The witch hunts and witch trials that happened hundreds of years ago are some of the most infamous events that have happened throughout history.
Perhaps the most infamous witch trials were those that happened in Salem Massachusetts, in the United States of America. The Salem Witch Trials happened between 1692 and 1693. The European witch hunts and trials were already happening long before the Salem witch hunts took place - the Salem Witch Trials happened in the dying decades of the witch trials that were happening across Europe during the early modern era.
The witch-hunts were happening in Europe from 1450 to 1750. These witch-hunts resulted in the brutal deaths of both people and animals in Europe.
The witch-hunts in the early modern era of Europe, resulted in many different European countries having witch trials. These countries included - Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, the Netherlands, Finland, Denmark, Ireland, Scotland, England and many more. In England, the witch-trials resulted in the 'The Witchcraft Act 1542'. The Witchcraft Act 1542, was a law that King Henry VIII had passed. This law was passed in the final years of King Henry VIII's reign, as the Tudor monarch died in 1547. This resulted in Henry's son, Edward, becoming king of England - King Edward repealed the Witchcraft Act that his father had put in place. The witch trials didn't stop in England though at that point; they lasted from the 15th century to the 18th century in England. The witch trials in England resulted in hundreds of deaths, the vast majority of people persecuted and killed because of the witch trials, were women. In Scotland, there were different witchcraft acts. For example, the Scottish Witchcraft Act of 1563 was passed. This act resulted in witchcraft and associating with witches as a capital offence. It is estimated that witch trials and hunts were significantly higher in Scotland, compared to England - as it is estimated that there were thousands of people persecuted in Scotland for being witches.
King James VI of Scotland (James I of England), was perhaps the most notorious person in history to be associated with the witch hunts and trials. James was notoriouslysuperstitious ; his dark superstitious nature resulted in thisking's brutal witch hunts.
The Scottish king himself personally attended Scotland's first major witch trials; these witch trials were called the North Berwick witch trials. There was said to be between 70 to 200 women who were arrested and accused of being witches; these women were tortured upon their arrest and murdered - though the exact number of women persecuted in the North Berwick witch trials is unknown to this day. The witch hunts in Scotland were significantly worse than its neighbour England. While England was thought to have killed around 500 people (mostly women) of witchcraft, the death rate was 3 to 4 times higher in Scotland, as it is estimated that 3,000 to 4,000 women in Scotland were killed because they were accused of witchcraft. The Witchcraft Act 1735 During the height of the witch trials, Scotland and England were united in the union. The Act of Union 1707, united Scotland and England to form one country. The witch trials and witch hunts were still happening during this time, however, these hunts and trials were ending. The Witchcraft Act 1735, which was made law in the Kingdom of Britain, resulted in the killing of witches being outlaw in Britain. However, people could still be sent to prison for witchcraft. The last witch-hunting trials which happened in England were in 1717 in Leicester. The witch hunting trials seemed to put an end to people being killed in the name of witchcraft, however, women (largely) were still imprisoned for witchcraft up until very recent history, due to the Witchcraft Act 1735. Remarkably, Scotland's last witch was sent to prison in 1944! The persecution of women in the name of witchcraft, stopped in Britain when the Witchcraft Act of 1735 was repealed by the UK parliament in 1951.
The biggest amount of witch trials and hunts across Europe came between 1580 and 1630.
These witch hunts and trials happened in much of Europe. It is believed that men, women and even animals were killed as a result of the witch hunts. The vast majority of those killed in the name of witchcraft across Europe were women. And, most of these women were usually either middle-aged or elderly; they often lived alone too. These women were also poor and social outcasts. This resulted in the thousands of women (and some men), during the early modern era in Western Europe. It is estimated that as many as 200,000 people were killed, tortured and hanged as a result of being accused of witchcraft between 1484 and 1750. What Was The Reason For The Witch Hunts? A major driving force in the witch hunts and trials seemed to be misogyny : a hatred of women. The vast majority of those accused of witchcraft were women. It was believed that 80% of those persecuted and killed in the name of witchcraft in the early modern era, were women. This has resulted in people theorizing that the witch hunts which happened were driven bymisogyny. Another reason that people believe that the witch hunts happened, was due to mass hysteria and moral panic. Mass hysteria has been seen as the reason, specifically for the Salem witch trials. Other reasons for the witch hunts happening are - people not fitting in with the social and religious beliefs and ways of life at the time, persecution of elderly and old women. It seems likely that is was a combination of all of these things that resulted in the witch trials and hunts of the early modern era in history; rather than just one thing being responsible for them. The witch trials and hunts were one of Europe's most infamous and brutal events in history.
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On this day in history, Anne Boleyn recieved the title of Marquess of Pembroke.
What Is The Marquess of Pembroke? The Marquess of Pembroke was a title that King Henry VIII created for Anne Boleyn. Anne Boleyn received the title of Marquess of Pembroke on the 1st of September 1532. It was a title that was a peerage. A peerage is a title. The Peerage and Anne Boleyn When Anne Boleyn received the Marquess of Pembroke title, she was not yet married to Henry VIII. Instead, Anne Boleyn was engaged to the king. But, she was soon to become Henry VIII's second wife, and, Queen Consort of England. Henry and Anne married a few months after she was given the title of the Marquess of Pembroke. Both Henry and Anne married twice. The first time they married was in a secret ceremony on the 14th of November 1532. Then, just a few weeks later, the couple was married again on the 25th of January 1533.
Anne became pregnant that Winter. It's thought that Anne became pregnant in January 1533. Later that year, on the 7th of September 1533, Anne Boleyn successfully gave birth to a baby girl. That baby girl would be the future Queen Elizabeth I.
