On July 17, 1917, a “rebranding” took place ruling house Great Britain – Saxe-Coburg-Gotha dynastychanged its name and became known as Windsor
From wise monarchs to reckless heirs, from world domination to the collapse of an empire, from crises and wars to prosperity and economic growth- over 100 years of rule, the Windsor dynasty went through ups and downs, preserving not only the institution of the monarchy itself, but also its country. TASS tells how three kings and one queen made Great Britain what it is today.
Detail from John Speed's map of Berkshire showing Windsor Palace. The illustration dates from around 1570
First of the dynasty
The history of the Windsors begins with the legendary Queen Victoria. Her son Edward VII is the first representative of the Saxe-Coburg-Gotha dynasty, which would later become the Windsor dynasty. Edward VII ascended to the throne in 1901, at the age of 59, and became famous as one of the brightest statesmen that time, outstanding speaker and diplomat. He was called the “Uncle of Europe” (he was the uncle of several European monarchs), and the “Peacemaker” (he managed to establish relations with England’s longtime enemy, France). Edward VII died in 1910, passing the throne to his son George, the first of the Windsors.
The dynasty's surname was changed due to anti-German sentiment during the First World War - at the height of the conflict, the British smashed Bavarian butcher shops and even stoned German dachshunds. Historians believe that one of the reasons for rebranding the dynasty was the bombing of London by the German Gotha G.IV aircraft - the very name of the aircraft was reminiscent of the surname that the king bore, and it was humiliating.
On 17 July 1917, George V issued the Deliverance Proclamation ruling dynasty from former name. The name "Windsor" refers to Windsor Castle, one of the main residences of the British monarch. Descendants of Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert were declared members of the House of Windsor. male line, who are British subjects, with the exception of women already married to members of other families.
In addition to changing the name of the dynasty, the king renounced all personal and family German titles. The monarch took the war with Germany extremely seriously - he wore exclusively khaki clothes, introduced the Spartan regime into royal court, worked tirelessly with the military and visited hospitals with wounded soldiers.
Don't be surprised if George V reminds you of the last Russian Tsar, Nicholas II - they were cousins on their mother's side. Another cousin monarch - Wilhelm II - the last emperor of Germany. The Kaiser abdicated the throne in 1918, when the November Revolution began in Berlin and other German cities, and subsequently fled to the Netherlands. Nicholas II, who also left the throne during February Revolution, could receive political asylum in the UK, but in decisive moment George V opposed this. In his opinion, the arrival of the disgraced emperor would have a negative impact on the state of affairs in the country - the king did not want a repetition of events Russian revolution In Great Britain. According to recently declassified documents, British intelligence still planned to rescue the Tsar from Bolshevik captivity in the spring of 1918, but this plan was never destined to come true.
The overthrow of his relatives became an important lesson for George - he came to the conclusion that in order to prevent revolutions, the monarchy must be more democratic and closer to the people and the working class. Therefore the king supported a good relationship with moderate politicians from the Labor Party, communicated with representatives of trade unions and himself actively participated in all domestic political affairs. During the miners' strike and general strike of 1926, George V used every opportunity to reconcile the parties. He personally appealed to then Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin asking him not to use force against the protesters. To the prime minister’s objections that “revolutionaries” had allegedly taken to the streets, the king replied: “Try to live on their salary before condemning them.”
King George V and his wife, Queen Mary, along with their sons Prince Edward and Prince Albert.London, July 3, 1930
George V finally secured his status as a “people’s” monarch in 1932, when he made his first Christmas radio address in Great Britain, the text of which was written by Rudyard Kipling. The king initially did not like the idea, but changed his mind when he was convinced that “this is what the people want.” I really liked the new product and became a tradition. Three years later, during the celebration of the 25th anniversary of his accession to the throne, George V admitted that he did not expect such popular love: “I can’t understand it... After all, I’m just a pretty ordinary guy.”
