by Alex David
Depression crisis of the 1930s.
Peculiar Fact:
Despite his upright, middle class public image, George had a large tattoo of a red and blue dragon on his arm. It was done in Japan in 1881 before he became heir to the throne while he was serving in the Royal Navy as a
midshipman. The tattoo was never shown in public after he came back to England and became a full time royal.
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Edward VIII
Reign:
20 January – 11 December 1936
Birth:
23 June 1894, at White Lodge, Richmond, London. First son of King George V and Queen Mary of Teck (when
Duke and Duchess of York).
Queen:
None
Death:
28 May 1972, 35 years after his abdication, in his private villa in the Bois de Boulogne, Paris, France.
Key Facts:
As a very popular Prince of Wales, Edward travelled extensively throughout the British Empire to acquaint himself with the countries over which he would reign one day. These royal tours, taken between 1919 and 1925, 176
made him at the time the most widely travelled British royal in history, as well as a world celebrity.
Widely considered by many, including his father, as unfit to be king because of his lack of interest in royal duties and questionable morals, he preferred the
pleasures of society life instead, including affairs with married women. His doubters’ fears were confirmed after he became king when he neglected state affairs,
indulging instead in parties and foreign holidays. He also showed a worrying sympathy for Adolf Hitler’s Nazi party.
In 1934 he began an affair with Wallis Simpson, an
American married woman who was previously divorced, and later fell in love with her. His determination to marry her and make her his Queen after he became king
brought about a constitutional crisis. Edward, as Head of the Church of England, could not marry a previously divorced woman since the Church did not allow divorced people to remarry. Although his government warned him about the impossibility of such marriage, Edward
continued in his determination to marry Wallis Simpson after she also divorced her second husband in 1936.
He finally abdicated the throne to marry Wallis
Simpson on 11 December 1936 after losing the support of his government, explaining to the nation afterwards that he could not carry out his duties as king without the 177
support of the woman he loved. His voluntary abdication of the throne was the first in English history, with the crown passing to his brother Prince Albert. Edward’s reign of 10 months stands as the second shortest since the Norman Conquest of 1066 (after Edward V’s reign in 1483).
After his abdication he went into voluntary exile and married Wallis Simpson in 1937 in France. Reverting back to the rank of Royal Prince, he was given the title of Duke of Windsor. He continued to enjoy the pleasures of
society life until his death in his seventies, residing mostly in France.
Peculiar Fact:
In 1927, at the height of Edward’s popularity as Prince of Wales, a song was released entitled “I Have Danced With a Man Who’s Danced With a Girl Who’s Danced With the Prince of Wales”. It included lines such as “It was simply grand—he said ‘Topping band’—and she said ‘Delightful, Sir’”.
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George VI
Reign:
11 December 1936 – 6 February 1952
Birth:
14 December 1895, at York Cottage, Sandringham,
Norfolk. Second son of King George V and Queen Mary of Teck (when Duke and Duchess of York).
Queen:
Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (1900-2002), ninth child and
youngest daughter of Claude Bowes-Lyon, Earl of
Strathmore and Kinghorne.
Death:
Night of 5-6 February 1952, at Sandringham House,
Norfolk.
Key Facts:
Christened as Albert and known as Bertie in the
family, he came to throne unexpectedly after the
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abdication of his brother Edward VIII in 1936. Shy, nervous and suffering from a stammer, he was totally unprepared to be king as he had never been trained in state business. He nevertheless rose to the enormous challenge, supported by his strong wife Queen Elizabeth.
His strong sense of duty and exemplary family life
restored dignity and stability to the monarchy after the abdication of Edward VIII. His choice of George as a regnal name was meant to provide continuity with the reign of his father, George V. Finding it difficult to make public speeches because of his stammer, he worked with a speech therapist to overcome his difficulties.
He led the country through the Second World War
and provided inspiration to the people, as for example when he and Queen Elizabeth refused to leave London during the Blitz raids so they could share the dangers of war with their people. He also made surprise visits to British troops fighting abroad, delivered messages of support on the radio, and together with Queen Elizabeth toured bombed areas throughout Britain.
He was the last Emperor of India before the country declared independence in 1947, and he presided over the birth of the British Commonwealth in 1949. He was also the last British king to reign over a united Ireland before 180
Southern Ireland became a republic in 1949. In 1939 he became the first reigning monarch to visit Canada.