The birth of Elizabeth was the only successful heir that Anne Boleyn had given King Henry VIII. It is believed that her failure to produce a male heir for the king, was one of the main reasons for Boleyn's downfall. The Downfall Of Anne Boleyn The downfall of Anne Boleyn was dramatic and quick. She perhaps has one of the most, if not, thee most, spectacular downfall of an English monarch we have ever seen. Things seem to be going well for the new Queen Consort in January 1533. She was newlywed to the King of England, she was pregnant with the Kings heir, perhaps it may have seemed to her that she was invincible. But, she wasn't. It only took a few short years from when she received the Marquess of Pembroke title, to her downfall and execution. Anne Boleyn was executed on the 2nd of May 1536 by Henry VIII, just three years after she had been given the title of Marquess of Pembroke by the King. It shows how quickly her downfall came, and how quickly Boleyn fell out of favour with the King. Upon her death, it seems the title Marquess of Pembroke title was extinguished. Perhaps, probably for the best, as, who would want to inherit a title that seemed a bit ill-fated?
Jane Seymour was publicly proclaimed Queen on the 4th of June 1536.
She was the third queen and wife of King Henry VIII. Before Jane Seymour, King Henry VIII married twice beforehand. The first woman he was married to was Catherine of Aragon, this marriage lasted from 1509 to 1533. The second woman he married was Anne Bolyen. The marriage between Anne Boleyn and King Henry VIII was much shorter, it lasted from 1533 to 1536. The kings second shortest marriage was to Jane Seymour. Jane Seymour married the Tudor monarch just days before she was proclaimed queen. They married on the 30th of May 1536 and she became queen of England just days later on the 4th of June 1536. They became engaged just several days prior to their marriage. The engagement between Henry VIII and Jane Seymour strongly suggests that they were courting each other while the king was still married to Anne Boleyn, as Anne Boleyn was only executed a day before the announcment of their engagement and she was only arrested a few weeks before her execuation: Anne Boleyn was arrested on the 2nd of May 1536 for charges that included adultry and treason.
Jane was only proclaimed queen, she was never crowned queen of England. The reason that she was never crowned was due to there being a plague in London at the time time.
But she did go on to get pregant. Unlike Anne who was pregnant when she got married to Henry, Jane was not - it would be several months after her marriage to the king that she would fall pregant with his child. She first became preganant around Christmas in 1536. However, she miscarried the child. It didn't take her long to get pregnant again though, as by January 1537, Jane Seymour was pregnant again. And this time, she carried the child to term. She gave birth to the future King Edward VI on the 12th of October 1537. Jane gave birth to the son the Henry had always wanted, and the son that his first two wives failed to produce. But, even though Henry finally got the son he always wanted, it wasn't an entirley successful pregnancy - Jane had difficulty giving birth and it ended in tragedy as it seems as if her death was caused several weeks after the birth of her son from complications she went through at childbirth. Jane died on the 24th of October 1537. It resulted her being queen for just over a year and one of the shortest monarchs in English history. But, even though her time as queen was short, she did make an impact, as she gave Henry VIII the son he had always wanted, she had brough Henry's first child - Mary Tudor (later to be queen Mary I), from his first marriage, back to court from being banished by the King and helped restore Mary Tudor to the line of succession. She also seems to be the woman that captured Henry's heart the most, as he refered to her as his true love and requested to be buried next to her upon his death. To this day, both Henry VIII and Jane Seymour are buried next to each other in St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle. Jane was queen from the 4th of June 1536 to the 24th of October 1537.
On this day in history, Anne Boleyn - King Henry VIII's - became queen of England.
She was not a queen that ruled in her own right. Instead, Anne Boleyn was queen consort. Even though Anne Boleyn was only queen consort, she was still incredibly powerful. Her powerful influence in the Tudor court and on Henry VIII, resulted in one of history's most important events: the English reformation. The English reformation was significant, as it weakened the Catholic church (probably the most powerful institution at the time). The Catholic church still remained incredibly powerful during the English Reformation beyond. However, the Catholic church lost much of it's authority over England, as Henry VIII became leader of the church in England as a result of the reformation.
Anne Boleyn was instrumental in breaking the Catholic churches grip over England, as she was sympathetic to the reformation cause. She was also instrumental in breaking Romes authority over England as Henry broke with Rome so he could marry her.
Henry chose to break with Rome because Rome refused to grant Henry a divorce: the Pope, Pope Clement VII, refused to grant Henry a divorce to his first wife - Catherine of Aragon. This in turn resulted in Henry VIII's rebellion towards Catholicism and the pope. The break from Rome was years in the making, as Henry VIII began his pursuit of Anne Boleyn long before his break from Rome. It is believed that Henry began to pursue Anne in early 1526. It was a long courting, as they married years later, on the 25th of January 1533 - by this point, Anne was pregnant with Henry's second child (and her first to him): the future Elizabeth I, who was born later that year in September. Henry's first child was to his first wife - Mary Tudor, who later became Mary I. Six months after Henry and Anne had married, Anne became queen consort. She became queen consort through her coronation, which took place on the 1st of June 1533.
On this day in history, Mary I of England, or - Bloody Mary, as she was also known, was born on this day in 1516. Mary I of England was born on the 18th of February 1516. She was the eldest daughter of King Henry VIII, and the daughter of King Henry VIII's first wife: Catherine of Aragon.
