Famous kings of England. Henry VII - first monarch of the Tudor dynasty

Today, the Queen of Great Britain is the most famous and authoritative monarch in the world. Although she does not have such enormous wealth as the Arab monarchs, who have huge oil deposits in their domains, the status of the Queen of Great Britain is much higher. During its existence, the post of King of Great Britain was occupied by representatives of various dynasties, and it also happened that the monarchy in England was completely abolished.

Despite everything, the monarchy has always played a significant role in Great Britain, and even today most native English people are proud to have a queen and crown princes.

Features of royal power in Great Britain

All laws that relate to the transfer of royal power in England are based on the legal articles of the Act of Succession to the Throne, which was passed by Parliament back in 1701. This legislative act remained unchanged until 2011. Only in 2011 were some changes made to the document, which was a consequence of reforms of the English royal power.

Currently, the Queen of Great Britain is Elizabeth II. After her death, the throne should pass to the heirs:

Prince Charles should be the first to inherit the throne;
The heir in line is Prince William;
The third heir is Prince George.

An interesting fact is that the monarch must be the eldest man in the family, but in fact the country is ruled by a woman. Many do not understand how this could happen, with such a large number of crown princes as there are now. It's actually quite simple. The law provides that in the absence of male heirs, a woman can receive royal power. Since King George VI had only two daughters, the eldest of them became queen after the death of her father. Other royals could not claim the throne, since only a representative of the Windsor dynasty can be a monarch.

The election of a new monarch takes place in Westminster Abbey, and it must be conducted by the Bishop of Canterbury, who is the highest rank of the Church of England. During the coronation, the following persons are most often present:

Representatives of the noble families of England;
High-ranking officials;
Governors;
Heads of Commonwealth member states;
Diplomats from different countries.

Of course, the English monarch does not have real power in the country, but the queen’s orders are always listened to, and the tasks and decrees that she brings to the government never go unnoticed.

England before William the Conqueror

Before Britain was conquered by the Roman legions, it was inhabited by tribes of Britons and Picts. After the conquest of Britain, which was so difficult for Rome that they even forbade their chroniclers to mention actual battles with the savage Britons, Roman culture flourished on the islands for three centuries.

300 years later, when the British had become a real stronghold of Rome in the north, they had to face an unpleasant situation. Wild barbarians began to attack Rome from all sides. In this regard, the legions began to return to Italy. In the 5th century AD, the last legions left Britain. Former barbarians, and now real Romans, the Britons could not repel the barbarians who began to plunder the borders of Britain.

The first king of the Britons, Vortigern, and in the chronicles he is called the king, decided to turn to the Germanic tribes for military help. He chose the Saxons, who were famous in those days as the most fierce and skillful warriors. Vortigern knew about the morals of these warriors, since the first small settlements of the Saxons appeared in Britain back in the 4th century. The Saxons were promised lands for eternal use for their military service.

Since the Britons were at war with the Picts in those years, the Saxons were able to achieve in a few battles what the Britons could not do for several years. The Picts were defeated, and the Britons wondered whether they needed such strong allies. They were in no hurry to give the promised lands, and delayed food supplies to the Saxon army. The dissatisfied Saxons quickly gained a foothold in Britain and began to seize more and more lands.

Although many believed that the Saxons completely exterminated the Britons, modern archaeologists have proven that this was not the case. Many British settlements have been found that existed after the Saxons took over British lands. The Britons also managed to preserve their Christian religion, although the Angles and Saxons destroyed many churches in the first years of their conquests. Moreover, the pagan Saxons, who founded kingdoms in the south of the country, soon became Christians themselves. But the Angles and Jutes remained pagans for a long time. Only by the beginning of the 10th century did all the inhabitants of Britain merge into one ethnic group called the Anglo-Saxons, who were all Christians.

English kings after the arrival of William the Conqueror

William the Conqueror was able to unite all the independent kingdoms in England under his rule. From this point on, the king's duties became more extensive. Now the monarch’s goal was not only conquest, but also ensuring the well-being of the entire English people.

The heirs of William the Conqueror in 1154 elevated Henry to the English throne, who became the first monarch of the Plantagenet dynasty. This dynasty was able to hold on to power for about 300 years. The monarchs from this dynasty turned the country into a strong centralized state. The following personalities played a special role among the English monarchs of the Plantagenet dynasty:

Richard the Lionheart. Reigned 1189-1199. This monarch, in just 10 years of reign, managed to prove himself a legendary commander of all times and peoples. Richard himself participated in the battles, demonstrating courage and bravery by personal example. He died quite absurdly - he was struck by an arrow from one of the knights of his vassal, who refused to give his king part of the treasure found on his territory;
The next ruler of England was John the Landless, also known as Prince John. He is considered such a bad monarch that after his death none of the kings of England named their sons by this name. The most significant contribution of this king to the history of Great Britain is considered to be his signing of the Magna Carta, which granted many privileges to the English nobility. John was forced to sign the charter under pressure from the barons, who rebelled against him due to huge extortions. The king collected these taxes from his English vassals who did not participate in his military campaign against France;
The third famous monarch of that time was Edward III. It was he who started the Hundred Years' War.

After this, England plunged into the abyss of civil war for a long time between the York and Lancaster dynasties. The most famous king of the Lancaster family was Henry V. He became famous as the most outstanding commander of the Hundred Years' War.

The most famous monarch of the York family was Edward IV. This king became famous as a lover of women. Although many members of the nobility were guilty of this, Edward was particularly suspicious, and most of his wives and children ended their days in prison or on the chopping block.