Beautiful Prince
Meanwhile, relations within the royal family were not cloudless - due to hostility between the king and the heir. The throne was to pass to the monarch's eldest son, Edward, a young and popular member of the House of Windsor, whom the British jokingly called " Prince Charming"(Prince Charming) - for beauty, spontaneity and other advantages. His visit to New York in 1924 was covered in the press as the most sensational event of the year - he was invariably followed by crowds of reporters and fans trying to win the favor of the main bachelor on the planet. Any news about Edward's visit immediately hit the front page of the newspapers, so articles were published under such ridiculous headlines as “The heir to the throne laughed at the joke” and “The prince ran away from the girls on the polo field.”
Such crazy fame, royal duties, etiquette and lifestyle were disgusting to Edward. In a letter addressed to one of his mistresses, the prince wrote that he was infuriated by “camouflaged smiles and so-called friendliness.” “Perhaps I will become the same as my damn dad, or even worse, if I lose you,” the young man lamented. His passion at that time was Frieda Dudley Ward, the wife of a deputy, known in British social circles. In general, the prince had more than one affair, apparently inheriting the passionate nature of his grandfather Edward VII.
King George V, Queen Mary and their granddaughter Elizabeth greet the crowd from the balcony of Buckingham Palace. London, 6 May 1935
George V knew about his son’s preferences and did not like him for behavior unworthy of a monarch. But he doted on his youngest son Albert and granddaughter Elizabeth (George affectionately called his granddaughter Lilibet, and she called him “Grandfather England”). The king secretly hoped that the throne would pass to the two of them: “I pray to God that my eldest son will never marry, and nothing will come between Bertie (Prince Albert - Note TASS), Lilibet and the throne." He spoke differently about the heir: "When I die, this boy will destroy himself in 12 months."
The king's words became almost prophetic: after the death of George V, his son Edward VIII ruled the country for only 10 months (from January 20 to December 11, 1936) and was not even crowned. He abdicated the throne to marry twice-divorced American Wallis Simpson. The British government could not give consent to the union, because such a marriage was unacceptable for a monarch and, moreover, the head of the Anglican Church. Edward VIII voluntarily signed the abdication law and on the night of December 11, 1936, made a speech on the radio: “I have found it impossible to bear the heavy burden of responsibility and perform the duties of a king without the help and support of the woman I love.” Prince Albert, next in line of succession, automatically became King of Great Britain (he was subsequently crowned George VI), and his daughter Elizabeth was heir to the throne.
The king speaks
Like his father, George VI was the youngest direct heir to the throne, and therefore was not prepared to lead the country. Bertie was a decent family man, a modest and shy person, and also suffered from severe stuttering. Behind him were military education and a short career in aviation and navy, but he never thought that he would have to manage an empire in a war. George VI intended to prevent conflict and personally address Adolf Hitler with a “pacifying” message, but invariably encountered resistance from the then Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain. In 1938 he signed Munich Agreement with Hitler, Mussolini and Daladier and, returning to London, proclaimed to the public “I have brought you peace!” Already the next year it became clear that the policy of appeasement did not bring results - the Second World War began.
King George VI addresses the British by radio after the outbreak of World War II. London, September 3, 1939
In the eyes of the British, the royal family became an example of perseverance and self-sacrifice. Despite regular air raids, George VI and his family hardly left Buckingham Palace, although they often spent the night at Windsor Castle. They also restricted themselves in food and water use. During " London Blitz", which hit the East End the hardest, with two bombs exploding on the lawn royal residence. Queen Elizabeth (not the daughter, but the wife of George VI) then said: "I'm glad we were bombed. Now I feel we can look the East End in the eye."
German bomberDornier 217 in the sky over London
Throughout the war, George VI and his wife visited military bases, factories and hospitals to boost British morale. The king regularly practiced shooting from different types weapons, and met every Tuesday for lunch with the new Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, to discuss the state of affairs in a relaxed atmosphere. Historians call their union "the closest personal relationship between a monarch and a prime minister in modern times." British history", although at first George believed that Churchill was not suitable for the post of prime minister.
