User:Ltwin/Sandbox Monarchy

History of monarchy in the United Kingdom

Tentative outline


 * 1) English monarchy
 * 2) House of York (1461-1485)
 * 3) Edward IV
 * 4) Richard III
 * 5) Tudors (1485–1603)
 * 6) Henry VII
 * 7) Henry VIII
 * 8) Edward VI
 * 9) Mary
 * 10) Elizabeth I
 * 11) Scottish monarchy
 * 12) Irish monarchy
 * 13) Personal union under Stuarts (1603–1707)
 * 14) James VI and I
 * 15) Charles I
 * 16) Interregnum
 * 17) Charles II and Restoration
 * 18) James VII and II and Glorious Revolution
 * 19) William and Mary
 * 20) Anne and the Acts of Union
 * 21) Hanoverians (1714–1901)
 * 22) George I (if possible, we can lump the Georges under one section called "Georgian era")
 * 23) George II
 * 24) George III
 * 25) George IV
 * 26) William IV
 * 27) Victoria
 * 28) Windsors (1901–present)
 * 29) Edward VII
 * 30) George V
 * 31) Edward VIII and abdication crisis
 * 32) George VI
 * 33) Elizabeth II

William the Conqueror


Not in article: After securing his new kingdom, William returned to Normandy in March 1067. He took with him the remaining English leaders—Archbishop Stigand of Canterbury, Edgar the Æthling, Edwin, Morkere, and Waltheof, the earl of Northumbria. He left England in the care of his half-brother, Bishop Odo of Bayeux, and William fitzOsbern.

It took nearly five years of fighting before the Norman Conquest of England was secure. Across England, the Normans built castles for defence as well as intimidation of the locals. In London, William ordered construction of the White Tower, the central keep of the Tower of London. Once finished, the White Tower "was the most imposing emblem of monarchy that the country had ever seen, dwarfing all other buildings for miles around."

At times, there was tension between the monarch and his Norman vassals, who were used to French models of government in which royal power was much weaker than in England. The 1075 Revolt of the Earls was defeated by the king, but the monarchy continued to resist forces of feudal fragmentation.

The church was critical to William's conquest of England. In 1066, it owned between 25 and 33 per cent of all land, and appointment to bishoprics and abbacies were important sources of royal patronage. Pope Alexander II supported the Norman invasion because he wanted William to oversee church reform and to remove unfit bishops. William forbade ecclesiastical cases (those involving marriage, wills, and legitimacy) from being heard in secular courts; jurisdiction was handed over to church courts. But William also tightened royal control over the church. Bishops were banned from traveling to Rome, and royal permission was needed to enact new canon law or to excommunicate a noble.

John
King John stayed in England more than any other due to the loss of the Angevin territories. He expanded the number of royal residences, spending £4,000 (equal to £0 today) on them over his reign.

Henry III
See discussion of Westminster Palace in Prestwich (I think page 46 or above it) Henry III inherited 58 castles. This number had fallen to 47 by Edward I's accession. Many royal castles were poorly maintained. A few, however, were used as displays of royal power and wealth. This included the Tower of London, which was extended and modernized by Henry III. Edward I continued work on the Tower. He built St Thomas Tower, which was more of a residence than a castle.



Edward I
See Prestwich pages circa 52 for court life under Edward I
 * Feast of the Swans
 * The Vows of the Heron

Richard II
Lancaster had been the most powerful noblemen in England with thirty castles and a private army of four thousand men.

Henry V
In June 1421, Henry was forced to return to France after his brother and deputy Thomas, duke of Clarence, died in battle. While in France, the King became ill and died on 31 August 1422. Henry V had 3 brothers: ; John, duke of Bedford; and

Henry VI (r 1 September 1422 – 4 March 1461; restored 3 October 1470 – 11 April 1471)


the young king was left in the care of his great-uncle Thomas Beaufort, duke of Exeter.

Templates

 * {{reign | 1042 | 1066