Mary was not only the eldest daughter of Henry VIII, she was also Henry's eldest child. The King had two other legitimate children: Elizabeth and Edward. Elizabeth was the daughter of Henry VIII and his second wife: Anne Boleyn. Elizabeth was born on the 7th of September 1533. Elizabeth, went on to become England's second female monarch. After the death of her sister Mary, Elizabeth became Elizabeth I and Queen of England. Henry VIII's third legitimate child, was his youngest child: Edward. Edward was born on the 12th of October in 1537, his mother was Henry VIII's third wife: Jane Seymour. Edward went on to become King Edward VI until his death. Edward was the first of the three siblings to become monarch after King Henry VIII died. Edward was not a long King, he only reigned as monarch from 1547 to 1553, until his premature death at just 15 years old. Edward VI was just a child when he became monarch of England. His siblings, on the other hand, were both adults when they became monarchs of England. Mary was the second of the three siblings to become monarch - Mary Tudor was 37 years old when she became Queen. And, Elizabeth was the last of the three siblings to become monarch: she became England's second Queen in history after Mary had died. Mary Tudor became England's first ever Queen in 1553. Mary Tudor became Mary I of England on the 1st of October 1553, when she was crowned Queen of England at Westminster Abbey. She became monarch after Lady Jane Grey made a claim to the English throne after the death of Edward VI. Lady Jane Grey was a distant relative of Mary's, which was partly Jane's claim to the English throne. However, after just nine days of Lady Jane Grey being de facto Queen of England, Mary removed her from power and later had her executed. Mary's claim to the English throne was that she was the sister of Edward VI's. Mary also had a legal claim to the English throne, due to the Third Act of Succession in 1543. Henry VIII passed the Third Act of Succession in 1543 to make it law that all three of his children - Edward, Mary and Elizabeth - had a right to become King or Queen. Edward was first in line to the throne, as he was Henry's male heir. Mary was second in line to the throne, as she was the eldest of the two sisters: Mary and Elizabeth. And, Elizabeth was last in line to the throne as she was the youngest of the two sisters. All three siblings ruled England. Mary Tudor's reign of England wasn't a long one, she was only Queen of England between the 1st of October 1553 until her death on the 17th of November 1558. Mary was only 42 years old at the time of her death, and only was Queen for around five years. Despite only being Queen for five years, Mary I of England did make her mark on history. Her reign started off with Mary executing her distant cousin - Lady Jane Grey - on grounds of treason. She then made a notable mark in history for becoming England's first ever female monarch. Perhaps most infamously, Mary I of England is and was known for her persecution of Protestants. As a Catholic, Mary was determined to restore Catholicism in England after her father - King Henry VIII, had turned England into a Protestant country. Mary's attempt to restore Catholicism in England and turn England back into a Catholic country is why she became infamous. Mary became infamous for the way that she went about trying to restore Catholicism to England: she persecuted Protestants and had them executed for nothing more than their faith. Mary's persecution of Protestants was cruel, and can be seen as a persecution of Protestants just because of their faith. She had hundreds of Protestants killed in a brutal way: Mary I of England had Protestants executed by being burnt at the stake, which is why she got the name 'Bloody Mary'. Although burning at the steak was a common method of punishment at the time for those who committed acts of 'heresy' in Europe, it's undoubtful that her primary motivation for burning people at the stake was due to the fact that they were Protestant, and not Catholic. Mary's reign may have been short, but she made her mark in history, more so for being, seemingly, blood-thirsty of those who didn't agree with her, rather than being more remembered for being England's first female monarch. Mary I of England was born on the 18th of February 1516,
On this day in history, Catherine Howard was executed.
Catherine Howard was executed on the 13th of February 1542. She was executed on the orders of King Henry VIII. Who Was Catherine Howard? Catherine Howard was the fifth wife of King Henry VIII. Catherine Howard and King Henry VIII married on the 28th of July 1540, at Oatlands Palace in London. Therefore, Catherine and Henry were only married for less than two years. Perhaps it could be said that their marriage got off to a bad omen, as one of Henry VIII's closest men - his Chancellor, Thomas Cromwell, was executed on the same day that Catherine Howard and King Henry VIII got married. Thomas Cromwell was also executed on the 28th of July 1540. Cromwell was responsible for choosing Henry VIII's fourth wife - Anne Of Cleeves. The marriage between Anne of Cleeves and the King only lasted around six months before the King decided to annual the wedding. Henry blamed his failed marriage on Cromwell. The marriage between Anne Of Cleeves and Henry VIII was annulled on the 9th of July 1540, just several weeks before the execution of Thomas Cromwell. It didn't take Henry that long to marry again after his annulment - he married Catherine Howard just a few weeks after he annulled his marriage to Anne.
Catherine Howard wasn't just anyone, she was the cousin of Henry VIII's second wife: Anne Boleyn. Ironically, they both suffered the same fate at the hands of Henry, as both of them were executed on Henry's command.
Why Was Catherine Howard Executed? Catherine Howard was executed by Henry VIII on charges of treason: she had committed adultery with Thomas Culpeper - Thomas Culpeper was a gentleman of King Henry VIII's Privy chamber, he was also close to the King. Both Catherine and Culpeper admitted to the adultery between them. Thomas Culpepper was executed before Catherine Howard was - he was executed on the 10th of December 1941. Catherine was executed just a few months later, on the 13th of February 1542. Henry VIII had six wives, he executed two of them, both of them cousins - Catherine Howard and Anne Boleyn - on charges of adultery.
On this day in history in 1554, Lady Jane Grey - the 'Nine Days Queen' - was executed. Lady Jane Grey was executed on the 12th of February 1554.
Lady Jane Grey was executed on that day within the Tower of London, on Tower Green. Tower Green had previously seen some notable executions. Two of Henry VII''s wives - Catherine Howard and Anne Boleyn - were both executed at Tower Green on the orders of Henry the VIII himself. Henry VIII did not order the execution for Lady Jane Grey, as he was long dead at this point. It was his daughter - Mary (I) Tudor, or sometimes known as Bloody Mary, who ordered the execution of Lady Jane Grey.
Why Did Mary I Order The Execution of Lady Jane Grey?