King George VI (second from right) and Queen Elizabeth during a visit to one of the military units. July 31, 1941
At the same time, the king continued to work on his stuttering and, under the guidance of self-taught Australian speech therapist Lionel Logue, almost completely got rid of the disease. In 1939, he gave a nine-minute Christmas speech on radio, which was of enormous importance for uniting the British. The film “The King’s Speech” will be made about this 70 years later. - an Oscar-winning, but rather inaccurate, from a historical point of view, drama. One of the director's "inventions" is the enthusiastic crowds that greet the king at Buckingham Palace after his speech. Nothing like this happened in 1939. But on May 8, 1945, European Victory Day, thousands of Britons actually gathered at the royal residence and shouted laudatory slogans such as “We want a king.” the king). To the delight of the crowd, the monarch and the rest of the royal family appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, accompanied by Churchill.
Princess Elizabeth, Queen Elizabeth, Winston Churchill, George VI and Princess Margaret on VE Day. May 8, 1945
Post-war reign George was marked by the collapse of the British Empire and its transformation into the Commonwealth of Nations. The foundation for this process was laid under his father - in 1931 the Statute of Westminster was adopted, which secured the actual independence of the British dominions in all matters except foreign policy. Until 1947, all dominions, colonies and protectorates were formally subordinate to the British monarch, but after the transformation of the empire into the Commonwealth of Nations, his role became symbolic (in the 17 Commonwealth states, the British monarch is still the de jure head of state).
King George VI, Princess Elizabeth, Prince Philip, Princess Margaret and Queen Elizabeth look at young Prince Charles sitting on a stag sculpture. Balmoral Castle, August 1951
The stress of the war had a detrimental effect on the health of George VI, who also smoked a lot (he had one lung removed in September 1951). In January next year he found the strength to take his daughter on vacation to Kenya and at the airport asked her former nanny: “For my sake, look after Lilibet!” A week later, on February 6, George VI died in his sleep from coronary thrombosis. Lilibet returned from Kenya as Queen Elizabeth II.
Record-breaking queen
The oldest among the current monarchs, the longest reigning head of state in world history, the record holder for the longest time on the British throne - it seems that modern Britain It is no longer possible to imagine without “grandmother” Elizabeth II. But in 1952, when her father George VI died, Lilibet was only 25 years old. The future queen began to take an active part in the affairs of the country even earlier - at the age of 18, she became one of the five “state councilors” (that is, persons who have the right to perform the functions of the king in the event of his absence or incapacity). In 1945, the heiress joined the women's self-defense unit and became a mechanic-driver of an ambulance, finishing her service with the rank of lieutenant. After the war, she appeared on the radio, accompanied her parents on trips, and also married 26-year-old Philip Mountbatten, a British naval officer, a member of the Greek and Danish royal families and the great-great-grandson of Queen Victoria. George VI reluctantly agreed to the marriage, considering it not a very successful match.
In the face of the princess, the British saw a new, young England, and many, without exaggeration, were crazy about her. "When we were kids, she was a sweetie. We were about 11, she was 21 years old, and she looked great. And what a figure she had... I shouldn’t talk about Her Majesty like that, but in school years we said: “Check out the shape she has!” the participant recalled The Beatles Paul McCartney. No less than Elizabeth II was adored by the press and television, which was just getting back on its feet. The coronation ceremony of Elizabeth II was broadcast on television for the first time, and the event is believed to have contributed significantly to the rise in popularity of television broadcasting.
Elizabeth II returns to Buckingham Palace after the coronation ceremony. June 2, 1953
From the point of view of traditional genealogy, in which kinship is determined through the male line, the Windsor dynasty should have ended with Elizabeth II. Prince Charles and his descendants would have belonged to the Glücksburg branch of the House of Oldenburg, from which Elizabeth II's husband, Prince Philip, comes (the Russian Emperor Peter III and all his male-line descendants also belonged to this house).
However, in 1952, the Queen issued a proclamation stating that her descendants, although not the male line descendants of Victoria and Albert, would continue to belong to the House of Windsor. So the future king Prince Charles, his son William and grandson George - the direct heirs to the throne - will retain their previous surname.