The strains of kingship, the stress of the Second
World War, and his lifelong smoking addiction drastically impaired his health by the time he was 50. Following a series of operations, including the removal of part of one lung in 1951, more and more duties were taken over by his daughter, Princess Elizabeth, until George finally died in his sleep at the age of 56.
Peculiar Fact:
One of George VI’s pastimes was needlework, a hobby he inherited from his mother Queen Mary and which he
used to relax during his stressful years as king. Some of the seat covers he embroidered are still used on chairs in some of the private royal residences.
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Elizabeth II
Reign:
6 February 1952- present
Birth:
21 April 1926, at 17 Bruton Street, Mayfair, London. First child of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (then Duke and Duchess of York).
Prince Consort:
Prince Philip of Greece, later Philip Mountbatten (1921-), fifth child and only son of Prince Andrew of Greece and Princess Alice of Battenberg.
Death:
Still living.
Key Facts:
Elizabeth became monarch whilst outside of Europe
while she was visiting Kenya in February 1952, following the sudden death of her father in Britain. Her coronation 182
in 1953 was followed in Britain by almost 70% of the population either on TV or through radio, and was the first global TV event.
She has provided stability to the monarchy and led
the institution through a period of great social and technological change in Britain. She adapted the
monarchy first to the television age during the first part of her reign, and then to the digital age in the 21st century.
Her long reign saw the initial decline of Great Britain as a world power and the introduction of socialist policies in the 1950s-1970s; the dismantling of the socialist state in the 1980s; and the rebirth of the country into a 21st century’s world financial power. Her reign also witnessed Britain’s transformation into a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural country.
After presiding over the slow dismantling of the
British Empire during the 1950s and 1960, Elizabeth greatly contributed to the creation of the
Commonwealth. She strengthened the monarchy’s ties to the Commonwealth through personal involvement in its affairs and personal visits to Commonwealth countries by herself and members of her family.
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The failed marriages of her children and associated scandals damaged the monarchy’s popularity in the
1990s, culminating in hostility towards the Royal Family following the death of Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997.
The popularity of the monarchy was restored following Elizabeth’s Golden Jubilee in 2002, and greatly increased after the wedding of Prince William in 2011 and
Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012. As of 2017, Elizabeth II reigns as one of the most popular monarchs in British history.
She has become the most widely travelled monarch
in British history after visiting 115 countries on official visits as Queen. She has visited all Commonwealth
Realms, almost all other Commonwealth Countries, and was the first reigning monarch to visit Australia and New Zealand in 1953-54. She was also the first reigning monarch to visit the Irish Republic in 2011.
The innovations introduced to the monarchy during
her reign include equal primogeniture, giving equality to men and women in the line of succession; the weekly audience between the monarch and the Prime Minister; the royal walkabout; the televised Christmas Day
message; the introduction of the monarch’s likeness on banknotes; and the opening of Buckingham Palace to the public.
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In 2015, she became the longest-reigning monarch in British history, surpassing Queen Victoria’s record, as well as the longest-reigning female monarch in recorded world history. She is also the longest-lived monarch in British history, and the first to reach the age of 90. In 2017 she also became the world’s oldest and longest-serving head of state in the world.
Peculiar Fact:
The Queen trained as an auto mechanic during the
Second World War when she joined the Women’s
Auxiliary Territorial Service in London as a honorary Subaltern. She learned how to change tires, fix engines, change oil, and how to drive military trucks, passing her final exam with flying colours. She continues to drive large cars on the Windsor and Balmoral estates well into her 90s.
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The 5 Longest Reigns
Listed below are the five monarchs who have had the longest reigns since the Norman Conquest of 1066,
updated as of May 2018.
Note: the longest-reigning Scottish monarch, James VI of Scotland and I of England, reigned in Scotland for 57
years, 8 months, 3 days; but only reigned in England for 22 years and 2 days.
1. Elizabeth II
66+ years
6 Feb 1952 to present
2. Victoria
63 years, 7 months, 2 days
20 Jun 1837 to 22 Jan 1901
3. George III
59 years, 3 months, 4 days
25 Oct 1760 to 29 Jan 1820
4. Henry III
56 years, 29 days
18 Oct 1216 to 16 Nov 1272
5. Edward III
50 years, 4 months, 27 days
25 Jan 1327 to 21 Jun 1377
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The 5 Shortest Reigns
Listed below are the five monarchs who have had the shortest reigns since the Norman Conquest of 1066,
updated as of May 2018.
