Edward was forced to flee to Flanders and Henry, although unfit, was restored to the throne temporarily. Edward soon mustered enough troops to reclaim the throne a year later when he defeated Margaret of Anjou (Henry's wife) at Tewkesbury.
During his reign, Edward encouraged trade and successfully increased the wealth of his country. It was during his reign that William Caxton first started publishing books and in doing so actually decided which English dialect was to become the established English language.
$D8Kings and Queens
Edward III
Born in 1312
Ascended in 1327
Died in 1377, aged 65
Reigned for 50 years
Married to Philippa of Hainault bearing 6 sons and 5 daughters.
Edward came to the throne in 1327 when he was fourteen. His mother, Isabella, ignored the Regency Council and acted as regent with her lover, Mortimer. It was not long before Edward proved what a strong king he was to be and he took control in 1330, forcing his mother into retirement and executing Mortimer for his crimes.
Edward married young, at the age of 16, and his wife, Phillippa of Hainault, was only 14. It would have been a very prosperous time for England if Edward had not resumed hostilities with France: the start of the Hundred Year's War. He had many great victories including Crecy and Poitiers, where the famous Black Prince, Edwards's son Edward, fought.
The Black Prince was Edwards's heir to the throne. He fought in both France and Spain but was mortally wounded in battle while he was campaigning in France.
Edward III had an affair with Alice Perrers, "Lady of the Sun". She was said to have robbed the corpse after his death and some claim she gained influence over the king by witchcraft. Edward III's reign was impressively long for the time and only ended when he died of senile dementia at Sheen Palace in 1377. The crown was left to Edward's grandson, Richard II.
$D9Kings and Queens
Henry VII
Born in 1457
Ascended in 1485
Died in 1509, aged 52
Reigned for 24 years
Married to Elizabeth of York bearing 2 sons and 2 daughters.
Henry defeated Richard III in battle and became King with only tenuous links to the throne on his mother's side - she was the granddaughter of John of Gaunt and his mistress Katherine Swynfrd. The House of York ended when Henry was crowned, and the crown was now in the hands of the House of Tudor.
Henry VII's reign was one of the better ones; there was a war with but he was paid off (war parties could be used to blackmail others for money) and Henry maintained a rough peace for the rest of his realm.
His eldest daughter married James IV of Scotland, and his son and heir, Henry, married Catherine of Aragon (Spain was also aligned against the French. These moves assured peace for a while. Prosperity was on the increase and forays to the newly discovered America were supported. There was peace and the poor were treated with some compassion.
A minor uprising from Lambert Simnel, posing as a son of Edward IV, landed with German mercenaries and failed. Henry was captured, but not executed, and spent the rest of his life serving the king in his kitchens.
$D10Kings and Queens
Henry IV
Born in 1367
Ascended in 1399
Died in 1413, aged 46
Reigned for 14 years
Married to Mary de Bohun bearing 4 sons and 2 daughters. Then to Joan of Brittany.
Henry IV was red-haired, wild and a good fighter. These were ideal properties in a reign of unrest and rebellion. Owain Glyndwr of Wales formed a league, with Douglas of Scotland and Harry Percy (Hotspur), against Henry. Later the French supported the Welsh and possibly may have invaded if there had not been a civil war on their home ground.
During Henry's reign, John Wycliffe translated the bible into English for the first time. This caused much unrest and discussion in the church when the public suddenly realised its true contents. Henry repressed Wycliffe's supporters who were insisting that the church should give its money to charitable ends.
Henry died in the "Jerusalem" Chamber, in the house of the Abbot of Westminster, in 1413. He had not achieved his wish to go on a Crusade, having spent many years as an invalid before he succumbed to leprosy.
$E1Facts
Queen Victoria - the person
Born in 1819
Ascended in 1837
Died in 1901, aged 81
Reigned for 63 years
Married to Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg bearing 4 sons and 5 daughters.
Eighteen-year-old Queen Victoria acceded to the throne on the 20th June 1837, after her childless Uncle William IV had left no heir to the throne. Despite her youth, she proved to be a powerful, obstinate Queen with a strong sense of duty to her people. She was a relief to a country that was becoming sick of its history of debauched and irresponsible kings and this soon made Victoria very popular.
Initially she was delighted with her coronation but she soon tired of her position. Although she continued in her duties quite admirably, her boredom was obvious and a suitable husband was sought. She married Prince Albert of Saxe- Coburg, nephew of King Leopold of Belgium, on the 10th February 1840. Later that year she gave birth to the Princess Royal, Victoria Adelaide, whom later married Frederick III of Prussia and gave birth to the infamous Kaiser William II of Germany.
Victoria had nine children in total, but her next child, Albert, born in November 1841, was to be heir to the crown. She had a great many political problems throughout her reign, but Victoria weathered these, and several attempted assassinations, to become one of the longest reigning monarchs Britain has seen. Her husband Albert was always a massive support to her, but since he was a foreign Prince, he had no power in affairs of state.
In 1861 Albert died suddenly, causing the devastated queen to withdraw from public duties. She went into a long mourning and, during this time, the people started to turn against her. Her reign, however, ended in glory because, largely, Disraeli had persuaded her to resume public duties.
$E2Facts
Queen Victoria - the politics
Victoria relied heavily at first on the advice of her Whig Prime Minister, Lord Melbourne. He acted more as a kind of fatherly uncle to her and, although he was carefully deferential to the headstrong Queen, it was obvious who held the real power.
When the Tory government, led by Sir Robert Peel, came to power Victoria mistrusted the new minister. However, Peel was Prime Minister and eventually she grew to trust him almost as much as Lord Melbourne. Victoria was happy to let him control her affairs while she busied herself with the needs of a growing family. Many areas of Britain were very poor at this time and the people were becoming rebellious.
Peel tried to make changes in the Corn laws to encourage free trade, but instead caused a rift in the Tory party (many of them had private interests in protecting the Corn Law). Many people were in favour of the Peoples Charter, which was calling for even greater changes following the Reform Act. Peel's government gave way to Lord John Russell and the Queen feared for her own life.
There were rebellions all over Europe and without Russell she felt that there could be one at home - indeed the tension in Ireland was becoming unbearable due to the terrible Great Potato Famine of 1847. In 1848 there were riots in Italy, Vienna, Budapest and Berlin. The French King, Louis Philippe, was forced to flee to the comparative safety of England.
