Christopher Hitchens

[Preety_India]

The problem with the current dynasty of the House of Windsor. 

It seems that current royal house of Windsor has remained enduring and given a spectacular performance as the reigning Royals. 

 

[Preety_India]

 

 

The trail of the British Monarchy 

 

of 12 British monarchs

 

Anne (1702–14)

George I (1714–27)

George II (1727–60)

George III (1760–1820)

George IV (1820–30)

William IV (1830–37)

Victoria (1837–1901)

Edward VII (1901–10)

George V (1910–36)

Edward VIII (1936)

George VI (1936–52)

Elizabeth II (1952– )

 

.. 

1702-1714 Anne House of Stuart

1714-1727 George I House of Hanover

1727-1760 George II House of Hanover

1760-1820 George III (Elector, 1760-1815, and King,1815-20, of Hanover) House of Hanover

1820-1830 George IV House of Hanover

1830-1837 William IV (King of Hanover 1830-7) House of Hanover

1837-1901 Victoria (Empress of India 1876-1901) House of Hanover

1901-1910 Edward VII House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha

1910-1936 George V House of Windsor

1936 Edward VIII House of Windsor

1936-1952 George VI House of Windsor

1952- Elizabeth II (Queen of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Head of the Commonwealth of Nations) House of Windsor

 

Edited March 16, 2021 by Preety_India

[Preety_India]

 

 

The trail of the British Monarchy 

This is not an easy job. 

 

Going back to William the Conqueror but not before that as that would be unnecessary and irrelevant. 

William the Conqueror 

House

Normandy

Father

Robert the Magnificent

Mother

Herleva of Falaise

Successor William II

William II  the third son of William the Conqueror

Father William the Conqueror

Mother Matilda of Flanders

 

Successor Henry I 

Henry I  also known as Henry Beauclerc. 

.He was the fourth son of William the Conqueror

Father William the Conqueror

Mother Matilda of Flanders

Successor Stephen ?blood line change 

Stephen (1092 or 1096 – 25 October 1154), often referred to as Stephen of Blois, was King of England from 22 December 1135 to his death in 1154. A younger son of the Count of Blois, 

House Blois

Father Stephen, Count of Blois

Mother Adela of Normandy

 

Successor  Henry II.. Change of blood line. ?

Henry II (5 March 1133 – 6 July 1189), also known as Henry Curtmantle (French: Court-manteau), Henry FitzEmpress or Henry Plantagenet. 

House Plantagenet/Angevin

Father Geoffrey V, Count of Anjou

Mother Empress Matilda

Successor Richard I

Richard I (8 September 1157 – 6 April 1199) was King of England from 1189 until his death in 1199. He was the third of five sons of King Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine 

House Plantagenet–Angevin[a]

Father Henry II of England

Mother Eleanor of Aquitaine

 

Successor John.. 

John was the youngest of the four surviving sons of King Henry II of England and Duchess Eleanor of Aquitaine. He was nicknamed John Lackland

 

House Plantagenet/Angevin 

Father Henry II, King of England

Mother Eleanor, Duchess of Aquitaine

 

 

Successor Henry III

House

Plantagenet

Father

John, King of England

Mother

Isabella, Countess of Angoulême

 

Successor Edward I 

Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots  was King of England from 1272 to 1307. Before his accession to the throne, he was commonly referred to as The Lord Edward The first son of Henry III. 

House

Plantagenet

Father

Henry III of England

Mother

Eleanor of Provence

 

Successor Edward II 

 

Edward II (25 April 1284 – 21 September 1327), also called Edward of Caernarfon, was King of England from 1307 until he was deposed in January 1327. The fourth son of Edward I. 

House

Plantagenet

Father

Edward I, King of England

Mother

Eleanor of Castile

Successor Edward III

Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377), also known as Edward of Windsor before his accession, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from January 1327 until his death in 1377. He is noted for his military success and for restoring royal authority after the disastrous and unorthodox reign of his father, Edward II. 

House Plantagenet

Father Edward II of England

Mother Isabella of France

 

Successor Richard II.. Grandson becomes king here. ??

