Category: British Monarchs

The British monarchy has a long and fascinating history that spans over a millennium.

Below, World History Edu present some major facts about British monarchs:

1. Longest Reigning Monarch: Queen Elizabeth II, reigning from 1952 to 2022, held the record for the longest reign among British monarchs.
2. First Norman King: William the Conqueror became the first Norman king in 1066 after the Battle of Hastings.
3. Magna Carta: In 1215, King John signed the Magna Carta, a foundational document that limited the powers of the king and laid the groundwork for the British legal system.
4. Tudor Dynasty: Henry VIII, known for his six marriages, established the Church of England in 1534, separating from the Roman Catholic Church.
5. Stuart Era: The only British monarch ever executed was King Charles I in 1649, during the English Civil War. The monarchy was restored in 1660 with Charles II.
6. Act of Union: In 1707, under Queen Anne, the Act of Union united England and Scotland, creating the Kingdom of Great Britain.
7. Victorian Era: Queen Victoria reigned from 1837-1901, marking an era of British industrial, cultural, and imperial expansion.
8. Abdication Crisis: In 1936, King Edward VIII abdicated the throne to marry Wallis Simpson, an American divorcée, making him one of the shortest-reigning monarchs.
9. The Windsor Name: In 1917, due to anti-German sentiments during World War I, King George V changed the royal house’s name from the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha to the House of Windsor.
10. Monarchs in War: Both George VI and his daughter, Elizabeth (before she became Queen Elizabeth II), served in World War II.
11. First Queen Regnant: Mary I, daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon, was the first queen to rule in her own right in 1553.
12. Plantagenet Dynasty: This longest-reigning royal house (1154-1485) witnessed historic events like the signing of the Magna Carta and the Hundred Years’ War.