Anne was a close friend of Sarah Churchill, the Duchess of Marlborough. The 54 year old George arrived in England able to speak only a few words of English with his 18 cooks and 2 mistresses in tow.
George spent little time in England — he preferred his beloved Hanover, although he was implicated in the South Sea Bubble financial scandal of He was more English than his father, but still relied on Sir Robert Walpole to run the country.
George was the last English king to lead his army into battle at Dettingen in In the Jacobites tried once again to restore a Stuart to the throne. His reign was one of elegance and the age of some of the greatest names in English literature — Jane Austen , Byron , Shelley, Keats and Wordsworth.
It was also the time of great statesmen like Pitt and Fox and great military men like Wellington and Nelson. The American Colonies proclaimed their independence on July 4th George was well meaning but suffered from a mental illness due to intermittent porphyria and eventually became blind and insane.
He had a love of art and architecture but his private life was a mess, to put it mildly! He married twice, once in to Mrs. Fitzherbert, secretly as she was a Catholic, and then in to Caroline of Brunswick. Fitzherbert remained the love of his life. Caroline and George had one daughter, Charlotte in but she died in George was considered a great wit, but was also a buffoon and his death was hailed with relief!
Before his accession he lived with a Mrs. Jordan, an actress, by whom he had ten children. When Princess Charlotte died, he had to marry in order to secure the succession. He married Adelaide of Saxe-Coburg in He had two daughters but they did not live.
He hated pomp and wanted to dispense with the Coronation. The people loved him because of his lack of pretension. During his reign Britain abolished slavery in the colonies in The Reform Act was passed in , this extended the franchise to the middle-classes on a basis of property qualifications.
The throne Victoria inherited was weak and unpopular. Her Hanoverian uncles had been treated with irreverence. In she married her cousin Albert of Saxe-Coburg. Albert exerted tremendous influence over the Queen and until his death was virtual ruler of the country.
He was a pillar of respectability and left two legacies to the UK, the Christmas Tree and the Great Exhibition of The Queen withdrew from public life after the death of Albert in until her Golden Jubilee in When Victoria died in , the British Empire and British world power had reached their highest point. She had nine children, 40 grand-children and 37 great-grandchildren, scattered all over Europe.
He loved horse-racing, gambling and women! This Edwardian Age was one of elegance. Edward had all the social graces and many sporting interests, yachting and horse-racing — his horse Minoru won the Derby in Edward married the beautiful Alexandra of Denmark in and they had six children. When Edward died in it is said that Queen Alexandra brought his current mistress Mrs. Keppel to his bedside to take her farewell. He had joined the Navy as a cadet in and loved the sea. His years on the throne were difficult; the First World War in — and the troubles in Ireland which lead to the creation of the Irish Free State were considerable problems.
In he began the royal broadcasts on Christmas Day and in he celebrated his Silver Jubilee. His latter years were overshadowed by his concern about the Prince of Wales and his infatuation with Mrs. Consequently when he renounced the throne to marry Mrs. Wallis Simpson the country found it almost impossible to believe.
The people as a whole knew nothing about Mrs. Simpson until early in December Simpson was an American, a divorcee and had two husbands still living. This was unacceptable to the Church, as Edward had stated that he wanted her to be crowned with him at the Coronation which was to take place the following May. Edward abdicated in favour of his brother and took the title, Duke of Windsor.
He went to live abroad. He was very popular and well loved by the British people. The prestige of the throne was low when he became king, but his wife Elizabeth and his mother Queen Mary were outstanding in their support of him. The Second World War started in and throughout the King and Queen set an example of courage and fortitude. They remained at Buckingham Palace for the duration of the war in spite of the bombing.
The Palace was bombed more than once. George was in close touch with the Prime Minister, Winston Churchill throughout the war and both had to be dissuaded from landing with the troops in Normandy on D-Day! Henry lost [ PDF ]. Despite his youth he was 9 when he as crowned and 15 when he died , Edward VI is credited with being the first English monarch to charter an exploration of the Arctic.
The king was a keen geographer and had learned to read a compass from the Venetian explorer Sebastian Cabot. But one of the other captains, Richard Chancellor, found himself in Russia, where the letter was delivered to Ivan the Terrible and opened trade between England and Russia. She had been named Edward's successor in a bid to keep Protestant control of England.
Despite her youth, she was exceptionally well read and spoke Latin, Hebrew, and Italian. Her "reign" which historians still debate lasted just nine days; she was deposed by Mary I—a. Bloody Mary—on July 19, , and was eventually executed in February Mary had two female court jesters , one of whom was named Lucretia the Tumbler. Elizabeth I had effigies of foreign dignitaries and other guests to her court made out of gingerbread.
James I kept an elephant in St. It was given a gallon of wine to drink every morning during the winter. Charles I remains the only English monarch ever to be executed. After he was beheaded on January 30, , his head was sewn back onto his body before he was buried.
Charles II wore an enormous pair of high-heeled shoes to his coronation. This area will feature more illustrations of the Kings and Queens of England as time permits. Updated April Buried at Caen, Normandy. Founded Windsor Castle at 'New ' Windsor. Buried at Winchester. Buried at Reading. Buried at Fontevraud, France.
He also built a chapel on the site of the present Albert Memorial Chapel, and the adjoining cloister and also the tower now known as the Henry III Tower.
Buried at Westminster Abbey. He was routed at Bannockburn, and murdered in Berkeley Castle. Buried at Gloucester. He pulled down a great part of the old Castle and rebuilt it on stronger lines. Ultimately deposed. Died mysteriously in Pontefract Castle.
Buried first at Kings Langley, afterwards Westminster Abbey. Orthodox, devout, son of John of Gaunt, and twice married. Buried at Canterbury. Married Katherine of France.
Founder of Eton College. Murdered in the Tower of London. Built the Choir of St. George's Chapel and commenced the Nave. Buried at Windsor in St George's Chapel. See Richard III, below. Buried first at Tower of London, afterwards at Westminster. For centuries the whereabouts of his human remains was unknown. There is a memorial plaque in Leicester Cathedral where it was thought that he may have been buried, but that his body was moved during the Dissolution of the Monasteries.
Another tradition had it that his body was thrown into the nearby River Soar, which means it could have ended up anywhere. The mystery was finally solved when in August his remains were discovered under a car park in the city of Leicester. There is more information here. Thrifty, shrewd, his marriage united the Houses of Lancaster and York. Completed the Nave of St. George's Chapel.
Also erected personal apartments in the Upper Ward. Buried at Westminster. Australia was colonised. It was also the time of great statesmen like Pitt and Fox and great captains like Wellington and Nelson.
The American Colonies proclaimed their independence on July 4th Became known as the "Sailor King" after joining the navy from just 13 years old.
He was the third son of George III. During his reign England abolished slavery in the colonies in Ruled during the industrial revolution. The British Empire became powerful, rich and confident. When Victoria died in , after the longest reign in English history, the British Empire and British world power had reached their highest point. She had six children, 40 grand-children and 37 great-grandchildren, scattered all over Europe.
Queen Victoria herself remained a member of the House of Hanover. Kept Europe at peace during his life. He enjoyed fine food and horse racing. Ruled Britain during World War One. During his reign women were allowed to vote for the first time.
Abdicated to marry Mrs Wallis Simpson, as he was not able to marry a divorced woman and become King. Simpson was an American, a divorcee and had two husbands still living. He didn't expect to become King. Ruled during World War Two and refused to leave London during the blitz. The post-war years of his reign were ones of great social change and saw the start of the National Health Service.
The whole country flocked to the Festival of Britain held in London in
0コメント