Victoria's husband, Albert, was always a massive support to her. However, as he was a foreign Prince, he had no power in affairs of state. He was an active man, but he could not even organise his own household because that was the duty of Baroness, Louise Lehzens. Albert soon became bored and eventually he managed to be rid of her and take complete control over the royal household. However, when he tried to become involved in affairs of state there were complaints, especially over the Crimean crisis. He was even accused of treachery due to his German and Russian connections.
It was only in 1857 that Albert officially became Prince Consort to the Queen, giving him legal entitlement to advise her and make decisions, but this was after the Crimean War had ended. The war had lasted for less than three years of Queen Victoria's reign and had been caused by the Russians attacking ships belonging to the Turkish Ottoman Empire. This was partly due to their involvement with French interests and Britain sent forces to protect the Turks and declared war on Russia. The Victoria Cross was created and awarded to soldiers "For Valour" in the Crimean War.
One achievement of Prince Albert's that helped to occupy him was the organisation of the Great Exhibition of 1851. The huge Crystal Palace, designed by Joseph Paxton, was built especially for it to hold an "Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations". This displayed everything from tepees to the new mechanical computer designed by Sir Charles Babbage.
$E3Facts
George III
"Farmer George"
Born in 1738
Ascended in 1760
Died in 1820, aged 81
Reigned for 59 years
Married to Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz bearing 9 sons and 6 daughters.
George III, grandson of George II, was one of the longest reigning monarchs Britain has seen. His father had died before having chance to ascend, and George served from 1760 until 1820 seeing many great changes in the English Empire.
He was happy and started off as a popular monarch with a steady relationship with his family. He was known for being hard working and very religious, without being dogmatic to others. His great interest in farming gave him the nickname "Farmer George".
Unfortunately his ministers were incompetent: during the parliament of the Earl of Bute there was the American war of Independence and the subsequent loss of America from the English Empire. The full ramifications of this were not fully appreciated at the time.
In 1788 George III started to become ill with a rare hereditary disease called porphyria. This caused ever-increasing madness in him, until in later life he was taken away from affairs of state. He was even straitjacketed at times and there were rumours that the King had been found talking to a tree one day.
His despairing wife, Charlotte Sophia, eventually allowed any self-claimed healer to experiment on George with the aim of making him better, but it was impossible. George III he died in 1820, leaving the crown to a wild and rebellious George IV who was known more for his drinking than his kingly qualities.
Hostilities with France had been building up since before the king's illness and in 1793, while the king was ill, devastating wars between England and France started. These were the famous Napoleonic wars and Napoleon was finally defeated at the battle of Waterloo, when Prussian forces, under Blucher, aided the Duke of Wellington.
It was partly due to George's madness that the government began to take much more control away from the monarchy in the running of the country. A process of parliamentary reform started, leading to the present system. William Pitt the Younger (1759 - 1806) was responsible for many of these reforms.
$E4Facts
George II
Born in 1683
Ascended in 1727
Died in 1760, aged 76
Reigned for 33 years
Married to Caroline of Ansbach-Bayreuth bearing 3 sons and 5 daughters.
George II, the only son of George I, was born at Hanover in 1683. He died at Kensington Palace in 1760 and was the last king to buried at Westminster Abbey.
George was not loved by the British much more than his father had been and, like him, he remained aloof and distant to his kingdom. He was a great fighter and left the political side to the politicians while he concentrated on his love of war. This meant that the House of Commons gained greater power with their new head of the ministers: the "Prime Minister", Sir Robert Walpole.
During George's reign, England went to war with France over a dispute about the Austrian succession. This was the last time that a king of England rode into battle (at the age of 60) and it occurred at the battle of Dettingen. There were also disputes with France over Canadian soil and a minor war with Spain over piracy in the Caribbean.
At home the King saw trouble with the Jacobite uprisings and Prince Charles Edward, the son of the Stuart Pretender (the Young Pretender, Bonnie Prince Charlie). Since the Hanoverian monarchy had definite German roots, and both George I and George II had disliked England, the Young Pretender had hoped to receive massive English support. He travelled from exile in France and landed in Scotland, where he gathered many troops under his father who he called King James VIII of Scotland. Prince Charlie went as far as Culloden before he was cruelly defeated by King George's troops and the entire force was massacred, leaving no survivors. Bonnie Prince Charlie was forced to escape England wearing women's clothing.
In the reign of George II, in 1752, the Calendar changed from the Julian to the Gregorian. This was nearly 200 years after most of Europe had changed. It was also during his reign that the national anthem was devised, the first verse being:
God save great George our King
Long live our noble King
God save the King!
Send him victorious
Happy and glorious
Long to reign over us
God save the King!
George II died in 1760 from a heart failure whilst sitting on the toilet.
$E5Facts
George IV
Born in 1762
Ascended in 1820
Died in 1830, aged 67
Reigned for 10 years
Married to Mrs. Maria Fitzherbert then Caroline of Brunswick-Wolfenbuttell bearing 1 daughter.
Fifteen year old George IV's tutor said of him; "He will be either the most polished man, or the most accomplished blackguard in Europe - possibly both". He was at least correct in the second half of his statement but there were many that felt George was no man by the end of his reign.
George IV was not one of England's best kings: he was more interested in eating drinking, gambling, and women than in affairs of state. In later life, he complained about gout and other infirmities to an unsympathetic audience. For example, the Duke of Wellington at the time was quoted as saying that there was nothing wrong with the king "except what is caused by the effects of strong liquors taken too frequently and in too large quantities. He drinks spirits morning noon and night".
In order to pay off massive debts he had accrued while he was the Prince of Wales he had agreed to marry the king's niece, Caroline of Brunswick. This was despite of the fact that he had already been married to Mrs Fitzherbert in secret, but there was no way in which he could be king and father an heir if he were married to her. It is possible that he was in love with his former wife but since his marriage to Caroline of Brunswick he descended into debauchery and it was only a few months before he formally separated from her.
When he came to power she demanded the title of Queen, but he refused to allow her to come to his coronation and accused her in court of adultery. Indeed, she had been openly living with an Italian man Bartolomeo Pergami in her exile from Britain. Caroline was acquitted but she died later the following year; her body was taken and buried in Germany with the epitaph "Caroline of Brunswick, the injured Queen of England." When George died, he left no heir to the throne despite his difficult marriage. The throne passed to William - his younger, and not quite so debauched, brother. William was to die soon after in 1837, again leaving no heirs.
The crown should have passed to George III's third son Edward, the Duke of Kent. However, he had died in 1820 so the crown was given to 18 year old Queen Victoria who was to become one of the most respected of English monarchs. The house changed from the house of Hanover to the house of Saxe-Coburg.