Richard II (6 January 1367 – c. 14 February 1400), also known as Richard of Bordeaux, was King of England from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. Richard's father, Edward, Prince of Wales, died in 1376, leaving Richard as heir apparent to his grandfather, King Edward III. 

 

House Plantagenet

Father Edward the Black Prince

Mother Joan, 4th Countess of Kent

 

Successor Henry IV.. Made a claim, not verified. Change of bloodline. ??

 

Henry IV (15 April 1367 – 20 March 1413) was King of England from 1399 to 1413. He asserted the claim of his grandfather King Edward III, a maternal grandson of Philip IV of France, to the Kingdom of France. Henry was the first English ruler since the Norman Conquest whose mother tongue was English rather than French. He was known as Henry Bolingbroke

House

Lancaster (Plantagenet)

Father

John of Gaunt

Mother

Blanche of Lancaster

 

Successor Henry V

Henry V (16 September 1386 – 31 August 1422), also called Henry of Monmouth, was King of England from 1413 until his death in 1422. Despite his relatively short reign, Henry's outstanding military successes in the Hundred Years' War against France made England one of the strongest military powers in Europe.Immortalised in Shakespeare's "Henriad" plays, Henry is known and celebrated as one of the greatest warrior kings of medieval England.

House

Lancaster (Plantagenet)

Father

Henry IV of England

Mother

Mary de Bohun

 

Edited March 16, 2021 by Preety_India

[Preety_India]

 

The trail of the British Monarchy 

 

Successor Henry VI Henry the 6th 

Henry VI (6 December 1421 – 21 May 1471) was King of England from 1422 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471, and disputed King of France from 1422 to 1453. The only child of Henry V, he succeeded to the English throne at the age of nine months upon his father's death

 

House

Lancaster (Plantagenet)

Father

Henry V of England

Mother

Catherine of Valois

 

Successor Edward IV.. Change of bloodline?

 

Edward IV (28 April 1442 – 9 April 1483) was King of England from 4 March 1461 to 3 October 1470,then again from 11 April 1471 until his death in 1483. He was a central figure in the Wars of the Roses, a series of civil wars in England fought between the Yorkist and Lancastrian factions between 1455 and 1487.

House York (Plantagenet)

Father Richard, Duke of York

Mother Cecily Neville

 

Successor Edward V

Edward V (2 November 1470 – c. June/July 1483) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 9 April to 26 June 1483. He succeeded his father, Edward IV, upon the latter's death. Edward V was never crowned, and his brief reign was dominated by the influence of his uncle and Lord Protector, the Duke of Gloucester, who deposed him to reign as King Richard III; this was confirmed by the Act entitled Titulus Regius, which denounced any further claims through his father's heirs.

House York (Plantagenet)

Father Edward IV of England

Mother Elizabeth Woodville

 

Successor Richard III.. Change of bloodline ????

Richard III (2 October 1452 – 22 August 1485) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty. His defeat and death at the Battle of Bosworth Field, the last decisive battle of the Wars of the Roses, marked the end of the Middle Ages in England. He is the protagonist of Richard III, one of William Shakespeare's history plays. 

House

York (Plantagenet)

Father

Richard, 3rd Duke of York

Mother

Cecily Neville

 

Successor Henry VII.. ???Huge or sudden shift in bloodline. 

Dynasty change from Plantagenet to Tudor. ?

Henry VII (Welsh: Harri Tudur; 28 January 1457 – 21 April 1509) was the King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizure of the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death in 1509. He was the first monarch of the House of Tudor.

House Tudor

Father Edmund Tudor, 1st Earl of Richmond

Mother Lady Margaret Beaufort

 

 

Edited March 16, 2021 by Preety_India

[Preety_India]

 

The trail of the British Monarchy 

 

Successor Henry VIII. ♠️♠️♠️

Henry VIII (28 June 1491 – 28 January 1547) was King of England from 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and, in particular, his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disagreement with Pope Clement VII on the question of such an annulment led Henry to initiate the English Reformation, separating the Church of England from papal authority. He appointed himself Supreme Head of the Church of England and dissolved convents and monasteries, for which he was excommunicated. Henry is also known as "the father of the Royal Navy," as he invested heavily in the navy, increasing its size from a few to more than 50 ships, and established the Navy Board.