Tudor and Stuart Dynasty

In 1485, the Tudor dynasty ascended to the English throne. The most famous monarch of the dynasty was Henry VIII, who became famous as the founder of the Anglican Church. This happened due to the fact that the appetites of the Pope seemed exorbitant to the king. This not only rid England of the influence of the Catholic Church, but also allowed the king to gain full influence over his church.

In addition to Henry VIII, the Tudor dynasty became famous for the fact that for the first time in history, women appeared on the throne. The first queen was Jane Dudley, who retained her status for only nine days. Then she was accused of treason and executed.

Another queen who became famous for her cruelty was Mary I Tudor. During her reign, mass executions took place for religious reasons. No Protestant could feel safe during the reign of Bloody Mary.

But her sister Elizabeth was not so cruel. During her long reign, England reached the peak of its power, becoming the largest maritime power. During her reign, which lasted from 1558 to 1603, the queen proved herself to be an excellent politician and monarch. Unfortunately, for the people of England, Elizabeth never chose a husband until the end of her life, even claiming on her deathbed that she remained a virgin.

With the death of Queen Elizabeth, the Tudor dynasty ended. The next king was James I, who represented the Stuart dynasty. This dynasty ruled England for about a hundred years. The most famous and unlucky monarch of the Stuart dynasty was Charles I. During his reign, he brought the country's economy to complete collapse. As a result, popular unrest arose, which resulted in a full-fledged revolution. The king was executed and royal power was abolished. The country was ruled by military dictator Oliver Cromwell.

Revival of the royal dynasty in England

After Cromwell's death, the monarchy was restored in England. Charles II, the son of the executed monarch, became king. This happened in 1660, and in 1707 a new union state emerged in the British Isles. This happened thanks to the conclusion of a union between England and Scotland. This is how the Kingdom of Great Britain was born.

Throughout all the centuries of development of the English monarchy, there was such a body of power as the royal council. The king could not completely control it, but was only part of it. Gradually, the royal council was transformed into parliament, which appeared during the reign of King John the Landless. In 1707, the English Parliament was dissolved and replaced by the Parliament of the Kingdom of Great Britain.

Not a single royal decree or law could be passed without the approval of parliament. The supreme power in the country was exercised according to the principle of “the power of the monarch through parliament.” At the same time, the constitution began to be formed, which was initially a collection of laws and norms based on ancient customs.

The weakening of the power of the English monarchs

From the beginning of the 18th century, the English parliament increased its influence on the monarchy. The king was given less and less powers. A new era of the English monarchy began with the coming to power of the Hanoverian dynasty. For the first time in history, representatives of the German dynasty received power in the country. Before this, all English kings considered France and Scotland their homeland, as they had Scottish or French roots.

The new era no longer concerned only the interests of Great Britain, since the sphere of interests of the crown extended to the whole of Europe, because the kings of England were connected by kinship with the royal lines of Prussia and Russia. This trend was approved by the English Parliament in 1701 by adopting the Act of Succession to the Throne. It clearly stipulated that the monarch of Great Britain should not be a Catholic. Modern historians consider this decision to be aimed at future marriages with European royal houses, but most likely, the House of Lords simply wanted to make the great-grandson of Charles I king.

George I, great-grandson of Charles I, ascended the throne in 1714. He was followed by George II, who became the last English monarch born outside the kingdom. It was during the reign of this monarch that parliament received enormous powers. It must be said that although parliament consisted of two chambers, the House of Commons was practically deprived of rights, since the lords often outbid or intimidated deputies, dictating their demands.

The last representative of the Hanoverian dynasty was Victoria I. The era of her reign was called the “Victorian era.” Under this queen, England became the most powerful power in the world, possessing huge colonies. The British Commonwealth included the following countries:

Canada;
South Africa;
Australia;
India.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, England had more land than any state. The empire's huge fleet brought wealth from all over the globe.

Saxe-Coburg Gothic dynasty on the throne of Great Britain

Queen Victoria died in 1901, ending the reign of the Hanoverian dynasty. It was succeeded by another German royal family called the Saxe-Coburg Gotha dynasty. Its peculiarity was that representatives of this family were the monarchs of the three largest European powers of that time. The new English monarch, George V, was a cousin of the German Emperor William II. In addition, Russian Emperor Nicholas II was also his cousin. Despite their blood relationship, the monarchs still dragged Europe into the bloody First World War.

The result of the First World War was the fall of the monarchy in Russia and Germany. If the revolution in Germany forced Wilhelm II to abdicate the throne and flee to the Netherlands, the Russian emperor was soon shot by the Soviet government. The English dynasty of monarchs decided to rename themselves Windsor so that Europeans would not associate its name with the First World War.

House of Windsor on the throne of Great Britain

The Windsor dynasty received the royal crown in 1917. Since then and to this day, this dynasty has been in power:

The first king of this dynasty was George V;
After him, Edward VIII ascended the throne in 1936. This monarch was never crowned, as he preferred to choose love instead of the royal throne. Parliament did not want to recognize his marriage to Wallis Simpson;
In the same year, the second son of George V, George VI, received the crown. This monarch remained in power for 16 years. During this time, England managed to go through the Second World War. After the end of World War II, Great Britain lost its imperial status. King George VI took no part in governing the country. The monarch only performed various representative functions. All power in the country belonged to the cabinet of ministers, parliament and the prime minister;
Since 1952, to this day, the royal throne of Great Britain has been occupied by Queen Elizabeth II. She is the daughter of King George VI. The residence of the Queen of England is located at Windsor Castle, where the Queen's reception room is also located.