$E6Facts
Charles I
Charles I
Born in 1600
Ascended in 1625
Died 1649 (executed), aged 48
Reigned for 24 years
Married to Henrietta Maria of France bearing 4 sons and 5 daughters.
Charles I was reigning when the Civil War took place: the country was divided between parliament and a king who refused to recognise its power. He dissolved parliament many times before raising his standard in Nottingham to fight the uprising from London in 1642.
The majority of the aristocracy, the peasants and the Anglican establishment supported the king while the middle classes and commercial classes supported parliament. However, the war was messy, with the Irish swapping sides, and when the king was eventually defeated by Cromwell's army he gave in to the mercy of the Scottish who sold him to parliament for 400,000 pounds.
In 1649, despite an uprising by Welsh parliamentarians who supported him, Charles I was executed on a scaffold in front of the Banqueting House in Whitehall. The death sentence had been passed by a tribunal of 135 judges with a majority of 68 over 67 He died nobly, wearing two shirts to keep off the cold just in case anyone saw him shiver and thought that it was from fear.
Following this, Oliver Cromwell set up The Commonwealth (1649-1653) and the Protectorate (1653-1659) during which time England was a republic with no King or Queen. Cromwell exacted quite stiff laws on the people: adultery, for example, was punishable with death in 1650 although juries were reluctant to convict Cromwell hated any displays of luxury or wealth from people in the court and furniture and clothes became arid and functional. Cromwell was more interested in fighting than in politics: it was his skills as a soldier that had defeated the king.
After Cromwell's death in 1658, his son Richard (1626-1712) took over. However he did not have the necessary force of character and parliament forced him to stand down after only one year. The son of the executed king was invited to take the title of Charles II in the "restoration" of the monarchy.
$E7Facts
William and Mary
WILLIAM III
Born in 1650
Ascended in 1689
Died in 1702, aged 52
Reigned for 13 years
MARY II
Born in 1662
Ascended in 1689
Died in 1694, aged 32
Reigned for 5 years
James II was an unpopular monarch with Protestant England. After he had failed to imprison various church leaders for not obeying his orders it is said that seven lords of England secretly sent word to William of Orange, Prince of Denmark, to come and lay siege on London. The idea was to oust the unpopular King and, if William succeeded, the English would support him and instate his wife, Mary, as Queen.
William landed on the 5th of November 1688 with many troops and, as most of the army had deserted the old king, James II, he fled in exile to France after only six weeks. William of Orange would not be Prince Regent and so for the first time England had two monarchs - Queen Mary II and King William III. This was accepted by parliament only with a passing of a new Bill of Rights, which gave parliament control over taxation, new laws, and war.
William and Mary had problems from both Ireland and Scotland, as the Jacobites still supported James in Scotland, and they had to go to war with James II on Irish soil. Later, in 1701, there was also war declared against France after they announced that James II's son, James III was to be king of England. England feared that France was trying to take control of Europe when the death of the childless Charles II of Spain (1700AD) left a possibility that France and Spain would combine under one monarchy; this was The War of Spanish Succession.
William had to deal with this last event on his own, as his much loved wife Anne had died in 1694 of smallpox leaving him devastated.
Eventually an uneasy pact was signed. William died in 1702 after falling off his horse and injuring himself; the horse had apparently stumbled on a molehill giving Jacobite opponents reason to toast the mole as "the little gentleman in the velvet coat."
$E8Facts
James I
(James VI of Scotland)
Born in 1566
Ascended in 1603
Died in 1625, aged 59
Reigned for 22 years
Married to Anne of Denmark bearing
3 sons and 4 daughters.
James VI of Scotland, who was born in Edinburgh castle in 1566 and the son of Mary Queen of Scots and Lord Darnley, reigned after Elizabeth, who never married and had no one to succeed her. He was also the great grandson of Henry VIII's sister, Margaret Tudor, and the wife of James IV. In 1603 he was crowned James I of England and retained his title of James IV of Scotland, thus uniting the two countries and starting the House of Stuarts.
He was married to Anne of Denmark and was a vein, suspicious and cruel man - well educated but somehow lacking in wisdom. Erasmus remarked of him: "the wisest fool in Christendom" and Macaulay said: "He was made up of two men - a witty, well-read scholar who wrote, disputed and harangued, and a nervous, drivelling idiot who acted". Despite this, there were no great wars in his reign, but there was the famous attempt by the Catholics to assassinate him.
The Gunpowder plot of 1605 involved blowing up both Houses of Parliament. Guy Fawkes was caught in the cellars of the palace of Westminster with a large amount of gunpowder and was arrested, tortured for many months and finally hung, drawn and quartered.
In 1620, during the reign of James I, the famous Pilgrim Fathers set sail from Plymouth to America in their ship, the Mayflower. There was one thing to come from America that the King hated - smoking. He even wrote a short tract on the evils of the habit.
$E9Facts
James II
(James VII of Scotland)
Born in 1633
Ascended in 1685
Deposed in 1688
Died in 1701, aged 68
Reigned for 3 years
Married to Anne Hyde bearing 4 sons and 2 daughters. Then to Mary of Modena bearing 2 sons and 5 daughters.
James II was very unpopular with parliament and the Protestant people of England since he was a devout Catholic. He was also the last King of England to believe that he had the "divine" right to be there. He believed he was above the law and he demanded to be obeyed although his Catholic ideas were illegal under the Protestant law.
The Duke of Monmouth led an uprising promising to restore the Protestant church. This was put down the king and, with his chief commissioner, Lord Jeffrey's, the king ordered that Monmouth and his supporters be put to death. Many other Protestants were put to death in the next few years in what came to be known as the Bloody Assizes.
The Protestant church leaders, together with many English noblemen, eventually decided in secret to depose the King. They called to William of Orange, the Prince of Denmark, to come and claim the throne saying that the people of England would flock to him. William was not only a good statesman but was married to Mary, James II's eldest daughter, and therefore a potential heir to the throne. William's arrival in 1688 was known as the Glorious Revolution, and it lasted for only six weeks before James was betrayed by his army. He was forced to flee to France in disguise.
$E10Facts
Charles II
Born in 1630
Ascended in 1660
Died in 1685, aged 55
Reigned for 25 years
Married to Catherine of Braganza
After Cromwell, parliament invited the exiled King of England, Charles II, to return to the throne at the age of 29. This was known as the Restoration and Charles promoted the arts and science. He also allowed there to be some religious tolerance in England where, at the time, there was much intolerance between the Catholics and the Protestants. Charles had problems with the new Whig government which did not want his devoutly Catholic brother, James, to become King (previously the Tory government had been Catholic but the Whigs were not).
