ON 8 September 2022, King Charles III became head of the English and British monarchy when his mother, Queen Elizabeth II died.
He will be the 40th monarch coronated at Westminster Abbey since the tradition began 900 years ago – although the British royal family line extends even further than that! With the new shift in power, here’s a quick look at some of the most memorable monarchs in British history over the (comparatively recent) years.
Henry VIII (1509-1547)
Everyone knows about this particular Henry, largely because of his incredibly ruthless manner with his ‘beloved’ wives – all six of them. He ruled over England for 36 years, breaking away from the Roman Catholic Church to establish the Church of England, simply because the Pope refused to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon. Of his six wives, two were effectively divorced, two died naturally and two were beheaded for adultery and treason. His children, Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I, would each take their turn as England’s monarch.
James VI (1567-1626)
James, the only son of Mary, Queen of Scots and her second husband Lord Darnley, was 13 months when he was crowned King of Scots in Stirling after his mother’s forced abdication. He was the first king of the union, having been King of Scotland first (1567-1603) and then of England and Ireland (1603-1625) as James I when Queen Elizabeth I died. In 1590, he married Anna, the sister of the Danish King Christian IV. While they had many children, only three survived infancy; Henry who died in 1612, Charles who ascended to the throne, and Elizabeth who became known as ‘The Winter Queen’.
Victoria (1837-1901)
The only child of Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg and Edward Duke of Kent, the fourth son of George III. She married her cousin Albert of Saxe-Coburg who ruled the country until his death in 1861. After this, Queen Victoria largely withdrew from public life until her Golden Jubilee in 1887. When she died, the British Empire was a world power, which was taken over by her oldest of nine children.
Edward VII (1901-1910)
The party prince ‘Bertie’ brought in the elegant Edwardian Age which celebrated his many loves – horse racing, yachting, gambling, and women. Like the current king, he had a long wait before taking the throne – almost 60 years. He married Alexandra of Denmark in 1863, a union which resulted in six children. Sadly, his eldest son Edward Duke of Clarence died in 1892 just before he was set to marry Princess Mary of Teck.
George V (1910-1936)
When his elder brother, Prince Albert Victor died unexpectedly, George was suddenly made heir-apparent, not only stepping into his big brother’s shoes but even marrying his fiancée, Princess Mary of Teck. He oversaw the First World War and troubles in Ireland which led to the Irish Free State. The now traditional royal broadcast on Christmas Day began with him in 1932, with his Silver Jubilee celebrated in 1935.
Edward VIII (June 1936 – abdicated December 1936)
The Prince of Wales was a lover of parties but is most remembered for abdicating from the British throne to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson. Because the Church of England would not accept her to be crowned with him, he abdicated, taking the title of Duke of Windsor and shifting the royal bloodline once again.
George VI (1936 -1952)
The unexpected king was, unlike his brother, a shy and nervous man with a bad stutter. He was married to Elizabeth when he took the throne (the Queen Mother as we remember her) and had two daughters, Elizabeth and Margaret. He oversaw the Second World War and was in close contact with the then British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. A big smoker – believed to assist with the stutter – his health deteriorated from 1948 and he died a few months after undergoing an operation for lung cancer.
SOURCES: https://evanevanstours.com/blog/famous-kings-queens-english-british-history/
https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/KingsQueensofBritain/
https://www.history.com/topics/british-history/henry-viii
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