Timeline of the kings and queens of England.

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The coat of arms of Henry V created by our granddaughter, Jasmine

The coat of arms of Henry V created by our granddaughter, Jasmine

1000 THE NORMANS

William I (William the Conqueror) Dec 1066-Sept 1087

William II (William Rufus) Sept 1087-Aug 1100

1100

Henry I Aug 1100-Dec 1135) (his only legitimate male heir, William, drowned and so Henry planned for his daughter, Matilda to succeed him)

THE HOUSE OF BLOIS

Stephen I (Stephen of Blois, Henry’s nephew) Dec 1135-Oct 1154)This was the time of the Great Anarchy with rival claimant Empress Matilda daughter of Edward I. Civil war raged in England for nearly 20 years.

THE PLANTAGENETS OR THE HOUSE OF ANJOU

Henry II Dec 1154-July 1189 (The murder of Archbishop Thomas Becket took place under Henry II in 1170)

Richard I (Richard the Lionheart) Sept 1189-April 1199

John I (John Lackland) May 1199-Oct 1216 (legend of Robin Hood and evil King John took place)

1200

Henry III Oct 1216-Nov 1272

Edward I (Edward Longshanks) Nov 1272-July 1307

1300

Edward II July 1307-Jan 1327

Edward III Jan 1327-June 1377 (Began the Hundred Years’ War)

Richard II June 1377-Sept 1399 (Overthrown by Henry Bolingbroke)

THE HOUSE OF LANCASTER (symbol, the red rose)

Henry IV (Henry Bolingbroke) Sept 1399-March 1413

1400 1455-85, The Wars of The Roses

Henry V March 1413-March 1461 (won the Battle of Agincourt in 1415)

Henry VI of Lancaster Sept 1422-March 1461 (Overthrown by Edward of York)

THE HOUSE OF YORK (symbol the white rose)

Edward IV of York March 1461-Oct 1470

Henry VI (regained throne)Oct 1470-April 1471 (Overthrown by Edward of York)

Edward IV of Lancaster April 1471 -April 1483

Prince Edward V never crowned (of Princes in the Tower fame)

Richard III June 1483-Aug 1485 (Shakespeare depicted him as an evil hunchback who killed the Princes in the Tower. His skeleton was recently discovered buried under a car park in Leicester!

The House of Tudor (symbol, the Tudor Rose, combination of red and white)

Henry VII (Defeated Richard III in Battle of Bosworth) Aug 1485-April 1509

1500

Henry VIII (Of 6 wives fame) April 1509-Jan 1547 (broke with Rome and the Roman Catholic church, created The Church of England)

Edward VI Jan 1547-July 1553

Lady Jane Grey (made successor by Edward but only queen for 9 days and then beheaded for treason, she was only 16)

Mary I (Bloody Mary) July 1553-Nov 1558, (supposedly co-reigned with King Philip of Spain) (Returned England to the Catholic faith)

Elizabeth I Nov 1558-March 1603 (not married and so no children) (Defeat of Spanish Armada 1588)

1600

House of Stuart

James I (James VI of Scotland ) March 1603-March 1625

Charles I March 1625-Jan 1649 (head chopped off) (1642-51 English Civil War, Parliament (Roundheads V King Charles I (Cavaliers)

Interregnum (Non monarchy ie No kings or queens)

Oliver Cromwell (Lord Protector) Dec 1653-Sept 1658 (Parliament’s hero of the English Civil War)

Richard Cromwell (Oliver’s son)Sept 1658-May 1659 (resigned)

The House of Stuart (Restoration of the monarchy )

Charles II May 1660-Feb 1685

James II Feb 1685-Dec 1688 (Overthrown in the “Glorious Revolution)

Mary II (daughter if James II) Feb 1689-Dec 1694 with husband William III (William of Orange) Feb 1689-March 1702

1700

Anne March 1702-May 1714 (Act of Union 1707 resulting in merger of England and Scotland ie Great Britain) (No surviving heir)

House of Hanover

George I Aug 1714-June 1727

(Great grandson of King James I. George was a protestant and favoured over several potential Catholic heirs who had stronger claims but ruled out because of their faith. His claim was via a female line which is always regarded as weak. His mother Princess Sophia, was the daughter of Princess Elizabeth, the daughter of King James I. George could not speak a word of English, communicating with his prime minister in Latin!))