Charles was a very careful, diplomatic king who was quiet about his religious leanings and had secret dealings with the King of France. This suggested that he was a Catholic supporter. However, this diplomacy did not hold out and France declared war on England in 1666. It was said of Charles, that "he never said a foolish thing and never did a wise one."
As well as France declaring war on England, Charles had problems with the Dutch: a disagreement over America resulted in a number of financially damaging wars. His reign was also beset with the plague (the Black Death) and this forced the Royal family to move to Oxford to avoid it. The great fire of London, which raged over 440 acres and destroyed more than 13000 buildings, also occurred during his reign.
Sir Christopher Wren took the opportunity to rebuild more than fifty churches, including St Paul's Cathedral. Charles was renown for his love the theatre and also for his love of women. He was married to Catherine of Braganza in 1662, but had a string of mistresses - notably the actress Nell Gwyne. Of the 26 dukes in England today, five are direct descendants of Charles II's illegitimate children.
$F1Foreign Monarchies
Titles
The ruler of Bagdad was called the Caliph.
The ruler of Tibet is called the Dalai Lama, although he is currently exiled.
The ruler of Persia was called the Shah.
$F2Foreign Monarchies
Archaeology
In 1974, farmers digging a well in Xian, China, found the tomb of Emperor Shih Huang Ti. It was guarded by a terra cotta army.
Howard Carter discovered the previously unplundered tomb of King Tutankhamun in 1922.
The term mausoleum comes from King Mausolus of Halicarnassus (in Turkey) who had a magnificent tomb.
$F3Foreign Monarchies
Unpopular
Marie Antoinette was the wife of Louis XVI of France. She was famed for her extravagance and the saying, "Let them eat cake". This was a ridiculous suggestion to the starving poor.
Tsar Nicholas Romanov II of Russia and his family were executed following the Revolution in 1918.
Montezuma was the Aztec king at the time of the Spanish Conquistadors. He was stoned to death by his own people when the Spanish were trying to suppress a rebellion.
$F4Foreign Monarchies
Favourites
Carl Faberge was famed for making fabulously decorated eggs for Tsar Nicholas II of Russia.
Prince Henry of Portugal (Henry the Navigator), devoted much of his life to promoting exploration, particularly of the West African coast.
The composer Richard Wagner was supported financially by King Ludwig II of Bavaria, until he was banished for insulting the government.
$F5Foreign Monarchies
Achievements
Shih Huang Ti, "First Emperor of China", had the Great Wall of China built to keep out enemies.
Pharaoh Ramesses II had the great temple at Abu Simbel built.
Nebuchadnezzar II had the "Hanging Gardens of Babylon" built for his wife Amytis, to help her over her homesickness.
$F6Foreign Monarchies
Confidents
Rasputin was the confidant of Nicholas II and particularly Queen Alexandra of Russia.
Madame de Pompadour was the mistress of Louis XV of France. She was known for her exaggerated hairstyle.
Sejanus, a commander of the Praetorian Guard, was the friend and confident of Emperor Tiberius until his plot to assassinate Tiberius was discovered and he was executed.
$F7Foreign Monarchies
Historical
Emperor Gaius of Rome known as Caligula murdered many prominent Roman citizens and made his horse, Incitatus, a senator.
Ivan the Terrible killed his son, and many other citizens, and had St. Basil's Cathedral built. It is said to have had the two architects blinded subsequently to prevent them from building anything more impressive.
"Mad" King Ludwig II of Bavaria had Neuschwanstein castle built by Christian Jank, a theatrical designer. He became obsessed with fairy stories and legends, particularly the Swan King.
$F8Foreign Monarchies
Marriages
Mumtaz Mahal, "the chosen one of the palace", was married to the devoted Shah Jahan who, after she died in childbirth, built her the magnificent tomb called the "Taj Mahal".
Diane de Poitiers was the mistress of Henri II of France. This was despite the fact that she was 20 years older than him and he was married to Catherine de Medici.
Catherine I of Russia Catherine the Great)came from a peasant family in Lithuania. Tsar Peter married her in 1712 and they had 12 children. He also changed the law so she could inherit the throne.
$F9Foreign Monarchies
Conquerors
Shaka (c.1787-1828) was a Zulu leader who organised his men into uniformed regiments called impi. He enlarged his kingdom to cover a great deal of Southern Africa.
Temuchin (c.1162-1227) became "Genghis Khan" (Universal Leader) after conquering a large part of Asia.
Frederick II of Prussia had many victories over the French and German, including the Battle of Rossbach. His military acumen enabled him to double the size of his kingdom.
$F10Foreign Monarchies
Religious
Emperor Julian was known as the "Apostate" because he abandoned Christianity, in favour of the Roman gods and goddesses, after the murder of his male relatives.
Louis IX of France was declared a saint nearly 30 years after his death from the plague. He led the sixth Crusade (1248-54) following an illness.
Saint Clotilda was niece of the King of Burgundy who married Clovis, King of the Franks. She was known for her piety and good works.
$G1Current Monarchy
Favourites
Elizabeth's first radio broadcast was made during the war on Children's hour on 13th October 1940. She was only 14 at the time and, joined by 10-year-old Margaret, she comforted many thousands of war children with the words "We know every one of us that in the end all will be well".
The middle picture below shows the Queen Mother, one of the most well loved of royals, receiving a gift on a trip to New Zealand. She is a kind, caring woman who supported her family bravely through the war and even in old age was known for making a huge number of public appearances.
The third picture below shows Prince Charles in RAF uniform, after being awarded his flying wings.
$G2Current Monarchy
Marriage
The Prince of Wales married Lady Diana Spencer on the 30th of July 1981.
Prince Andrew married Sarah Ferguson on the 23rd of July 1986.
Princess Margaret married the society photographer Anthony Armstrong-Jones on the 6th of May 1960.
$G3Current Monarchy
Headlines
Earl Mountbatten of Burma was killed when his fishing boat was blown out of the water by the IRA on 27th August 1979.
Prince Charles wrote the children's book "The Old Man of Lochnagar" to please Andrew and Edward while they were on their summer cruise. It was published in December 1980 to raise money for a Covent Garden appeal. The story is based on an old, grumpy Scottish man who lives in a cave at Lochnagar in Balmoral, one of Charles' favourite spots.