Like all English monarchs of the 20th century, the queen does not participate in governing the country, and all her orders relate more to the life of the royal court. However, the queen's status is quite high, and her opinion is listened to.

List of duties and powers of the Queen of England

Since the modern constitutional monarchy greatly limits the rights of the queen, her role is reduced to representative functions and is a tribute to tradition. The Queen of Great Britain is responsible to the House of Commons. All decisions of the Queen are discussed by the Cabinet and the Prime Minister.

In turn, all laws that are passed by Parliament, the government and the Prime Minister are made on behalf of the Queen. All this is formal, but traditions and orders play a huge role in conservative Britain. The Queen of England has the right:

Appoint foreign ambassadors;
Can issue or revoke British passports. All passports in the country are formally issued in the name of the Queen;
Conclude various treaties, agreements and conventions;
The Queen can convene and dissolve Parliament, as well as extend its powers;
The Queen can grant pardons to criminals.

As for the duties of the Queen of England, they are as follows:

Decide whether to declare or end war;
Lead the British armed forces, although this title is a mere formality;
All laws passed by Parliament must be approved by the Queen. In turn, Parliament approves the queen's decisions. In fact, the Queen approves all decisions of Parliament, while Parliament only approves those decisions of the Queen that are in its interests;
The Queen appoints judges. What is noteworthy is that all court decisions are made in the name of the queen.

The Queen or King is not a person who can be tried in Great Britain. Civil claims can only be brought against the Crown, which is the symbol of power in the state. The Queen of England cannot make changes to the country's tax laws and cannot change internal legislation.

The residence of the English monarchs is Buckingham Palace. In addition, Windsor Castle is considered the second most important residence. Each of the residences has a queen's reception room and living quarters.

The British monarchy is one of the oldest in the world, with a history dating back thousands of years. The English crown was worn by representatives of different dynasties, and people of different political views and beliefs sat on the throne. At the same time, royal power has always played a key role in the fate of Great Britain, invariably remaining a unifying factor for the entire British nation.

English monarchs: who are they? Their place in the formation of a power

Royalty in the British Isles, as we see it today, has existed since the time of William I the Conqueror. It was he who became the founder of a unified royal power that managed to unite all English lands under his crown. Before this, the island was divided into several kingdoms with their own monarchs, laws and traditions.

The followers of William the Conqueror, as a result of palace intrigues and family vicissitudes, elevated Henry, nicknamed Short Cloak, to the English throne in 1154, who became the first representative of the Plantagenet dynasty. The dynasty lasted on the throne for more than three centuries, managing during this period to transform England into a strong European state. The most famous representatives of this family:

Richard I, nicknamed the Lionheart. Reign: 1189-1199 An English monarch who, during his short reign, managed to prove himself only in the military field, participating in the crusades;
John the Landless (1199-1216) went down in history as the worst of the monarchs who occupied the English throne. On his conscience lies the civil strife that has engulfed the English kingdom. The most significant contribution of this monarch in the history of England is his signing of the Magna Carta, which granted significant freedoms to the British nobility;
Edward III (1327-1377) became famous thanks to the Hundred Years' War, unleashed by this monarch because of his own claims to the French throne.

The last representative of the Plantagenet dynasty was King Richard II, who ruled the kingdom for just over 20 years (1377-1399). This was the last representative of the dynasty, with whose departure England became for a hundred years alternately the fiefdom of two dynasties: the Lancastrians and the Yorks. The most famous person from this royal house was Henry V, considered the best commander of medieval England. He is credited with numerous British victories in the battles of the Hundred Years' War, including the great Battle of Agincourt in 1415. Otherwise, this period in British history is known for a violent civil confrontation, called the War of the Roses (1455-1485), for the possession of the English crown by claimants of the two most noble English families.

Of the York dynasty, the most famous figure on the English throne was King Edward IV, who ascended the throne in 1461. During his less than 22 years of reign, Edward IV became famous as a great lover of women. The king, in addition to nine official wives, was secretly engaged to a number of other ladies, with whom he had children. The sad glory of Edward IV is that half of his chosen ones and offspring ended their days on the chopping block or were imprisoned in the Tower.

Since 1485, England enters the era of Tudor rule, and this time is also not distinguished by the duration of the possession of the British throne. Of the members of this family, the most significant is the reign of Henry VIII (1509-1547). It was he who finally brought England out of the orbit of influence of the Roman Church, laying the foundation for the Anglican Church. The Tudor reign was marked by the first accession of women to the throne in English history. The first female monarch was Lady Jane Dudley, popularly known as the “Queen for Nine Days.” It was after this period, after her accession to the throne, that she was executed, accused of high treason.

A significant figure among the monarchs of the dynasty is Mary I Tudor (1516-1588). The reign of this queen, popularly nicknamed Bloody Mary, was marked by mass executions and persecution for religious reasons. This royal person went down in the history of England as the most cruel and domineering queen, and therefore history has not preserved a single monument to Mary I Tudor for posterity. Unlike Mary, her sister Elizabeth is rightfully considered one of the most famous European monarchs in history. The reign of the last representative of the House of Tudor was 1533-1603. During this historical period, England reached its peak both in domestic life and in world politics. The merits of Queen Elizabeth I include the flourishing of English culture and England gaining the status of the mistress of the sea.