Upon the death of Henry VIII's only son - Edward VI, on the 6th of July 1553, England needed a new monarch. A few days later, on the 10th of July 1553, Lady Jane Grey was proclaimed to be Queen of England. The Duke of Northumberland had proclaimed Lady Jane Grey as Queen, and she accepted. It is thought that the young King Edward VI gave blessing for Lady Jane Grey to become Queen of England upon his death. Part of Edward's decision may have been the Duke of Northumberland persuading King Edward VI to name Lady Jane Grey as the King's successor - there's a good reason why Northumberland would want Lady Jane Grey to become Queen of England, he was her father-in law, it is possible that he exploited the situation for his own benefit, as it would mean that if Lady Jane Grey became Queen of England, then the Duke would retain being in a powerful position in England, and probably in a more powerful upon the crowning of Lady Jane Grey as Queen of England. Lady Jane Grey never had a coronation. Lady Jane Grey's claim to the English throne was that she was the previous King - Henry VII's great-grandaughter - therefore, Lady Jane Grey was Mary Tudor's cousin. Although Lady Jane Grey could be viewed as having a strong claim to the English throne, it could be argued that Mary I had an even stronger claim to the throne. Mary Tudor had several strong claims to the throne of England: 1) She was the last King's sister and oldest of the siblings 2) She was legally entitled to have the throne. Mary Tudor was legally entitled to have the throne of England because of a law that was passed during the end of King Henry VIII's reign. This law is known as the 'Third Act of Succession 1543' which named all of Henry's children - Edward, Mary and Elizabeth - as successors to the throne of England. When Edward died, Mary was the older of the two sisters, therefore, the throne was her right. Mary won her right to the English throne, even though it wasn't smooth sailing: after nine days of Lady Jane Grey being de facto Queen of England, Mary had successfully overthrown her and became Queen of England. Mary Tudor became Mary I when she was crowned Queen and Lady Jane Grey was deposed just nine days after she was proclaimed Queen, on the 19th of July 1553 - Mary Tudor had Lady Jane Grey executed about a half a year after she deposed Grey; Lady Jane Grey was executed on the 12th of February 1554, resulting in Lady Jane Grey becoming the shortest-reigning monarch that England has ever had to this day.
On this day in history, Henry VIII became the leader of the Church of England.
On the 11th of February 1534, Henry VIII became the Supreme Head of the Church of England. King Henry VIII became the legal Supreme Head of the Church of England in 1534 with the passing of the 1534 Act of Supremacy. The 1534 Act Of Supremacy was passed by Henry VIII's parliament, the act granted Henry the legal right to rule the Church of England. But, it was not an act that solely was about giving Henry VIII the legal right to rule the Church of England, it was also an act that forced England's people to see Henry VIII's marriage to Anne Boleyn (the King's second wife) as his legitimate wife.
The Act of Supremacy in 1534 resulted in the English church breaking away from the Vatican. This resulted in the English Reformation - the English Church was no longer part of the Catholic Church when the Reformation happen, the Church of England became a Protestant Church and broke away from the Pope's authority.
The English Reformation resulted in the dissolution of England's monasteries and resulted in Henry VIII's marriage to Anne Boleyn becoming official.
The Tudors were one of the most interesting royal households to ever rule England and Wales. The Tudor period lasted from 1485 - when Henry VII became King of England and Wales after defeating King Richard III in the Battle of Bosworth - until 1603, when Elizabeth I died. King Richard III was the last English and Welsh king to die in battle. Henry VIII became the second Tudor King in 1509 - following the death of his father King Henry VII. The reign of Henry VIII was a colourful one; he changed the course of history forever, both on the British Isles, and in Europe.
All three of Henry VIII’s children became ruling monarchs in their own right. His son, Edward, became King Edward VI in 1547 and reigned until 1553. When Edward VI died in 1553, the crown went to Mary Tudor. Mary Tudor (Queen Mary I), became the first female monarch to rule England, she reigned from 1553 to 1558. After the death of Mary I, the crown went to her half sister, Elizabeth Tudor (Queen Elizabeth I). Elizabeth I has become one of England’s longest serving monarchs to this day, she reigned from 1558 to 1603. The Tudor house and period was over with the death of Elizabeth I, she was the last of Henry VIII’s children to take the throne but never had any children herself. The Tudor era lasted over 100 years. It was an era that resulted in tyranny, bloodshed, political scandals, the breakup of the Catholic church in England which resulted in the country adopting Protestantism as its main religion, and an era which saw England having its first two Queens ruling in their own right. The Tudors themselves were as interesting as the historical events which took place during the Tudor era. In this list, we are not just going to include Kings and Queens who ruled in their own right during this era, we are also going to include Queen consorts and those who married into the Tudor household. Let's get started with number 10, with Catherine Parr!
10. Catherine Parr
Catherine Parr was Henry VIII’s last Queen and wife. He was married five times previously. Catherine Parr was fortunate enough to keep her head, unlike two of Henry’s other wives. She was one of two of Henry’s wives who outlived him, which was an achievement in itself - the other wife of Henry VIII who outlived him was Anne of Cleeves.
Catherine may seem like a minor Tudor, however, her role in history was important. She helped restore Henry’s children - Elizabeth and Mary - to the line of succession, through influencing Henry VIII to restore his two daughters to the line of succession through the Third Succession Act 1543. If it wasn’t for the Third Succession Act 1543 then history may have looked very different, it could have resulted in Mary I and Elizabeth I never becoming Queens. 9. Lady Jane Grey
If the Third Succession Act 1543 hadn’t been passed, then perhaps Lady Jane Grey would have succeeded in becoming Queen of England. Or, those who pushed her to become Queen of England would have been successful in making her Queen of England. It was through the Third Succession Act 1543 that gave the next heir to the English throne - Mary Tudor - solid ground to become the next ruling monarch of England after her brother Edward died.