George II June 1727-Oct 1760

George III Oct 1760-Jan 1820 (American War of Independence 1765-83, suffered from mental illness)

1800

George IV Jan 1820-June 1830

William IV June 1830-June 1837

Victoria June 1837-Jan 1901 ( later gained the title of Empress of India)

1900 Houses of Saxe-Coburg Gotha 1901-1917 and Windsor from 1917

Edward VII Jan 1901-May 1910

George V May 1910-Jan 1936 (World War One, change of name Windsor)

Edward VIII Jan 1936-Dec 1936 (Abdicated after wanting to marry a divorced woman, Wallace Simpson. Never crowned)

George VI Dec 1936-Feb 1952 (World War Two)

Elizabeth II Feb 1952- the present

2000







2020

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Durham Cathedral; discover this magnificent cathedral, its treasures, St Cuthbert, the Venerable Bede and the Anglo-Saxon World.

Durham Cathedral is a very special building for a number of reasons to the extent that the author, Bill Bryson wrote it was “the best cathedral on Planet Earth.” Building began in 1093 and was to take 40 years to complete. If you are in the North-East of England, it should be number one on your list of places to visit. It is a good example of Romanesque architecture with its rounded or semi-circular arches, typical of architecture under the Normans (Norman castles have these arches too). When built it was Britain’s tallest building and must have amazed onlookers at a time when buildings were mainly made out of wood with wattle and daub walls and a thatched roof. It is home to the shrine of St Cuthbert, on of England's most important saints and the Venerable Bede.

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The Coventry Doom Painting. One of the top doom paintings in Britain

It is debatable which is the best doom painting in Britain but it is not debatable that the doom painting at Holy Trinity Church Coventry is one of the best. The Art Historian and documentary maker, Graham Andrew Dixon wrote on his website, “The picture must be counted one of the most important discoveries to have been made in the field of medieval art.” He adds, “it is a vigorously scary depiction of the moment when the Last Trump shall sound, painted in a crude but bold style and teeming with fascinating and unusual detail. It is hard to think of a more potent relic of English fifteenth-century dread.”

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The Wenhaston Doom Painting. A magnificent, highly colourful doom, with clear images that are easy to interpret.

The old phrase “A picture is worth a thousand words” is very appropriate when looking at the magnificent Wenhaston doom painting. In the medieval world where few people could read, a painting of the events of the “Last Judgement” would carefully show what was going to happen to souls when the world would come to an end. This would guide people to manage their lives to ensure a wonderful future. The picture of Hell left no one in doubt that sinners would have a horrible future. The doom painting at Wenhaston is in remarkable condition with very little missing or incomprehensible.

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Exploring the enigmatic Medieval wall paintings of the quaint "All saints Church", Little Kimble.

All Saints has been described as a “charming jewel of a church adjacent to the beautiful Chilterns’ countryside”. Once inside, one look at the walls demonstrates why it has been given this description. Star of the paintings is a virtually complete St George, St John the Evangelist and St James. Others are not quite so clear but with a little effort and time, various features from the stories of other saints can be interpreted can be recognised. An example of this is St Francis of Assisi, who can be identified by the presence of birds. There are also six medieval tiles and clues that show that the Church was built in two distinct phases.

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St Mary's Church North Leigh, is a treasure trove for medievalists with a doom painting, a Knight's effigy, medieval stained glass, some fan vaulting, and a Saxon tower.