The Tudor era ended with the death of Elizabeth in 1603. She was replaced by James I, a representative of the Scottish Royal Stuart family. This royal house ruled England for just over 100 years - from 1603 to 1714. The most famous sovereign during the reign of the Stuart dynasty was King Charles I. It was his policy of absolute royal power that brought the country's economy to a state of bankruptcy, and church reform aroused just popular anger . The ensuing civil war resulted in the establishment of a parliamentary form of government in the kingdom. Together with the execution of Charles I, for the first time in history in England, royal power was abolished. The country was briefly declared a republic (1649-1660), which was briefly replaced by the military dictatorship of Oliver Cromwell in 1653.

In 1660, after the death of Cromwell, under pressure from the masses, the monarchy was again restored in England. After eleven years of unrest, Charles II, the son of a previously executed monarch, ascended the throne.

Education of Great Britain: Monarchs of the British Commonwealth of Nations

The era of Queen Anne I Stuart was marked by the birth of a union state. In 1707, a union was concluded between England and Scotland, giving rise to the formation of a union state in the British Isles. The Kingdom of Great Britain appeared on the maps of Europe and the world.

The beginning of the 18th century saw the growth of British power, manifested in the form of the beginning of British expansion throughout the world. Previously, English monarchs had absolute power. The kings ruled the state alone or relied in their actions on the decisions of the Royal Council. During the reign of John the Landless, the royal council gradually transformed into parliament. From that moment on, no royal decree or law was passed in England without the approval of both houses of the English Parliament. All supreme power in the country was exercised according to the principle of “the power of the monarch through parliament.”

In the 18th century, the power of the British Parliament increased, leaving the monarch with less power. In the end, the British kings became mere figureheads of state. The sphere of administration of the state and the growing empire passed to the cabinet of ministers. The decrees of the king give way to decisions of the government; the orders of the prime minister are vested with the force of a decree.

A new era in the history of the British crown began with the accession of representatives of the Hanoverian dynasty to the throne. If earlier English kings had French and Scottish roots and considered France their patrimony, then the kings and queens of the Hanoverian dynasty already had German roots. The sphere of interests of the British crown now extended to the whole of Europe, and even further to the overseas territories. The era of dynastic alliances has arrived, in which the family ties of the kings of Great Britain with the royal houses of Prussia and the Russian state are closely intertwined.

Back in 1701, the English Parliament adopted the Act of Succession to the Throne, which defined the requirements for the origin of British monarchs. According to this Act, the King or Queen of Great Britain must not be a member of the Catholic Church. In this regard, the emphasis was placed on European royal houses, where the Protestant religion prevailed. The great-grandson of King Charles I, the son of Princess Sophia, George Ludwig, who became the monarch of the United Kingdom in 1714 and received the name George I at his coronation, had such rights in Britain.

Following George I, George II ascended the throne, becoming the last British monarch to be born outside the kingdom. During the reign of this sovereign, the importance of the party system in the political life of the country grew. Under George II, the Whig leader Robert Walpole, who secretly served as Prime Minister of Great Britain, assumed the leading roles in government.

The last representative of the Hanoverian dynasty to wear the British crown was Queen Victoria I. The years of Victoria I's reign (1837-1901) are called the “Victorian era.” Under her, Great Britain becomes the leading political force in the world with vast territories and the largest population. The British Commonwealth of Nations included Canada, Australia, the Union of South Africa and India as governors.

The death of Queen Victoria in 1901 brought an end to the reign of the Hanoverian dynasty. It is being replaced by another royal house with German roots - the Saxe-Coburg Gotha dynasty. A paradoxical fact of this period in European history is the consanguinity of the monarchs of the three largest states of modern times: Britain, Germany and the Russian Empire. King George V was a maternal cousin of the German Emperor Wilhelm II and the Russian Emperor Nicholas II. But despite this fact, the kinship of the largest and most influential royal families in Europe did not protect the world from military confrontation.

Under King George V, Great Britain entered the First World War, which ended with the fall of the monarchies in Germany and Russia. The German ruler Wilhelm II abdicated the throne and lived to a ripe old age, while the fate of the Russian emperor and the entire royal family was deplorable. Under King George V, the Saxe-Coburg dynasty was renamed Windsor for political reasons in view of the military confrontation with Germany, after the name of the main residence of the kings - Windsor Castle.

Windsors on the throne of Great Britain

From 1917 to the present day, the post of head of state has been occupied by representatives of the House of Windsor. Following George V, this dynasty gave the British Commonwealth four monarchs. In 1936, Edward VIII could have taken the royal throne, but this royal person was never crowned. The heir to the throne voluntarily renounced his title due to the British Parliament's refusal to recognize his marriage to Wallis Simpson. The main residence of the kings of Great Britain - Windsor Castle - has received a new owner. The second son of King George V ascended the throne in 1936 and was crowned George VI.

For 16 years, George VI held the highest position in the kingdom, but did not take direct part in governing the country. All supreme power in Great Britain was concentrated in the hands of the cabinet of ministers, parliament and the prime minister. The King had the nominal status of head of the Commonwealth and performed representative functions. During this period, Great Britain went through the crucible of the Second World War and lost its status as an empire.

In 1952, the 26-year-old daughter of King George VI, Elizabeth II, ascended the throne. The last Queen of Great Britain continues to be the Head of the Commonwealth of British Nations today, having held her post for 66 years.