Mary’s transition to becoming the ruling monarch wasn’t an easy one though, as Lady Jane Grey laid claim to the throne. Lady Jane Grey was proclaimed Queen by others upon Edward’s death because she was the great-great granddaughter of Henry VII. However, the Third Act of Succession meant that the throne belonged to Mary Tudor. In short, Lady Jane Grey was never coronated, she was de facto Queen for nine days after the death of Edward VII and was later executed as a traitor by Mary Tudor. 8. Henry VII
Henry VII was the first Tudor monarch. He reigned from 1485 to 1509. Henry VII gained the throne of England after he had defeated Richard III in the Battle of Bosworth - King Richard III was the last English King to die in battle, and his death drew an end to the War of the Roses; the War of the Roses stopped in 1487, just two years after Henry VII came to the throne.
Henry VII is best known for defeating King Richard III in the Battle of Bosworth and being the last King to ascend the English throne through battle. Richard III was defeated by Henry VII’s men during the battle, his defeat paved the way for the House of Tudor to rule England. Henry VII’s ascension to the throne of England started the 118 year reign of the Tudors. He is best known for defeating Richard III and being the first Tudor monarch. 7. Edward VI
Edward VI succeeded his father, King Henry VIII, to become King of England and Ireland in 1547. He was only a child when he became and ruled as King, therefore, a regency council ruled on Edward’s behalf. This regency council included men like Edward’s uncle - Edward Seymour. The regency council was only meant to rule for Edward VI until he became an adult - something which never happened, as the King died a premature death at the age of 15.
In many ways, King Edward VI was King in name alone, due to his lack of maturity to rule as King. However, he wasn’t completely powerless - Edward first opposed his sister, Mary Tudor, becoming Queen of England because of her catholic religion, he therefore named his cousin, Lady Jane Grey, as his successor, this created a succession crisis after his death. Edward VI is best known for the succession crisis that he left behind upon his death. 6. Jane Seymour
Edward’s short reign couldn’t have happened without his mother: Jane Seymour. Jane Seymour was Henry VIII’s third wife, and is best known for giving Henry VIII the son he so desperately wanted. However, Jane Seymour also suffered a premature death, she died soon after giving birth to Edward and was only 28 years old when she died.
Out of all of his Queens, Jane Seymour seems to have made the biggest impact on Henry VIII’s heart - he wore black for the first few months after the death of Jane Seymour, he also said that Jane was his true wife and love, wanted (and was) buried next to Jane Seymour, and of course - gave Henry VIII the son that he wanted. Henry likely loved Jane the most out of all of his Queens. Jane Seymour was Queen consort from 1536 to 1537. 5. Anne Boleyn
From the most loved, to perhaps the most despised by Henry VIII, we have Anne Boleyn. Certainly in the beginning, Henry did have affection for Anne Boleyn, but perhaps his time with Anne can be said to be more lust and passion, than love. Henry seemed to tire quickly of Anne when he was finally with her. He courted Anne Boleyn for eleven years, and was only married to her for three years - perhaps it could be said that Henry was more interested in the chase with Anne, than anything else.
In saying that though, he must have felt something for her in the beginning, as he broke apart the Catholic church in England to marry Anne. Anne gave Henry a daughter - Elizabeth I. But she failed to give Henry the son and heir that he so desperately wanted, it was perhaps this that resulted in Henry tiring of Anne. Anne Boleyn was Queen consort of England from 1533 to 1536. She had one of the most spectacular downfalls of any monarch in history - Anne was beheaded on the 19th of May 1536 for adultery, witchcraft and incest. It’s unclear who exactly was responsible for Anne’s downfall, although, one of the prime suspects is Thomas Cromwell (Henry VIII’s chief minister). 4. Jane Boleyn
Another prime suspect for Anne Boleyn's downfall was her sister-in-law: Jane Boleyn. Jane Boleyn has had an infamous role in history - she was thought to have accused her husband George Boleyn (Anne’s brother) and Anne herself of having an affair, it’s thought that this was one of the damning things that brought about the downfall of both George Boleyn and Anne Boleyn (as both of them were executed).
Jane’s accusation towards her brother and sister-in-law isn’t believed to be based on anything which happened between George and Anne, rather, it seems more to have been motivated by vengeance. It is because of this that Jane Seymour has been regarded as infamous in history. Jane faced her own downfall several years later, when she was executed by Henry VIII in 1542 for helping Henry’s fifth wife - Catherine Howard - have an affair. 3. Mary I
Mary I was the first Queen of England. The reign of Mary I (Mary Tudor), Henry VIII’s daughter, lasted from 1553 to 1558. The succession to the throne wasn’t easy for Mary I, she had to overthrow the ‘nine day Queen’ Lady Jane Grey to become Queen.
Her succession to the throne is one of the things that Mary Tudor is known for, but it is not the only thing: she is also known for her re-establishment of the Catholic religion in England during her reign and her cruel persecution of Protestants. Her cruel persecution of Protestants resulted in Mary burning hundreds of Protestants at the stake, which gave her the nickname of ‘Bloody Mary’. Henry VIII’s first daughter is most infamously known as Bloody Mary. Mary had a phantom pregnancy, but she didn’t have any children. Therefore, she had no heirs to succeed her. After three short, but ruthless years as Queen, Mary died, naming her sister Elizabeth as her successor. 2. Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I became the second Tudor Queen to rule in her own right, she ascended the throne in 1558. Like her sister Mary, Elizabeth never had any children, and therefore, never had her own heir to succeed her. Unlike her sister, Elizabeth I never married, where Mary did, and Elizabeth’s reign was a long one lasting almost 50 years.
Due to the length of her reign, Elizabeth I has been one of the longest and most successful monarchs to every sit on any British throne. She succeeded in restoring the Protestant religion to England after her sister Mary had died. Although the two sisters did have different beliefs and upbringings, it appears that Mary had at least some affection for her sister, as she named Elizabeth as her successor - she could have killed Elizabeth like she had done with Lady Jane Grey, but she didn’t. Although, probably not overwhelming affection, as Mary had Elizabeth under house arrest for some of Mary’s reign. It is, however, another Mary that Elizabeth I is most well-known for: Mary Queen of Scots. Mary Queen of Scots and Elizabeth I were cousins. Mary and Elizabeth’s relationship with one another wasn’t as straightforward as is often assumed. What we do know is that they never met, their relationship with one another was always from a distance. Elizabeth I was the second daughter of Henry VIII. 1. Henry VIII
Our top Tudor monarch is of course King Henry VIII himself. Henry VIII had quite a reign, he reigned as King of England for over 30 years, from 1509 to 1547.