Princess Anne's favourite sport is horse jumping and she has won many awards. This is a photograph of her after she had won the "BBC Sports Personality of the Year" award in December 1971, shortly after winning the European three-day event championships.
$G4Current Monarchy
Publicity
The young royals took part in the "It's a Knockout" television show at Alton Towers in June 1987. It was organised by the young Prince Edward amid great publicity but, in a press conference later, he was accused of trivialising the royals. The Prince walked out on the killjoys in scorn.
A nickname for the royal family is "The Firm".
Prince Andrew piloted a Sea King helicopter from his ship, HMS invincible, during the Falklands war in 1982. He came very close to the conflict and insisted he be treated like any other serving officer. This picture shows him on his triumphant return home
$G5Current Monarchy
Young Royals
This picture shows Princess Anne in 1959 in her Brownie uniform. She is nine years old and under the strict tutelage of her governess, Miss Catherine Peebles. Anne is second oldest to Charles and has always been a great achiever, being the most active of all the royal family and the most concerned with raising money for charitable events. Her public appointments number much higher than the other royals, and it is only the Queen who comes a close second.
The second picture shows Prince Edward when he attended nursery school.
The third picture shows Viscount Linley, son of Princess Margaret and Earl Snowdon. He is one of the few royals to have challenged the press and won: he took the Today newspaper to court for libel in 1990 and was awarded o35000 damages. It was the first case of its kind and was merely over the allegation that Linley had spilled someone else's pint!
$G6Current Monarchy
Romances
Princess Anne's second husband is Commander Timothy Lawrence, the Queen's former equerry. She left her previous husband, Captain Philips, because she felt that she could not continue a "phoney" marriage.
Princess Margaret and the Earl of Snowdon separated in an unhappy divorce in March 1976. The relationship had been under strain for some time and hurtful remarks, by the News of the World, linking Princess Margaret and Roddy Llewellyn, a landscape gardener, made matters worse.
The second picture below shows Group Captain Peter Townsend. He was romantically linked with Princess Margaret from around 1953 to 1955. They had both wished to marry and she almost went through with it, even though it would have meant her losing her place in the royal family as third line to the throne. When the prime minister informed her that she would have to live in exile for a number of years she very painfully broke up with the Captain rather than deserting everything.
$G7Current Monarchy
First Degree
Prince Charles' education is worthy of note. As the first heir to have been taught away from the palace, he attended Cheam as a boarder when he was eight years old. However, this wasn't his first experience of schooling because he had previously been enrolled at the Hill House school in Knightsbridge. Later in 1970 Prince Charles was awarded a 2:2 by Trinity College, Cambridge. He was the first heir to the throne to gain a degree.
$G8Current Monarchy
Trouble
Michael Fagan broke into Buckingham Palace and woke the Queen without being challenged in 1982. He had managed to get past security patrols, fencing and high level electronic security and entered the Queen's bedchamber without being caught. He did not hurt the Queen, but she must have talked to him for some time because two calls to the security guards had not been heard. The sentry was on the grounds walking the Queen's corgis!
On June 14the 1981 an unemployed seventeen-year-old, Marcus Sergeant, fired six blanks at the Queen during the Trooping of the Colour parade.
Ian Ball attempted to kidnap Princess Anne near Buckingham Palace in March 1974. He tried to pull her from the car and push her into a waiting Ford Escort, but Anne's husband pulled her back. Four people were shot during the incident, but no one was killed.
$G9Current Monarchy
Wedding Bells
The Duke of Kent married Miss Katharine Worsley on 8th June 1961. They had the first royal wedding in York for 600 years.
Princess Alexandra married Angus Ogilvy, the second son of the Earl of Airlie, on 24th April 1963. The wedding took place in Westminster Abbey.
Prince Michael of Kent married Czech-born divorcee, Baroness Marie-Christine von Reibnitz, in a civil ceremony at Vienna town hall on 30th June 1978.
$G10Current Monarchy
Elizabeth II
Born: 21st April 1926
Accession: 6th February 1952
Coronation: 2 June 1953
Queen Elizabeth II was twenty-five years old when she became queen and is the currently the reigning monarch. She has been a flawless monarch with her consort Prince Philip, whom she married in 1947.
President Kennedy was assassinated during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II.
Queen Elizabeth has four children, Charles, Anne, Andrew and Edward. Her favourite homes are Windsor, Sandringham and Balmoral.
On the 5th of May 1952, Elizabeth and Prince Philip moved into Buckingham Palace to allow the renovation of Clarence House to begin.
$H1Artworks
The first picture is Elizabeth I.
The second picture is Henry VIII, painted at the time by Hans Holbein.
The third picture is of Queen Victoria.
$H2Artworks
This first picture is part of the Bayeux Tapestry. It may show when Harold II was killed with an arrow in the eye at the Battle of Hastings.
This second picture shows Edward VIII, when they became the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, after he had abdicated the throne and married Wallis Simpson.
This third picture shows a portrait of George IV.
$H3Artworks
The first picture shows Prince Albert following his appointment as Prince Consort.
The second picture shows John Brown, Queen Victoria's "highland servant".
The third picture shows Victoria's son, Edward. He was the future king and married Alexandra, as Prince and Princess of Wales.
$H4Artworks
The first picture shows "The Princes in the Tower" by Sir John Millais.
The second picture is a section from a text of 1180. It shows the murder of Thomas Beckett, Archbishop of Cantebury, in the cathedral by the king's men.
The third drawing shows Henry III supervising masons at work, rebuilding Westminster abbey.
$H5Artworks
The first picture shows a portrait of William IV by Sir David Wilkie.
The second is a marble bust showing King Charles II.
The third image is a triple view of Charles I.
$H6Artworks
The first image is detail of a picture, by Godfrey Kneller, showing George I.
The second picture shows George II - detail from a portrait by Charles Jervas.
The third picture shows the young George III in royal robes.
$H7Artworks
The first picture is of James I (VI of Scotland) soon after uniting the crowns of England and Scotland.
The second is a portrait of Henry VII from the Flemish School.
The third portrait shows King George IV.
$H8Artworks
The first picture is a Sixteenth Century portrait of Henry VI.
The second picture is an anonymous portrait of Henry V, painted c.1520.
The third picture shows Edward IV in consultation with his councillors.
$H9Artworks
The first picture shows a guilt-bronze effigy of Henry III in Westminster abbey.
The second picture shows King John's tomb, Worcester cathedral, carved in Purbeck marble in 1232.