List of powers and duties of the Queen of Great Britain

The coronation and succession of the crown in Great Britain is based on the articles of the Act of Succession, which was issued by the English Parliament in 1701. After the formation of the Commonwealth of the Kingdoms of England and Scotland, this document did not change for a long time. Corrections and changes were made only in 2011 after the summit of the Commonwealth member states.

Before the changes were made, the English crown was inherited by persons in the male line, but in the absence of applicants to the throne in the male line, it was possible that women could also be elevated to the rank of queen. The current heir to the British Crown is Crown Prince Charles. The second and third line of successors to the throne are headed by Prince William and Prince George, who is Prince Charles' grandson. The election or coronation of a monarch takes place some time after the death of the previous sovereign. The ceremony itself takes place within the walls of Westminster Abbey and is conducted by the Bishop of Canterbury, who is the head of the Anglican Church. The coronation is usually attended by governors and heads of state of the member countries of the Commonwealth, high-ranking officials of the state, and guests from among the top officials of foreign countries.

From the point of view of the political influence of royal power on the fate of the country, the powers of the Queen of Great Britain are quite broad. However, the constitutional monarchy, which is currently a form of melting in the state, greatly limits the rights of the monarch. The status of a king is more of a tribute to tradition. The political role of the monarch today is more focused on representative functions. The goals and objectives that the sovereign faces are of a reclamatory nature, i.e. formal. The sovereign is greatly limited in his powers, prescribed in numerous conventions, laws and having the force of precedent.

The royal person is responsible to the lower house of the British Parliament - the House of Commons. In her decisions, the Queen is guided by the advice of the executive authorities of the state, the recommendations of the Cabinet of Ministers and the Prime Minister. In a constitutional monarchy, the powers of the monarch in the kingdom are determined by royal prerogatives. This is that part of the highest secular power in which the place of the king is determined by traditions and orders. All laws of Parliament, government decisions and orders of the Prime Minister are made in the name of the Queen.

The Queen has the following rights:

conclude international treaties, conventions and agreements;
appoint ambassadors to foreign countries;
administer the issue or revocation of British citizenship (passports are issued on behalf of the Queen);
the prerogative of the monarch to convene parliament and extend its powers;
the queen can dissolve parliament by decree;
make decisions on pardon.

The prerogatives define the duties of the monarch, which are as follows:

formally lead the United Kingdom's armed forces;
make official decisions on declaring war or concluding peace;
laws adopted by parliament require royal consent, and vice versa, the king has the right to veto a new bill;
administer justice through the British court system by appointing judges. All judicial decisions are made in the name of the Queen.

It should be noted that in Britain it is not considered possible to try a royal person as an individual by a royal court. A civil claim can only be filed against the Crown, the symbol of the highest authority in the state. The king or queen is not a person subject to jurisdiction. The British monarch does not have the right to change internal legislation and make changes to the state's tax policy.

Just like 100 years ago, Windsor Castle continues to be the main residence of the monarchs of Great Britain. The castle has a reception room for the queen - a hall-office where receptions and meetings are held where issues of national importance are resolved. In modern conditions, the queen's place in the social life of British society is of particular importance. The Queen's appearance in public always arouses special interest from the public.

If you have any questions, leave them in the comments below the article. We or our visitors will be happy to answer them

Egbert the Great (Anglo-Saxon. Ecgbryht, English Egbert, Eagberht) (769/771 - February 4 or June 839) - king of Wessex (802 - 839). A number of historians consider Egbert to be the first king of England, since for the first time in history he united under the rule of one ruler most of the lands located on the territory of modern England, and the remaining regions recognized his supreme power over themselves. Officially, Egbert did not use such a title and it was first used in his title by King Alfred the Great.

Ethelwulf (Athelwulf) (795 - January 13, 858) - king of Wessex (839 - 858). Son of Egbert and Redburga. From childhood, his father destined the weak and careless Ethelwulf for clergy and entrusted his upbringing to the priests. Throughout his life he remained a zealous Christian, a patron of the clergy and had great respect for the Pope. He founded many monasteries and made numerous donations to temples.

Æthelbald (eng. Æthelbald) (between 831 and 834 - December 20, 860) - king of England (856 - 860). Eldest son of Aethelwulf and Osburga. Æthelbald ruled England during his father Æthelwulf's pilgrimage to Rome, but upon learning that Pope Leo IV had crowned his brother Alfred, he rebelled against his father. Aethelwulf, not wanting to quarrel with his son, in 856 divided the kingdom into two parts, giving him the better, western part. After his father's death in 858, Æthelbald married his widowed stepmother, 14-year-old Judith, but the marriage was annulled on grounds of consanguinity.
Æthelbald died on December 20, 860, leaving no heirs, and was buried in Sherborne Abbey. After his death, England was again united under the rule of Ethelbert.

Æthelbert (835 - 865) - king of Kent (858 - 865) and Wessex (858 - 865). Son of Æthelwulf and Osburga, brother of Æthelbald. In 858, Æthelbert succeeded his father Æthelwulf in the eastern part of the kingdom, and after the death of his brother Æthelbald in 860, he reunited the country. During his reign, the Danes, under the leadership of Ragnar Lothbrok, sacked Kent and Northumbria, and even reached Winchester.
Ethelbert died in 865 without ever marrying. He was succeeded by his younger brother Æthelred I.

Æthelred I (formerly 843 - 23 April/28 May 871) - King of Wessex (865 - 871). Son of King Æthelwulf and Osburga, brother of Æthelbald, Æthelbert and Alfred the Great.