House Tudor

Father Henry VII of England

Mother Elizabeth of York

 

Successor Edward VI

Edward VI (12 October 1537 – 6 July 1553) was the King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death in 1553. He was crowned on 20 February at the age of nine. Edward was the son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, and England's first monarch to be raised as a Protestant. During his reign, the realm was governed by a regency council because he never reached maturity. Died at 15 years of age. 

HouseTudor

Father Henry VIII of England

Mother Jane Seymour

Successor disputed. Lady Jane Grey. Change of bloodline. ???

Lady Jane Grey (c. 1537[3] – 12 February 1554), also known as Lady Jane Dudley (after her marriage)  and as the "Nine Days' Queen", was an English noblewoman and de facto Queen of England and Ireland from 10 July until 19 July 1553.

 

House Grey

Father Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Suffolk

Mother Lady Frances Brandon

 

Successor Mary I..?♠️♠️

Mary I (18 February 1516 – 17 November 1558), also known as Mary Tudor, and as "Bloody Mary" by her Protestant opponents, was Queen of England from July 1553 until her death in 1558. She is best known for her vigorous attempt to reverse the English Reformation, which had begun during the reign of her father, Henry VIII. Her attempt to restore to the church the property confiscated in the previous two reigns was largely thwarted by parliament, but during her five-year reign, Mary had over 280 religious dissenters burned at the stake in the Marian persecutions.

House Tudor

Father Henry VIII of England

Mother Catherine of Aragon

 

Successor Elizabeth I

Elizabeth I (7 September 1533 – 24 March 1603)[a] was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Sometimes called the Virgin Queen, Gloriana or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the last of the five monarchs of the House of Tudor.

House Tudor

Father Henry VIII of England

Mother Anne Boleyn

 

Successor James VI and I

James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 until his death in 1625. The kingdoms of Scotland and England were individual sovereign states, with their own parliaments, judiciaries, and laws, though both were ruled by James in personal union.

 

House

Stuart

Father

Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley

Mother

Mary, Queen of Scots

 

 

Edited March 16, 2021 by Preety_India

[Preety_India]

 

The trail of the British Monarchy 

 

Successor Charles I

Charles I (19 November 1600 – 30 January 1649)[a] was King of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. He was born into the House of Stuart as the second son of King James VI of Scotland, but after his father inherited the English throne in 1603 (as James I), he moved to England, where he spent much of the rest of his life. He became heir apparent to the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland in 1612 on the death of his elder brother Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales. An unsuccessful and unpopular attempt to marry him to the Spanish Habsburg princess Maria Anna culminated in an eight-month visit to Spain in 1623 that demonstrated the futility of the marriage negotiations. Two years later, he married the Bourbon princess Henrietta Maria of France.

 

House

Stuart

Father

James VI of Scotland and I of England

Mother

Anne of Denmark

 

Successor Charles II

Son of  Charles I 

Charles II (29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685)[c] was King of Scotland from 1649 until 1651, and King of Scotland, England and Ireland from the 1660 Restoration of the monarchy until his death in 1685.

House

Stuart

Father

Charles I of England

Mother

Henrietta Maria of France

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 16, 2021 by Preety_India

[Preety_India]

The trail of the British Monarchy 

 

Successor James II and VII 

James II and VII (14 October 1633O.S. – 16 September 1701[1]) was King of England and Ireland as James II, and King of Scotland as James VII,[3] from 6 February 1685 until he was deposed in the Glorious Revolution of 1688. He was the last Catholic monarch of England, Scotland, and Ireland; his reign is now remembered primarily for struggles over religious tolerance. However, it also involved the principles of absolutism and divine right of kings, and his deposition ended a century of political and civil strife by confirming the primacy of Parliament over the Crown. 

House Stuart

Father Charles I of England

Mother Henrietta Maria of France

 

Successor William III & II.. Change of bloodline?

