A Brief History of the Various British Monarchy Periods

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History of the British Monarchy

There have been 61 British monarchs going back for some 1200 years approximately.

The Origin of the Monarchy

Egbert, the first recognized monarch, commenced his reign in the ninth century, i.e., 827. He ruled Wales and Anglo-Saxon England until 839 when he was replaced as king by his son Aethelwolf. His original status as monarch was achieved on the battleground by defeating the Danish invaders and the Cornish people of England. After conquering North Wales and Northumberland, he became the "ruler of the British" or Bretwalda as he was called in Anglo-Saxon terminology.

Some of the subsequent kings were King Alfred from 871, Athelred the Unready in 978, and King Canute from 1016, who famously believed that as king, he could stop the sea from rising. These were some of the most well-known early British monarchs.

Subsequent Development of the Monarchy

Many other eras ensued, such as the Norman kings with William the Conqueror, the Plantagenet kings including Richard the Lionheart, The English Monarchs such as Edward the 1st, Henry VIII, and the first British queens, Mary I, and Elizabeth I. Subsequent British kings include the Stuarts known for Charles I, who was beheaded in 1649, followed by the Commonwealth period ruled by Oliver Cromwell. Then, the Restoration Period, including Charles II, the Hannoverian Era, which culminated with Queen Victoria from 1837 to 1901. The House of Saxe-Coberg with Edward 7th and finally the current dynasty of the House of Windsor. This lead to the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1952, who still reigns today. Her successor, known as the Prince of Wales, is her son Prince Charles.