Alfred the Great (Anglo-Saxon. Ælfrēd se Grēata; English Alfred the Great; c. 849 - 899 or 901) - King of Wessex (871 - 899/901), the first of the kings of Wessex to use the title King of England in official documents.

Edward the Elder (between 869 and 877 - July 17, 924) - King of England (899/901 - 924), son of King Alfred the Great and Elswitha.

Æthelweard (Elfweard, Anglo-Saxon. Ælfweard Æthelweard) (c. 904 - 2 August 924) - king of Wessex in 924. Æthelwyrd was the son of Edward the Elder by his second wife Ælflæd (Ælflid).
Æthelwyrd lived as a hermit near Bridgnorth and paid more attention to books than to reality. According to one version of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, the Witenagemot (council of elders) elected him king of Wessex after the death of Edward I (July 17, 924), while his half-brother Æthelstan received control of Mercia. Ethelweerd chose Oxford as his capital, but on August 2 he unexpectedly died without going through the coronation ceremony. It is believed that he was killed on the orders of Æthelstan, whom their father, according to some chronicles, declared as his heir. Æthelvird did not marry and left no heirs. Like most of the other kings of the Wessex dynasty, Æthelweard was buried in Winchester Cathedral.

Æthelstan (Æðelstān, c. 895 - October 27, 939) - king of England from the Wessex dynasty (924/925 - 939), son of Edward I the Elder.

Edmund I (eng. Ædmund I, 921 - May 26, 946), king of England from the Wessex dynasty, who reigned 939-946. Also known as Edmund the Magnificent. Eldest son of King Edward the Elder and his third wife Aegwyna.

Edred (English: Edred, Eadred, circa 923 - November 23, 955) was the king of England from the Wessex dynasty, who reigned from 946 to 955. Youngest son of King Edward the Elder and his third wife Edgiva.

Edwin (Edwy English Edwy, 941 - October 1, 959) - king of England from the Wessex dynasty, who reigned in 955-959. Eldest son of King Edmund I and his first wife Ælfgytha.

Edgar the Peaceable (eng. Edgar "The Peaceable", 943 - July 8, 975) was the king of England from the Wessex dynasty, who reigned from 959 to 975. Youngest son of King Edmund I and his first wife Ælfgytha, brother of Edwin.

Edward the Martyr (eng. Edward the Martyr, 962 - March 18, 978) - king of England in 975-978. Son of Edgar the Peaceful and his first wife, Aethelflaed. Canonized in 1001. He is revered as a saint in the Orthodox, Catholic and Anglican churches.

Ethelred II, or Ethelred the Unreasonable (Ethelred the Unready, Æðelræd Unræd 968(?) - April 23, 1016) - king of England (978-1013 and 1014-1016), representative of the Wessex dynasty. The son of Edgar and Elfrida was proclaimed king after the death of his half-elder brother Edward II. In modern English, Unready means “unready”. However, the English nickname itself was first recorded in the 1180s in the form Unræd, which in Old English means "uncounseled". Considering that the name Æþelræd means “good advice”, “noble advice” (OE æðel, compare German Adel - noble, OE ræda, compare German Rat - advice), it, in combination with such a nickname was a play on words, most likely directed against the king’s advisers, from whom he did not receive “good advice.”

Sven I Forkbeard (Danish Svend 1. Tveskæg, Norwegian Svein I Tjugeskjegg, English Sweyn I Forkbeard; 960s - February 3, 1014) - king of Denmark, Norway and England. Succeeded (as King of Denmark and Norway) by his father Harald I Bluetooth. Born, apparently, before Denmark adopted Christianity around 965, and at baptism received the name Otto in honor of the Holy Roman Emperor Otto I the Great. According to some accounts, despite this he remained a pagan and achieved power as a result of the struggle with his father.

Edmund II or Edmund Ironside (eng. Edmund Ironside, between 988 and 993 - November 30, 1016) was the king of England from the Wessex dynasty, who reigned from April 23 to November 30, 1016. Second son of King Æthelred the Foolish and his first wife Ælfgifu.

Canute the Great (Danish Knud 2. den Store, English Canute I the Great, Norwegian Knud den mektige; 994/995-1035) - king of Denmark, England and Norway, ruler of Schleswig and Pomerania. Son of the Danish king Sven Forkbeard and Gunhilda, daughter of Prince Mieszko I of Poland.

Harold I Harefoot (Eng. Harold Harefoot; c. 1015 (1015) - March 17, 1040) - King of England in 1035-1040.
According to legend, he received the nickname “Hare's Paw” (in other translations, Hare's Foot) for his speed in running and hunting skills.

Hardeknud (Danish Knud 3. Hardeknud, English Harthacanute, Canute II; 1018/1019 - June 8, 1042) - king of Denmark (from 1035) and England (from 1040).

Edward the Confessor (c. 1003 - January 4, 1066) was the penultimate Anglo-Saxon king of England (since 1042) and the last representative of the Wessex dynasty on the English throne. His reign was marked by the weakening of royal power in the country and the omnipotence of the magnates, as well as the disintegration of Anglo-Saxon society and the weakening of the state's defense capabilities. These factors, coupled with the king's orientation towards Normandy, made it easier for William the Conqueror to subjugate England soon after Edward's death in 1066. Edward the Confessor paid great attention to the promotion of Christian virtues and asceticism, for which he was later canonized and is currently revered as a saint of the Roman Catholic Church , and also as a locally revered saint - by the Sourozh diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church

Harold II Godwinson (English Harold II; c. 1022 - October 14, 1066) - the last Anglo-Saxon king of England, who died at the Battle of Hastings.