His reign was quite the eventful one. He was married a record six times. His wives, in the order he married them, were: 1) Catherine of Aragon, 2) Anne Boleyn, 3) Jane Seymour, 4) Anne of Cleeves, 5) Catherine Howard, and 6) Catherine Parr. He had two of them - Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard - beheaded. Catherine of Aragon was banished. Jane Seymour died after giving birth to Henry VIII’s son; Edward VI. And two of his wives outlived him: Anne of Cleeves and Catherine Parr. Henry also had three legitimate children. He had Mary I to Catherine of Aragon, Elizabeth I to Anne Boleyn, and Edward VI to Jane Seymour. All three of his children became King and Queens of England, however, Mary I and Edward VI's reign didn’t last long. Henry is mostly known for his six wives. However, he is also known for his ruthlessness as King - he had many people close to him killed, including two of his wives, Thomas Cromwell and Thomas More. Henry spared no one his wrath if he thought they crossed him. Finally, King Henry VIII is known for establishing the Protestant religion in England.
The monarchy is a British institution like no other. It is historic, both for its longevity, and its traditions. The history of the monarchy has all sorts of different historical events condensed into one. From dramas, to love, romance, marriages, deaths, battles, war, religious conflicts, political scandals...you name it, monarchical history has it. And that is what makes it so interesting: the history of the British monarch has been like Game of Thrones in action.
Of course, things have mellowed down as to how the British monarchy used to be. But the history of the British monarchy is still fascinating. A large part to do with how fascinating the British monarchy has been throughout history, is down to the individual monarchs themselves. There is a long list of monarchs who are diverse and interesting. In this list, we are going to look at ten monarchs who have all been different and unique in their own way. These top ten monarchs are from a range of different historical eras. Their era, as well as their choices, influenced and shaped history on the British Isles forever, and that is why they have a place in our top ten list of monarchs from the British Isles. This top ten monarchs list will be based on which monarchs have had the greatest and most influential role in history. It will be about how these monarchs shaped the history of the British Isles, both at the time of their own reign and how their actions helped shaped future historical eras. This list won’t be based on how ‘good’ or ‘bad’ these kings and queens were. Instead, it’s based on how impactful they have been on history, their longevity, their memorability to us and how they changed the course of history on the British Isles forever. Let’s start with our top ten list of monarchs to sit on any British throne list!
10. Ethelflaed
Kicking off our top ten list is Ethelflaed. Ethelflaed was the daughter of King Alfred the Great; King Alfred the Great was King of the Anglo-Saxons between 886 and 899, he was also King of the West Saxons between 871 and 886. Ethelflaed is not only known for being the daughter of Alfred the Great, she is also known for being the ruling monarch of the Kingdom of Merica.
The Kingdom of Merica was one of the kingdoms that existed on the British Isles before the Kingdom of England was formed, Ethelflaed was Lady of the Mercians from 911 to 918. She is on our top ten list because Ethelflaed was a warrior Queen who broke down the glass ceiling. This Lady of the Mercians was the only female royal ruler of an Anglo-Saxon kingdom, and she was a warrior Queen who notably took on the Vikings. Ethaelflaed was a war-like monarch, who defended the Kingdom of Mercia several times against the Vikings, and, due to her warrior strength and military savviness defended her Kingdom agaist the Vikings on several occasions. Her military strength and cleverness is one of the reasons why she deserves to be on this top ten list. Another reason why she deserves to be on this top ten list is due her breaking down the glass ceiling for other female monarchs on the British Isles to lead their kingdoms. She paved the way for Matilda, Elizabeth I, Mary I, Mary Queen of Scots, Anne, Victoria and Elizabeth II. We haven’t had many female Queens in history who have led in their own right, Ethelflaed deserves to be remembered for being the first female monarch to rule a kingdom on the British Isles. She wasn’t the first Queen of England though. The first Queen of England was Mary I (Bloody Mary), who became Queen of England several hundred years after Ethelflaed had died. 9. William the Conqueror
We are staying with the medieval era, but looking at another impactful monarch of the medieval era: William the Conqueror. William the Conqueror is well-known to us all. William is known for his Norman conquest of England in 1066, and is known for being the first Norman King in history. William the Conqueror (also William I) fought and defeated Edward II at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. It was a turning point in history and laid the foundations for the England we know today. The England that William I won, and won the right to rule over was only a newly formed kingdom around the same time that William the Conqueror became King of England. A few decades before the Battle of Hastings, the Kingdom of England didn’t exist. Instead there were a few different kingdoms in its place, such as the Kingdom of Merica, a Kingdom that King Ethelstan unified with our Kingdoms to create the Kingdom of England.
King Ethelstan was the first ruler of England, however, William the Conqueror is often looked upon as the first King of England. William has managed to make an impact on history that other monarchs have failed to do, such as Ethelstan. This is another reason why William the Conqueror is on this list, because he has made an impact on history that few monarchs have. There have been hundreds of battles fought on the British Isles and most of them are not memorable, or well-known. However, the Battle of Hastings is one of those few exceptions. The Battle of Hastings has cemented William the Conqueror’s place in history, both for his role in the battle, William’s speech after winning the battle, and how it shaped the course of English history. Another, and final thing that makes William’s reign as king memorable, is due to his coronation itself. The coronation of William was on Christmas day 1066, which resulted in him officially becoming King of England. 8. Llywelyn the Great
From one unifying King to another unifying King, we now look to Wales and to Llywelyn the Great. Llywelyn the Great is one of the longest-serving monarchs the British Isles has ever had. For this reason, he deserves to be in our top ten list of monarchs on the British Isles. Llywelyn reigned as King of Wales for an impressive 45 years, resulting in him being one of the longest-serving monarchs the British Isles has ever had. He is the eighth longest-serving monarchs in Britain of all time, this impressive reign by Llywelyn, was a longer reign than Elizabeth I had.