William III (William Henry; Dutch: Willem Hendrik; 4 November 1650 – 8 March 1702), also widely known as William of Orange, was sovereign Prince of Orange from birth, Stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel in the Dutch Republic from the 1670s and King of England, Ireland, and Scotland from 1689 until his death in 1702. As King of Scotland, he is known as William II.[1] He is sometimes informally known as "King Billy" in Ireland and Scotland.His victory at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 is commemorated by unionists, who display orange colours in his honour. Popular histories usually refer to his joint reign with his wife, Queen Mary II, as that of William and Mary.

 

House

Orange-Nassau

Stuart

Father William II, Prince of Orange

Mother Mary, Princess Royal

 

 

Successor Anne.. Bloodline restored. ?

 Anne (6 February 1665 – 1 August 1714) was Queen of England, Scotland, and Ireland between 8 March 1702 and 1 May 1707. On 1 May 1707, under the Acts of Union, the kingdoms of England and Scotland united as a single sovereign state known as Great Britain. She continued to reign as Queen of Great Britain and Ireland until her death in 1714.

 

House Stuart

Father James II & VII

Mother Anne Hyde

 

Successor George I.. Change of bloodline. ???

 

 George I (George Louis; German: Georg Ludwig; 28 May 1660 – 11 June 1727)[a] was King of Great Britain and Ireland from 1 August 1714 and ruler of the Duchy and Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg (Hanover) within the Holy Roman Empire from 23 January 1698 until his death in 1727. He was the first British monarch of the House of Hanover.

House

Hanover

Father

Ernest Augustus, Elector of Hanover

Mother

Sophia of the Palatinate

 

Successor George II

Son of George I

 George II (George Augustus; German: Georg August; 30 October / 9 November 1683O.S./N.S. – 25 October 1760) was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (Hanover) and a prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 (O.S.) until his death in 1760.

House Hanover

Father George I of Great Britain

Mother Sophia Dorothea of Celle

Successor George III

Grandson of George II

George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 1738– 29 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of the two kingdoms on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death in 1820. He was concurrently Duke and Prince-elector of Brunswick-Lüneburg ("Hanover") in the Holy Roman Empire before becoming King of Hanover on 12 October 1814. He was a monarch of the House of Hanover, but unlike his two predecessors, he was born in Great Britain, spoke English as his first language, and never visited Hanover. 

House Hanover

Father Frederick, Prince of Wales

Mother Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha

 

Successor George IV 

Son of George III 

George IV (George Augustus Frederick; 12 August 1762 – 26 June 1830) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from the death of his father, King George III, on 29 January 1820 until his own death ten years later. From 1811 until his accession, he served as regent during his father's final mental illness.

House

Hanover

Father

George III

Mother

Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

 

Successor William IV

Third Son of George III 

William IV (William Henry; 21 August 1765 – 20 June 1837) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death in 1837. The third son of George III, William succeeded his elder brother George IV, becoming the last king and penultimate monarch of Britain's House of Hanover.

House Hanover

Father George III

Mother Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

 

Edited March 16, 2021 by Preety_India

[Preety_India]

The trail of the British Monarchy 

Successor Queen Victoria.. Change of bloodline. ???

 

Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Known as the Victorian era, her reign of 63 years and seven months was longer than that of any of her predecessors. It was a period of industrial, political, scientific, and military change within the United Kingdom, and was marked by a great expansion of the British Empire. In 1876, Parliament voted her the additional title of Empress of India.

House Hanover

Father Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn

Mother Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld

 

Successor Edward VII

Son of Queen Victoria 

Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910.

House

Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

Father

Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

Mother

Queen Victoria

 

Successor George V

Son of Edward VII

George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936.

House

Windsor (from 1917)

Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (until 1917)

Father Edward VII

Mother Alexandra of Denmark

 

Successor Edward VIII 

Son of George V

Edward VIII (Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David; 23 June 1894 – 28 May 1972) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Empire, and Emperor of India, from 20 January 1936 until his abdication in December of the same year.

House

Windsor (from 1917)

Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (until 1917)

Father George V

Mother Mary of Teck

 

Edited March 16, 2021 by Preety_India

[Preety_India]

The trail of the British Monarchy 

 

Successor George VI

Son of George V

George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was concurrently the last emperor of India until August 1947, when the British Raj was dissolved.