History could have turned out differently. According to royal biographers, Prince Philip insisted that the Queen take his surname Mountbatten and was furious when Elizabeth, on Churchill's advice, retained the title of Windsor. "I the only man in a country who cannot pass on his surname to his children. “I am nothing more than a damn amoeba,” Prince Philip lamented in conversations with friends. Elizabeth II sincerely loved her husband, his outbursts of anger brought her to tears. As a compromise, it was proposed that all subsequent descendants of Elizabeth and Philip, with the exception of princes and princesses will wear double surname- Windsor-Mountbatten. True, the rule turned out to be not “iron” - royal daughter, Princess Anne, signed her double surname when she married in 1973.
During the reign of Elizabeth tectonic shifts occurred both in Great Britain and in the surrounding world. Some of former colonies The United Kingdom (India, Australia, Canada and others) have themselves become strong international players. Meanwhile, the country was not worried better times- in the 1970s, the kingdom's economy experienced serious difficulties, and the royal family almost found itself on the verge of bankruptcy.
In 1979, Great Britain received its first female Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, who, maintaining the tradition of George VI, spoke with the Queen every Tuesday about government affairs. Women often disagreed with each other - the queen was against it economic policy Thatcherism, but always kept herself above the political fray and never publicly expressed her political likes or dislikes. The same was true for numerous palace intrigues, which took place in the Windsor family in the 1980s and 1990s.
Such detachment had back side- in 1997, after the death of Princess Diana, the queen's long silence was criticized by the public and the press as disrespect for her former daughter-in-law. “Show that you care, ma’am,” the Express quipped. It was one of the most difficult periods for the Windsors - according to opinion polls, every fourth resident of the country supported the abolition of the monarchy. Five years earlier, Elizabeth II had to endure what she herself called an annus horribilis, “a terrible year.” In 1992, two of the Queen's four children - Prince Andrew and Princess Anne - divorced their spouses, Prince Charles separated from Princess Diana, and Windsor Castle was damaged by a massive fire. In addition, for the first time in history, the queen was charged with paying income tax, and funding for the royal household was noticeably reduced.
English royal dynasty, ruling since 1901 (until 1917 it was called Saxe-Coburg and Gotha). Representatives: Edward VII, George V, Edward VIII, George VI, Elizabeth II... Big encyclopedic Dictionary
English royal dynasty, ruling since 1901 (until 1917 it was called Saxe-Coburg and Gotha). Representatives: Edward VII, George V, Edward VIII, George VI, Elizabeth II... Historical Dictionary
English royal dynasty, ruling since 1901 (until 1917 it was called Saxe-Coburg and Gotha). Representatives: Edward VII, George V, Edward VIII, George VI, Elizabeth II. * * * WINDSOR DYNASTY WINDSOR DYNASTY, English royal dynasty ... encyclopedic Dictionary
Dynasty of English kings. It began in 1901 with the accession to the throne of Edward VII, the son of Queen Victoria (Hanoverian dynasty) and Prince Consort Albert, a representative of the German Empire. houses Sachs Coburg Gotha. The name Windsor has been used since 1917, until... ...
Royal dynasty in Great Britain. It began in 1901 with the accession to the throne of Edward VII, the son of Queen Victoria (the Hanoverian dynasty) and Prince Albert, a representative of the German house of Sachs Coburg Gotha. Until 1917 it was called Saks... ...
Windsor dynasty- English royal dynasty, ruling since 1901 (called Saxe-Coburg Gotha). Representatives: Edward VII, George V, Edward VIII, George VI, Elizabeth II... Encyclopedic Dictionary of World History
Family tree … Collier's Encyclopedia
English royal dynasty in 1714 1901. Representatives: George I, George II, George III, George IV, William IV, Victoria. * * * HANOVER DYNASTY HANOVER DYNASTY, English royal dynasty in 1714 1901. Replaced on the throne... ... encyclopedic Dictionary
English royal dynasty in 1714 1901. Replaced the Stuart dynasty (See Stuarts). Representatives of the G.D.: George 1 (reigned 1714-27), George II (1727-60), George III (1760-1820), George IV (1820-30), William IV (1830-37), Victoria (1837... ... Big Soviet encyclopedia
- (Hanover, Hannover) dynasty of English. kings in 1714 1901. Replaced by the Stuart dynasty. Representatives of the G.D. were: George I (1714 27), George II (1727 60), George III (1760 1820), George IV (1820 30), William IV (1830 1837), Victoria (1837 1901). G.d... Soviet historical encyclopedia
Books
- Elizabeth II, Sarah Bradford. There are few people in the world who know the truth about the life of Elizabeth II and her family better than Sarah Bradford. She studied at St. Mary's, Oxford, where she majored in history. Lived in...