St Mary’s Church North Leigh, on the outskirts of the Cotswolds and north-west of Oxford, is a fascinating place to visit. To me, the star of the show is a wonderful doom painting which, unlike many, is in good condition. Medieval parishioners participating in services would have no doubt what awaited them when the inevitable happened and they died. The three panels of their doom painting left it very clear. Only a 10 minute drive away is another incredible doom painting at South Leigh. St Mary’s can also boast of a chantry chapel with fan vaulting, a knight’s effigy with links to the Lancastrian side in the Wars of the Roses and a Saxon tower.

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South Leigh Medieval Doom Painting's Vision of the Last Judgement. Were they going to Heaven's gates of Hell's fires?

South Leigh doom painting north west of Oxford is a great example of what medieval people were expected to believe. Unlike some paintings with large areas lost, this doom painting is clear and easy to understand. At the Last Judgement, souls are summons from graves and decision are made as to their future. Heaven, on the left as the observer sees it, welcomes all sorts but likewise Hell on the right, also welcomes kings, queens, bishops and a whole variety of sinners. The devils surrounding Hell look gruesome as does a monster with a large, gaping mouth coming out of Hell to catch them. Allied to the doom painting is a medieval wall painting of St Michael weighing souls to see who goes to heaven and who has sinned so much that they will end up in Hell. Again, various Devils are in the painting and in this case trying to influence the decision. Also at South Leigh is a wall painting of St Clement and a painting of the “Seven Deadly Sins”.

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Warriors and Castles: Warkworth Castle, Shakespeare's Harry Hotspur and the mighty Percy family in the Wars of the Roses.

Life in medieval times in the north-east of England was one full of danger with a constant threat of war. Viking raids, as well as raids from Scotland, were a regular problem and from time to time kings of England came to this area to consolidate their power. Warkworth was owned by the powerful Percy family for over 600 years who preferred it to the much larger Alnwick castle. The Percy’s were renowned for taking some poor decisions in dynastic wars and losing their lives as well as their properties and titles. One Percy known as “Harry Hotspur” became a popular knight and has been remembered over the years for featuring in Shakespeare’s Henry IV part one.

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The D Day Series. "Beyond the Battlefields: Embracing the Peaceful Aura of Bayeux War Cemetery"

Completed in 1952 and maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, this peaceful cemetery is the last resting place for 4144 named Commonwealth (the UK and former British Empire) soldiers and 338 unidentified ones. Added to this, are 500 graves of soldiers from other countries, the majority being German. It is a fascinating place to visit and observe all the different headstones and some of the stories they tell. The cemetery provides a solemn and peaceful atmosphere, with meticulously maintained rows of white headstones bearing the names of those who fell in the line of duty.

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The D day series. Honouring sacrifice; A Journey through the Graves of German Soldiers in Normandy's La Cambe".

The German cemetery at La Cambe is a stark contrast to the American Cemetery at Colleville and the British Cemetery at Bayeux. Both are nearby and all three are well worth a visit. It is much smaller than Colleville, being 16.5 acres compared to Colleville’s 172.5 but contains 21 222 soldiers whilst Colleville has 9380 servicemen. However, what stands out the most is that Colleville allocates one white cross per soldier, Bayeux has one quite large white/beige headstone per soldier, whereas, La Cambe has two bodies per stone. Furthermore, each stone is small, flat on the ground and is grey in colour.

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The D Day Series. Storming the cliffs; Pointe du Hoc's Legendary Raid and the Men Who Conquered It.

When planning the D Day invasion, it was imperative to take out the the six 155mm guns at the top of Pointe Du Hoc. These massive guns were 4 miles (6.5) km) from the centre of Omaha Beach and 7 miles (11km) from Utah beach . They had a range of 15 miles (25km) and so both of the American landing beaches were easily within their range. This post is about the incredible bravery of the Rangers in climbing 100 feet cliffs, whilst under attack and successfully taking out the various gun emplacements at the top. However, the expected six large guns had disappeared!