Edgar Ætheling (English Edgar Ætheling; c. 1051, Hungary - c. 1126) - the last representative of the Wessex royal dynasty, proclaimed (but not crowned) King of England during the Norman Conquest of 1066. He later actively participated in the Anglo-Saxon resistance to William the Conqueror, but was forced to submit and abandon his claim to the English throne.

William I the Conqueror (William of Normandy or William the Illegitimate; English William I the Conqueror, William the Bastard, French Guillaume le Conquérant, Guillaume le Bâtard; 1027/1028 - September 9, 1087) - Duke of Normandy (as William II; from 1035 ) and king of England (since 1066), organizer and leader of the Norman conquest of England, one of the largest political figures in Europe of the 11th century.

William II the Red (or William II Rufus; English William II Rufus, c. 1056 - August 2, 1100) - the second son of William the Conqueror, king of England in 1087-1100, representative of the Norman dynasty.
The king probably received his nickname because of his red complexion. William II went down in English history as a warlike and ruthless monarch who cared little about his subjects and was disdainful of the Anglo-Saxons and their culture. A common point of view is that only thanks to the short period of his reign he did not destroy the foundations of the Anglo-Norman monarchy laid by his father. On the other hand, England under William II experienced a period of relative stability and strength of state power.

Henry I, nicknamed Beauclerc (English Henry I Beauclerc; September 1068, Selby, Yorkshire, England - December 1, 1135, Lyons-la-Forêt, Normandy) - the youngest son of William the Conqueror, King of England (1100-1135) and Duke of Normandy (1106-1135). According to legend, Henry I was distinguished by his learning, for which he received his nickname (French Beauclerc - well educated). The reign of Henry I was marked by the restoration of the unity of the Anglo-Norman monarchy after the victory over Robert Curthose in 1106, as well as a series of administrative and financial reforms that formed the basis of the state system of England in the High Middle Ages. In particular, the Chamber of the Chessboard was created, the tradition of the approval of the Magna Carta by English monarchs arose, and the local administration and judicial system were streamlined. The marriage of Henry I to Matilda of Scotland, a descendant of the Anglo-Saxon kings, became an important milestone in the rapprochement of the Norman aristocracy and the Anglo-Saxon population of the country, which later led to the formation of the English nation. Henry I left no male children, and after his death a long civil war began in England between his daughter Matilda and his nephew Stephen.

Stephen of Blois (English Stephen of Blois, French Étienne de Blois; c. 1096, Blois - October 25, 1154, Dover) - king of England in 1135-1154. Stephen's usurpation of the throne of the Anglo-Norman monarchy after the death of Henry I of Beauclerc led to civil war between supporters of Stephen and Empress Matilda. In 1141, as a result of defeat at the Battle of Lincoln, the king was captured by Matilda's followers, but at the end of 1141 he received his freedom and was restored to the throne. Almost throughout the entire period of Stephen's reign, feudal anarchy continued in England, ending in 1153 with the recognition of Stephen's heir as Henry II Plantagenet, the son of Empress Matilda.

Matilda, or Maud (English Matilda, Saxon form of the name - Maud or Maude, 1102 - September 10, 1167), - Queen of England in 1141, daughter and heir of King Henry I. Matilda's removal from the throne after the death of Henry I in 1135 .caused a long civil war in England between supporters of Matilda and Stephen of Blois. In 1141, Matilda managed to briefly seize the English throne, but she was unable to retain power in her hands. The civil war ended in 1154 with the coronation of Matilda's son Henry II Plantagenet. Due to the fact that Matilda's first husband was the Holy Roman Emperor Henry V, she became known in England under the name Empress Matilda.

Henry II Plantagenet, nicknamed Short Cloak (English Henry II Curtmantle), the first English king of the Plantagenet dynasty.

Richard I the Lion Heart (English Richard the Lion Heart, French Richard Cœur de Lion, 1157-1199) - English king from the Plantagenet dynasty. Son of King Henry II Plantagenet of England and his wife, Duchess Eleanor of Aquitaine.
Titles: Duke of Aquitaine (1189-1199), Count of Poitiers (1169-1189), King of England (1189-1199), Duke of Normandy (1189-1199), Count of Anjou, Tours and Maine (1189-1199).

John the Landless (eng. John Lackland; December 24, 1167, Oxford - October 19, 1216, Newark) - King of England (from 1199) and Duke of Aquitaine from the Plantagenet dynasty, the youngest (fifth) son of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine.
His reign is considered one of the most disastrous in the history of England - it began with the conquest of Normandy by the French king Philip II Augustus and ended with a civil war that almost overthrew him from the throne (for his defeats he received another nickname, "Soft Sword", Softsword). In 1213, he recognized England as a vassal of the Pope to end the discord with the Catholic Church, and in 1215, rebel barons forced him to sign the Magna Carta, for which John became best known. Some historians believe that John's reign was no better or worse than the reigns of Richard I and Henry III. However, John's reputation is such that no English monarch has named his heirs by this name since.

Henry III (English Henry III) (October 1, 1207(12071001), Winchester - November 16, 1272, Westminster) - King of England (1216-1272) and Duke of Aquitaine from the Plantagenet dynasty, one of the most little-known British monarchs (despite the fact that he ruled he is longer than all other medieval kings of England - 56 years).