The Windsor dynasty, now on the English throne, in our time is almost the most popular royal house in the world. But the situation itself with the origin of this royal family somewhat confusing. The fact is that the last representative of the Hanoverian dynasty, Queen Victoria, was married to Prince Albert, a representative of the Saxe-Coburg-Gotha royal house. Albert's son, who ascended the English throne in 1901 after the death of Queen Victoria under the name of Edward the Seventh, is not talking about anything at all. Windsor dynasty never heard of it, although historians consider him its first representative on the throne of Great Britain. Edward the Seventh, like his father, Prince Albert, was a representative of the Saxe-Coburg-Gotha dynasty.
In 1910, after the death of King Edward, his son, George the Fifth, ascended the throne. But political situation, which developed at the beginning of the twentieth century was not the most inspiring for the glory of the monarchy as a whole. New Age dictated completely different conditions, set royal power and almost ultimatums to the kings themselves. During the First World War, England and Germany were absolutely irreconcilable enemies. And, accordingly, the more Englishmen became victims of this unimaginable bloodbath, the more and more strange it seemed that a royal dynasty with a German surname was sitting on the English throne. This didn't add any popularity at all. royal house among the people, and it looked like it in the background historical events is absurd to say the least. And then, in the seventh year of his stay on the throne, George the Fifth made an unprecedented decision: he renamed the Saxe-Coburg-Gotha dynasty of clearly German origin to Windsor, that is, he made it truly British! The king died in 1936, passing the crown to his eldest son, the frivolous rake Edward the Eighth. At this time, a new threat loomed over England.
The National Socialists, led by Adolf Hitler, came to power in Germany. The world has begun to prepare for next war, and at this time, Great Britain, more than ever, needed a leader who could unite the nation in order to confront the threat. Edward the Eighth led a lifestyle, in the eyes of the British, absolutely unacceptable for a king and defender of the faith. The mere fact that he was going to marry his mistress, an American and, moreover, twice divorced, outraged the public. No one could even imagine the vulgar, frivolous Mrs. ... what's her name ... Wally Simpson ... as the legal wife of God's anointed one, crowned in Westminster Abbey. And Edward the Eighth himself was not eager for power. So, when he was given an ultimatum: either the crown or his mistress, he chose a woman, which he never regretted in the future. Edward the Eighth abdicated the throne in favor of his younger brother- stutterer, who honorably ascended the throne under the name of George the Sixth in the same 1936. This glorious king, in the most difficult time for the British and the whole world, managed not only to support his people, but also to inspire them to fight, which seemed absolutely meaningless to many desperate people. The second half of 1941, when German armies seemed indestructible, this struggle seemed almost hopeless.
The father of the current Queen of Great Britain, Elizabeth II, remained in the memory of the British as courageous, persistent, highly moral person, truly loving his fatherland. He died in 1952, passing the crown to his eldest daughter. As a matter of fact, Elizabeth II still rules the country to this day. God save the queen! It is still unknown who will become her heir. Prince Charles, her son, is not very popular among the people. Many English people would like to see the Queen’s eldest grandson, Prince William, on the throne, and not the current Prince of Wales of retirement age, but however, the throne may well go to youngest grandson Queen Elizabeth to Prince Harry. In any case, the British adore their queen and hope that the next monarch will not take the throne any time soon.
The family ties between the Romanovs and the Windsors were not limited to the royal cousins Nicholas II and George V, who were remarkably similar to each other. Over the course of several centuries, the Russian and British royal families have become related dozens of times.
Victoria (1819-1901)
The last representative of the Hanoverian dynasty on the throne of Great Britain. She remained on the throne for 63 years - longer than any other British monarch. She gave birth to nine children, who later married into other royal dynasties, for which Victoria received the nickname “Grandmother of Europe.”