The third picture shows the tomb of Richard I and Queen Berengaria at Fontevrault in Normandy.
$H10Artworks
The first picture is a portrait of Catherine of Braganza. She married Charles II in 1662.
The second illustration is a portrait of King Charles I's children.
The third picture depicts Queen Isabella, wife of Edward II. She was popular until her husband's death and then became most unpopular.
$I1Trivia
Newsflash
The Duke of Gloucester is the president of the Steam Locomotive Trust.
Even Princess Anne could not avoid the law when she was caught for speeding at Stow on the Woldan. She was banned on 22nd of October 1990.
The Queen paid her first state visit to the Vatican in Rome and met the pope in October 1980.
The o10 note was reintroduced in Britain in November 1959. The Queen's head was put on the notes for the first time.
$I2Trivia
Edward VIII
Born in 1894
Ascended in 1936
Abdicated in 1936
Reigned for 325 days
Married to Mrs. Wallis Simpson
Edward VIII came to power on the 22nd of January 1936, but he only reigned for part of that year before abdicating on the 12th of December. In total, he was in power for 325 days and was never publicly crowned.
Edward VIII was a reluctant King, finding matters of state tedious. Even in his short reign he neglected some of his duties, instead spending too much time with the divorcee, Mrs Wallis Simpson. Both the prime minister and his own father, the king, had been worried about him before he came to power. They believed that he would not survive long because he did not seem to have the diplomatic powers necessary for kingship.
Edward was accused of having pro German sympathies and, indeed, made some rather controversial statements on the subject. He believed that Germany was like a protective bulwark against the Russian communists and thought that England should proffer the hand of friendship.
It must be remembered, however, that his time before coronation as the Prince of Wales was a popular one. He had served in the army overseas throughout the war and was seen as a champion of the ex-servicemen. When he returned as he as very concerned about unemployment in his country after the war.
In the end it was love that made Edward leave his throne. Mrs Simpson was divorced in October of that year and, in September, Edward announced his plans to marry her. This caused a constitutional crisis, as the King is not allowed to marry a divorcee. The government decided that Edward would have to renounce his crown and hand it over to his brother, Albert, if he wanted to marry Mrs Simpson. On the 10th of December he signed the abduction papers and, on the 11th of December, the former King spoke on the wireless, telling the country of his plans to marry and his allegiance to the new king. "I have for twenty-five years tried to serve", he said, "But you must believe me when I tell you that I have found it impossible to carry the heavy burden of responsibility and to discharge my duties as king as I would wish to do without the help and support of the woman I love... God bless you all. God save the King."
$I3Trivia
Queen Anne
Born in 1665
Ascended in 1702
Died in 1714, aged 49
Reigned for 12 years
Married to George, Prince of Denmark bearing 2 sons and 3 daughters.
Queen Anne was the second daughter of James II and sister-in-law to William III. She came to the throne in 1702, at the age of 37, and was worn out with continual pregnancies - seventeen in total. One child was stillborn, five died in childhood and the other twelve pregnancies led to miscarriages.
George, who was very much a family man, was given a post in the Navy but was not a good commander. He was not disliked, but the Queen often had to protect him. A comment from Charles II said of the Prince of Denmark "I have tried him drunk and tried him sober and there is nothing in him".
George died in 1708, leaving the Queen to rule on her own for another six years. After Anne's reign, the crown went to the essentially German house of Hanover with George I, because Anne and her husband, George (Prince of Denmark), failed to produce an heir.
Her reign had been good in many respects, although England had declared war against France and Spain. A minor war in Blenheim (1704), against the French and her allies, eventually resulted in the Treaty of Utrecht between England and France. In 1707, there was the Act of Union with Scotland, which essentially created the United Kingdom under the flag we have today. There were also many great scientific and intellectual changes during her reign: the writers Swift and Pope, the scientist Newton, the philosopher Locke and the architect Sir Christopher Wren were all prominent in the reign of Queen Anne.
$I4Trivia
George VI
Born in 1895
Ascension in 1936
Died in1952, aged 56
Reigned for 15 years
Married to Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
Bearing 2 daughters
On the 12th of December 1936, George became the second King to take the oath of ascension in that year, after his brother Edward's abdication from the throne.
Some men are born Kings, some achieve kingship and others have it thrust upon them. At the age of 41, Albert Frederick, Arthur George - a shy and retiring man with a bad stutter - went to his throne with anxiety. He faced the task of restoring his country's faith in the monarchy after his brother's disgraces.
He chose the name George in honour of his father and the values of his reign. He was not a strong man when he came to the throne but, nevertheless, was determined to serve his people well and, with the support of a loving family, he became well loved by the British public.
George VI reigned throughout the Second World War and was seen as a great moral boost for the British people. He became actively involved in the war and travelled about a great deal, visiting the troops even when parliament feared for his life. His family remained in Buckingham Palace, even when it was bombed, as they were determined to show that they shared the problems of the British people during the war. George had married Lady Elizabeth Bowes Lyon on 16th April 1923 and she, too, was very supportive of her people. She became the well-loved and revered Queen Mother since his death in 1952.
On a lighter note, when Albert was still the Duke of York entered the tournament at Wimbledon with his tennis partner Louis Greig in June 1926. They were defeated in the first round by A W Gore and Herbert Barrett (aged 58 and 52 respectively).
$I5Trivia
Henry VIII
Born in 1491
Ascended in 1509
Died in 1547, aged 56
Reigned for 38 years
Married to Catherine of Aragon bearing 1 son and 1 daughter.
Then to Anne Boleyn bearing 1 daughter.
Then to Jane Seymour bearing 1 son.
Then to Anne of Cleves
Then to Catherine Howard
Finally to Catherine Parr.
Many Kings took mistresses but Henry VIII took wives. He had six in total and it is for this that he is most remembered. He was the first king to be divorced when he divorced his first wife, Catherine of Aragon in 1509. This led to him being excommunicated by the pope.
In the following year, the act of supremacy was passed putting Henry VIII as head of the Church of England and out of the Catholic Church. His chief minister and advisor, Thomas More, was executed because he refused to lose his Catholic faith and accept the Act.
Henry started the dissolution of the monasteries and took all the Church's wealth and land, which helped fuel his atrocious habits. He also tried to execute his previous cardinal, Wolsey, but he died prematurely in prison.