House

Windsor (from 1917)

Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (until 1917)

Father George V

Mother Mary of Teck

 

Successor Elizabeth II?

Daughter of George VI

Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; born 21 April 1926)is Queen of the United Kingdom and 15 other Commonwealth realms.

House Windsor

Father George VI

Mother Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon

Edited March 16, 2021 by Preety_India

[Preety_India]

 

 

 

 

Henry VII Tudor1483–1509

Henry VIII Tudor1509–47

Edward VI Tudor1547–53

Mary I Tudor1553–58

Elizabeth I Tudor1558–1603

Sovereigns of Great Britain and the United Kingdom2, 3

namedynasty or housereign

James I (VI of Scotland)2Stuart1603–25

Charles I Stuart1625–49

Commonwealth (1653–59)

 Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector41653–58

 Richard Cromwell, Lord Protector41658–59

Charles II Stuart1660–85

James II Stuart1685–88

William III and Mary II5Orange/Stuart1689–1702

AnneStuart1702–14

George I Hanover1714–27

George II Hanover1727–60

George III3 Hanover1760–1820

George IV6 Hanover1820–30

William IV Hanover1830–37

VictoriaHanover1837–1901

Edward VIISaxe-Coburg-Gotha1901–10

George V7 Windsor1910–36

Edward VIII8 Windsor1936

George VI Windsor1936–52

Elizabeth II Windsor1952

 

[Preety_India]

It is safe to interpret that the monarchs belonging to the house of Windsor do not share their bloodlines in any way with the House of Tudor. 

That's a relief. 

 

[Preety_India]

The House of Tudor abruptly came to a half due to a lack of heir 

 

[Preety_India]

Quote from Hitchens 

This is what you get when you found a political system on the family values of Henry VIII. At a point in the not-too-remote future, the stout heart of Queen Elizabeth II will cease to beat. At that precise moment, her firstborn son will become head of state, head of the armed forces, and head of the Church of England. In strict constitutional terms, this ought not to matter much. The English monarchy, as has been said, reigns but does not rule. From the aesthetic point of view it will matter a bit, because the prospect of a morose bat-eared and chinless man, prematurely aged, and with the most abysmal taste in royal consorts, is a distinctly lowering one.

Christopher Hitchens

I'm not sure how accurate Hitchens is here because at least the bloodlines don't match. 

However it could be that political philosophy of the current royal system might have been influenced by the value system of the Tudors. 

 

 

 

[Preety_India]

Actually Hitchens was very right. 

The Tudor left a long legacy of their brutal influence on the Royal family system and Monarchy. Much of the beliefs and systems were first in place by the Tudors which kind  of leaves a sour taste in my mouth. 

So here we go. 

These are the effects of the notorious Tudors. 

 

[Preety_India]

The Tudor era saw unprecedented upheaval in England. Between them the five Tudor kings and queens introduced huge changes that are still with us today.

The years between the crowning of Henry VII in 1485 and the death of Elizabeth I in 1603 saw the old religious order swept away, the establishment of the American colonies, the foundation of the Royal Navy and the power of Europe challenged.

1485

Henry VII seizes the throne

Henry Tudor is crowned King of England on the battlefield at Bosworth after his army defeats and kills Richard III.

Henry VII presents himself as the unifier of the warring Lancaster and York dynasties – symbolised by his adoption of the red and white Tudor Rose. His reign brings 85 years of civil war to an end. He marries Elizabeth, daughter of the Yorkist king Edward IV. Within a year they have a son, Arthur, later followed by another, Henry.

1502 - 1503

Peace treaty with Scotland

Henry wants to keep his kingdom secure and creates several foreign alliances to try to avoid wars.

He arranges the marriage of his 13-year-old daughter Margaret to James IV to secure peace between England and Scotland. Although the peace doesn't last, the couple's great-grandson, James I of England and VI of Scotland, will unite the crowns of Scotland and England 100 years later.