Christian IX (1818-1906)
King of Denmark since 1863. By birth he was not a direct heir to the Danish throne, but became the successor of Frederick VII, who had no children. Christian himself had six children, of whom two sons became kings (of Denmark and Greece), and two daughters became wives of European monarchs (Britain and Russia).
Edward VII (1841-1910)
Eldest son of Queen Victoria and Prince Consort Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Since Victoria lived to old age, Edward ascended the throne at the age of 59. However, in 2008, Prince Charles (born 1948) broke this record. Before his accession to the throne, Edward VII was better known by his first baptismal name Albert or his diminutive form- Bertie.
Alexandra of Denmark (1844-1925)
The eldest daughter of King Christian IX of Denmark and his wife Louise of Hesse-Kassel. Thanks to her father, the "father-in-law of Europe", she had family ties with many royal courts. Her older brother Frederick became the King of Denmark, her younger brother Wilhelm became the King of Greece, and her younger sister Maria Sophia Frederica Dagmara became the Russian Empress, the wife of Alexander III, receiving the name Maria Feodorovna upon converting to Orthodoxy.
Maria Fedorovna (1847-1928)
Born Maria Sophia Frederica Dagmara, daughter of King Christian IX of Denmark. She received the name Maria Feodorovna upon converting to Orthodoxy for her marriage to Emperor Alexander III of Russia. Mother of Nicholas II. Maria was originally the bride of Nikolai Alexandrovich Romanov, the eldest son of Emperor Alexander II, who died in 1865. After his death, she married his younger brother, Grand Duke Alexander Alexandrovich, with whom they cared for the dying man.
George V (1865-1936)
Second son of Edward VII and Queen Alexandra. He became heir to the British throne after the sudden death of his older brother Albert Victor, who died of influenza. It was George V who renamed the British royal house, which previously bore the surname of the founder of the dynasty, the husband of Queen Victoria, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. During the First World War, George renounced all personal and family German titles and took the surname Windsor.
George VI (1895-1952)
Second son of George V and Mary of Teck. He inherited the British throne from his older brother, the uncrowned Edward VIII, who abdicated the throne in 1937 because he intended to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson, to which the British government did not consent. The reign of George VI was marked by the collapse of the British Empire and its transformation into the Commonwealth of Nations. He was last emperor India (before 1950) and the last king Ireland (until 1949). The biography of George VI formed the basis of the plot of the film The King's Speech.
Alice (1843-1878)
Daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, born Alice Maude Mary. In 1862 she was married to the Hessian Prince Ludwig. The Grand Duchess of Hesse and Rhine, Alice, like her mother, was a carrier of hemophilia, a genetic disease that interferes with blood clotting. Alice's son Friedrich was a hemophiliac and died in childhood from internal bleeding after falling from a window. Alice's daughter, future Russian empress Alexandra Feodorovna was also a carrier of hemophilia, passing the disease on to her son, Tsarevich Alexei.
Alexander III (1845-1894)
Emperor of All Russia, Tsar of Poland and Grand Duke Finnish, who received the nickname “Peacemaker” because during his reign Russia did not wage a single war. He ascended the throne after the death of his father, Alexander II, who was killed by Narodnaya Volya terrorists. Alexander Alexandrovich was the youngest son of the emperor, but his older brother Nikolai died during his father’s lifetime. Future Alexander III married his deceased brother's fiancée, Princess Dagmar of Denmark.
Nicholas II (1868-1918)
Emperor of All Russia, Tsar of Poland and Grand Duke of Finland, last emperor Russian Empire. From the British monarchs he held the rank of admiral of the British fleet and field marshal british army. Nicholas II was married to his granddaughter british queen Victoria Alice of Hesse, who received the name Alexandra Feodorovna upon conversion to Orthodoxy. In 1917, after the February Revolution in Russia, he abdicated the throne, was sent into exile, and then shot along with his family.