The long reign of Llywelyn the Great suggests a strong, resilient and savvy political and military leader. These traits are shown in what Llywelyn accomplished during his reign as King. Llywelyn the Great successfully united Wales as one. Before that, we he first became King, he was only King of North Wales. However, due to his political savviness, diplomacy skills, war-like spirit and strength, successfully resulted in Llywelyn the Great uniting Wales. For is role in uniting Wales and creating the Wales we know and love today, is one of the main reasons why Llywelyn the Great deserves to be on this list. There is one final reason why this Welsh King deserves to be on this list: he was instrumental in the Magna Carta being enshrined into law. The Magan Carta is, probably, the single most important historical document in both the British Isles and the world. Llywelyn the Great forced King John to sign the Magna Carta, which means that Llywelyn the Great was instrumental in creating the Magna Carta laws. This is important, as the Magna Carta has given people human rights and freedoms. It has also influenced the American constitution and is still an important law that helps shape and influence human rights and freedoms to this day. 7. King John
In keeping in the spirit of the Magna Carta we are going to look at our next monarch: King John. King John deserves to be on our top ten list of monarchs for several reasons, one of these reasons is the Magna Carta. Although King John was forced to sign the Magna Carta, it was an important, if not one of the most important events which have ever happened in history. King John was forced to sign the Magna Carta in June 1215 by his barons and Llywelyn the Great. It was an important historical event which has shaped the course of British history and beyond ever since. Being forced to sign the Magna Carta though, shows that King John was a weak king who did not have full control of his realm, it shows that he lacked the authority he should have had and displayed as King.
It is perhaps partly through this that King John has a bad reputation in history. He also has a bad reputation in history because of his failed military endeavours and through his poorly received reputation through the tales of Robin Hood. His role in the history of Robin Hood is another reason why King John deserves to be on this list. For what would the tales of Robin Hood be without the evil imposter King John? Thanks to the tales of Robin Hood, King John is seen as a classic villain - he has been seen as the imposter King who stole the English crown from history brother (King Richard I), and as a monarch who ruled over England with a cruel iron fist, is the way King John has been perceived through the tales of Robin Hood, which has helped shaped his reputation in history. 6. Richard I
Sticking with Robin Hood, we look none other than to King Richard I himself. King Richard I deserves to be on this list for being part of, and shaping the story of Robin Hood itself. Although King Richard I was absent from England due to fighting in the Crusades in the Middle East, he is a central and crucial role to the history that shaped Robin Hood. There is historical evidence that Robin Hood did exist, the first record of him being noted in history is from 1377. However, it’s also likely there is some added folklore to the real Robin Hood and his story. For example, Maid Marion was added to the story much later and it’s unknown if Robin Hood ever actually did meet Richard the Lionheart, though no record of it seems to be recorded.
Whatever the real truth about Robin Hood, what can be said is that Robin Hood has helped immortalized Richard I in history. His catchy name ‘Richard the Lionheart’ also helps this medieval monarch stand out and be remembered in a sea of British monarchs. King Richard the Lionheart deserves to be on this list through his memorable impact on British and English history, both for the crusades, but especially for Robin Hood. King Richard I shows that a monarch can have a great impact on both his era and history without being a long-lasting monarch, as Richard was only King of England for ten years. Ten years isn’t a long reign, but it didn’t need to be for Richard, as it was long enough to make his stamp on history and be remembered. He is the last medieval monarch on our list. 5. Henry VIII
Away from the medieval era, we move into the Middle Ages, with none other than King Henry VIII himself. King Henry VIII really needs no introduction, he is a monarch that speaks for itself just by describing his name. Henry VIII was an impactful monarch in so many ways: he was instrumental in breaking away from the Catholic Church through the English Reformation, he was a tyrant-King who spared no one of mercy and he had a record-breaking six wives. Henry deserves to be on this list for his colourful and boisterous character, and for the fact that he changed the nature of religion and religious worship on the British Isles forever.
Everything about Henry VIII’s reign is interesting and gripping, perhaps more so for the way that he treated those closest to him, rather than anything else. With his six wives and Queens, one was exiled by him, two were beheaded by him, one died through giving birth to the son he so desperately wanted and two outlived him. He also beheaded two of his closest friends and political confidants: Thomas Moore and Thomas Cromwell. There are so many reasons why Henry VIII deserves to be on this list and you could write a whole book about how impactful and memorable his reign as King was. It was so impactful that his reign as King lasted long after his death, with us him giving us the first English Queen, Mary I (Bloody Mary, who was his daughter), and the second Queen of England, Elizabeth I who was also his daughter. Henry desperately wanted a son to secure his legacy and to secure the throne of England for the Tudor dynasty, however, the irony is, was that his son Edward VI was weak and didn’t last that long as King after the death of Henry VIII, whereas, both of Henry’s daughters Elizabeth and Mary were longer serving monarchs and were as strong as any King. 4. Elizabeth I
In keeping with the Tudor spirit, Queen Elizabeth I is one of our top monarchs of all time. She came to the throne when her sister Mary I had died. Mary I reigned for ten years as the first Queen of England. However, her reign as Queen was notorious, which is seen through the title that she is now remembered by: ‘Bloody Mary’. Mary was known for her cruel persecution of protestants and her attempt to reverse the English reformation due to her Catholic beliefs. However, given that Mary was succeeded by Elizbeth, a practising protestant, it seems in hindsight that Queen Mary’s attempt to reverse the English reformation was futile. After Mary tried to stamp out the protestant faith in England during her ten-year reign, Elizabeth restored the protestant faith in England upon becoming Queen. It is partly for her protestant faith, and the impact that it had on England that Elizabeth is remembered for. She is also remembered for the relationship that she had with her sister Mary I. The relationship between the sisters was a complex one, however, although they had differences in religious beliefs, Mary I named Elizabeth as her successor and wanted her sister to succeed her to be Queen of England, which is what happened.