Note: if the disputed reign of Jane Grey were to be included, she would rank first on the list with a reign of 9
days (10 to 19 July 1553).
1. Edward V
2 months, 17 days
9 Apr to 26 Jun 1483
2. Edward VIII
10 months, 21 days
20 Jan to 11 Dec 1936
3. Richard III
2 years, 1 month, 26 days
26 Jun 1483 to 22 Aug 1485
4. James II
3 years, 10 months, 5 days
6 Feb 1685 to 11 Dec 1688
5. Mary I
5 years, 4 months, 11 days
6 Jul 1553 to 17 Nov 1558
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The 5 Longest-Lived
Monarchs
Listed below are the five monarchs with the longest life-spans since the Norman Conquest of 1066, updated as of May 2018.
Note: Edward VIII (born 23 Jun 1894 – died 28 May 1972) lived to 77 years, 11 months and 6 days. However, since he spent the last 35 ½ years of his life living as Duke of Windsor and not as monarch after his abdication, he is not included in this list.
1. Elizabeth II
92+ years
21 Apr 1926-present
2. Victoria
81 years, 7 months, 29 days
24 May 1819-22 Jan 1901
3. George III
81 years, 7 months, 14 days*
4 Jun 1738-29 Jan 1820
4. George II
76 years, 11 months, 14 days*
30 Oct 1683-25 Oct 1760
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5. William IV
71 years, 9 months, 30 days
21 Aug 1765-20 Jun 1837
* Note: During George II’s and George III’s lifetimes both Hanover and Great Britain switched from the Old Julian Calendar to the New Gregorian Calendar (in 1700 and 1752 respectively). The switch involved bringing the calendar forward by 11 days, therefore the final number of days in George II and George III’s life spans above is shorter than it should be.
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The 5 Shortest-Lived
Monarchs
Listed below are the five English/British monarchs with the shortest life-spans since the Norman Conquest of 1066, updated as of May 2018.
Note: If Jane Grey were to be included on this list she would rank in third place with a life-span of
approximately 17 years (her exact date of birth is unknown).
1. Edward V
12 years, c.10 months
2 Nov 1470-c.September 1483
2. Edward VI
15 years, 8 months, 24 days
12 Oct 1537-6 Jul 1553
3. Mary II
32 years, 7 months, 29 days
30 Apr 1662-28 Dec 1694
4. Richard III
32 yrs, 10 months, 20 days
2 Oct 1452-22 Aug 1485
5. Richard II
33 years, c.1 month
6 Jan 1367-c.February 1400
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The 5 Oldest Monarchs
at Accession
Listed below are the five oldest monarchs at the time of their accession since the Norman Conquest of 1066,
updated as on May 2018.
Note: If Prince Charles were to become king he would immediately rank in first place with an age of 69+ years as of May 2018.
Age at Accession
1. William IV
64 yrs, 10 months, 5 days
Born: 21 Aug 1765. Accession date: 26 Jun 1830
2. Edward VII
59 years, 2 months, 13 days
Born: 9 Nov 1841. Accession date: 22 Jan 1901
3. George IV
57 years, 5 months, 17 days
Born: 12 Aug 1762. Accession date: 29 Jan 1820
4. George I
54 years, 2 months, 4 days
Born: 28 May 1660. Accession date: 1 Aug 1714
5. James II
51 years, 3 months, 23 days
Born: 14 October 1633. Accession date: 6 Feb 1685
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The 5 Youngest Monarchs
at Accession
Listed below are the five youngest monarchs at the time of their accession since the Norman Conquest of 1066, updated as on May 2018. All of these monarchs had
regency councils governing on their behalf after their accession because of their minority.
Age at Accession
1. Henry VI
8 months, 25 days
Born: 6 Dec 1421. Accession date: 31 Aug 1422
2. Henry III
9 years, 18 days
Born: 1 Oct 1207. Accession date: 19 Oct 1216
3. Edward VI
9 years, 3 months, 16 days
Born: 12 Oct 1537. Accession date: 28 Jan 1547
4. Richard II
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10 years, 5 months, 15 days
Born: 6 Jan 1367. Accession date: 21 Jun 1377