Kings and Queens

When people think about the Kings and Queens of England from the Middle Ages the name King Arthur comes to mind. However this is incorrect, for King Arthur is mostly a fictional character steeped in legend more so than in reality. The real Medieval Kings and Queens of England reigned over many hundreds of years, for after the Romans left the country Britain became separated into many small kingdoms throughout the Dark Ages. The Battle of Hastings in 1066 saw the Normans come to govern England under the initial reign of William the Conqueror.

It is popular belief that the title of King is handed down to the first born son. Whilst this is quite often the expected process, it was not always so during the Middle Ages. Succession could be brought about by force or the title could be given to another member of the ruling family. This was the case when William the Conqueror died. His eldest son, Robert, became Duke of Normandy, while the next youngest, William, became king of England. Their younger brother Henry would become king upon William II's death. The uneasy divide continued until Henry captured and imprisoned his elder brother.

The question of the succession continued to weigh heavily over the remainder of this early period in England's medieval history. For when Henry's son died, his nominated heir Matilda was denied the throne by her cousin, Henry's nephew, Stephen. This event would then be followed by a period of civil war. Matilda then married Geoffrey Plantagenet of Anjou, who took control of Normandy, and eventually a compromise was reached whereby the son of Matilda and Geoffrey would be heir to the English crown, while Stephen's son would inherit his baronial lands.

So the issue of succession and lines of the Kings and Queens of England did become complicated during the Middle Ages, as members of the ruling families and other factional warlords all fought for control and power.

Exercises:

On a new page in your books put the Heading “Kings and Queens of Medieval England”. Under the heading write a summary of the information available from this link. After you have completed the summary, write the following sub-headings and the questions in your books and answer them in full sentences using the links to the websites listed below.

The Norman Kings

1. Who were the Norman Kings and Queens?
2. Who was William the Conqueror and how did he become King?
3. Who was Queen Matilda and how did she gain the throne?

The Plantagenet Kings

1. Who were the Plantagenet Kings?
2. Who was Richard the Lionheart?
3. What is he most famous for?
4. Who was King Edward III and what did he do?

The Royal Houses of Lancaster and York

1. Who were the Kings of the Royal Houses of Lancaster and York?
2. Under the reign of King Richard II who was Wat Tyler and what did he do?
3. Who was King Edward V and what happened to his two sons?
4. Use the link British History Timeline to plot a timeline in your books with the Kings of medieval England