Elizabeth is also known for her relationship with her cousin Mary Queen of Scots. Mary Queen of Scots was imprisoned by her own lords and forced to abdicate the Scottish throne, she was imprisoned in Loch Leven castle. Mary escape and fled to England. However, it was a fatal mistake on Mary's behalf, as her existence was a threat to Elizabeth's life and crown. Elizabeth didn't want to kill her own cousin, but as she saw Mary as a threat to her own crown she imprisoned Mary in England for almost twenty years. Though there is no evidence to suggest that the two cousins met, their distant relationship is one of the things that both women are remembered for. Elizabeth is also known as the Virgin Queen due to her unwillingness to marry. Like with Henry VIII, a whole book could be written about why Elizabeth I deserves to be on this top ten list of monarchs, Elizabeth I reigned for over 44 years and is the ninth longest-reigning monarch in the history of the British Isles. 3. Victoria
In keeping with the longest-reigning monarchs, we move to the second longest-reigning monarch in British history: Queen Victoria. Queen Victoria is the second longest-reigning monarch of British history and the British Isles, she’s also one of the longest-reigning monarchs ever to have lived in the world. Queen Victoria ruled for an impressive 63 years, which is one of the reasons that she belongs on this list. But there are other reasons why this monarch deserves to be on our top ten list of monarchs, mainly, for how the Victorian era changed both Britain and the world. The British Empire largely changed the nature of the world and Britain itself. It helped modernize Britain through the industrial revolution.
During Victoria’s reign, Britain was the world’s most powerful country. It dominated and controlled large parts of the world in several continents. The British Empire stretched from Asia, Australasia, Africa and the Americas, which led to the British Empire becoming the world’s largest-ever empire by the time the Victorian era had finished. But it is not just how the Victorian era shaped the world that makes Victoria’s reign memorable, which also makes it memorable is how Victoria’s reign shaped Britain itself. Today we remember Victorian Britain as a place of workhouses and deep inequality. We can see how things like inequality and workhouses shaped Victorian Britain through the work of Charles Dickens. It is also partly through Charles Dickens that we have the Christmas that we know today. Christmas before the Victorian era was vastly different from the Christmas that we have today, it was really the Victorians who created the modern Christmas we know today. Partly that was down to Victoria herself, who introduced the Christmas tree into Britain. It is thanks to Victoria herself that we have the most central aspect of Christmas that we have today: the Christmas tree. Victoria’s reign helped change and shape the modern world we live in today. 2. James I (VI)
From one long-serving monarch to another, we move onto James I (VI), he ruled as monarch for a very impressive 57 years. King James I deserves to be on this top ten list of monarchs both for his longevity as King and for being the King that united the British Isles and formed the foundations for the United Kingdom. The Union of the Crowns happened in 1603, resulting in the crowns of Scotland and England uniting into one crown and serving the whole of the British Isles. England and Wales were already united through the 1536 Act of Union, therefore, the 1603 Union of the Crowns united all of the British Isles. And the Act of Union in 1707 formed the United Kingdom, which happened after the death of James I.
It is through creating the union, and bringing together all countries in the British Isles that King James I deserves to be so high up on this list. His actions created the most successful Union in the world and brought together the countries of the United Kingdom to form one country which has brought peace between the countries, economic prosperity, a shared history, culture and language, and many of the worlds modern inventions. James came to be King of the whole British Isles due to already being King of Scotland and through the death of Elizabeth I who had no heir to succeed her, apart from her cousin, James I of Scotland. James is not only known for creating the United Kingdom, but he is also known for the Gunpowder Plot. The Gunpowder Plot is when Guy Fawkes and several other men tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament on the 4th/5th of November 1605, when James was set to open parliament the following day. The Gunpowder Plot wasn’t successful and Guy Fawkes was caught in the act in the House of Parliament cellars. The attempted plot resulted in the creation of Guy Fawkes Day/Bonfire Night which is still celebrated to this day. Therefore, James deserves to be on this list of our top ten list of monarchs for creating Guy Fawkes Night and forming the United Kingdom. 1. Elizabeth I
For her longevity alone Elizabeth I is our number one monarch. This monarch has reigned for nearly 68 astounding years. Elizabeth I has reigned for so long that it seems very unlikely that we will have another monarch who reigns so long. However, they probably thought the same about Victoria. Coming to the throne in 1952, the vast majority of British people have never known another monarch except Elizabeth I. The world and Britain have went through so many changes since the 1950s, when Queen Elizabeth first took to the throne. Probably the biggest changes are the changes brought about by technology, where we have instant contact with people from anywhere in the world and 24-hour media, both things were unheard of in the 1950s.
Although there has been many changes throughout the world since the second Elizabethan age began, it is hard to get a grasp on this monarch in a historical context, as we are still living through this second Elizabethan age. It is only historians decades from now that will be able to see this age and monarch a lot more clearly, and through a proper historical lens. But, however, history judges this monarch, it’s safe to say Elizabeth II has cemented her place in history due to her longevity as Queen. All of these monarchs for various different reasons have cemented their place in history and created monarchical history for what it is and was. All of these monarchs have shaped history in a way that no other monarchs have, which is why they are on our top ten list of monarchs, their actions have shaped the course of both British and world history over the course of a thousand years and put their place in the history books forever.
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