Henry was known for his summary executions that numbered at least 17000 by the end of his reign, although the real figure may be more than double that. Henry was devious in his politics too: he consolidated his alliance with France by refusing to join the Holy Alliance against them in war. The agreement was made loudly public with the Field of the Cloth of Gold meeting. Francis I of France met Henry VIII near Calais and both kings took the chance to show the depth of their culture and taste by displaying fine fabrics, furnishings, and coloured hangings of their realm. They then staged huge jousting tournaments and banquets.
Meanwhile, Henry's daughter, Princess Mary, was arranging to be married to the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, to make an alliance between the two countries. Later Henry invaded France but failed to get very far: the realm was lost to Charles's army and France was captured.
Henry finally died of ill health at 56 due to his excessive eating and drinking habits, which were paid for with crown's money.
Henry's six wives in order were: Catherine of Aragon (divorced), Anne Boleyn (beheaded), Jane Seymour (died), Anne of Cleves (divorced), Catherine Howard (beheaded) and Catherine Parr who survived him. Unlucky with children, he left his throne to the young, weak Edward VI who was only thirteen years old.
$I6Trivia
Royal Houses
The Kings and Queens of England have not all been of the same direct lineage; many different families have come to the throne, each one is a different "House". The Royal Houses in order therefore are;
HOUSE OF NORMANDY
William I, William II, Henry I
HOUSE OF BLOIS
Stephen
HOUSE OF PLANTAGENET
Henry II, Richard I, John, Henry III, Edward I, Edward II, Edward III, Richard II
HOUSE OF LANCASTER
Henry IV, Henry V, Henry VI
HOUSE OF YORK
Edward IV, Edward V, Richard III
HOUSE OF TUDOR
Henry VII, Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I, Elizabeth I
HOUSE OF STUART
James I, Charles I, (The Commonwealth), Charles II, James II, William and Mary, Anne
HOUSE OF HANOVER
George I, George II, George III, George IV, William IV, Victoria
HOUSE OF SAXE-COBURG
Edward VII
HOUSE OF WINDSOR
George V, Edward VIII, George VI, Elizabeth II
$I7Trivia
Edward VII
Born in 1841
Crowned in 1901
Died in 1910, aged 68
Reigned for 9 years
Married to Alexandra of Denmark
bearing 3 sons, 3 daughters.
Queen Victoria had a long life and her son, Albert, was approaching sixty by the time he reached the throne. Despite her wishes to the contrary, everyone was amazed he insisted on being crowned Edward VII. However, this was only the first step in him showing his people that he was a very different person to his mother.
He was a very diplomatic King, fearing for the growing German naval forces. He talked his way out of being pressured into an alliance between Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy, despite growing tension between the countries. Instead, he made a quite singular pact with French president, Fallieres. It was called the Entente Cordial (Cordial Understanding) and the king hoped it would clear years of mistrust between the two countries.
Edward loved France, and even backed France when Kaiser William of Germany, his troublesome nephew, tried to lay claim to French Morocco. This, itself, almost started a war but Bertie, as he was more affectionately known, managed to appease his nephew who saw the strength of an English, French and Russian alliance. Despite this, he could not prevent the apparent naval arms race with Germany. He left his short reign not only with the looming war with Germany, but also trouble at home with a struggle for power over England. The Liberals in the House of Commons were battling with the Conservative encampment in the House of Lords.
Bertie was also known for a number of scandals. At the tender age of twenty he was involved in a one when he was sent to serve at the Curraugh army camp, near Dublin. His fellow officers introduced him to a local actress, Nellie Clifton, who "entertained" the troops and the affair soon became public. In 1891, he was involved in the Tranby Croft Scandal, where five witnesses at a game of baccarat accused a friend Sir William Gordon Cumming of cheating. Baccarat itself was illegal at the time, so the future king paid him off to not ask him to come to the witness stand. Later, however, the evidence was leaked to the press and the Prince of Wales reputation was irrevocably tarnished.
He married the Princess Alexandria of Denmark in 1863, but was known to have close acquaintances with a number of women. His involvement with the actress Lillie Langtry, Lady Brooke and Mrs Alice Kepplel gave him a bad name amongst the public. He probably loved his wife very much and she steadfastly remained faithful. However, she was an intelligent woman and wasn't blind to her husband's reputation.
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Queen Victoria
Born in 1819
Ascended in 1837
Died in 1901, aged 81
Reigned for 63 years
Married to Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg bearing 4 sons and 5 daughters.
Eighteen-year-old Queen Victoria acceded to the throne on the 20th June 1837, after her childless Uncle William IV had left no heir to the throne. Despite her youth, she proved to be a powerful, obstinate Queen with a strong sense of duty to her people. She was a relief to a country that was becoming sick of its history of debauched and irresponsible kings and this soon made Victoria very popular.
Initially she was delighted with her coronation but she soon tired of her position. Although she continued in her duties quite admirably, her boredom was obvious and a suitable husband was sought. She married Prince Albert of Saxe- Coburg, nephew of King Leopold of Belgium, on the 10th February 1840. Later that year she gave birth to the Princess Royal, Victoria Adelaide, who later married Frederick III of Prussia and gave birth to the infamous Kaiser William II of Germany.
Victoria had nine children in total, but her next child, Albert, born in November 1841, was to be heir to the crown. She had a great many political problems throughout her reign, but Victoria weathered these, and several attempted assassinations, to become one of the longest reigning monarchs Britain has seen. Her husband Albert was always a massive support to her, but since he was a foreign Prince, he had no power in affairs of state.
In 1861 Albert died suddenly, causing the devastated queen to withdraw from public duties. She went into a long mourning and, during this time, the people started to turn against her. Her reign, however, ended in glory because she had been persuaded, largely by Disraeli, to resume public duties.
Many political changes occurred during Victoria's reign and she relied heavily at first on the advice of her Whig Prime Minister, Lord Melbourne. He acted more as a kind of fatherly uncle to her and, although he was carefully deferential to the headstrong Queen, it was obvious who held the real power.
When the Tory government, led by Sir Robert Peel, came to power Victoria mistrusted the new minister. However, Peel was Prime Minister and eventually she grew to trust him almost as much as Lord Melbourne. Victoria was happy to let him control her affairs while she busied herself with the needs of a growing family. Many areas of Britain were very poor at this time and the people were becoming rebellious.
Peel tried to make changes in the Corn laws to encourage free trade, but instead caused a rift in the Tory party (many of them had private interests in protecting the Corn Law). Many people were in favour of the Peoples Charter, which was calling for even greater changes following the Reform Act. Peel's government gave way to Lord John Russell and the Queen feared for her own life.