Edward I Longshanks (English: Edward I "Longshanks", June 17, 1239 - July 7, 1307), king of England in 1272-1307 from the Plantagenet dynasty. He was the fourth king of England with that name (moreover, named after the previous one, Edward the Confessor), but took number I, considering the Norman conquest of 1066 to be the beginning of the contemporary English monarchy. Thus, the three Anglo-Saxon Edwards remained in history without numbers, but with nicknames (Elder, Martyr and Confessor).

Edward II (English Edward II, 1284-1327, also called Edward of Caernarfon, after his birthplace in Wales) was an English king (from 1307 until his deposition in January 1327) from the Plantagenet dynasty, son of Edward I.
The first English heir to the throne who bore the title “Prince of Wales” (according to legend, at the request of the Welsh to give them a king who was born in Wales and did not speak English, Edward I showed them his newborn son, who had just been born in his camp) . Having inherited the throne of his father at the age of less than 23, Edward II was very unsuccessful in his military operations against Scotland, whose troops were led by Robert the Bruce. The king's popularity was also undermined by his commitment to the people's hated favorites (who were believed to be the king's lovers) - the Gascon Pierre Gaveston, and then the English nobleman Hugh Despenser the Younger. Edward's reign was accompanied by conspiracies and rebellions, the inspiration of which was often the king's wife, Queen Isabella, the daughter of the French king Philip IV the Fair, who fled to France.

Edward III, Edward III (Middle English: Edward III) (November 13, 1312 - June 21, 1377) - king of England from 1327 from the Plantegenet dynasty, son of King Edward II and Isabella of France, daughter of King Philip IV the Fair of France .

Richard II (English Richard II, 1367-1400) - English king (1377-1399), representative of the Plantagenet dynasty, grandson of King Edward III, son of Edward the Black Prince.
Richard was born in Bordeaux - his father fought in France on the fields of the Hundred Years' War. When the Black Prince died in 1376, while Edward III was still alive, the young Richard received the title Prince of Wales, and a year later inherited the throne from his grandfather.

Henry IV of Bolingbroke (Eng. Henry IV of Bolingbroke, April 3, 1367, Bolingbroke Castle, Lincolnshire - March 20, 1413, Westminster) - king of England (1399-1413), founder of the Lancastrian dynasty (junior branch of the Plantagenets).

Henry V (English Henry V) (August 9, according to other sources, September 16, 1387, Monmouth Castle, Monmouthshire, Wales - August 31, 1422, Vincennes (now in Paris), France) - king of England since 1413, from the Lancaster dynasty, one of the greatest commanders of the Hundred Years' War. Defeated the French at the Battle of Agincourt (1415). According to the Treaty of Troyes (1420), he became the heir of the French king Charles VI the Mad and received the hand of his daughter Catherine. He continued the war with Charles’s son, the Dauphin (the future Charles VII), who did not recognize the treaty, and died during this war, just two months before Charles VI; if he had lived these two months, he would have become king of France. He died in August 1422, presumably from dysentery.

Henry VI (English Henry VI, French Henri VI) (December 6, 1421, Windsor - May 21 or 22, 1471, London) - the third and last king of England from the Lancaster dynasty (from 1422 to 1461 and from 1470 to 1471). The only English king who bore the title “King of France” during and after the Hundred Years’ War, who was actually crowned (1431) and reigned over a significant part of France.

Edward IV (April 28, 1442, Rouen - April 9, 1483, London) - King of England in 1461-1470 and 1471-1483, a representative of the York Plantagenet line, seized the throne during the Wars of the Roses.
Eldest son of Richard, Duke of York and Cecilia Neville, brother of Richard III. On his father's death in 1460, he inherited his titles as Earl of Cambridge, March and Ulster and Duke of York. In 1461, at the age of eighteen, he ascended the English throne with the support of Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick.
Was married to Elizabeth Woodville (1437-1492), children:
Elizabeth (1466-1503), married to King Henry VII of England,
Maria (1467-1482),
Cecilia (1469-1507),
Edward V (1470-1483?),
Richard (1473-1483?),
Anna (1475—1511),
Catherine (1479—1527),
Bridget (1480-1517).
The king was a great lover of women and, in addition to his official wife, was secretly engaged to one or more women, which later allowed the royal council to declare his son Edward V illegitimate and, together with his other son, imprison him in the Tower.
Edward IV died unexpectedly on April 9, 1483.

Edward V (November 4, 1470(14701104)-1483?) - King of England from April 9 to June 25, 1483, son of Edward IV; not crowned. Deposed by his uncle the Duke of Gloucester, who declared the king and his younger brother Duke Richard of York illegitimate children, and himself became King Richard III. A 12-year-old and a 10-year-old boy were imprisoned in the Tower; their further fate is precisely unknown. The most common point of view is that they were killed on the orders of Richard (this version was official under the Tudors), but various researchers accuse many other figures of that time, including Richard’s successor Henry VII, of the murder of the princes.

Richard III (English: Richard III) (October 2, 1452, Fotheringay - August 22, 1485, Bosworth) - King of England since 1483, from the York dynasty, the last representative of the Plantagenet male line on the English throne. Brother of Edward IV. He took the throne, removing the young Edward V. At the Battle of Bosworth (1485) he was defeated and killed. One of two kings of England to die in battle (after Harold II, killed at Hastings in 1066).

Henry VII (eng. Henry VII;)