1509

Henry VIII is crowned king

The 17-year-old Henry succeeds to the throne on the death of his father, Henry VII. His older brother Arthur had died seven years earlier.

The Pope gives a special dispensation for the young king to marry his late brother’s wife Catherine of Aragon. Three years later Henry invades France in pursuit of an ancient claim to the throne. He is aided and abetted by his advisor Thomas Wolsey, who he appoints Lord Chancellor in 1514.

1512

The Royal Mail is founded

Henry VIII orders the creation of the first national postal service for royal mail.

Called 'The King’s Posts', it was devised by Sir Brian Tuke and commanded all towns to have a fresh horse available for anyone carrying mail from the Tudor Court. This royal mail system was opened to the general public in 1635 by King Charles I - the start of the postal system we use today.

1534-1539

Church of England is created

Henry requests an annulment of his marriage with Catherine from the Pope in order to marry Anne Boleyn. The request is refused.

In response, Henry breaks from the authority of the Pope and is declared head of the English Church by Parliament. To cancel out the power of the Catholic church in England, he dissolves over 800 monasteries and transfers their wealth and lands transferred to the crown. Years of discord between Protestants and Catholics follow.

Title page of the Great Bible. Henry VIII authorised it to be the first English Bible for public use in 1539.

 

1545

Mary Rose sinks but Royal Navy flourishes

Henry VIII is keen to build up his fledgling navy from the 15 ships he inherits. By 1540 the navy has 45.

He also builds the first naval dock at Portsmouth and establishes the Navy Board to run the service. Many of the ships, like Henry's flagship the Mary Rose, are fitted with the latest guns. Henry's ships can now now stand up against those of the French and Spanish navies. In 1545, the Mary Rose sinks while leading an attack against a French invasion fleet.

1547

England becomes Protestant under Edward VI

Henry dies and his son Edward, aged nine, becomes king. Edward's uncle Edward Seymour seizes power by establishing himself as protector.

In order to make England a truly Protestant state, the Book of Common Prayer is introduced and religious imagery in churches is destroyed. Seymour is arrested and later executed after he fails to solve England's near bankruptcy. The king dies aged fifteen, never ruling in his own right. The cause of his death is not certain.

1553

Mary I is crowned queen

Edward's half-sister Mary takes the throne, after a power struggle with Edward's advisers who want his cousin Lady Jane Grey to be queen.

At first Mary I enjoys widespread popular support. But many oppose her decision to marry Catholic Phillip II of Spain and reconcile with Rome. She attempts to take England back to Catholicism. During her reign nearly 300 Protestants are burned for refusing to reconvert, earning her the nickname 'Bloody Mary'.

1558

Elizabeth I’s long reign begins

When Mary dies, her Protestant half-sister Elizabeth, daughter of Anne Boleyn, becomes queen.

Elizabeth returns England to Protestantism, but she does not enforce strict religious conformity and declares she does not want to 'make windows into men's souls'. Elizabeth chooses never to marry as she wants England free from the influence of foreign princes and the dissent and infighting a marriage to a fellow countryman might bring.

1571

Royal Exchange sees trade flourish

Sir Thomas Gresham, known as the father of English banking, sets up the Royal Exchange – the first purpose-built centre for trading stocks in London.

However stock brokers are not allowed inside the building because of their rude manners, instead they operate from nearby coffee houses. Gresham helps persuade Elizabeth I's parliament to legalise money-lending, which allows the Crown to raise loans from home rather than abroad. Over time London takes over from Antwerp as the financial capital of Europe.

The first Royal Exchange at Cornhill, City of London.

1585

First English colony in America

England wants to compete with Spain and Portugal, whose American colonies generate great wealth.

Sir Walter Raleigh sets up a colony of about 100 men on the east coast of North America, which he names Virginia after Elizabeth I, ‘the Virgin Queen’. Although Raleigh's settlement fails after a year it marks the start of an effort by England to colonise North America. The first successful permanent settlement is founded in 1607.

1586 - 1587

Spymaster ensnares Mary, Queen of Scots

Queen Elizabeth I faces numerous plots against her and pays Sir Francis Walsingham to set up a European network of spies across Europe.