There were rebellions all over Europe and without Russell she felt that there could be one at home - indeed the tension in Ireland was becoming unbearable due to the terrible Great Potato Famine of 1847. In 1848 there were riots in Italy, Vienna, Budapest and Berlin. The French King, Louis Philippe, was forced to flee to the comparative safety of England.
Victoria's husband, Albert, was always a massive support to her. However, as he was a foreign Prince, he had no power in affairs of state. He was an active man, but he could not even organise his own household because that was the duty of Baroness, Louise Lehzens. Albert soon became bored and eventually he managed to be rid of her and take complete control over the royal household. However, when he tried to become involved in affairs of state there were complaints, especially over the Crimean crisis. He was even accused of treachery due to his German and Russian connections.
It was only in 1857 that Albert officially became Prince Consort to the Queen, giving him legal entitlement to advise her and make decisions, but this was after the Crimean War had ended. The war had lasted for less than three years of Queen Victoria's reign and had been caused by the Russians attacking ships belonging to the Turkish Ottoman Empire. This was partly due to their involvement with French interests and Britain sent forces to protect the Turks and declared war on Russia. The Victoria Cross was created and awarded to soldiers "For Valour" in the Crimean War.
One achievement of Prince Albert's that helped to occupy him was the organisation of the Great Exhibition of 1851. The huge Crystal Palace, designed by Joseph Paxton, was built especially for it to hold an "Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations". This displayed everything from tepees to the new mechanical computer designed by Sir Charles Babbage.
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Royal Houses
The order of the Royal Houses:
The West Saxon Kings (802-1016)
The Danish Kings (1016-1066)
House of Normandy (1066-1135)
House of Blois (1135-1154)
House of Plantagenet (1154-1399)
House of Lancaster (1399-1461)
House of York (1461-1485)
House of Tudor (1485-1603)
House of Stuart (1603-1714)
(The Commonwealth and the Protectorate: 1649-59)
House of Hanover (1714-1901)
House of Saxe-Coburg (1901-10)
House of Windsor (1910- )
$I10Scottish Kings
Timeline
Constantine I 863 -877
Aed 877-878
Giric 878-889
Eochaid 878-889
Donald II 889-900
Constantine II 900-943
Malcolm I 943-954
Indulf 954-962
Dub 962-967
Culen 967-971
Kenneth II 971-995
Constantine III 995-997
Kenneth III 997-1005
Malcolm II 1005-1034
Duncan I 1034-1040
Macbeth 1040-1057
Lulach 1057-1058
Malcolm III 1058-1093
Donald III 1093-1097
Edgar 1097-1107
Alexander I 1107-1124
David I 1124-1153
Malcolm IV 1153-1165
William I 1165-1214
Alexander II 1214-1249
Alexander III 1249-1286
Alexander III 1249-1286
Margaret 1286-1290
John Baliol 1292-1296
Robert I (Robert the Bruce) 1306-1329
David II 1329-1371
Robert II 1371-1390
Robert III 1390-1406
James I 1406-1437
James II 1437-1460
James III 1460-1488
James IV 1488-1513
James V 1513-1542
Mary Queen of Scots 1542-1567
James VI 1567-1625 (James I of England) (1603-1625)
$J1Residences
1. The first picture is of Windsor Castle. It is the oldest royal residence in England that is still in use.
2. The second picture is of Buckingham Palace (London).
3. The third is of Balmoral in Scotland. This is the royal family's regular summer holiday resort.
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Maps
The first map shows the position of Leeds Castle, in Kent. It fell into royal possession when it was captured by King Stephen and later when it was given to Edward I as payment of debt.
The second map shows the location of Sandringham, the royal residence in Norfolk where the present royal family often spend Christmas
The third map shows the position of Hampton Court, in Greater London. This residence was given to Henry VIII by Wolsey in 1525 in a vain attempt to keep the monarch's favour.
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The first picture shows Edinburgh Castle at night. The castle was in use as a royal residence between the twelfth and late fifteenth centuries.
The second picture shows Brighton Pavilion at night. The pavilion was transformed into an Oriental fantasy by John Nash, between 1815 and 1822, for George IV.
The third picture shows Balmoral Castle. According to Queen Victoria's diary, it was "... my dearest Albert's own creation, own work, own building, own laying out ....".
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The Queen Mother lives at Clarence House, an extension to St. James's Palace, in London.
Princess Anne and her first husband, Captain Mark Phillips, bought the Gatcombe Park estate.
The Prince of Wales lives at Highgrove House, in Gloucestershire.
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The Prince Consort built Osborne House, on the Isle of Wight, to an Italianate design. The only royal family to live in it was Victoria's, as Edward VII gave it to the nation in 1902.
Glamis Castle was the home of the Bowes-Lyon family. Princess Margaret was born there.
Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh is the Queen's official residence in Scotland.
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St. James's Palace was built for Henry VIII on the site of a hospital for female lepers. The Act of Union between England and Scotland was signed there in 1707 and Charles I also spent his last night before his execution there. Victoria married Albert there.
The Dutch House is the only surviving royal building in Kew Gardens. George III was particularly happy there.
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The first picture shows the mausoleum at Frogmore, near Windsor. Edward VIII, the Duke of Windsor and his wife Wallis are buried there.
The second picture shows the Chapel Royal at Windsor Castle.
The third picture shows the state dining room at Buckingham Palace.
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Nonsuch Palace in Surrey was Henry VIII's "pearl of the realm". It was an architectural masterpiece but, by 1702, it was no more than a ruin.
All that is left of Richmond Palace built by Henry VII is the gatehouse and part of the courtyard. He invested in a great library there and Henry VIII often hunted there. Elizabeth I died there.
The Castle of Mey was bought and renovated by the Queen Mother shortly after the death of her husband King George VI.
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The first picture shows Amner Hall, Sandringham, which has been home to the Duke and Duchess of Kent since 1973.
The second picture shows the east side of Hatfield House in Hertfordshire. It was obtained by Henry VIII, by guile and force, and it was there that Elizabeth I learned she was Queen.
The third picture shows Falkland Palace in Fife. It was James V who turned it into "the finest chateau in Scotland".
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Clive of India died at Claremont, in Surrey, in 1774 having bought the estate and commissioned "Capability" Brown to rebuild the house. Later Queen Victoria bought the house for her son Leopold.
Barnwell Manor, in Northamptonshire, is the home of the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.
Inigo Jones built the Queen's House, at Greenwich, in the seventeenth century.