Alexandra Fedorovna (1872-1918)
Born Princess Alice Victoria Elena Louise Beatrice Daughter of Grand Duke Ludwig of Hesse and the Rhine and Duchess Alice, granddaughter of the British Queen Victoria. She received the name Alexandra Fedorovna upon conversion to Orthodoxy for her marriage to Russian Emperor Nicholas II. After the revolution of 1917, she and her husband were sent into exile and then shot. In 2000, like other members of the executed royal family, canonized.
Tsarevich Alexei and the Grand Duchesses
Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna had five children: Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia and Alexei (in order of seniority). The heir to the throne, Tsarevich Alexei, was the youngest and sickest child in the family. He inherited hemophilia, a genetic disease that prevents blood from clotting normally, from his maternal great-grandmother, Britain's Queen Victoria. All five children of Nicholas II were shot along with their parents on the night of July 17, 1918 in Yekaterinburg.
The history of the royal dynasty of Windsor begins with the reign of Queen Victoria, who married Prince Albert. Her son Edward VII is considered the first representative of the Saxe-Coburg-Gotha dynasty. He became ruler in 1901 at the age of 59. His successor was George V. It was he who replaced German surname to English. The name was borrowed from Windsor Castle(the main residence of the British monarch).
Monarchs
In addition to changing the name of the dynasty, the king renounced all personal and family German titles. This was due to the war with Germany. Because of her, the Spartan regime was introduced in the royal court. The king visited hospitals with the wounded and actively worked with the military. George V cemented his status as a “people's” monarch in 1932 when he delivered his Christmas radio address.
After the king's death, his son Edward VIII was on the throne for ten months. He was never crowned and gave up power to marry the divorced Wallis Simpson. After abdication, he will receive the title Duke of Windsor. He became famous thanks to personal contacts with management Nazi Germany. In 1940-1945 he was governor of the Bahamas.
George VI ascended the throne after his brother's abdication. It went down in history as a symbol of the struggle of the British Empire against Nazi Germany. During his reign, the empire was transformed into the Commonwealth of Nations. George VI became the last Emperor of India, the last King of Ireland.
From 1952 to this day, Great Britain has been ruled by Elizabeth II. She ascended the throne after the death of her father George VI and is the longest reigning monarch.
During her reign, many historically important events occurred:
- the process of decolonization was completed;
- Great Britain entered the European Union;
- exit from the EU has begun.
Descendants of Elizabeth II
Prince Charles was born in 1948, the first son of the Queen and her husband Philip. He is the first successor to the throne. After death reigning queen will become king of Great Britain. During his life he was married twice.
Another member of the dynasty is Princess Anne. This is the younger sister of Prince Charles. Born in 1950, she is an adherent of Anglicanism. The princess married twice. has two children. From 1986, she was the head of the World Equestrian Federation for eight years.
Second son Andrew was born in 1960 at Buckingham Palace. He received the title of Duke in 1986 when he married Sarah Ferguson. He has two daughters, but the marriage broke up in 1996. Since Enryu has no sons, after his death the title will return to the crown and may be given to another person.
The Queen's fourth child is Edward. He was born in 1964, married to Sophie Rea-Jones, and the couple have two children.
Other heirs to the throne
The eldest son of Charles and the deceased Princess Diana is William. He has earned a reputation as a good family man; he very rarely gets into conflict situation. In Royal air force served as a rescue helicopter pilot.
“The Little Prince” - this is the title the first-born of William and Kate Middleton received throughout the world. He became one of the first people to appear on Wikipedia before he was born. As of 2018, George of Cambridge is 4 years old.
Princess Charlotte of Cambridge is William's second child. She was the reason why it was introduced new law, equalizing the rights of male and female heirs. If she has brothers, they will stand behind her, not in front of her.
Prince Harry (Henry) of Wales was third in the list of heirs for several years, but he was supplanted by his nephews. Younger son Prince Charles and Princess Diana often become the reason for various discussions in society. In 2018, a grandiose event took place - the wedding of Prince Henry and Magellan Markle. On the eve of the wedding, Elizabeth II granted her grandson the title of Duke of Sussex and allowed his wife to become a duchess.
The heirs also include Princess Beatrice of York, Princess Eugene of York, James (Viscount Severn).