NOTABLE MONARCHS
AT A GLANCE
King William I, better known as "William the Conqueror" he led the Norman invasion of England in 1066. The modern Germanic-Latin blend of English customs, law and language is a result of William and the Normans.
King Richard I, better known as "Richard the Lionheart" is most famous for leading the Third Crusade to the Holy Land where he fought Saladin to a draw. He has been romanticized as the personification of knighthood.
King John, the little brother of Richard I, is most known as the worst English king. He lost land in France, brought a Papal interdict on the country and his oppression led to a rebellion and the signing of Magna Carta.
King Henry V, one of the best loved Engish monarchs, was the Engish champion of the Hundred Years War. A wise ruler he gained immortality by his stunning victories over the French, especially at Agincourt.
King Henry VIII, second of the Tudor kings, is most famous for his six wives, 2 of whom were beheaded. He broke England away from the Roman Catholic Church and claimed supreme religious authority for himself.
Queen Mary I, better known as "Bloody Mary" was England's first Queen Regnant. A devout Catholic, she reunited England with Rome but was unpopular for marrying Philip of Spain and having 300 Protestants burned.
Queen Elizabeth I, sister of Mary, made England Protestant again. She supported rebellions in Holland, France and Scotland and his famous for the literary works of the period and turning back a Spanish invasion fleet.
King Charles I, second Stuart monarch, upheld royal powers and the Catholic traditions of the Church of England. Parliament / Puritan forces rebelled against him and in the civil wars he was defeated and beheaded in 1649.
King George III, third monarch of the House of Hanover, is most known for reigning over the period of the American Revolution. A generous and very moral man he famously went mad at the end of his life.
Queen Anne, last Stuart monarch saw the birth of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and a further weakening of the role of the Crown in government. The War of Spanish Succession dominated most of her reign.
Queen Victoria reigned longer than any other British monarch at 63 years. Through her many children she became the grandmother of Europe. She was the first to be given the title of "Empress of India" in 1877.
King Henry II reigned over the height of Angevin power and influence in English history. He is most remembered for the martyrdom of St Thomas Becket and for the Norman invasion of Ireland.
King George VI, the last British King-Emperor and father of the current monarch, he is beloved for his calm and inspiring leadership against the Nazis during World War II.