He establishes England's first counter-intelligence network and a London school that teaches cipher breaking and forgery. Elizabeth's Catholic cousin Mary, Queen of Scots is in exile in England and poses a threat to Elizabeth. Mary is put under house arrest. Walsingham is convinced she is plotting against the queen and implicates her in a plan to depose Elizabeth. Mary is executed a year later.

 

1588

Defeat of Spanish Armada inspires England

Philip II of Spain launches a great fleet of ships, known as the Spanish Armada, to overthrow Elizabeth and restore Catholicism to England.

The Armada of 130 ships sails up the English channel towards the Spanish Netherlands to pick up troops for the invasion. However, they are engaged by the Royal Navy and driven to the North Sea by strong winds. Only around half of them make it back to Spain. The English celebrate their victory with a medal inscribed with the words 'God Blew and they were Scattered'.

1601

Provisions for the poor

The dissolution of the monasteries under Henry VIII leaves many of the poorest without a safety net. Poor laws are introduced to help.

The Elizabethan Poor Law of 1601 requires each parish to provide for the 'lame, impotent, old and blind'. Overseers collect a regular amount from parishioners according to their ability to pay. Over time this evolved into a more centralised system which is replaced by the modern welfare state in the 20th Century

The Lambarde Almshouses.

1603

End of the Tudor dynasty

Elizabeth I dies aged 69. The Virgin Queen never married or had children.

James VI of Scotland was her closest royal relative as they were both direct descendants of Henry VII. He is named King James I on the day of Elizabeth's death. One of Britain's greatest and most influential dynasties finally reaches its conclusion.

 

Edited March 16, 2021 by Preety_India

[Preety_India]

Although the Tudors left a bad legacy and still had a deep political impact on the religious political system of the British Monarchy, yet the behavior of the Royals of the house of Windsor has been nothing like that of the Tudor monarchs which is a great grace. 

I'm glad that it wasn't the Tudors who ruled India but the Windsors. 

 

[Preety_India]

Although certain things about the Tudor dynasty conjure up images of extreme brutality, some of the changes made helped the Monarchy, especially those by Elizabeth I. 

Henry the 8th restructured the Navy. 

 

[Preety_India]

Which royal house has had the greatest impact on general humanity in terms of humanitarian values and struggles? 

I'd say much of the older houses focused on getting and maintaining the throne, making sure their reign lasted through their heirs and there was too much strife for power and very little connection with the public. The public were treated like slaves, the Monarchy was too dictatorial and ungodly, too much invested in maintaining power and warring with neighboring territories of Scotland and France. This is never more than evident in the 100 years war with the French. 

Much of this decay came to an end with the Great Britain union during the time of Anne the Stuart. 

 

 

[Preety_India]

 

The Acts of Union ended much of the strife between Irish, Welsh and Scottish rulers in the United Kingdom. Now it was going to be ruled as one Kingdom. 

 

The Acts of Union (Scottish Gaelic: Achd an Aonaidh) were two Acts of Parliament: the Union with Scotland Act 1706 passed by the Parliament of England, and the Union with England Act passed in 1707 by the Parliament of Scotland. They put into effect the terms of the Treaty of Union that had been agreed on 22 July 1706, following negotiation between commissioners representing the parliaments of the two countries. By the two Acts, the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland—which at the time were separate states with separate legislatures, but with the same monarch—were, in the words of the Treaty, "United into One Kingdom by the Name of Great Britain".

This is how Great Britain was found. 

 

[Preety_India]

So I'll conclude this. 

Kind of ironic because the Brits didn't want anything to do with the Germans because of whatever happened   during the First World War. 

They tried to scrape off anything that was German in the Monarchy. 

The funny part is that the whole Hanover house had German roots throughout, the family that produced the most famous monarch Queen Victoria. 

The name of the house was changed to Windsor in 1917. But this didn't change the German roots. 

Thus Queen Elizabeth 2 and the house of Windsor owe their bloodlines to Germans and its German roots that finally brought stability to the highly unstable Monarchy. 

 

Edited March 16, 2021 by Preety_India